Mens Lingerie comes in a variety of styles. Nowadays you mostly see Mens Briefs or Mens Boxer Briefs. But each has a unique design and can be used in different ways.
Mens Briefs
Mens Briefs are known as the original design for modern mens underwear. They came into being on January 19, 1935 by Coopers Inc. The company advertised them as being similar to a jock strap. Due in large part to the cut being almost identical and offering the same amount of support. But being made out of more comfortable materials. Briefs in general tend to offer more support than a boxer brief because they are designed to fit closely to your body. Since there are no legs the material that connects the back and front panel runs right underneath and close to your scrotum. Whereas with a boxer brief the legs pull that material farther away from the scrotal area.
The seams on mens briefs run right along your pelvis/leg lines. If you have a larger shape or tend to do a lot of weird leg movements (especially when working out or exercising) mens briefs are more likely to have a seam go somewhere you don't wan't it to. No one likes wedgies! But on the other hand they do tend to be cooler since you don't have any material running down your legs. This can be especially good for more casual wearing or lower intensity activities where you won't be doing a lot of jumping or squatting.
Many runners prefer mens briefs for their athletic underwear. Briefs have a similar cut to the interior lining of running shorts. But those mesh linings do not offer great support, even if they do avoid holding moisture (mesh in general won't hold a lot of moisture). Mens Briefs are much more durable and hold everything in place better than mesh. If you are still unsure exactly how a brief looks or fits just think of it like a speedo as those have a near identical build to that of a mens brief. Although speedos usually use a more waterproof material.
Mens Briefs Offer:
- Great Support
- Keep You Cool
- Tighter Fit
- Great For Running
Mens Boxer Briefs
Mens Boxer Briefs came along after the invention of the Mens Brief. Armani first designed these back in 1980 for the film American Gigolo starring Richard Gere. But they did not start becoming popular until Calvin Klein started putting out a design in the early 1990's. Marky Mark (Mark Wahlberg) did a series of ads for Calvin Klein back in 1992 that really made the idea catch fire, the rest is history.
Boxer Briefs are often the preferred style of mens underwear. Skin-on-skin contact is the biggest cause of chaffing and the longer legs greatly reduce that chance which is a major benefit and improvement from the brief. Since you have up to 9" of leg length the chances of your skin rubbing together is basically gone. Which brings me to the different options of boxer briefs available to us today.
Mens Boxer Brief Lengths:
- 3" - This is the shortest option available. It is the step just above the mens brief. Offering just enough leg length to help with some chaffing. But not too much to overheat you. If you have been wearing mens briefs for years and want to try something new, this is the place to start. Better for people with smaller builds since the leg length is quite short.
- 6" - This is the industry standard and what you will see in all the big box department stores. It goes about halfway down your thigh which helps to offer sweat wicking and reduced chaffing. This is great for athletic underwear since the extra leg helps to keep the material in place more than a mens brief.
- 9" - This is usually the longest leg length you see for a mens boxer brief. Some other compression shorts or specialty shorts/pants may go longer. But for boxer briefs this is usually the longest they go. This length ends up about 3/4 of the way down your thigh. So depending on the length of your shorts sometimes it can be seen. But the longer leg helps to make sure that the legs never roll up. Which is often preferred for people with bigger or more muscular thighs.
Mens Boxer Briefs Offer:
- Reduced Chaffing
- Less Wedgies
- Great Athletic Support
- Better Comfort For Bigger Guys
Still not sure which options is right for you? Contact an expert at Underwear For Men!