Many of you out there know my story on how I initially got into underwear. I got bikinis for the first time when I was 13 and was hooked. The colors, fabric and cut hooked me. The Jim Palmer ads for Jockey were the main reason I got them. They were different from the Tighty Whities of the time. This was the early 80’s and before the boxer and brief craze.
By the mid 80’s a lot of guys started to go to boxers. I never got boxers because I loved the support of my bikinis. I hated to have things go free. I think I may have tried one pair and said never again! At the end of the 80’s the boxer brief was invented. The first time I saw it was in a CK ad. They were a staple though the 90’s and 2000s.
We are now 20 years out and the underwear pendulum is swinging back to briefs and bikinis. You maybe asking, “how do you know this?” Again this is unscientific but I have had more guys tell me they are giving briefs a try again. This is allowing brands to bring briefs and even bikinis back to their line ups.
Many brands we all love have been making briefs. Being underwear lovers we are on the forefront of men’s underwear fashions. Most of us are willing to experiment and have fun with our underwear. Whereas, the general public is still hooked on boxers and boxer briefs styles. Go into any big box retailer and what do you see? Mostly you see cartoon/print boxers and multi packs of boxer briefs. Fashionable briefs are nowhere to be found.
There is one exception to that rule, which is Target. They have always been one to have fun with underwear cuts and colors. If you go back with Target, they started with the Bum like and have since moved to a new brand. That brand is the Evolve line and has always changed up colors and styles. There are more briefs coming to Target.
Why are tastes changing? I have one big reason for this, which is support. More guys have told me after they go back to briefs they forgot how great the support is in them. My biggest complaint with boxer briefs is they don’t hold their shape and my business has no support.
The next reason I think briefs are making a come back are the guys working out and getting great bodies. The trunks and boxer briefs can be super tight in the thighs. And we all know how bad underwear can be when it’s too tight anywhere! Plus I always say if you got it flaunt it and what better way to show off your body than in a brief or bikini.
These are just my thoughts. I’d love to hear what you guys have to say. Leave a comment or send me a tweet at @unbtim
1 Comment
Briefs have always been a staple for me. I have never found boxers or most boxer briefs to be supportive enough, not to mention the bunching under your pants…
I love the 2(x)ist Evolve line, and quite frankly, I think that line is more comfortable than 2(x)ist’s regular line of underwear in recent years. I’m thankful Target carries nicer underwear at “normal” prices. Some of these collections are just getting crazy expensive.
While I like the feel of bikinis when I first put them on, they tend to ride up on me if I wear them too long. A full 8-hour shift at work is out of the question for me.