Boxer shorts are a type of underwear typically worn by men. They generally are designed for men, although women occasionally raid their man’s underwear drawer. They are, quite simply, shorts with elastic all around the top. They resemble the shorts worn by professional boxers, thus the name.

Boxers normally are available in solid colors, but also come in a variety of patterns and prints. TV programs prefer to show men wearing them rather than other types of underwear because they are less revealing, and look more like outerwear.

Introduction and Popularity

They first appeared in the 1930s, but were overshadowed by the overwhelming popularity of briefs. Boxers started to gain in popularity around 1947. Boxer shorts became immensely popular in the 1980s as a result of Nick Kamen’s appearance wearing them in a Levis ad. Briefs still outsell boxer shorts but more and more young men prefer boxers.

Types of Fly

Most boxer shorts have a fly for urinating. Manufacturers have different designs for closing up the fly. Some have a button or a metal clasp. Most, however, do not have a mechanism to close up the fly.

An Urban Legend Exposed

A 1975 advertisement for boxer shorts inspired an urban legend. The fall/winter Sears catalogue showed two male models, one wearing briefs, the other wearing boxers. The model wearing the boxers appears to have part of his penis visible. At the time this possible indecent exposure caused a major fuss. Sears claims that the alleged penis is merely a printing defect. The same ad reappeared in color in a later catalogue, with no penis showing. Sears did not, however, release a copy of the colored ad to allow the public to verify its claim. They have thus allowed the urban legend to persist in the popular imagination.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Boxer Shorts

Advocates of boxer shorts claim that boxer shorts have significant advantages when compared to other types of underwear. Firstly, the fly gives easier access to the penis when the wearer needs urgently to urinate. Secondly, boxer shorts can be worn as loungewear in a social setting, whereas briefs most definitely are perceived as underwear. Thirdly, surveys show that women prefer seeing them to ‘tighty whities’ on men. Fourthly, boxer shorts are available in more different styles, colors, and patterns. Fifthly, boxer shorts are much easier to remove Sixthly, the temperature inside boxer shorts is much cooler, promoting a higher sperm count. Lastly, boxer shorts do not reveal a lot of details of the man’s masculine ornaments.

Critics of boxer shorts claim there are disadvantages compared to other types of underwear. Firstly, the leg holes tend to be very wide, and this can result in accidental exposure of genitals. Secondly, there is no support for the genitals and they may tend to move around a lot. Thirdly, the waistband can be irritating to the skin. Fourthly, an erection is much more noticeable on a man wearing boxers. Fifthly, certain types of pants worn over boxers look awkward. And lastly, the loose fit can allow the underwear to shift into awkward positions.