Dive Brief:

• MeUndies on Thursday introduced its first new fabric through the launch of its "Breathe" collection.

• The DTC brand said the collection is geared toward consumers with active lifestyles as the products are ideal for wearing under workout clothes, according to details emailed to Retail Dive.

• The collection includes underwear in mesh fabrics and bralettes with quick-drying materials for women and moisture-wicking boxer briefs for men, the company said. The collection also features ankle and crew socks.

Dive Insight:

Up until this launch, MeUndies has been using one fabric — MicroModal — since its founding in 2011.

The MicroModal fabric, which is made from beechwood, is sustainable and biodegradable, according to the company. But with the launch of the Breathe collection, the company appears to be looking to broaden its audience.

"[W]e felt it was time to expand from our core collection and introduce a new fabric that is equally soft but has more performance attributes," MeUndies founder and CEO Jonathan Shokrian said in a statement. "Our MicroModal — in bold colors and wild prints — was made to fuel everyone’s creative self-expression, and now with our Breathe collection our community and customers can express themselves in how they move. Everyone moves in their own way, and we are here for it — whether it be yoga, dancing, hula-hooping, roller skating—Breathe allows you to just get out and do you," Shokrian added.

The launch of fabric geared toward performance also comes at a time when athleisure and active apparel are performing particularly well amid the pandemic. Other retailers have been capitalizing on this as well, including Nordstrom through its tie-up with at-home fitness startup Tonal and Fabletics through the launch of its first fitness app earlier last month. 

In the underwear market in particular, DTC period underwear brand Thinx this past January launched into activewear in a big way, introducing leggings, cycling shorts, leotards and training shorts. While the MeUndies launch, for the time being, is focused on its underwear offerings, the company already sells some casual tops and bottoms, and the Breathe collection could be the precursor to a larger play in the activewear space.

MeUndies in 2019 launched its FeelFree collection geared toward women, while simultaneously expanding its sizing range, offering products up to size 4XL.

The products in the Breathe collection — which tout anti-odor, quick-drying and stretch features — can be purchased individually or as a set and range in price for single items from $12 to $24 for MeUndies subscribers, and $16 to $34 for non-members.