I’m definitely dating myself with this one, but did anyone else’s sexual awakening begin with the International Male catalog? It randomly came to our house in the mail one day when I was a kid (unless my Dad was either A) secretly gay or B) wore thongs – yikes) and I can remember it hung about on the coffeee table in the den with the other junk mail for a week. There was a guy in a GAUDY ASS outfit on the cover. Kind of like Mesh Man in the pic above. And somehow I knew it contained delights inside. So I finally got up the nerve to casually snatch it and retreat to my room. And behold – studs in the most ridiculous outfits imaginable. Is that a pink version of the coveralls Sigourney Weaver wore fighting the Alien Queen? Halfway through, however, was the good stuff. The underwear!
It was my first glimpse of the male body in a state of almost nekkidness. Sure, they were in day-glo thongs with fringe but what the hell did I care? The rest of the kids in the neighborhood had already gotten access to their Dad’s Playboys. What was there for a kid who was (secretly) grossed out by those? Here was my answer! If you’re wondering, yes – the International Male catalog led to my first sexual experience. With myself. Did it have that effect on anybody else?
International Male was bought out by Undergear, and they’re keeping a tradition alive with some of their offerings.
The pics I’ve posted after the break are a mix from International Male and other “men’s” catalogs from back in the day. Some are fairly sexy and others are examples of how highly fucked up clothing can be.
– J. Harvey
International Male is now called Undergear and most of this stuff is still avaible on the website.
Didn’t the guy in the matching silk shirt and tie appear on an episode of America’s Next Top Model?
Oh the memories. I.M. was one of the first times I masturbated to a magazine. I remember my parents wouldn’t let me get my ear pierced back in the mid-nineties but I saved my allowance and ordered fake earrings from I.M. for $24.95 haha. Which also secured me on their mailing list 🙂
I remember that I masturbated MANY times to All My Children’s Cameron Matheson when he was one of their underwear models.
These two mags used to be my primary source of spanking material… although, to be honest, wouldn’t it be awesome to live in a world (or on an island) where you could wear this stuff on a normal daily basis and have it be ‘the norm’? 😉
Michael Lohan just ordered one of everything
We were staying at a friend’s for a weekend in Rehoboth and one of their other guests came out in an “outfit” that was composed mostly (only the sneakers weren’t) of IM outfits, including an AWFUL crop top mesh shirt. We tried to have an intervention with him that he looked awful, and somehow he took offense….but we tried!
I did like one or two things every now and then, but that was it….but the catalogs kept on coming!
ahhh….memories. Sweet sticky memories!!!!
OMG – I used to go to Walden Books & buy it for $2!!! Best $2 I’ve ever spent. I made a loooootta undies moist while looking at that thing. I remember my first order…”the sock” jock strap…just one single strap & a mesh cup to hold the goods; nothing else to it. I wish they still sold that thing damnit!!!
So cool you bring this back. Now we have Undergear & they now show full goods in mesh undies (well, online anyway), so it keeps getting better 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
Oh I remember those…came in a set of 3 graduated sizes. I wanted those but never ordered them!
Wise move concerning the mailing list. My kinda guy! 🙂
i remember Cameron Matheson in the catalog. i think i bought a couple of items, that he modeled.
Yes! His name is Rob Hill, I think he is married, but he dont get much work anymore.
Funny, I still Have a couple of things, I ordered from them Like a blue crushed Valour shirt, a pair of Liquid blue pants…That I still wear sometimes (Never go out of style)…The pants, not the shirt. I love the model only a few went on to do other things Like Shamer Moore, Rob Hill, Cameron Mitchell. I had such a crush on the guy on the first cover and the guy with the scuba gear on…HOT!!!
My best friend Craig and I used to look through the cataloges and imagine some queen in a small rural town wearing those outfits, we laughed till we about pissed ourselves.Some of the models were Hot, but most of the clothing was Awful !
I was going to say two of the guys (sixteen and seventeen after the jump) looked like they were from Undergear.
the models always had enormously long long legs….I was envious of them. Crikey, some sights there, but glad to see them again. Any of you guys read DNA magazines?
If you ever watch the Mostly Unfabulous Social Life of Ethan Green, there is a really funny International Male joke in it.
Does anyone remember that International Male came out with a very short-lived openly-gay catalog called “H.I.M.” that used most of the same models and items, plus a few rainbowy things, and it was inserted into gay pubs like the Washington Blade.
I think that catalog made me gay.
I remember this catalog back in high school. I used to look at it all the time in secret. This really brings me back. I think the 1986 issue you featured above was one that I actually had. Thanks for the memories!
I thought his name was Rib Hillis and that he was on the soap Port Charles as well as Passions.
I’ve got the original Sock Jock. And I think Undergear still sells them.
He was also a designer on Extreme Makeover Home Edition in its last season .
Oh I remember in the 80s getting the IM catalogue and wondering who buys these clothes, you had to have a perfect body to wear those mesh shirts and things, but I did buy a couple of leather jackets from the catalog, they were awesome, also a pair of boots which were cool
Iremember my lover at the time bought a couple of those string tank tops from IM, he had the upper body to wear them but not me too skinny, i stuck with the jackets and boots
I used to beat off when the catalog came (no pun intended lol)… bought some things too… does anyone know where I can some copies?
Same here friend!!
I also went to Waldenbooks and creamed my undies while looking at I.M. The sock was fantastic!!
I found my first I.M. catalogue in one of my Mormon missionary apartments while I was doing the missionary thing, I secretly fapped to that for 20 months then found the catalogues at Waldenbooks when I returned to Utah. Glorious material for the repressed young Mormon male 🙂
Yes! They came in the graduated sizes. Gold rings/hoops.
Oh wow those picture do bring back memories!!! I had a subscription to the catalog AND wore some of the under wear and speedo trunks. Oh I hooked up with two of the retail sales associates at the retail store in San Diego back in the late 90’s! The store is now gone but the building it was in still has a retail store in it.
I loved IM for years! The gay version of Victoria’s Secret. I always imagined some poor mid-western gay boy finally making it to New York City and proudly donning his IM purchase for a night on the town, only to be laughed at when he entered the bar LOL.
I preferred Undergear more …more drawers and less fashion. I accidentally outted a straight friend’s friend once because of Undergear. He was over and saw my copy and said “Oh, my friend Perry has this catalog.” I then asked him how well he knew Perry. Couple of weeks later, he had another gay friend LOL
Does anyone have the name of the model with the white tank top names. he was my favorite model.