Boxer briefs (sometimes spelled boxer-briefs or called tight boxers, also known as A-Fronts) are a hybrid type of men's
undergarment which are long in the leg, similar to
boxer shorts, 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 during his 1990–1995 stint at
Calvin Klein 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 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 to the
thighs and are worn on the
waist. 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,
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 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 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
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{{Clothing
1990s fashion
Men's underwear