With an image revamp and increase in sales, are briefs another passing social media trend or they a true comeback king and here to stay?
The last time I wore briefs I was 7 years old, getting changed for school sports day and Reece – my then best friend – said I was wearing dad pants. Everyone in my class laughed. Until recently this type of underwear had been resigned to my past, until that is, one day at the gym.
Just a regular workout at the gym on a Saturday morning and I couldn’t help but notice some post-workout guys posting socials wearing briefs, just your average gym obsessed macho men competing with each other whilst wearing a style of underwear that I thought was confined to the 1990’s.
As the weeks went on, I saw more men unashamedly strutting through the gym changing room wearing briefs. I had never actually given my underwear choices much thought or observed others’ choices. I’m the type of guy that only replaces my boxer shorts when needed or gifted to me at Christmas from my girlfriend. That was about to change.
On a research (and shopping) spree, it was clear I was wrong. Men’s underwear had gone mainstream and so had briefs; an aesthetic for the social media world. A style, design and colour for every occasion, formal or informal. I had fallen out of the loop when I went online. The huge number of male underwear websites visible from a single Google search, the variety of brands available and the number of high-end brands. (The hybrid trunk is now my second favourite style and I can’t believe that only a few brands offer it).
My search went on; colours for holiday, styles perfect for date night and styles best suited for tall men. The fitness guys on my socials, with their post-gym selfies, wearing a different pair in each post and never caught in the same pair again. A variety of styles to complement and showcase their achievements, and even their achievements outside the gym too, as given from the array of designer luxury names on the waistbands. It would seem that underwear was a luxury item and another sign of success.
After my new briefs arrived I put them on in the gym and I must admit my legs are certainly not ashamed. They were popping and now my new briefs take pride in my top drawer, my go-to for my after-work out selfie.
In the social media age, it’s easy to run with the trend of your tribe and I am no different. How did these body enhancing style of underwear even fall out of favour?
As a digital content creator since graduation, I had missed this trend. Probably subconsciously ashamed from that time in primary school. Like any other item, briefs went out of fashion in favour of boxer shorts and trunk styles and they were restricted to the shade of trendy boxershorts and trunks. It was hard to dispel the belief that they were nerdy or what your grandad wore, however, it was probably just the case that they were pushed out by the growing desire for boxers and trunks rather than just a lack of appeal.
Other reasons for the decline in the popularity of the brief were for health and hygiene reasons, with briefs restricting that area and having an affected on male fertility – a fact that is now debunked – and no longer an issue with the development of heat-controlled materials like bamboo and modal.
For the last decade briefs have been growing in popularity and It’s not just social media that’s responsible, although it’s a large part of it.
The expectations of underwear have changed.
The need for variety, the various health and fitness movements and new ways to express masculinity along with busier lives have increased expectations that underwear needs to fit that, (no pun intended). Men are taking care of themselves in a holistic way; their choice of underwear should reflect that especially the need for aesthetically please now the social media usage in rooted in our daily lives.
Briefs are making their way onto men who would never have considered wearing them. They’re making their way back onto to men who used to wear them, I can attest to that and my wider social circle confirms this too.
Their association has changed from out of shape to being one of muscular men. Scroll after scroll on fitness profiles shows Greek like Adonis’s wearing briefs to enhance what they’ve achieved from months and years of hard work. They naturally maximise legs and torso and leave little to the imagination which is an important asset in the digital economy. They’re now often their first choice.
With the development of materials that more comfortable than cotton, such as modal and bamboo, the tight restriction of cotton briefs is now a thing of the past. More importantly, active lifestyles and men’s preoccupation with health and fitness means they’re after something that’s doesn’t bunch up when exercising.
Now, men’s underwear, is seen as another luxury item – a symbol of success, a symbol of masculinity. The male underwear business is booming and sales volumes are projected to increase 5% over the next five years and in 2025 the global market was $11.2 billion with 1.2 billion units sold in 2024 or which 30% were briefs, the second highest after boxer shorts.[1]
From the websites of the biggest, most luxurious brands to smaller less known websites, their homepages are now dominated by briefs. Once hidden away on their own page but now proudly shown up and down the homepage. The number of different items of briefs offered is another indication of the increasing popularity. This pattern repeated from budget, low end brands further indicating that the brief is back in the mainstream.
As more men explore their underwear options, briefs are becoming part of their collection and many will continue to wear different styles suited to their changing daily activities. Boxer shorts still remain the most popular choice in the UK and many countries. Some basic keyword search Google trends put briefs above boxer shorts in online activity – whether this translates to the real world remains to be seen. Some keywords tools report higher search volumes for “men’s briefs” compare to “men’s boxer shorts” or men boxers.
It appears that this not just a passing fad because they never really went away and they’re not going anywhere. But their popularity is a sign that men are more aware than before. Aware they need to try new styles and experiment – especially post-workout. A whole new generation that had previously ignored this style of underwear but now it appears men are now fully embracing briefs to give them the status of a comeback king. They’re here to stay.
About Jake
Jake is the content creator for Levage, a luxury male underwear brand sold exclusively through their website.
Last Updated: March 23, 2026
