Tucked Trunks, White Plains
White Plains has long been known as a destination location and active business hub, with a thriving nightlife and social center for young residents. It has also become an attractive location for young entrepreneurs who find the city a great home base in which to grow their new businesses.
Such is the case for Rafael De Oliveira, a 30-year-old entrepreneur who has called White Plains home for over 25 years. “I just love it here,” he told The White Plains Examiner in a recent interview. “The city has everything – a social scene, quiet neighborhoods – it’s like a breath of fresh air.”
De Oliveira is in the early stages of a startup company. The product he sells, only online, is Tucked Trunks – boxer briefs for men that also keeps their shirts neatly tucked in without the use of magnets, garters, suspenders or any other old school gadgets that are out in the market today.
De Oliveira says his product “is the newest innovation in the men’s underwear market that helps keep men’s shirts looking sharp with a considerable amount of ease.”
The product came into being over time as De Oliveira left school and began work as a valet at the Scarsdale Medical Group. Always ambitious and looking for something new to do, he soon worked his way up and into the administrative office where he learned how to do coding and billing. “I kept getting promoted,” he said.
De Oliveira was at Scarsdale Medical Group for 10 years. It was as recent as February 2017 that he took the jump to break out on his own and focus on his new company. It was also the month he got married.
Being one to always want everything perfect, shirts popping out from his waistband just would not do.
“I did a Google search back in 2012 and began looking for ways to keep my shirts tucked in. On the chat boards I learned about magnets and garters, but it seemed like such a mess, so I decided to try my own design. I took two boxer briefs, made some cut outs and created my own makeshift garment. It was so easy to use, but I kept it to myself.”
When De Oliveira decided to create a prototype – he luckily has an aunt who is a seamstress – she added rubber to the waistband and made some modifications. That design is the same as the product on sale today.
“In the beginning, I kept it cool and talked with people quietly at the gym about how they handled the problem. I asked family members. When the prototype was ready we took it to the garment district in New York and it took off,” De Oliveira said.
He further explains, “How it works is simple, you grab your trunks like you would grab any other traditional boxer briefs each morning, except with Tucked Trunks, you simply tuck your shirt into the dual waistband which contains a rubber gripping feature that holds the shirt firmly in place with ease. In addition to this, there is a button holding feature that secures the last button of the shirt onto the boxer brief keeping it perfectly tucked in.” The boxer briefs can be worn as regular boxer briefs as well.
De Oliveira sells the briefs through his website: www.tuckedtrunks.com. The original color is basic black. A gray version is just being introduced. The material is 95% cotton and 5% elastane.
Using social media, Facebook and Instagram, De Oliveira has done very well. He paid $5,000 up front with an online blogging group and periodically uses Instagram “influencers” and the company exploded online. That’s why he had to quit his job. He officially launched the company in November 2016 and went out on his own in just four months, selling tens of thousands of units.
De Oliveira recommends using your regular size, there is no additional bulk. Two-packs are now on sale for $39.
De Oliveira recommends visiting the website to view photos of the briefs on models and to check for specials. He has something special up his sleeve for the holidays that he’s not ready to announce.
