Boxers, Briefs, or Boxer Briefs? Let’s Settle This Once and for All

For many years, a great debate raged: boxers vs. briefs. Men were divided. Allegiances forged. Some preferred the boxer for its roomy comfort; others, the brief for its sleek profile and ability to gather and contain the important parts. Then came the dark times. What had once been a good-faith debate devolved into name-calling, mockery, and shoddy science. Both sides entrenched themselves, blinded by their own sense of righteousness.Then, a savior arrived: the boxer brief. Offering the best of both worlds, it combined the coverage and comfort of a boxer with the containment and discretion of a brief, without any of the tightie-whitie stigma. At last, there was peace.Nowadays, though, decades into the boxer-brief strife, men have begun to rediscover the pleasures of the old order. As ever, there’s a strong case for boxers, briefs, and boxer briefs, but in this age of unprecedented menswear latitude, they might not be what you think. Here’s why we think you should keep all three main underwear variants in your drawer, and when to reach for each.The science, in briefAccording to data from a 2016 fertility study of American men, 39% wore boxer briefs during the day, 35% wore boxers, and 26% wore briefs. Boxers gained ground at night, however, with 43% of men wearing them to sleep, compared with 24% in boxer briefs and 13% in briefs. Another 20% wore nothing at all. The study’s real purpose, though, was to better understand whether underwear choice affected male fertility, and when researchers looked at semen quality and how long couples took to conceive, they found no real link between underwear type and fertility.Dr. Michael Eisenberg, a urology professor at Stanford University, co-authored the 2016 study. He says the question of boxers versus briefs comes up when he counsels men about fertility, largely because the testicles need to remain cooler than the rest of the body to function properly. “When we’ve actually studied it, the particular type of underwear tends not to be predictive of semen quality,” he confirms. “It’s unlikely any single layer is going to make that big of a difference.”In other words, from a health perspective, there’s really no reason to choose one over the other. “Just wear what’s comfortable,” says Eisenberg.SunspelClassic Boxer ShortsUnderwear, under what?Like Calvin pulling on his lucky rocketship-print briefs before a big day of sledding with Hobbes, it’s less about what is right or wrong and more about what fits the occasion and outfit. That’s why the person with access to all three types of underpants in their top drawer will likely be the most comfortable and outfit-appropriate. “It really depends on the pant,” says Daniel Salmon, a Brooklyn-based men’s personal stylist and design studio instructor at Parsons School of Design. “If you’re wearing a slim or fitted pant, you don’t want a pair of baggy boxer shorts stuffing extra fabric in there,” he says. “It’s definitely going to show up.”For slimmer trousers, particularly those made from lightweight fabrics like tropical wool, Salmon recommends briefs or boxer briefs. The latter help maintain a clean silhouette, since traditional briefs can show through fitted layers. But with trousers now wider and waistbands hanging lower, could old-school boxers be poised for a comeback? Salmon points to recent looks from Haider Ackermann at Tom Ford, where boxers peeked above the waistbands of relaxed trousers. “It just adds that little bit of a styling element,” he says. “Sometimes it can allude to what’s underneath, if you want to be a little provocative.”Calvin KleinIcon Cotton Stretch 3-Pack Hip BriefSkimsCotton Brief (3-pack)Of course there are practical considerations, too. “If you’re wearing really short shorts, you need to be contained,” he says. “I would say no to a boxer short.” For bigger guys, he suggests avoiding the extra bulk of loose boxers while still paying attention to fit, regardless of style. Too tight and you’re spilling over the waistband. Too loose and you’re dealing with bunching and sagging.Ultimately though, Salmon echoes Eisenberg’s advice about personal comfort. What fits depends on your body, your clothes, and even your mood. “It varies on how you’re feeling, what you’re wearing,” he says. In other words, why limit yourself to one when you can say yes to all three? What a time to be alive.Calvin KleinCotton Stretch Briefs (5-Pack)Skims5” Cotton Boxer Briefs