Did you hear?… Soy milk, soy beans… soy briefs?

Apparel makers have already created clothing using a variety of alternative fabrics made from bamboo, corn and hemp. But soy underwear? The company 2(x)ist has created a new collection of what it calls eco-friendly briefs and T-shirts made from soybean fabric that will be sold in the United States this fall.

“The whole world seems to be going soy,” Jason Scarlatti, design director for 2(x)ist, told the New York Times. “Look at soy milk and soy lattes. We wanted to be on the pulse on what’s going on.”

The company said soy fabric can absorb 99.7 percent of ultraviolet rays, resist E. coli bacteria and is packed with amino acids that complement those of humans. But does the broader public really need sun-blocking underwear? On the other hand, the company points out, soy cultivation does not require the hazardous pesticides used in conventional cotton farming. The New York Times writer does say the pieces have a soft hand. Styles are available in a lighter shade of heather gray, blue and black, with briefs start at $19.50. No, we are told, they are not edible, so don’t even go there.

Click here to read the entire piece from the New York Times (free registration required).