How An Entrepreneur Used Women's Obsessions To Sell Men's Underwear

Much of Tommy John's initial success is in the packaging, Patterson told us in an interview.

"Most of the time, women are the ones buying underwear for their husbands or sons, and they simply buy the brand they always have," Patterson said.

"So we were faced with the problem of appealing to women and getting their attention in stores."

Patterson questioned groups of women to find out what made them happiest.

"There are two things all the women loved: Tiffany & Co. and chocolate," Patterson said.

So Patterson designed Tommy's John's packaging in chocolate brown and robin's egg blue.

"Our goal was that women would look at the packaging and subconsciously feel good," Patterson said. "Their emotional ties to those colors were very powerful."

Patterson's strategy worked: five years after he designed his tapered undershirt, Tommy John is carried in more than 500 stores worldwide.

Patterson felt certain that once customers tried his undershirt, they would come back for more.

"I just wanted to make sure that the packaging initially grabbed the shopper's attention," Patterson said. "Once they try it, you usually get a loyal customer."

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