Men's Underwear Takes the Plunge; Boxers, Briefs or Neither?

For many years, the domain of men's underwear has remained firmly divided into two camps: briefs and boxers. However, over the last few decades, the variety and trends in men's underwear have evolved significantly - so much that owning fashionable underwear has become as important to many men as owning trendy outer garments!

The revolution in men's underwear began in the 1950s, when underwear manufacturers began printing patterned and coloured undergarments. After years of simple, white underclothing, men were finally presented with more varied choices when it came to their underwear. However, the injection of "sex appeal" as one of the main selling points of underwear only really began in the 1970s and 1980s. The launch of 'designer' underwear, including Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger and Jockey, sealed the status of underwear as essentially a garment to treat with pride once and for all.

In fact, the status of underwear became increasingly exotic with the production of a series of adverts in the 1980s and early 1990s. Mark Wahlberg, for instance, embraced his success as an underwear model for Calvin Klein to launch his ensuing career as a hip-hop star and all-round Hollywood hotshot. Similarly, the classic 1985 Levis commercial - in which model Nick Kamen stripped to his underpants in a Laundromat to the sound of Marvin Gaye's 'I Heard It Through The Grapevine' - is often credited with making boxers fashionable once again.

Today's modern objectification of mens underwear has led to a number of fads. For instance, in the late 1980s, hip hop stars pioneered the image of wearing jeans and shorts very low on the waist, in order to expose their underwear. The trend has lasted the test of time and is now popular with a wide variety of men, from hip-hop icons to indie rock stars.

Popular trends of the 'Noughties' have also inspired new underwear trends; bright patterns and bold colours adorn many of the briefs and boxers of 2007, inspired by a range of modern indie and rave movements. Gone are the days when black, grey or white boxers or briefs were all men had to choose from in underwear departments - various men's clothing retailers now sell men's underwear in a range of colours, patterns and stripes. What's more, 2007 has seen the Y-front return to the forefront of many retailer's underwear lines. So whether you're hankering after a pair of fire-red briefs, or you're keen to find yourself a pair of 1980s retro print Y-fronts, you're sure to discover the men's underwear that's perfect for you. So ditch those tighty-whities and embrace a new style of colourful drawers today!

Andrew Regan is a freelance online journalist who travels extensively.