Updated date:

Nov 23, 2019

Which Type of Men's Underwear Should I Wear? 8 Common Styles

Author:

I've been an online writer for over eight years. I love helping people feel more comfortable in their own skin!

What Kind of Underwear Should I Wear?

Should I buy briefs, or should I buy boxers? Should I choose to wear trunks, or should I wear jocks? Which type of underwear will look good on me? From the classic-full rise briefs to men's thongs and bikini underwear, this post is every man's guide to buying the right kind of underwear and avoiding a faux pas in front of girlfriends and wives in the bedroom, and mates in the locker room.

Fruit of the Loom men's low rise fashion briefs
Amazon.com

1. Low-Rise Briefs

Low-rise briefs are possibly the most popular and commonly worn underwear by men. This type of underwear is a slightly cropped version of the full rise Y-front briefs, which cover a larger area.

Low-rise briefs by popular brands, including Jockey, Hanes, Tommy Hilfiger, and Dockers come in various designs, colors, and pouch sizes.

Low-rise briefs: Who should wear this type of underwear?

Body type: Low-rise briefs are the most common pair of men's underwear, which is why they are universally liked. Men of all body types can wear low-rise briefs without risking a faux pas. They won't look too out of place, even on guys who have a bulging tummy or guys who are extremely skinny.
Style: Universal.
Color: While choosing colors for low-rise briefs, men should stick to whites, blacks, and other darker shades like dark blue, dark green, or various shades of gray. Bright colors are best avoided.
Things to know: None.

2. Full-Rise Briefs

Full-rise briefs are a classic men's underwear and extend to cover an area much larger than that covered by low-rise briefs. Full-rise briefs extend from the waist area right to the end of the buttocks while enveloping the sides with a Y-shape that is less prominent than smaller underwear.

Full-rise briefs are bigger than their low-rise counterparts but smaller than a boxer brief, which covers a portion of the thigh too.

Full rise briefs: Who should wear this type of underwear?

Body type: Similar to low-rise briefs, full-rise briefs are popularly accepted as a type of underwear that will look good on most body types. Men who are obese or too skinny should avoid this type of underwear and opt for boxers if they find themselves less comfortable and confident.
Style: Full-rise briefs attracted mass popularity a couple of decades back, but they are considered less trendy from a style perspective now. Teenagers and guys in their 20s should ideally avoid this style of underwear if they want to be trendy and not made fun of while stripping down to their underwear in the boys' locker rooms. Married men may prefer to wear full-rise briefs as underwear because they are typically perceived to be more comfortable than other options.
Color: White is a classic color for full-rise briefs.
Things to know: None.

Hanes men's classic tartan boxer
Amazon.com

3. Boxer Shorts

Boxer shorts are known to have received mainstream acceptance as underwear for men post-1950s. They are similar to shorts, except they are generally made from cotton and have an elastic at the waist.

Boxer shorts are a popular choice because they are a very comfortable type of underwear for men. They are available in various colors and patterns.

Boxer shorts: Who should wear this type of underwear?

Body type: Apart from being one of the trendiest types of underwear for men of all ages, boxer shorts are also a perfect choice for any guy who has body image issues. This underwear will suit guys with a skinny body frame as well as guys with a heavy body frame. Boxer shorts will help men who find themselves embarrassed to strip down to their underwear in front of others in changing rooms or at the beach.
Style: Boxer shorts are trendy and universal. They are a must-have any guy's underwear drawer. Professionals and guys who wear business clothes every day should avoid boxer shorts as underwear during the day because the crease of the excess material may show from the outside of formal pants.
Color: As underwear, boxer shorts give a wide range of color and pattern options for the style-conscious man. This is the underwear in which you can veer away from solid colors and buy boxer shorts in tartan plaid and other printed patterns.
Things to know: Guys who are into sports, athletics, or other activities that require a lot of movement should avoid wearing boxer shorts as underwear because they don't provide a pouch, support, or any form of compression.

4. Boxer Briefs

Boxer briefs are like boxer shorts except that they fit tightly like normal briefs. This underwear starts from the waist and at least covers more than half of the thigh. Along with jocks, boxer briefs are a popular pick among guys who are athletes or are into working out.

Depending on the brand, boxer briefs commonly have a pouch at the front for support and have strategically placed seams to stop them from riding up or gathering up at one place during movement.

5. Trunks

Trunks are seen as a hybrid between briefs and boxer briefs. They are shaped similar to boxer briefs, except their legs are shorter. They should not be confused with swim trunks.

Trunks as underwear score high from a utility perspective. They are comfortable and provide a lot of support at the same time. They are great for guys who are active, traveling a lot, or always on the run.

Trunks: Who should wear this type of underwear

Body type: Unlike boxer briefs, jockstraps, and low-rise briefs, trunks don't look too shabby, even on men with larger bodies. Trunks will look good on most men, including guys with slightly thin bodies who may be avoiding boxer briefs from the fear of being conscious about highlighting their skinny legs.
Style: Trunks are trendy and are a good alternative to boxers if you are fond of wearing low rise denim. If you wear your pants from your bottoms, trunks are a good underwear choice for you.
Color: Trunks look really good in black and white. Men who like to be style conscious, even with their underwear, can buy trunks, which have a contrasting element against the black color of the fabric. For example, black trunks with a red elastic band look sexy.
Things to know: None.

6. Jocks or Men's Bikini Underwear

Jocks, also known as men's bikini underwear, are the type of underwear models are often pictured wearing on ramps and billboards. A jock's design exposes more thigh and provides the bare minimum coverage on the front. It is like normal brief underwear at the back.

Jocks were originally known to be made as an accessory for guys participating in sports or athletics to provide extra support. However, they have become a popular underwear choice as more men found a liking to jocks and bikini underwear as a daily wear option.

Jocks and men's bikini underwear: Who should wear this type of underwear?

Body type: Jocks or bikini underwear are designed in a way that they show more skin, leading to a common perception that only men with the best of bodies should ideally be wearing them.
Style: Jocks are not the type of underwear that can be carried off by any guy. Only a man with truck-loads of confidence and attitude is likely to carry them off with style.
Color: Jocks are all about putting up a great show. On the right body, they look awesome in many colors, including bright ones like red, sky blue, green, and orange. Wearing bikini underwear in everyday life is all about making a style statement, so bright colors and peppy design look cool.
Things to know: Jocks are risqué for guys who have the slightest of doubts that they can't carry it off. It can be the cause of low confidence if a guy has stripped down to his jocks in front of a girl.

Calvin Klein men's body thong
Amazon.com

7. Thongs

A thong is a type of underwear which provides bikini-like coverage at the front but only has a thin strip of cloth at the back, leaving the buttocks exposed.

Thongs have not received mainstream popularity with men. Most guys like to avoid wearing a thong as a day to day underwear. Thongs are generally associated with a type of bikini or underwear women wear. There continues to be a social stigma attached to the concept of men wearing thongs.

Thong: Who should wear this type of underwear?

Body type: There is really no benchmark when men wear thong underwear. It is a personal preference, and anyone can wear it.
Style: Individualistic.
Color: Thongs are an eccentric type of underwear for men. Guys who wish to try a thong really have no limits with color, fabric, or style.
Things to know: Traditionally, men are not expected to wear thongs. Guys should be prepared to face a lot of jokes if they are caught wearing thongs by their school or college mates. An attempt to spice things up in the bedroom appears to be the only commonly accepted reason why a man would wear a thong.

8. Themed underwear

Themed underwear is men's innerwear that features prints of some of the most famous TV, cartoon, movie, and comic book characters. There are many options, including underwear with prints of Superman logo, Spider-Man webs, Mickey Mouse, Transformers, and Simpsons characters, among others.

Themed underwear comes in various shapes, sizes, colors, patterns, and prints. It is just not the geeks and the nerds who have a fancy for themed underwear. Couples who want to bring some fun and excitement in the bedroom also buy themed underwear.

Comments

snagpop01 on August 22, 2020:

The most common styles are briefs, boxers, boxer briefs and thongs. My personal favorite is the boxer brief. ... Boxer briefs provide great support and coverage and are the perfect choice to wear under any item of outer garment.

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source: https://www.snagpop.com/listing/kikiriki-mini-dres...

Clive Cussler on July 31, 2020:

Men should think out of the box when it comes to underwear.I ordered Barbara Lingerie's MENS satin bikinis.There are many types of different underwear .Nylon,satin even silk available for men.Some look like panties,so what ,who cares,maybe your woman will like you in them?Men's underwear can be so uncomfortable.Summer time requires less fabric,well for me anyway.I wish more lingerie companies made men's product so we have more options.If they look at bit girly so what.

RomeRootFashion from Lahore, Pakistan on July 17, 2020:

Nice blog and absolutely outstanding. You can do something much better but i still say this perfect.Keep trying for the best.

https://www.romeroot.com/shoes/

XYXX on July 17, 2020:

Amazing Post! Every man should read this post and choose his next comfortable underwear with full research. Many of us do not care about the quality of underwear and wear low-quality underwear which later creates a problem.

I also recommend a brand to your viewers hope they will love the products https://xyxxcrew.com/

famouscosplay on July 13, 2020:

This is a very nice blog and learned more knowledge to read this post thanks for sharing this informative post.

Famouscosplay on July 01, 2020:

Nice and interesting post,I appreciate your hard work,keep uploading more, Thank you for sharing valuable information

Sandy Mehta from India on May 13, 2020:

You can see in my shirt , i wear hell boy T-shirt . I just make plan shop from a website and check how this is work. They deliver me within 2 weeks. i wait a wile but i got it .

I thought it will be scam. anyway i think i think this site name was https://lilpeepmerch.org/hoodies . because on same name many website . i still remember not exactly what site was but you can see in selfie logo and color was great and size fit

MillionMerch on May 12, 2020:

Better sky no!!! No decent sky!!! The bodies of men and women are special, and I think they are amazing. From the dawn of time, however, tailors and designers have created clothes that take these distinctions into account in order to produce apparel that suits and flatters the gender. Bifurcated clothes here (https://www.millionmerch.com/collections/lil-peep-... for example, such as trousers, was male staps because males had visible genitalia they needed to cover and protect. By comparison, the woman had no other "dangly parts," such that she was free to wear skirts and pants.

smithjohn99 on April 24, 2020:

Very informative post for every man. It's your post is very helpful to select perfect underwear. You have described the different styles of underwear with very clarity. Also, You can visit here to check the stylish underwear. https://www.intymen.com/

Manna Den on April 20, 2020:

Well, I love to wear thong underwear. I found them comfortable, supportable and sexier at the same time. I bought a pair of thong from erogenos.com. They have a great collection of thong underwear for men. I recommend to others, If you love to wear thong then try on the Erogenos store. I have a good experience there.

Mishal on March 22, 2020:

Better sky no!!! No decent sky!!! The bodies of men and women are special, and I think they are amazing. From the dawn of time, however, tailors and designers have created clothes that take these distinctions into account in order to produce apparel that suits and flatters the gender. Bifurcated clothes here (https://lilpeepmerch.net/product-category/jackets/... for example, such as trousers, was male staps because males had visible genitalia they needed to cover and protect. By comparison, the woman had no other "dangly parts," such that she was free to wear skirts and pants.

jignov onlineshopping on March 17, 2020:

thanks for sharing this blog... it's very useful for buyers.

Rick on March 15, 2020:

I like granny panties for room and comfort, pink and black are my favs. Playtexlongline girdles with nude nylons make me feel nice. My bigest problem is shaving my legs i always wind up cutlng myself my legs look like i ran thrugh barbed wire. Any tips for smooth shave, and how to get rid of scars.

Mark Sutter on January 28, 2020:

Amazing blog, Male Bikini Underwear is associated with a pouch at the front which holds the package at the right position. Bikini Underwear for mens adds a special point of attraction to the profile. This can be used on various occasions such as office, party as well as for regular usage. Recently, I bought a male bikini from Skiviez(https://www.skiviez.com/collections/mens-bikinis).

Malcomm Finn on September 23, 2019:

Mesh underwear for men is the modern era of underwear. Mens mesh underwear is one of the mens underwear. Mesh underwear for men provides full coverage. Mens mesh underwear has mesh fabric which has small pores which let the skin breathe. Sheer underwear for men It contours masculinity. It can be worn during any physical activities. Mens mesh underwear gives full support. Mensuas has a wide range of mens mesh underwear with different styles and colors.

Jhon12Carter on September 10, 2019:

Nice blog, The barely naked coverage is one of the things that men love about wearing a thong because they get to feel breezy and free, while the genital area is still firmly supported.

With a thong, you’ll quickly get used to the firm hug of the triangular shape on your genitals and the fact that there’s no annoying wedgie to worry about. Male Thong is built to provide super strong support to the male anatomy despite its itchy bitsy construction. Be-brief has a huge collection of men's thong underwear(https://www.be-brief.com/mens-underwear/mens-thong... with a brilliant fabric.

Sean on September 09, 2019:

I wear panties because they are so comfortable. The other day while in the dressing room at my work out place, I noticed 3 men wearing panties. I see it often. I knew 2 of them and they’re married and not gay.

On that same day in the gym a saw a woman with men’s underwear on when she bent over doing her exercises. Was she gay. What’s the big deal? Wear what you like and quit trying to label or shame people.Get real people!

So men wear panties and women like to wear men’s undies...

My Dr. (Female) only smiled and said, “ nice”.

So wake up people. No big deal.

Abram Jule on July 29, 2019:

Nice Blog. My personal suggestion is for mens bikini underwear. Bikini underwear is the erotic underwear which adds a special point of attraction to your profile. Mens bikini underwear can be used on various occasions such as office, party, gym and even on a regular basis. Mensuas.com offers the best mens bikini with best colour and design at an affordable price.

Derek732 on July 26, 2019:

I wear bikini, boxer briefs and plan low rise briefs. All different colors. Like to mix it up. Just have to fix right. I like a mix of cotton with some nylon. Plan cotton gets baggy. I have a nice package and like to have it show.

Derek on July 26, 2019:

I wear bikini, boxer briefs and plan low rise briefs. All different colors. Like to mix it up. Just have to fix right. I like a mix of cotton with some nylon. Plan cotton get baggy.

Bobby on May 11, 2019:

My underwear drawer is full of thongs, jock straps and brefs

I go to the gym a lot and will just have on my thong it is all up to you

(My “bulge” is nice and big so I don’t mind getting striped)

Brian on February 18, 2019:

My underwear drawer is full of a little of everything. Depending on what I plan on doing in the day will impact what I wear. If I am in just a hurry, I will randomly select something out of my underwear drawer. Although, I do admit; I find mens thongs are actually very comfertable.

Paul on February 16, 2019:

Men's underwear suck, the fly in front is worthless, Panties are Great, soft, nice colors & patterns, lace and flower colors are my favorite, I have been wearing Panties for a Long time, wife don't care, she used to buy Panties for me, then I got online to buy them, got 2 drawers full, I've found that the best fitting Panties for men are Hi-cut, Hipsters, & boy short Panties, thongs are good for the summer. Try on a pair and you'll understand why Men wear Panties!

John on January 05, 2019:

I wear women’s thongs on a daily basis, I got rid of all my boxers and thongs is all I own now.

Jay on October 29, 2018:

Love my thongs and bikinis. I'm straight, have a nice bulge up front and great backside. Like showing them both off.

Matmman on September 19, 2018:

my drawer has all sorts of underwear. You "should" experiment and see what you like. My latest find is that I am most comfortable wearing undergarments that hold me snug. My testes are not inside the inguinal canals, but close to it. I really like how snug underwear holds them out of the way. Pants are SOOOO uncomfortable for me when my bits are dangling or just hanging out between my legs. For me, womens briefs (with elastic legs) hold things in place. Briefs work fine. So do some stretch or roomy women's thongs. Men's thongs hold me where I want to be, so to speak, but they make my "package" much more prominent than I like. You may find that if you wear loose pants, shorts, or kilts, then looser underwear works, but the more fitted your pants or shorts are the more fitted you may want your undies to be. Have fun and report back.

PaulaPlaytex on August 08, 2018:

SORRY...I can't help you...I don't wear any Men's underwear any more...Just My Bras and Panties.

Me on June 16, 2018:

I honestly think that you should wear what's most comfortable to you but not be so worried about what other people think. I wear briefs and I'm not worried about what others think even though I'm a little thicker than what this article stated. I think that the mens underwear should be left up to the person but the person should not be ashamed of what they wear but should be more in tune to what's confterable to them besides what the cultural normal (boxer briefs). I'm honestly not that old, only 33 and make my own decisions depending upon my personal preference besides "what others think is nornal". Even though briefs may not be the norm, be you and only you and dont let others make the decision for you. Take care

jeff on March 01, 2018:

thongs for me everyday. wife likes them too

Per on November 04, 2017:

Thongs mostly for exercise and summer, mini briefs/bikinis for the rest of the time if it is not long john winter temperature.

Alden on July 25, 2017:

Low rise, bikini, or thongs for me.

Michael on June 23, 2017:

Full Rise briefs for me everyday of the week

Unknown on April 11, 2017:

...I am not sure about any other guy that might be reading this but for me I prefer thong underwear and I am straight

iguidenetwork from Austin, TX on June 03, 2013:

Very interesting topic... I haven't had any themed underwear yet but I'll buy some one of these days! :)