NEW YORK --- Have you noticed? The rules about men's underwear have changed. It used to be a guy's drawers only had to be clean and free of holes in order to pass muster. Now, it seems they have to make a fashion statement as well. No longer viewed as just protective covering or a measure of personal hygiene, Cotton skivvies have gone upscale. Visit the underwear section of any department store and you'll see literally hundreds of styles to choose from in all manner of conventional and conversational prints. But the age-old debate still rages - do you opt for boxers or briefs? It's a decision American males have been wrestling with for decades.
During World War I, the first cotton boxer shorts with buttons were issued to infantrymen for summer wear, according to "A Brief History of Shorts," by Joe Boxer, a.k.a. Nicholas Graham. They were so popular that men insisted on wearing them when they returned home. It wasn't until the mid 1930s that briefs began to appear on the scene. Inspired by swimsuits worn on the French Riviera, these snugly fitting undergarments were considered quite risqué. Soldiers who fought in World War II were introduced to the concept of colored (olive drab) cotton boxer shorts with elastic waistbands. By the 1950s whimsical motifs could be found. And in the 1990s anything goes. Graphic pattern and high camp have elevated this utilitarian item to cult status.
"Cotton boxers have become a fashion accessory like baseball caps, says Ira Livingston, Senior Vice President, U.S. Marketing for Cotton Incorporated. "It all started when teenage boys began wearing them on the outside of their clothes. On college campuses they serve as a virtual billboard for designer logos and brand names. Something that was once a private article of clothing is now public."
Livingston notes that while briefs still outsell boxers by a large margin, boxers are gaining in popularity. In 1995 consumers purchased 41.0 million pairs of all-cotton boxers, a 24.2% increase over 1994. Sales of 100% cotton boxers reached $206.4 million, up from $176.2 the year before. He attributes the surge, to young people and the crossover shopping by women buying for themselves.
"Women represent the biggest portion of our business," says Steven Abrams, president of Shady Character, NYC, manufacturers of the Shadowboxer and Nick & Nora labels, known for their humorous novelty designs. Abrams claims that women, impressed with the company's high quality cotton fabrics, treat their boxers as loungewear, donning them for casual, around-the-house or out-of-doors use.
So, even if you're from the old school that thinks all underwear is created equal - remember what your mother always told you. What if you got run over? Would you really want the doctor at the hospital to see you in what you've got on?
Cotton boxers are gaining popularity with both men and women. |
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