Men

Briefs, trunks, boxer briefs, boxers

13 November 2026

Four cuts account for nearly all men’s underwear. They differ in the length of the leg and in whether the cloth is knitted or woven, and each suits different trousers.

A decision most men make once

Most men settle on a kind of underwear somewhere around the age of twenty and never revisit the question. They buy the same multipack for decades, and put up with whatever it does: the leg that rides up, the waistband that rolls, the bunching under a pair of slim trousers. It is rarely the wearer’s fault. Usually the cut is wrong for the clothes worn over it.

There are only four cuts to know. What separates them is the length of the leg and whether the cloth is a knit, which stretches and holds, or a woven cotton, which hangs loose.

Four pairs of men’s underwear laid flat in a row on white paper: a brief, a trunk, a boxer brief and a woven boxer short. — Brief, trunk, boxer brief, boxer short. The leg lengthens from left to right.

The brief

The brief has no leg at all. It has been made in much the same form since the 1930s: a knitted cotton body, an elastic waist and leg openings cut high on the thigh. It gives the most support for the least cloth, and there is nothing in it to ride up or bunch, which makes it the cleanest choice under close-cut trousers.

Its reputation as old-fashioned comes mostly from baggy ones. A brief in the right size, in a good cotton with a little elastane, lies flat and stays there.

Trunks and boxer briefs

These are the same idea at two lengths. Both are knitted and close-fitting, with a short leg. The trunk’s leg ends high on the thigh and the boxer brief’s runs down to the middle of it.

The trunk suits slimmer legs and shorter men, and sits well under most trousers. Its weakness is that a short leg on a muscular thigh tends to roll up towards the hip. The longer leg of the boxer brief stays down better, and it stops the thighs rubbing, which is why it is the usual choice for sport and for long days on foot. If the legs of your underwear ride up, go longer in the leg before you blame the size.

The boxer short

The boxer short is the only one of the four made of woven cloth, cut loose like a small pair of shorts. It is cool and unconfining, and at its best in bed or under roomy trousers.

Under anything slim it is a nuisance. Woven cotton does not stretch, so the spare cloth has to go somewhere, and it gathers at the top of the thigh and shows through a fine trouser. Men who like the feel and wear tailored clothes usually keep boxers for the weekend.

Waistband and cloth

Look at the waistband before anything else, because it is the part you will feel all day. A wide, soft band spreads its pressure and stays flat. A narrow, hard one digs in and rolls over. Where a shop shows the inside of the garment, a band covered in fabric is kinder to the skin than bare elastic.

Cotton is the standard cloth, and a few percent of elastane helps it keep its shape. Modal and similar fibres feel smoother and cooler, and are worth trying if cotton feels heavy by afternoon. Our essay on fibres covers what each does and how to wash it.

Close view of the woven elastic waistband of white cotton briefs where it joins the fine rib knit. — The waistband is the part you feel all day. Wide and soft is better than narrow and hard.

Getting the size

Men’s underwear is sold by waist measurement, grouped into letters, and makers group differently. Measure your waist where the band will sit and read the chart of the house you are buying from. Between two sizes, the larger is usually right for a woven boxer and the smaller for a stretch knit, though the maker’s own note outranks that.

Before you buy a multipack of something new, buy one pair, or check the returns terms. Many shops will not take underwear back once the packet is open.

In the shops