Strip down to your skivvies at Almost Naked, a specialty retail store offering the latest in underwear, swimsuits, fitness, loungewear and accessories for men and women. Thanks to the expert staff, both men and women can be properly outfitted with the perfect size, shape and quality underwear at Almost Naked, which focuses on introducing consumers to brands unknown or rare to the Canadian marketplace.

“The international fashion scene is huge. We love bringing in amazing and creative collections that are generally unknown to Canadians,” said Dan Sutcliffe, co-owner of Almost Naked. “Almost Naked is perfect for finding one-of-a-kind pieces that nobody else has.”

Mix and match the fun and colourful collections from Diesel (Italy), Shultz (U.K.), teamm8 (Australia), DT (Australia), Calvin Klein (U.S.) and much more. Almost Naked also boasts the largest collection from renowned tattoo artist Ed Hardy, called Ed Hardy (U.S.), in Toronto. The store exclusively carries the sexy Fred & Ginger (U.K.) collection in North America, recently featured in Vogue U.K. (every piece is handmade!) and offers the largest Canadian collection of provocative Marlies Dekkers designs (Netherlands).

Men finally have a place to pick up stylish boxers and briefs as Almost Naked’s initial concept was to specialize in men’s underwear. They carry a number of strong lines specifically for men including Energie (Italy), Core Point (France), and Artificial Flavor (U.K.). Papi (U.S.) is exclusive to Almost Naked.

“Women have always loved to wear sexy underwear because it makes them feel good. It’s finally become acceptable for straight men to wear hip and sexy boxers and briefs, too. When you’re wearing a great pair of underwear, you just feel good,” said Jeff Axelrod, co-owner of Almost Naked. “Our store is great for gift occasions too; we encourage men to buy for women and vice-versa.”

Designed by Steven Meridia of M. Real Estate Design-Service, the 1,400-square-foot, two-floor space has an earthy feel thanks to the poly-resin panels with real bamboo branches embedded in them, hardwood and concrete floors and a wooden trough of white stones lining the staircase. The tall ceilings and bright lighting create an inviting atmosphere for shoppers to peruse the goods. Downstairs, the space features a comfortable lounge area in the centre of the floor, surrounded by more collections from the close-to-30 brands the store currently carries. Two corner change rooms with mirrors inside offer a private haven for trying on intimates.

Almost Naked is located at 479 Queen Street West. Hours of operation: Monday to Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Thursday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m.

For more details, visit www.almostnaked.ca