Aerie Gives Plus-Size Men the Underwear Campaign We've All Been Waiting For

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Aerie, the intimates brand known for its anti-retouching policy and the #AerieReal campaign, has just launched #AerieMAN. The new campaign, which coincides with the upcoming release of a mens line, is helping to further swing the body positivity movement to include men in the conversation.

The #AerieMAN campaign introduces four diverse men — Devon, Doug, Matt and Kelvin — in a series of videos on its website along with the tagline: “The real you is sexy.” (If the pictures below are any indicator, we’d have to agree.)

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Doug and Matt; Source: Aerie

“I don’t mind that I won’t be retouched,” Matt (above right) says in the accompanying campaign video. “I feel that everyone should be comfortable in their own skin."

Read more: Aerie’s New Ads Feature Barbie Ferreira, the "Curve Model” to Watch

“Being an #AerieMAN isn’t just being in your underwear, it’s about being you,” Kelvin (seen below) says in his video. “It’s about showing yourself, all of yourself."

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Source: Aerie

Other brands have had similar ideas, such as Dressmann, which launched its #JustTheWayYouAre campaign in September 2015. But this is the first time we are seeing a mainstream brand take such a bold stance on including men that don’t have hairless, washboard abs (we’re looking at you, Calvin Harris).

While the women’s body positive movement continues to gain steam, with numerous ad campaigns and influencers speaking about the subject, the need for male body positivity is often overlooked. IMG Models made waves earlier this month after introducing a new division specifically for plus-size guys.

"What do you hope will come from the launch of Brawn? I hope that with this, guys growing up being of size can now open up a catalog or a website and see someone they can relate to. I want them to see a model and think, He’s kind of like me. That’s a feeling a lot of people of size did not feel growing up. I want Brawn to relate to every man who wants to feel good about their self-esteem and self-image. I want people to look at Brawn and say, “I can do that.” Brawn and Curve [IMG’s plus-size women’s division] are about bringing fashion into reality for millions of people who felt alienated for so long. I mean, I’m just an everyday guy. I bartend, I do freelance carpentry, I’m an Eagle Scout, I have bills. It means the industry is finally opening up to everyone. And I cannot wait to be a part of it.” Interview with @voguemagazine . #brawn #bodypositivity #img #effyourbeautystandards #model #thankyou

A photo posted by Zach Miko (@zachmiko) on Mar 17, 2016 at 9:25pm PDT

“The body-positive messaging and size diversity is something that’s relevant and something that continues to be on everybody’s mind,” Ivan Bart, president of IMG Models, told WWD earlier this month. “We have to extend the conversation for men.”

It’s about time that men of realistic and relatable sizes are given a platform to show off their bodies and prove that with just a little confidence, everyone can be sexy, even without Photoshop.

Check out the #AerieMAN campaign video below: