Types of Men’s Underwear: Which Style to Choose (and Why)

Most men buy the same style of underwear every time. The one they’ve always bought, without asking whether it’s really the best for their body, for the day ahead, and for what they’re wearing over it.

And it costs you, in three specific ways: the boxers that ride up under slim jeans and create visible bunching, the style with no support that lets you down at the gym, the wrong fabric that traps heat and sweat in summer.

Knowing the types of men’s underwear, and which one to choose in each situation, changes the comfort of the whole day. In this guide you’ll find all the styles, how to choose based on your body, your pants, and the occasion, and why the fabric matters as much as the shape.

Men’s underwear is more varied than it seems. Here are the styles that really matter, each with its own logic and its own moment.

Briefs

Briefs are the classic close-fitting style, with no leg. They offer the most support and the least coverage, which makes them very discreet under slim pants, where they leave no marks or bunching. They’re an easy choice for summer, when you want something light, and for sports, thanks to the close fit. Men who like freedom and airflow, though, may find them too contained.

Boxers

Boxer shorts have an elastic waist, a loose leg down to mid-thigh, and a non-fitted fabric. The result is a feeling of freedom no other style gives the same way. They’re ideal for anyone who spends long hours seated, for those who sleep in their underwear, and for anyone who wants something closer to a pair of shorts. The downside: the fabric bunches and rides up under tight jeans, and the support is almost nonexistent, so they’re not suited to intense sports.

Boxer Briefs (Trunks)

The boxer brief is the hybrid, and it’s no accident it’s the most chosen today. It has the elastic waist of the boxer but a short, fitted leg, close to the brief. It combines the support of the brief with the comfort of the boxer, without the extremes of either. For everyday use it’s the best compromise: it works under almost any pants, doesn’t ride up, and handles both office days and days on the move. The shorter, square-cut version is often called a trunk. If you don’t know where to start, start here.

Long Boxer Briefs

The long boxer brief is a boxer brief with a longer leg. It serves one precise purpose: to prevent chafing. It’s the choice for anyone who plays sports, walks a lot, or has thighs that tend to rub, because the longer leg protects the skin. Under lightweight pants, though, it can show if the fabric is very thin.

The Niche Styles, in Brief

Beyond the four main styles there are more specific ones. The hipster and low-rise cuts sit lower on the waist with a fitted shape, made for anyone after a modern look. The jockstrap, with front support and minimal rear coverage, is built for specific sports. The thong offers minimal coverage, a niche choice. These are valid options for particular needs, but for most men the choice stays between briefs, boxers, and boxer briefs.

The first practical criterion is what you’re wearing over them, because the wrong underwear ruins the line of your pants.

Under slim or fitted pants, the rule is to reduce fabric: briefs or boxer briefs are best, because they fit close without adding volume. The leg of a boxer, under slim pants, rides up and shows.

Under regular or loose pants, you have freedom: both boxers and briefs work, and it’s more a matter of personal preference.

And with light-colored pants, in linen or lightweight cotton in summer, color matters: underwear in a nude tone, close to your skin, disappears, while white or dark colors show through.

Beyond the pants, your proportions and the context of the day both matter.

On the body, the logic is balance: an athletic build carries the more fitted cuts like boxer briefs and hipsters well, while on a fuller build boxers and long boxer briefs are more comfortable and covering.

On the occasion, everything changes with how you move. For the office and long days seated, boxers and boxer briefs give continuous comfort. For sports, go for the close fit and support of briefs or long boxer briefs, with their anti-chafing effect. For heat, breathability is the priority. And for the night, those who sleep clothed generally choose boxers, the freest of all.

There’s one criterion almost everyone overlooks, and it’s the one that makes the real difference against the skin: the fabric. The shape decides how it fits, the fiber decides how it feels.

Cotton is the safest choice for everyday: it breathes, it’s soft, and it doesn’t irritate. Microfibers and technical fabrics are close-fitting and suited to sports, often with breathable, odor-control treatments. Modal and blends focus on softness and sustainability. In any case, natural, breathable materials are preferable in warm seasons, because they keep sweat from lingering and skin from getting irritated.

It’s the same principle that holds for any garment against the skin, socks included: a fine, natural yarn breathes, holds its shape, and lasts, while a cheap synthetic gives itself away right off. We explain it well, on the sock side, in the difference between Filoscozia and Merino wool.

To sum up, here’s what people most often get wrong when choosing underwear:

• Buying the same style out of habit. Your body and your needs change, and your underwear should follow.

• The wrong style under the wrong pants. Boxers under slim pants ride up, briefs under loose pants waste their advantage.

• Ignoring the fiber. A cheap synthetic makes you sweat and irritates, especially in summer.

• The wrong size. Too tight marks and compresses, too loose bunches and loses support.

• The wrong color under light pants. Under light linen and cotton, only nude doesn’t show through.

There’s a thread connecting underwear to another garment the well-dressed man chooses with the same care: socks. They’re the two layers no one sees, but that define the comfort and quality of everything else.

The principle is identical for both. A man’s care starts with what doesn’t show, and the constant is always the same: the fiber. Underwear and a sock in a fine material don’t get noticed, but they’re felt all day, and they set apart the man who chooses with intention from the one who goes by habit.

It’s the same approach we take to the color and pairing of socks, where every detail starts from the quality of the yarn before the look. If you want to go deeper, there’s our guide on how to pair your socks with the rest of your outfit and, for the full picture, on what should never be missing in a man’s wardrobe. And if cotton is your fiber, the Makò cotton socks are its equivalent for the ankle.

In the end, choosing the right underwear isn’t a matter of habit but of intention. Start from the style that suits your body and your day, adapt it to the pants you wear over it, and never overlook the fabric, because that’s where comfort is really decided.

The invisible foundations, underwear and socks, are the starting point of a man’s care, not a secondary detail.

And if you want to start right from the foundations, a boxed set of socks in tailored colors is the simplest way to bring the same attention to the ankle too.