Let’s get one thing straight right away: Eli Shaw is the kind of guy who could make a grocery store run look sexy. So imagine him in purple 2EROS briefs, kneeling on a bed with gray sheets, one arm raised behind his head, abs flexed, eyes locked on you like he’s waiting for you to make the first move. That’s exactly what photographer Ryan Stanford — based in Los Angeles, specializing in masculine beauty in all its forms — captured in this series where Eli cycles through underwear like others cycle through evening wear. Except here, each piece covers less than the last, and what’s outlined underneath is definitely worth the view.
Eli is Asian, probably of Chinese or Vietnamese descent, with drop-dead gorgeous looks: short black hair in a perfect fade, thick, well-shaped eyebrows, dark almond eyes with that gaze that’s both gentle and confident, square jaw, thin lips with the hint of a smile that wavers between shy and “I know exactly what you’re thinking.” His face is clean-shaven, smooth, with golden skin that catches the apartment’s natural light like it was made for photos.
And the body. We need to talk about it because it’s spectacular. Eli has the physique of a guy who lifts serious iron: broad, round pecs, thick shoulders with delts that pop when he raises his arm, bulging biceps, and especially those abs — a real washboard, six blocks perfectly cut, skin stretched over them like gift wrap on a big package. His chest is almost completely smooth, just a hint of light fuzz on his lower belly, and his smooth, golden skin gives every muscle sculptural definition. His thighs are massive, powerful, the kind of thighs that wrap around your waist and don’t let go.
The series is an underwear parade that turns into a locker room fantasy. It starts with purple 2EROS briefs that can barely contain his package — he’s on the bed, kneeling, hand pulling at the waistband like he’s showing you what’s hidden underneath without ever fully revealing it. Then coral 2(X)IST, standing in front of a window flooded with white light, his body fully lit, every muscle highlighted, hand resting on the stretched fabric. Next, black mesh briefs with cutouts — this one leaves everything to the imagination, the mesh hides nothing, and he’s climbing a design staircase of wood and metal, barefoot, shot from above, like you’re watching him climb toward your bedroom. And finally, an orange jockstrap that he spreads with both hands on the bed, eyes locked on the camera, chest facing forward, offered up.
What makes Eli Shaw so magnetic is this blend of a muscle boy physique built for the gym and a face that retains something youthful, accessible, Asian boy next door. He doesn’t play the tough or untouchable guy — he looks at you with that nice guy expression, a bit playful, who agrees to pose in underwear in front of a camera because he knows he’s got it, and because it amuses him as much as it turns you on. It’s this silent complicity between model and viewer that makes Ryan Stanford’s photos so effective. No heavy staging, no cluttered decor — just a beautiful apartment, natural light, a gorgeous guy, and underwear doing its job.
For lovers of hot Asian guys who break the stereotypes of frail, hairless twinks, Eli is a welcome wake-up call. Muscular, sensual, comfortable in his body and in his underwear — the kind of guy you’d want to meet in real life, in briefs or without.
Find Eli Shaw on Instagram and Twitter.
Photos: Ryan Stanford — Twitter
