Men’s Briefs

In comparison with boxer shorts, men’s briefs have had a fairly poor press over the years. Words such as “unfashionable”, “baggy”, “passé” and worse have been levelled as criticisms for the once-popular style of underwear. Though the criticisms have rested in large part on one style of briefs – the baggy Y-fronts often used as a prop in sitcoms when the writer wants to imply a lack of style in the wardrobe of a male character, mud sticks when enough of it is thrown. And when mud sticks, it tends to leave a stain. Nobody wants their underwear to have stains on it.

The fairness of these criticisms seems to be rather beside the point. Once a cliché has achieved general acceptance it is virtually impossible to shift it in the common consciousness. This is excellent news if you’re in the business of boxer shorts, because people listen to the voice that talks loudest, and if you’re not going to wear briefs then boxers are the obvious choice. However, the “briefs” option really shouldn’t be dismissed by virtue of being attached to the image of an unfashionable man in baggy white Y-fronts. “Briefs” as a term can apply to a very wide range of different styles.

Those who favour briefs (and they do exist) explain that in comparison with boxers, a pair of briefs gives them a lot more “support”. I don’t think we have to spell out what that means, do we? A decent pair of briefs, it is true, will neatly encase what it needs to cover, and will not be obtrusive in the way that boxers can be under a pair of trousers. The dreaded drag factor that can lead to boxers riding either up or down (either exposing a waistband above the trouser area, or falling down in an uncomfortable fashion, thus necessitating a rather embarrassing shuffling dance) is not a worry with the right pair of briefs.

So what is the correct pair of briefs? Well, the unfortunate truth is that if you go to the cheaper end of the market you are almost guaranteed to run up against some of the common drawbacks of briefs – the ever-regrettable “wedgie” being the most common of these. Cheap fabric will lose its shape, and you will find that a cheap pair of Y-fronts will tend to make a break for it early on, disappearing into any convenient crevice (again, surely no need to go into details). The best advice on which briefs to buy would tend to hinge on the material the men’s underwear is made from. Decent, sturdy cotton will stay in place and may even flatter your assets.

One non-negotiable fact about briefs is that white should be avoided at all costs. No matter how scrupulous your hygiene, white briefs never stay white for long. Unless you’re prepared to carry on purchasing new briefs regularly, a white pair of briefs will go grey after a while – if you’re lucky (any other color will draw uncomfortable questions).