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'Speakeasy Briefs' Kickstarter Launched This A.M.

Amanda Kantor |
April 25, 2013 | 6:00 p.m. PDT

Contributor

Speakeasy Briefs are a line of men's boxer briefs with a zippered pocket in front. (Dan Goldman)
Speakeasy Briefs are a line of men's boxer briefs with a zippered pocket in front. (Dan Goldman)
Last Halloween, I hit the Vegas strip as a "Top Gun" fighter pilot. Other than my army green dress, the only accessory I wore was a pair of aviators. I knew bringing a purse into a Vegas club would result in leaving my purse at a Vegas club. Plus, no fighter pilot carries Marc Jacobs on their arm. It’s a good thing I had a handy undergarment in which to place my ID and credit card: my bra. But where did my Spartan warrior man put his necessities while we were out on the town? Also in my bra. Until now, men have not been able to enjoy the safety and discretion of their own undergarment pocket. The solution: Speakeasy Briefs.

Speakeasy Briefs are a line of men’s boxer briefs with a zippered pocket in the front. They were invented by University of Soutnern California (USC) alums Dan Goldman and Jeff Schneider, two men who understand USC’s party culture. You don’t have to go to Vegas to dress up as say, a character from Mario Kart. Costume parties occur weekly on The Row. Even post-grad, Dan and Jeff have found that adult costume parties are becoming increasingly popular in their current home, San Francisco. Costumes rarely have pockets, and if they do, they are usually poorly made.

In terms of safety, students who live at USC or study abroad during college need to be extra vigilant when it comes to their personal belongings. A man with a wallet in his back pocket is a bull’s eye for pickpockets. Jeff says, “When I was traveling in Paris, the only way to keep my money and passport safe was to wear a travel belt, but those are extremely uncomfortable. There wasn’t really a solution at the time.”

Dan and Jeff have been developing Speakeasy Briefs, or Speakeasys, for nine months, so that they may be both comfortable and practical. “I think our customers will be happy with the utility of the underwear,” says Dan. When I asked the entrepreneurs if guys would use Speakeasys to pack a more prominent bulge, Dan informed me that while the pocket can hold a wallet, flask, cell phone and condom, the bottom seam holds the items flat and in place. My question is—after a guy pulls all those things out of his underwear, how much more impressed could I get?

While the underwear has everyday uses, Jeff sees their core market being EDM goers: “A supplement to the fanny pack.” Some music festivals require that alcohol be bought and consumed in designated beer gardens, limiting people’s options and draining their wallets, while sequestering them from the stages and the sights. As USC student, Sabrina Hong, says, “Desperate times call for a secretive, clandestine underwear party.” Coachella and Outsidelands goers may appreciate the more pop-tastic neon teal blue color, as seen in the promotional video, which features Dan Goldman.

In this video, Dan shows off his comedic abilities. Both men have a combined background in technology, finance, politics, broadcast journalism and comedy. “It has allowed us to come at things from different angles,” says Jeff. They are quintessential USC alums with diverse knowledge and a spirit for entrepreneurship. In fact, Dan was just accepted this spring into USC’s MBA program, and will likely be attending in the fall. We’ll no doubt see him tailgating at next year’s football games - in his Speakeasies, of course.

The gentlemen decided to use Kickstarter to fund their start-up. Kickstarter allows anyone to go online and contribute to their goal of raising $10,000 (matched by Dan and Jeff) to produce the first line of Speakeasy Briefs. The public has 30 days to contribute to their vision. (Click here to view their pitch.) The core contributors have input in the design of the final product. “Kickstarter works with our type of product,” says Jeff, “because it allows us to be more creative and interactive in how we present the product, and it allows us to get feedback from people early on.” 

(Dan Goldman)
(Dan Goldman)
Kickstarter provides an opportunity for business ventures to get market validation before a product is mass-produced. “It’s also more fun, because it makes people a part of the exciting process of starting a business,” says Dan.

In the end, Dan and Jeff want this experience to be fun. Jeff currently works in business development, and Dan in wealth management, but they invented Speakeasy Briefs so that they could collaborate on something creative and changing. “We brainstormed all sorts of businesses, and decided to work towards a common goal,” says Jeff. Perhaps more important as the product itself, however, is the alliance: “We communicate openly and resolve issues right away, and move forward—rare and important qualities in a business partnership and friendship,” says Dan.

In just the first few hours after they launched on Kickstarter, Speakeasy Briefs have made over $5,000—a long way toward reaching their initial goal of $10,000. “If we are able to surpass our fundraising goal, it will allow us to reach the minimum order quantity for additional color options for our backers.” Neon green, anyone?

Ladies, tell your men to carry their own wallet from now on. In the spirit of Trojans helping Trojans, check out Speakeasys, and dress your thighs in style, with the underwear that provides a nook for the necessities.

 

Reach Contributor Amanda Kantor here; follow her here.



 

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