Boxer briefs (sometimes spelled boxer-briefs or called tight boxers, also known as A-Fronts) are a hybrid type of men's

undergarment Underwear, underclothing, or undergarments are items of clothing worn beneath outer clothes, usually in direct contact with the skin, although they may comprise more than a single layer. They serve to keep outer clothing from being soiled ...

which are long in the leg, similar to

boxer shorts Boxer shorts (also commonly known as simply boxers) are a type of undergarment typically worn by men. The term has been used in English since 1944 for all-around-elastic shorts, so named after the shorts worn by Boxing, boxers, for whom unhindered ...

, but tight-fitting like

briefs Briefs (or a brief) are a type of short, form-fitting Undergarment, underwear and swimsuit, swimwear, as opposed to styles where material extends down the thighs. Briefs have various different styles, usually with a waistband attached to fabric ...

. They emerged as a style in the 1990s and are commonly worn for sports and as every-day underwear.

Etymology

The term derives from the elasticated shorts worn by participants in the sport of boxing. Boxer briefs are also called "trunks" in the United Kingdom and Australia.

History

Boxer briefs were once commonly thought to have been pioneered by designer

John Varvatos John Varvatos (born 1954) is an American menswear designer. He has worked for both Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein, and started his own label in 1999. Early life The Varvatos family is originally from the village of Poulata on the island o ...

during his 1990–1995 stint at

Calvin Klein Calvin Richard Klein (born November 19, 1942) is an American fashion designer. In 1968, he launched the company that later became Calvin Klein. In addition to clothing, he has also given his name to a range of perfumes, watches, and jewellery. ...

as head of menswear design. However, the style was available much earlier, as designed by

Giorgio Armani Giorgio Armani (; born 11 July 1934) is an Italian fashion designer and a billionaire. He first gained renown working for Cerruti 1881. He formed his company, Armani, in 1975, which eventually expanded into music, sport, and luxury hotels. By 200 ...

and as worn by

Richard Gere Richard Tiffany Gere ( ; born August 31, 1949) is an American actor. He began appearing in films in the 1970s, playing a supporting role in ''Looking for Mr. Goodbar (film), Looking for Mr. Goodbar'' (1977) and a starring role in ''Days of Hea ...

in the 1980 film '' American Gigolo''. Made famous by a series of 1992 print ads featuring Mark "Marky Mark" Wahlberg, they have been called "one of the greatest apparel revolutions of the century". Of their creation Varvatos said in 2010, "We just cut off a pair of long johns and thought, this could be cool..."

Design

The boxer brief design provides form-fitting coverage for the midsection from the

waist The waist is the part of the Human abdomen, abdomen between the rib cage and Hip (anatomy), hips. Normally, it is the narrowest part of the torso. ''Waistline'' refers to the horizontal line where the waist is narrowest, or to the general appe ...

to the

thigh In anatomy, the thigh is the area between the hip (pelvis) and the knee. Anatomically, it is part of the lower limb. The single bone in the thigh is called the femur. This bone is very thick and strong (due to the high proportion of bone tissu ...

s and are worn on the

. They are usually made of a combination of

cotton Cotton (), first recorded in ancient India, is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure ...

and

spandex Spandex, Lycra, or elastane is a synthetic fiber known for its exceptional elasticity. It is a polyether- polyurea copolymer that was invented in 1958 by chemist Joseph Shivers at DuPont. Name The name ''spandex'', which is an anagram of t ...

polyester Polyester is a category of polymers that contain one or two ester linkages in every repeat unit of their main chain. As a specific material, it most commonly refers to a type called polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Polyesters include some natura ...

, or a soft, woven

flannel Flannel is a soft woven fabric, of varying fineness. Flannel was originally made from carded wool or worsted yarn, but is now often made from either wool, cotton, or synthetic fiber. Flannel is commonly used to make tartan clothing, blankets, ...

material. Boxer brief designs can have either a keyhole fly, button (snap) front, pouch, or no fly at all. The waistband is usually a separate band of elastic material, often in a contrasting color to the main material. The elastic band often has the name of the manufacturer printed on it. There may also be additional elastic sewn around the bottom end of the thigh portion of the garment. Some boxer briefs have stitching on the rear to outline the

buttocks The buttocks (: buttock) are two rounded portions of the exterior anatomy of most mammals, located on the posterior of the pelvic region. In humans, the buttocks are located between the lower back and the perineum. They are composed of a lay ...

and avoid a central seam. Boxer briefs are commonly used in athletics instead of, or in addition to, a jockstrap, but are common for everyday use as well. A variant that reaches to the knee or near it is marketed by

Jockey A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase (horse racing), steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used ...

as "midway briefs", and is also sold by other companies. Another variant are boxer briefs that have shorter leg sections than the standard type, called "trunk briefs" or "trunks".

Possible effect on male fertility

Some studies have suggested that tight underpants like boxer briefs and high temperature are not optimally conductive for

sperm Sperm (: sperm or sperms) is the male reproductive Cell (biology), cell, or gamete, in anisogamous forms of sexual reproduction (forms in which there is a larger, female reproductive cell and a smaller, male one). Animals produce motile sperm ...

production. The

testicles A testicle or testis ( testes) is the gonad in all male bilaterians, including humans, and is homologous to the ovary in females. Its primary functions are the production of sperm and the secretion of androgens, primarily testosterone. The ...

are outside the body for cooling because they operate for sperm production at a slightly lower temperature than the rest of the body, and boxer shorts allow the testicles to operate within the required temperature range. The compression of the genitals in boxer briefs, briefs,

thong The thong is a Clothing, garment generally used as either underwear or in some countries, as a swimsuit. It may also be worn for traditional Ceremony, ceremonies or Sport, competitions. Viewed from the front, the thong typically resembles a b ...

s, etc. may cause the temperature to rise and sperm production to fall. There is a similar theory regarding

testicular cancer Testicular cancer is cancer that develops in the testicles, a part of the male reproductive system. Symptoms may include a lump in the testicle or swelling or pain in the scrotum. Treatment may result in infertility. Risk factors include an c ...

risk. Other sources dispute this theory. A study in the October 1998 ''Journal of Urology'', for example, concluded that underwear type is unlikely to have a significant effect on male fertility.

Image gallery

Image:boxer 002.jpg, Several pairs of boxer briefs compared with loose boxer shorts. Image:Boxerbriefs-black-Floque-20080508.jpg, A man wearing a pair of short-leg boxer briefs. Image:Tier one protection MOD 45154146.jpg, A man wearing long-leg boxer briefs. Image:Rear_boxers.JPG, Rear stitching on these boxer briefs avoids a central seam and outlines the buttocks.

References

External links

* {{Clothing 1990s fashion Men's underwear