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STOP BY A BUMP THE FUNDRAISER THREAD
Posted on 06/15/2002 11:26:07 AM PDT by Kermit
Putting it briefly, loincloths are booming.
That's got nothing to do with what the strips of fabric cover, but instead refers to sales of the ancient-style undergarments.
"We sold 6,000 loincloths last year, but are on pace to sell over 10,000 this year," Kyoto loincloth maker Koichi Nakata tells Shukan Bunshun (6/20). "It's not like we thought we could make a profit out of them. I was originally a dye craftsman. I only started doing this because I got a phone call from a department store wanting a correct-fitting loincloth because the mass-produced types were all too loose. The loincloth earned a good reputation and sales spread through word of mouth. When I started advertising sales of loincloths over the Internet, orders went through the roof."
Some may be surprised by the types of guys buying loincloths.
"We get kids from their teens through to old men in their 70s," Nakata tells Shukan Bunshun. "There're students, government officials, sportsmen. A wide variety of people are showing their support for us."
Loincloths were once made only in simple white. But, like trunks and briefs, they now come in a variety of designs, sizes and styles, but each has the added advantage of being hand crafted. Loincloths are apparently popular because they're airy, feel good on the skin, can be easily washed and are simple to attach.
"Wear a loincloth once and you can never wear anything else again," Nakata says to Shukan Bunshun. Others agree.
"Your crotch is tightly covered throughout a game, so changing into a loincloth after a bath upon getting home gives you a sense of release," a professional baseball player says. "Loincloths are relaxing."
A police officer who spent much of the 2000 G-8 Summit standing guard in steamy Okinawa and Kyushu has also converted to the benefits of the loincloth.
"Standing under the boiling sun in Okinawa for hours while building up a sweat was made easier because the loincloths don't get all wet," he says. "And another advantage lies in being able to change them simply by undoing a single string at the rear."
Nakata says he still finds it amazing that loincloths are selling as well as they are. But he adds that his products are all made of 100 percent cotton, which means they become softer the more they're used. He adds that most of his customers like their loincloths so much, they never get rid of them even if they're horribly stained. He returns the loyalty by offering free repairs on loincloths that become frayed.
Nakata's loincloths sell best over the Internet. Shukan Bunshun notes he now boasts of selling loincloths to customers throughout Japan, Europe, China, Taiwan, the United States and Australia.
Possibly the only skidmarks near these loincloths are the ones created by those who have to break suddenly in their rush to buy them.
Possibly the only skidmarks near these loincloths...
Like a story from the Clinton White House, this one writes itself...
Now here is profession sure to be a hit with the ladies!
"So, what do you do for a living?"
"Mens underwear repair."
"Uh, I think I hear my boyfriend calling me..."
a.cricket
I hope this comes through ... this thread is crying for a Yatta! pic.
and I swear when I read this thread headline it said "Loincloths crack the bag time, lol
Ah yes, Happatai! (The leaf team). At least they've got their health. Click the picture if you dare...
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