Tony Vass loves his new tongue-in-cheek undies and he’s hoping the rest of Australia will too.

The former Pacific Brands employee and father of three launched his new online underwear venture-Grundies, following the controversial closure of the Pacific Brands Australian manufacturing plants in 2009.

“I’ve always wanted to run my own Aussie-made underwear brand online, and seeing 3000 people- some of who I was very close to lose their jobs to China was the motivation I needed,” he said.

“If I can do my bit to create jobs and keep profits in Australia that would be great.” Vass, who has worked in the underwear business for over two decades threw in his life savings, together with the redundancy package he received from Pacific Brands to establish Grundies in May 2009. He spent six months setting up the business and outsourcing Australian workers, and has been trading for 6 months since.

The 43-year-old says that the greatest challenge of an all Australian manufacturing business is that industry is losing expertise, and that Australia is losing technology to China.

“Manufacturing isn’t what it was like years ago…there’s not a lot of young people coming through the door and many people are walking away,” he said.

“But I still believe there is something in Australian made or I wouldn’t be doing it. Many of my customers are saying they are all for the Australian underdog and Australian made message.”

On the flip side, Vass has several pluses going for him.

For one he has trademarked an iconic Australian name.

“Grundies is the Aussie name for underwear so I thought it would be a good fit,” he grinned.

Underwear- he added, is also a fast developing high interest category.

“Once upon a time your partner would buy you a packet of briefs, but today there’s the emergence of the metro-sexual and there’s a lot more on the market.”

Grundies current stocks men’s trunks, fit shorts, socks and T-shirts in a range of playful prints and original designs.

“You are getting the Rolls Royce of quality at Holden Prices because we have removed the middle-man,” he said.

Grundies will expand to include women’s underwear later this year.