Flint & Tinder: Made in the USA Underwear Kickstarter

Jake, the owner of a new underwear company called Flint & Tinder, sent me a nice note about a Kickstarter he’s running to get the business off the ground. He’d like to make Supima cotton underwear, from all-American materials, in the US of A. His goal to get the lines rolling is $30,000, and he’s well on his way already.

Currently the only folks making underwear in the US are American Apparel, and while it’s great that they make domestically (here in Los Angeles, in fact), there are numerous issues with the company that make me a bit hesitant to recommend them. The underwear market is otherwise focused on licensed brands (if you think the big fashion brands make their own underwear, think again) being made by commodity companies in low-cost third world nations.

Flint and Tinder sounds like an interesting alternative at a reasonable price point: $15 for a single pair, $36 for three or $75 for seven. Options like this can only improve the marketplace.

Something important.

I interviewed Mary Roach the other day about her great book Packing For Mars, which investigates the (human) science of space travel.  One of the most important things I learned: NASA studies have indicated that if an astronaut had to go without changing their underwear for a few weeks, the underwear would disintegrate on their body.  Disintegrate on their bodies!

Change your underpants is my point, I guess.