Like many boys who grew up in India, my earliest memory of Jockey involves my father. My dad is a stand-up guy. He worked his way up in the same company for over 30 years, putting in the hours day-after-day, and still made time for his family and himself. While he sparked in me a love for reading, writing, and listening to The Beatles and The Doors, he gave my brother his love for running and playing football and cricket. My fondest memories of my dad involve the both of us lounging around the house on Sunday mornings after breakfast, listening to ‘Hotel California’ on the tape player; him in his white Jockey Vest and me in whatever my mom deemed fit for me to wear. Just like a million men of his generation, when it came to his innerwear, he swore by the comfort of those Vests and Jockey’s white Y-Front Briefs.
The Fallacy of Youth
As time rolled by and I entered teenagedom, I began to resent what I thought was the monotony of my dad’s taste in innerwear. This was in the early 2000s, and if you were in high school back then, you’ll remember how fashionable low-waist jeans and the obvious elastic band were. I soon started experimenting with some very shady brands, which offered little in terms of comfort or understanding of the human anatomy. My experiences with these brands can be summed up in three words — uncomfortable, unpredictable, and unsatisfactory.
Playing On
Thankfully, this wasn’t to last forever. At some point in my late teens, I was introduced to two things that would drastically change my life — rugby and the Jockey Pop Colour range. While there is no obvious connection between these two, they both did share one thing in common — they helped me express who I was in the most natural way possible. While on the rugby field, I was surrounded by teammates who accepted me for who I was, the Jockey Pop range helped me explore the more colorful sides of my personality, off the field.
Soon I started carrying an extra pair of Jockey boxer briefs in the kit I hauled with me to practice — just in case the boys decided to have an impromptu team night out and I needed to crash at someone’s place.
Keeping Cool Under Pressure
Right after graduation, I landed my first job working sales for a hotel based in Hyderabad. The thrill of moving out of home, living in a completely alien place, with new friends to be made and new adventures to be had — talk about a rush! My job had me traveling across the city to meet clients in some of the country’s largest companies. In those situations, your appearance could be the difference between a deal closed and a client lost forever! On my first shopping trip after getting the job, I splurged on a well-fitting charcoal grey suit, and immediately picked up a pair of Jockey Heritage trunks. Those bad boys were my best friends through many hot summer days and intense meetings.
Making a Switch
After three years in the hospitality business, I decided I needed to make a choice: I could either continue in the same line of work for the rest of my life or take a gamble and do something that I really enjoyed — writing. So, I moved back to my hometown and took up a job as a copywriter. With the change in territory, there was also a change in dress code. Gone were the days of dressing up in a fancy suit for work — at the new place people dressed more for speed than approval. Denims and chinos, coupled with flannels and checks, soon became a staple in my wardrobe. Along with this, I also moved away from the Heritage range’s streamlined construction to the more comfortable-though-slick look of the USA Originals.
Of course, with over 142 years of experience in making innerwear for men — from ‘union suits’ to performance wear — it isn’t a surprise that Jockey knows what men need when it comes to style and comfort. A testament to this is the faith men across the ages, from the 1800s to this day, have placed in a good pair of Jockey briefs. After all, even today, when I’m out shopping for underwear or casual wear, my feet automatically carry me to the Jockey section of the store. I guess that after years of experiencing Jockey’s promise of comfort, style, and authenticity first hand, it is safe to say that whoever you are, you can always count on Jockey.
Like many boys who grew up in India, my earliest memory of Jockey involves my father. My dad is a stand-up guy. He worked his way up in the same company for over 30 years, putting in the hours day-after-day, and still made time for his family and himself. While he sparked in me a love for reading, writing, and listening to The Beatles and The
