Well, if we’re going to talk about men’s issues, let’s talk about men’s issues.
What is the appeal of boxer shorts?
I’ve never fully gotten this. I understand that they come in a variety of amusing and aesthetically interesting colors and patterns, and you can get them with cartoon characters on them, but nowadays that’s true of other styles as well. The era of the “tighty-whitey” has passed. I also understand that they help keep your sperm count up, which is important if you’re trying to use your sperm count for anything; not an issue I have experience with. That doesn’t cover all the guys wearing them, though.
I guess what I’m asking is why don’t boxer-wearing guys feel a need for support? Doesn’t your junk get stuck at weird angles more, stick to your upper thigh, get accidentally sat on? (Oh c’mon, everyone’s done that at least once.) I can’t speak for anyone else, but I’m just not comfortable unless I have my equipment properly stowed for transport, you know?
(For the record, the hands-down best underwear I’ve ever tried are these, which are incredibly comfortable, look nice, and most importantly, maintain support even when you’ve been wearing them since yesterday or the day before. For these reasons, I like to wear those on dates.)
So, gentlemen of the boxer brigade, what am I missing? What factor am I overlooking?
I wear briefs, and I admit it’s probably because that’s the first kind of underwear my parents bought for me from a young age. So my junk just sort of got used to being in their warm swaddles, you know? Other reasons are that I have very large thighs – can definitely report that the side-ways squish is even more prevalent danger to the testicles than the sitting-on squish – and anything that puts extra fabric over there is going to make me look like I’m a boxer wearing a foul-protector whenever I wear slacks. The key to briefs is… Read more »
Alice, that may very well happen. Here in the Seattle area men have been wearing Utilikilts for about ten or fifteen years, and what makes this something other than a fashion trend that wll pass as soon as it catches on is which men are wearing kilts – middle-aged blue-collar types. There was a Postal letter carrier who tried recently (and failed, but hey) to get permission to wear a Postal grey version. But you see the standard version all the time on weekends at Home Depot or wherever. It’s not like this is just something in a magazine on… Read more »
@ superglucose
“I’d wear skirts if I could do so without feeling like shit… that’s how much I value the airflow.”
Let’s all hope for the day when you can . . . when people just wear clothes without reference to their gender / sex / whatever.
When I tell my class (they’re 8 or 9) this they all snigger but I remind them when I was their age NO woman could wear trousers and remain a lady. Oh, except Saturday morning – but you had to change to eat lunch. Silly customs anyone?
The “tightie whitey” (also available in fashionable colors) goes under jeans — boxers under jeans will ride right up your ass like a cotton enema.
Boxers go under slacks.
That’s it!
I think no matter how you slice it up, if you ever accidentally end up getting caught walking around in your own home, by the land lady or the bug guy, if you have boxers on you can pretend that they are shorts and not briefs, depending on how old the land lady is it could be interesting.
Jerseyknit boxers, loose fitting and stretchy (handy for bigger men). Satin boxers would tear if you moved around too much at times (big thighs usually exacerbate the problem) so the nice cotton boxers that stretch and also breath are very comfy. At first you feel like you don’t have support but it soon passes as you feel more freedom down there and aren’t restricted. But either way it’s personal preference, what is comfortable to me might not be comfy to you.
@Danny: (Sidenote – What’s up with call male genitals junk anyway?) I have always used the term “junk” in three distinct ways and it depended on context. 1. worthless items ready to be discarded “I almost pulled my car into a stack of junk on the street left for the sanitation workers.” 2. my personal possessions “Give me a chance to get my junk out of your car before you leave. I need that stuff this weekend.” 3. my personal possessions “Give me a chance to get my junk out of your vagina before you leave. I need my genitalia… Read more »
“Reading this thread makes me so very glad I don’t have a penis.” Having one doesn’t necessarily means having issues with underwear. I have a small, underdeveloped penis, and a hormonal system with zero testosterone (which doesn’t help get erections or anything) and can be fine with children’s panties (and they have zero space for a penis, even flaccid). It’s a combination of a less sensitive cock and balls combo, small hips, and an attitude that I’m not too attached to my penis as a female-identified person. Though between that and a surgery-created vagina (which my body would treat as… Read more »
@ lurker *giggles* dude for real 😉
I personally like briefs better than boxers, I enjoy the form fitting of them, showing off the shapely form of the male bottom and his package. I think it’s sexy. 🙂
Reading this thread makes me so very glad I don’t have a penis.
Danny:
I use “junk” and “bits” interchangably about any animal genitalia without regard to gender or, for that matter, species.
@ trinity91 Argh! I have total empathy. I got asked the same question over and over. I said I only wore briefs sporadicly for utility purposes. He kept pursuing the issue and eventually my doctor told me it was probably because I was wearing (ill-fitted) briefs daily while I was cycling (because bike-shorts are small and I didn’t want to flash anyone.) @abyssobenthonic The body is a funny ol’ landscape. I was able to bench 270 (at my peak), but even then I couldn’t do a third pull-up without my eyes bulging, trying to get my chin to the bar… Read more »
@abyssobenthonic: See, I don’t like tightness anywhere (only exception being the waist, and then only because if my pants aren’t tight there they don’t stay on.)
Ideally my clothes feel like they’re kind of lightly draped on me, just enough to protect me from the cold without constraining me in any way.
Boxer briefs for me, largely because a girlfriend about 10 years ago preferred me in them. Tried them, found it was comfortable… haven’t had a reason to switch to another underwear format. My quads and hammies being the only muscles whose size even approaches “masculine ideal” may contribute to that. The consistent tightness except in the immediate groin area is a huge plus and I don’t get that from boxers or from briefs (I’m a textbook ectomorph everywhere else… in junior high I was spending a couple of hours after school most days in the school’s weight room… when I… Read more »
I’m a fan of boxer-briefs for the right mix of comfort, support, chafing protection, and social acceptability when I’m out and about or working out, but if I’m just hanging around my apartment I’ll go commando without a problem. Comfort and airflow are best that way, and ease of access is a bonus. Regarding the “sticking to thigh” problem, increased airflow makes things a lot less sticky in the first place, though I do get that if I work out without briefs or boxer-briefs. Lack of support doesn’t seem to bother me (again, except when I’d working out, if I’m… Read more »
I’ve been wearing boxer briefs for over 10 years. I tried boxers once upon a time and didn’t like the feel, especially when active. The boxer briefs offer support without being too tight. In addition, the extra coverage on the inner thighs protect from chafing when on my feet for long periods at work. Briefs always felt too restrictive and left me with gouge lines or got stretched out and let pieces and parts slip through only to be vise-gripped later when sitting down or changing posture. Boxers just felt too much like commando. When I want to go commando,… Read more »
I wear boxers because it’s socially unacceptable to not wear underwear at all.
The only non boxer underwear I own are a pair of tighter spandex underwear that exist for the sole purpose of restraining unwanted erections during dates, should they arise (PUN INTENDED!)
I’d wear skirts if I could do so without feeling like shit… that’s how much I value the airflow.
Fascinating, very very fascinating!
I wear boxer briefs because I don’t feel them on after I put pants on and they’re tight enough for me to just lift up an unwanted boner and they will hold it against my belly, hiding it away.
Big fan of boxers!
I like the space and possible air flow so I wont sweat nearly as much even when it’s hot or I am doing heavy lifting. Because of that they tend to not smell at all.
Since I am in my twenties I still don’t need any support. Don’t know why I would need support for my stuff.
Another plus is easy access for my gf 🙂
Stopped wearing the loose fitting boxers after they kept riding up while I was working at a computer. Switched to the tighter kind (my GF and I refer to them as trunks and because we’re in Australia it’s not confused for the back of your car =p) and they solved everything. Comfy, makes me look good, which makes me feel good and they don’t ride up.
Noah, you don’t know what you’re talking about. It’s sexy to let it hang out where it wants to go. It can feel arousing when the penis is brushing against the fabric. It breathes! It’s free! It feels unconstrained. It’s like taking off your socks after a long day in a suit. You know when the flattened hair on your feet can actually spring up and it feels like a deliverance? Yeah! That’s what I’m talking about. The best thing about it is, it’s like not wearing underwear (commando anyone?), without the obvious dangers related to trolling zippers.
Big fan of boxers here. I like some room to move down there; briefs just feel so constricting. It’s the same reason why I don’t wear tight pants.
my bf’s testicular torsion episode was caused by briefs with elastic that was apparently just a little too tight fitting when he would get an erection. He questioned this thinking that it was a load of crap and got the same exact answer from six different urologists as well as the emergency room doctor. so, it’s possible that that could be a concern for some guys