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Boxer shorts (also commonly known as simply boxers) are a type of undergarment typically worn by men. The term has been used in English since 1944 for all-around-elastic shorts, so named after the shorts worn by Boxing, for whom unhindered leg movement ( footwork) is very important. Boxers come in a variety of styles and design but are characterized by their loose fit.
In 1985, in the U.S. men's briefs were more popular than boxer shorts, with four times as many briefs sold compared to boxers. Around that time many of the men who preferred boxers were older men who became accustomed to wearing them during their time in the U.S. military, and best selling color of boxers was white.
Boxer shorts got a fashion boost in 1985 when English model and musician Nick Kamen stripped to white Sunspel boxers in a 1950s-style launderette in a Levi's commercial . After that time boxers were beginning to become popular among young men, who wore boxers with varying colors and prints.Kanner, Bernice. "Briefs Encounter: The Long and Shorts of It" ("On Madison Avenue" column). New York Magazine. New York Media, LLC, April 29, 1985. Vol. 18, No. 17. ISSN 0028-7369. Start p. 28. CITED: p. 30.
Since the 1990s, some men also opt for boxer briefs as a compromise between the two. , one American manufacturer reported that woven boxer shorts made up 15–20 per cent of men's underwear sales, but had been declining in popularity compared to boxer briefs since 2003.
Since boxer shorts’ fabric is rarely stretchy, a balloon seat, a generous panel of loosely fitting fabric in the center rear of the shorts, is designed to accommodate the wearer's various movements, especially bending forward. The most common sewing design of boxer shorts are made with a panel seat that has two seams running on the outer edges of the back seating area, creating a center rear panel. Most mass-produced commercial boxer shorts are made using this design.
Two less common forms of boxer shorts are gripper boxers and yoke-front boxers. Gripper boxers have an elastic waistband like regular boxers but have snaps, usually three, on the fly and on the waistband so that they open up completely.
Yoke front boxers are similar to gripper boxers in that the wide waistband yoke can be opened up completely, and the yoke usually has three snaps to close it while the fly itself, below, has no closure mechanism. There are two types of yoke boxers: one in which there is a short piece of elastic on each side of the waistband which snugs up the yoke to fit the waist; and tie-sides which have narrow cloth tapes on each side of the waist yoke, like strings, which are tightened and knotted by the wearer to make an exact fit. This style of underpant was very common during World War II, when the rubber needed for elastic waistbands had to be used for military purposes.
Boxer shorts are available in white and solid colors including pastels, and come in a variety of patterns and prints as well; Traditional patterns include geometrics (small repeating geometric designs), plaids and vertical stripes. Additionally, there are innumerable novelty boxer short patterns. Boxer shorts are produced using various fabrics including all cotton, cotton–polyester blends, jersey knits, satin, and silk.
A noticeable comedy routine that involves boxer shorts, most notably used in Cartoon, is to have a character wear boxer shorts that has a humorous print or pattern on them, usually hearts or polka-dots, when one's trousers had fallen down or ripped apart.
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