In the fashion community, the perfect top, comfortable pair of jeans and on-trend sneakers serve as hot topics when styling wardrobes. Although these prominent items are usually the focal points in outfits, it is just as important to applaud and recognize high quality, comfortable and stylish undergarments. For this, 303 Magazine talked with Denver underwear brand, YOCISCO, about the importance of men’s undergarments, the brand’s unique design process and future of the company in Denver. Known for its eco-friendly fabric and gratifying fit, YOCISCO recently launched a new category of garments that scream style. Although under clothing, this Denver-based brand encompasses style, comfort, quality and illustrates how to be a major force in the fashion industry.
303 Magazine: Can you please tell us a little about the YOCISCO brand as a whole and how the brand name originated?
YOCISCO: The core of the brand is confidence. We have set out to make products that instill confidence in men of all shapes, sizes and backgrounds. We do this by making underwear that molds to the body using bamboo fabric, thoughtful design and a range of sizes.
The name YOCISCO comes from our founder, Cisco, a Colorado native and his many years as a dancer. When performing on stage, he felt most confident and people would get his attention by saying, “Yo, Cisco!” So, the two words came together to represent confidence — YOCISCO.
303: How has YOCISCO found its place in Denver and has that process of producing and marketing a brand in the Mile High City been challenging or easy?
Y: Finding our place in the Mile High City has been uniquely difficult being that Denver has such a welcoming and inclusive spirit. Building a brand takes time and is not easy, even in your own city. We originally started producing our products in Denver but found it challenging and costly to scale our business with local manufacturers, especially given the fabric that we work with. Over the years we have implemented marketing strategies that have allowed us to be disruptive in our category outside of Denver, which has made the Denver market take notice. We have fantastic retail partners in Denver that have allowed us to put our product in front of the community where they can see and feel the quality of what we offer. Men’s underwear is not something that is traditionally considered “fashion” and is even sometimes taboo to talk about, even in a welcoming and inclusive city like Denver. We are breaking down those walls and getting men to pay attention to what they wear under their clothes and how that can affect their confidence and ultimately their performance at work or play.
303: Recently, the brand introduced a brunch trunks swimwear line. Can you please tell us more about that line and what motivated you to produce another category of garments?
Y: Fun fact, the swimwear line was originally designed as underwear. The line came about after numerous customers voiced their need for stylish swimwear. So, we played around with a number of different design options and nothing really made the splash (pun intended), that we were looking for, so we revisited the underwear design and had an “ah-ha” moment that they would be perfect as swimwear.
303: What is your best selling underwear and what makes it unique?
Y: Our best selling design is our Essentials Iso Brief which is available in six solid colors in small through 2XL. First, what makes it unique is the bamboo fabric which is eco-friendly, breathable, odor-absorbing, moisture-wicking, temperature-controlled and luxuriously soft. Second, the cut of the garment is a fresh take on the traditional “tightey whitey,” without the unflattering fit and fabric that cuts into your skin. Lastly, the lift-fit pouch which prevents chaffing and holds everything in place for maximum support.
303: What style of YOCISCO underwear should every man own and why?
Y: Every man should own a pair from our Essentials collection depending on their preference of underwear style. The Essentials offer the ISO Brief, trunks, boxer briefs and jockstraps. Since they are offered in a variety of colors, they fit any lifestyle, occasion or mood.
303: Where do the YOCISCO underwear design inspirations come from?
Y: Our inspiration comes from various sources — pop culture, daily life, current events and sometimes just listening to our customers. Sometimes inspiration will hit at the most unexpected times. The challenge, however, is turning inspiration into something that is marketable.
303: What has been the biggest brand moment for YOCISCO?
Y: Every year as we celebrate our anniversary — July 17 — is our brand moment. It is the moment that we get to reflect on our hard work, dedication, tenacity, and unwavering loyal customer base. The underwear market is extremely competitive and saturated and every year that we are still around and thriving is a landmark.
303: Looking into the future, what do the upcoming years hold for YOCISCO?
Y: We want to keep a level of suspense to our brand. To keep the answer short and sweet without giving away too much — the future holds more growth and expansion into different categories.
Photos courtesy of YOCISCO.