Boxer shorts
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Boxer shorts (also known as loose boxers or, imprecisely, as boxers) are a type of underwear, worn by men. The term is used in English since 1944 for all-around-elastic shorts, so named after the shorts worn by pugilists, for whom unhindered leg movement ('footwork') is almost as important as the completely free arm movement of the barechested fighters.
Many men prefer boxers because they come in designs which gives them more personality. They also like the way boxers look on them.
History
In 1925, Jacob Golomb, founder of Everlast, designed elastic-waist trunks to replace the leather-belted trunks then worn by boxers. These trunks, now known as "boxer trunks", immediately became famous, but were obscured by the popular briefs. Around 1947, boxers started to gain in popularity.[citation needed]
Boxer shorts gained massive popularity in 1985 when English model and musician Nick Kamen dressed down till only wearing white boxers in a 1950s style "Laundrette" in a Levis advertisement.[citation needed] Although briefs outsell boxer shorts, it is apparent that more and more young men prefer the latter.[citation needed] Since the 1990s, many men also opt for boxer briefs as a compromise between the two.
Most boxer shorts have flies which allow the penis to be extracted without removing the garment. Boxer shorts manufacturers have different designs for closing up the fly. Some styles include a button or a metal clasp for the fly. However, many boxer shorts on the market do not have a mechanism to close up the fly.
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 3, on the fly and on the waistband so that they open up completely. Yoke front boxers are similar to gripper boxers in that they have snaps, or buttons, on the fly and the waistband, but Yoke front boxers have no elastic waistband; they were very common during World War II, when the rubber needed for elastic waistbands had to be used for military purposes.
Usually, they are available in solid colors, but they also come in a variety of patterns and prints. Boxer shorts are typically produced from various fabrics including all cotton, cotton/polyester blends, jersey knits and silk. Most television programs prefer displaying men in boxer shorts rather than other types of underwear. This is mainly because it is the more socially acceptable underwear type to see in mass media, as well as looking more like actual clothing than underwear, thus taking away from the partial nudity.
In 1975, an advertisement for boxer shorts created a recurring urban legend. The fall/winter Sears catalogue displayed two underwear models, one wearing briefs and another wearing boxer shorts. The model wearing the boxer shorts appears to have part of his penis (some sources say a testicle) exposed. At the time, this caused a stir because of possible indecent exposure. However, Sears states that it is a printing defect and the same ad reappeared in color in a later catalogue, where no penis is shown. Despite the publicity, Sears did not release a copy of the colored ad to allow the public to verify its statement. Without the proof, the urban legend still persists in popular culture. [1]
Advantages and disadvantages
Fans of boxer shorts claim there are certain advantages to wearing boxer shorts compared to other types of underwear.
- Many well-endowed men prefer boxers because they seem more roomy.
- The opening in front of the boxer shorts gives easier access to the penis.
- Boxer shorts are generally less revealing when worn alone.
- It is much easier to use a urinal when wearing boxers.
- They help prevent jock itch (tinea cruris) by being less tight in the groin area.
- Boxer shorts appear in more different styles, colors and patterns.
- Boxer shorts do not reveal a lot of details of the man's groin/genitals.
- Being looser, boxer shorts are the easiest type of underwear to take off.
- Some men prefer to have sexual intercourse while wearing boxer shorts.
- They are the underwear of choice for sagging; briefs could be more embarrassing.
- They allow the genitals to hang naturally without being constrained.
Critics of boxer shorts claim there are certain disadvantages to wearing shorts compared to other types of underwear.
- Sometimes, the outline of the penis can be seen through pants, due to the lack of support.
- An urban legend purports that wearing boxers is bad for the sperm count; others claim tighter underwear is worse.
- There are very wide openings for the leg holes, which can result in accidental exposure of genitals.
- The scrotum is not well-supported and tends to move around a lot.
- The wider and thicker waistband found on most boxer shorts compared to other types of underwear has a higher chance of irritating the skin. This can be avoided, whether you wear briefs, boxers, boxer-briefs, or trunks, by tucking your undershirt or any shirt inside your underpants. However, this leads to possible waistband visibility and the increased likelihood of receiving a wedgie. The advantages include: keeping the skin warmer, a neater appearance, and the avoidance of waistband indentation on the skin.
- An erection is much more noticeable when wearing boxers.
- Wearing certain kinds of pants over boxer shorts looks awkward.
- The loose fitting can move the underwear into awkward positions, such as causing a wedgie.
- When worn with loose fitting clothing, such as school gym shorts, boxer shorts come down more easily in a common prank known as "pantsing," where the prankster attempts to pull down the target's pants and may inadvertently (or purposely) also pull down target's boxer shorts, exposing the genitalia.
- At times, protrusion of the penis through the fly opening occurs. This can happen anytime even when the boxers are the proper fit — not tight or loose. This can be avoided however by wearing boxers with a button.