Boxers, briefs or nothing at all - Man style

THE bare-bottom fact of the matter is that underwear is almost as fashionable as outerwear. And when it comes to style and fashion statement, Brothers are definitely not being left behind.

"The choices in men's underwear are getting close to the choices that are available to women," notes Kenneth Marlon Owen, assistant producer, Ebony Fashion Fair. "Women always had entire departments devoted to underwear with a variety of styles, designs and color. For men, it was always just white."

White--in fact, color--is just one of many choices available to Brothers nowadays. Men have a variety of styles, shapes and colors for their selection. But with so many choices out there these days, the decision for today's Brother comes down to this--boxers, briefs, or nothing at all?

Personal taste and comfort are the key factors.

When it comes to taste, the choice is going to depend on who's doing the choosing. Research by the firm Mintel shows that 60 percent of women surveyed said they bought underwear for men, and they seem to prefer boxers, while men seem to go for the briefs. Sisters like style and color, and the boxers provide a larger canvass for the discerning eye.

Curiously, many Brothers like briefs because they believe they are more appealing to women. That style includes a few silhouettes, or shapes--everything from the traditional brief to the bikini and there even are various shapes of bikinis, including the string thong.

The compromise between what Sisters want and what Brothers think they want is the boxer/brief, which became hugely popular after Michael Jordan endorsed the Hanes brand. It has an athletic shape--like biker shorts--incorporating the snug fit of briefs and the length of boxers.

After Jordan teamed up with Hanes, it seemed that every major designer got into the act, offering some form of the boxer/brief. In fact, many manufacturers and name designers--Jockey, Champion, Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, duglife and Sean John--are joining Fruit of the Loom in offering some form of men's underwear. They've got their eye on the bottom--the bottom line. Men's underwear now accounts for more than $4 billion of fashion sales, which helps to explain the increasing style-consciousness and name-dropping--right on underwear bands that are increasingly becoming designer billboards.

A key factor in the choice made by many men is concern about fertility. Many authorities say that briefs--while they might have a sexier silhouette--actually limit fertility. It has to do with the snug fit and body heat.

Decisions. Decisions. But there's one solution when you just can't choose: "Commando."

Nothing at all!

"For some men, it's an ego thing," Owen observes. "Some men feel like more of a real man without underwear. And women find it a sexual turn-on."

COPYRIGHT 2004 Johnson Publishing Co.
COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group