ABOUT US
We are skull & bones
skull & bones mission is to give men more than just a flashy selection of undergarments and basics. we wanted to create a line that focused on beautiful prints, would treat each individual pair as a work of art, and would maintain the luxurious quality that men have come to expect.
as you have probably noticed, the men’s underwear and undergarment world has exploded with hundreds of new brands and options. never before have we as men had the opportunity to shape our sense of style all the way down to our underwear. but we wanted to be different.
unlike a lot of brands that promise their customers something cheesy to differentiate their products from the pack — gimmicks about magical waistbands, restructured flys, or the ability to get you laid — we obsessively focus on the construction and design of our products.
entry-level men’s underwear often feels as if it is designed for boys and feels cheap and overtly sexual. leave a little to the imagination, guys. these inexpensive undergarments look “fun,” but the fabric often feels like sandpaper. at the same time, the luxury market is full of superior fabrics, but the focus is on a few bland colors and an infinite sea of the same unflattering fits. there was, quite simply, no one tying luxury and excitement together for adult men.
contemporary men’s underwear fell flat. so we created skull & bones.
The Story of Our Logo
the creation of the skull & bones logo was easy. we wanted a symbol that represented a revolt against underwear conventionality and instead conveyed attitude and masculinity.
something that would remind men of their mortality, to forget fear, and to live life. something to illustrate the courage to go out every day and to take what you want while you can. something that would make you smirk at the office when you thought about the bold pattern right underneath your gray suit. something from the history of New York City—where our idea was born.
so we chose the skull & crossbones because of its past use in military flags and insignia to illustrate courage and ferocity, and because, in 1829, new york state began to use the symbol to warn the world that something was dangerous.
In november of 2015, the skull and crossbones started its next movement in history—as the logo for skull & bones. a symbol designed for the perfect fucking gentleman.
the first uses of the symbol of the skull and crossbones can be traced back to the artistic genre of danse macabre (from the french language), which is a genre of late-medieval allegory on the universality of death. the skulls and crossbones were produced as mementos mori, to remind people of the fragility of their lives and how vain were the glories of earthly life. “no matter one’s station in life, the dance of death unites all.”
the deathly horrors of the 14th century—such as recurring famines; the hundred years’ war in France; and, most of all, the black death—were culturally assimilated throughout Europe in the 15th century. the omnipresent possibility of sudden and painful death increased the religious desire for penitence, but it also evoked a hysterical desire for amusement while still possible; a last dance as cold comfort.
honoring the history of the skull and crossbones, today we use the symbol to represent a progressive design-led business for all men who want to enjoy life while they still can in this dance macabre.