Men have so much incredible choice now in underwear options, that I cannot (fully) appreciate why anyone would go commando. We have nearly as many options available to us as women. Here is an overview of styles to consider.
Briefs
Briefs come in full, mid and low rise, meaning that they sit respectively about one, two or three inches below the belly button. Briefs always have full coverage of the rear assets and should fit in a comfortably snug manner.
They provide excellent support for “boys” and, given that they do not tend to rise up like boxers, they are great for occasions where one is sitting for long periods of time. However, the banding around the leg opening sits between the thigh and crotch and can cause chafing.
While the most popular choices are white and cotton (hence the term, “tighty-whitey”), there are in fact a very wide range of colours and fabrics out there.
Boxers
These are pretty much the classic standard for men’s underwear. They are the looser fitting “shorts” style that is most scene in the movies and television. They provide full coverage with a length of eight – sixteen inches. They also tend to have a working fly – typically button.
The popularity of boxers rests in their comfort. They work well under loose fitting clothes but do tend to ride up and, of great important, provide very little support for our jewels.
The fun thing with boxers is that they tend to come in the widest range of patterns, colours and fabrics.
Boxer Briefs
The hybrid popularized by Mark Wahlberg in those unforgettable Calvin Klein ads, have been called the sexiest of men’s undergarments.
This is a great option for most clothing types as it provides the comfort of the boxer with the support of the brief. Because of their snugger fit, they tend to have a slight sculpting effect on the lower torso and can be worn easily under tighter clothes.
Most designers have their own line of high end boxer briefs, generally in cotton or spandex.
Trunks
The trunk is the latest trend in underwear cuts for men. It is, ironically, a hybrid of the brief with the boxer-brief. It has a straight cut across the bottom, covers the thigh and butt equally parallel to the ground and waist.
These basically share the same benefits as boxer briefs and were inspired from male swimsuits of the fifties (also making a comeback again).
Bikinis
Bikinis are basically a modified brief. The first rule is that they do not have a fly. The second rule is that they sit low on the waist (four to five inches).
The side waistband rarely is larger than two inches, leaving most of the outer thigh exposed. The buttocks are still covered. This garment works well on athletic to muscular physiques.
Thongs
I guess these merit some mention! These are the smallest of the undergarments – the boys sit in a pouch while a string acts as the waistband and another flosses the butt. Enough said?
This is the most unpopular style for men and should be restricted to only the best of physiques. Even on the nicest body, most people agree that these are not sexy.
