Do you know that the type of men’s designer underwear people go for today is the boxer? The boxer has took second place for years now, with men preferring the jersey trunks. However, there has been a 20% rise in the sale of boxers and, according to designers, this is because the love for this type of underwear never truly went.
A Brief History of Men’s Designer Underwear
There have been many different types of men’s boxers throughout the ages. They were originally developed right here in this country but, in 1947, they made the move to Europe as well. Today, the majority of men’s retailers will store this design and it seems men absolutely love them. While fashions come and go, it seems the boxer will always remain a firm favorite. For the past 60 years, it has remained virtually unchanged.
That being said, it seems that interest in this type of underwear is cyclical. However, it will always be a cool type of garment that comes in many different fabrics. And while it is traditional, it isn’t conservative and suitable for men of all ages.
The first time boxers became popular was in the 1920s. This was when the Everlast founder, Jacob Golomb, developed boxer athletes with a new short that was more comfortable and came with an elastic waist instead of the leather. Almost instantly, it turned into a fashion craze that seems to have never really gone away.
Then, in 1934, the brief jockey was created. This featured a diagonal opening on the front, known as the “Klosed Krotch”. This was truly revolutionary and men all over the world and it instantly became even more popular than the boxer. However, over time, men seemed to swing back to the boxer. This pendulum between the two styles does not appear to go away, with designers always focusing on either one or the other.
It isn’t just about esthetics either. When the jockey brief was developed, it was all about creating “masculine support” and this opened up a debate that still hasn’t been resolved today. Is it or is it not better to tuck things up neatly, or should things dangle and hang free, just as nature intended? Some say that packing things up too tightly increases temperature, thereby making it more difficult to father a baby. Additionally, it seems that men who choose boxers have less chance of developing testicular cancer later on in life.
The boxer, clearly, will always remain if not THE favorite, at least A favorite. Of course, public perception of what is and isn’t fashionable and right to wear also depends heavily on what the designers are telling us. And considering the industry of men’s underwear is worth around $800 million a year, it quickly becomes obvious that what really matters is what the industry tells us. But what is certainly also true is that, time and time again, the designers swing back to the boxer shorts, encouraging men to wear them again.