7 Things You NEVER Knew About Being A Male Underwear Model

You'd think that life as an underwear model is glorious, right? Girls, money and recognition are what most men think about when they hear the word "model," but not everyone is pushed into the spotlight.

I know first-hand that things aren't as glorious as they seem for most of us models. In fact, I'll let you in on a few industry-only secrets you never knew underwear models had to deal with.

1. There's a TON of pressure. 

Everyone rants and raves about the likes of Adriana Lima or Miranda Kerr and how much pressure these models face in the industry. It's true that they deal with a lot of pressure, but so do men.

You're too short; your stomach needs to be more toned; you need to do a shoot in the middle of a corn field in 20-degree weather.

2. We're constantly stressed.

How much pressure can you really be under if you're just modeling in your underwear? I know a lot of you are thinking, "You're just a model, stop complaining." The truth is that we work a 9-5 day just like you. Sometimes, we work even longer hours.

The photographer is late. It's raining outside, so you'll need to fly back on Friday. You have a shoot on Friday already, so you'll have to pray there isn't a delay and everything goes smoothly, or you'll be late.

Everyone will say, "But all you do is model," yet no one will understand that it's just like any other stressful job.

3. Relationships are hard because ... jealousy.

There's jealous, and then there's crazy jealous. My relationships have been tidal waves because of my job. Sure, most girls are jealous, but when you're a model they think women just throw themselves at your feet.

Trying to model sexy men's underwear while your girlfriend is eyeing down every woman in the room is hard.

Fellas, you need a really special girl if you expect to have a relationship in this industry. Trust is a huge issue, and most girls will get crazy jealous when you're traveling all the time or they meet your model friends.

4. We're treated like piece of meat.

Women always say that men view them as a piece of meat, but when your job is modeling in underwear, you can really relate. You face unimaginable pressure to be a Greek god. You must have sculpted abs and live at the gym when you're not modeling. 

When it comes time to do a shoot, I have been patted down — by men and women — trying to make sure my junk is in the perfect position. It's like you're a sideshow.

5. The pay can be extremely sh*tty.

For every rich model, there are hundreds who are just getting by. You need to be a big name model to make millions. A thousand dollar shoot sounds great, and it is! But when you only get two shoots a month it doesn't add up to much. 

You won't be riding around in a Ferrari anytime soon, that's for sure. Models need to have work booked well in advance to survive.

I was lucky. After a few years, I found an agency that had a lot of big-name clients, so it wasn't a major struggle for me like it was for some of my friends.

The key point here: most of us aren't rolling in the dough.

6. We're always out of town.

In the beginning, I was the underwear model in town trying to get work. As I progressed in the industry, I was out of town more often than not.

Trying to have a steady relationship when you're home one day a week is difficult. If you're not the type of person that can be on-the-go at a moment's notice, this isn't the job for you.

7. We have a surprisingly long career.

Believe it or not, modeling underwear is a career that can span decades. You don't have to be the young hunk in the room all the time.

Many underwear catalogs won't show a person's face, so if you're able to maintain your figure you'll be able to stay in this field well into your 40's, maybe your 50's if you're lucky.

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Robert Truitt is the founder and CEO at dudeundies.com. He's also a former underwear model. In 2014, he started his career as an entrepreneur staying on top of the trend for sexy underwear and intimate apparel e-commerce for men.