This new garment uses a specially designed insert to help cover those pesky high beams.
While women around the world fight to free the nipple, men in Japan are fighting to conceal theirs, at least in office situations, where surveys show that the resounding majority of women don’t want to see nipples poking through shirts in the workplace.
Now that summer’s Cool Biz season has arrived, with men ditching neckties and wearing shirts made from thinner material in an effort to combat the heat while still looking professional, the topic of male nipples is again on the radar. This year, however, a Japanese company has come up with a novel solution that’s extremely effective at concealing your nipples and restoring your confidence in the workplace.
▼ Say hello to the nopoints undershirt.
The undershirt doesn’t look particularly attractive, but in the war on nipples, function takes pride of place over fashion. The skin-coloured material does a better job at disguising itself under light-coloured business shirts than a white undershirt, and its V-shaped neckline lets you loosen a few buttons without anyone having to see your undergarment.
While it looks like a regular undershirt on the outside, the secret to its nipple-concealing capabilities lies on the inside of the shirt. This is where a textured mesh-like material is attached, much in the same way that women’s singlets are sometimes produced with cup inserts for extra support.
Rather than providing support for breasts, this men’s-style bra top focuses on the nipple-concealing aspect of the insert, with the specially designed material working to lock the nipple in behind the mesh, ensuring it doesn’t poke through to the other side of the shirt.
The undershirt also includes a mesh section under each arm, to help guard against sweat marks as well.
Developed and manufactured by Marutaka Industry in Imabari, Ehime Prefecture, a city renowned for its long and revered history of textile production, the company has now started up a crowdfunding campaign in order to help mass produce the garment for the local market.
Campaign backers who contribute 8,100 yen (US$73.45) will be able to receive a shirt at a 25-percent discount of the planned retail price, while other options include three or five-piece sets, also available at discounted prices.
With 82 days left in the campaign, Marutaka has already received a huge amount of support for the product, amassing a total of 453,600 yen (US$4,114), or 45 perecent of their target goal of one million yen. Following the completion of the campaign, the shirts will be manufactured in August, with deliveries scheduled for September, meaning you’ll be covered for the tail-end of summer this year.
To cover yourself before then, you might want to consider investing in one of Japan’s nipple-concealing white T-shirts or, for the more adventurous, a pair of nipple covers to keep those prying eyes away from your chest and back on your face where they belong.
Source, images: Makuake/NoPoints