5 things boxer briefs should never be made of
Boxer briefs are the most popular choice in men’s underwear for a reason. They offer the perfect balance of form, fit, and style in men’s underwear. When you’re wearing boxers you have the support you need to hustle up a flight of stairs and the confidence to display them proudly when you shed your pants.
When everything goes right, they’re a total dream to wear. But alas - in the world of underwear, things don’t always go right. The wrong fabric can cause an uncomfortable underwear malfunction that puts your most sensitive areas at risk of chafing, tangling, and unpleasant odors. So read the tag, and if you see any of these fabrics in your undies, drop them for something else.
1. Silk
No matter how soft and luxurious a pair of silk undies may feel, they are a total no-go for your daily wear. Silk has a tendency to suffocate your nether regions by trapping heat and moisture. When water comes into contact with silk, your underwear will repel it rather than absorb it. As it gets wet, it tends to ripple and swell. Once it’s dried out, it becomes rough to the touch - not something you want around any of your sensitive bits.
On top of that, the excess moisture on your body makes silk boxer briefs the perfect habitat for fungus and bacteria to grow. And then you’re on your way to creating something silk is excellent at absorbing: odors. Silk is notorious for retaining odors, even after it’s been through the wash.
2. Linen
While linen is a great natural fabric to use in other clothing, it has a major drawback compared to cotton. Linen is created with flax and the cellulose is both stiffer and more crystalline than cotton. That means it’s much more prone to wrinkles, which is a bad choice for boxer briefs. The wrinkles in your underwear will lead to discomfort throughout the day, and a lot of adjusting will be required to keep the material around your legs straight and in place. Linen is also heavier than cotton. While that makes it more durable, it’s much more uncomfortable when it’s wet.
3. Leather
We’re not here to kink-shame anyone, but you absolutely don’t want to leave the house with leather hugging your thighs. Leather gets hot very quickly. Even synthetic leather can rub you raw halfway down the block on a sunny day. If you feel the need to go out in a leather pair of boxer briefs, at least wear something under them as a buffer.
Even in the wintertime, leather is a terrible choice for your boxer briefs because of what a pain it is to clean it. If you don’t do a good job cleaning it, you’re leaving yourself vulnerable to unsanitary conditions every time you slip them on.
4. Wool
Wearing wool is a no-go for people with eczema and other sensitive skin conditions, as it can trigger flare-ups. But even people without skin issues can get irritated by wool underwear; if your boxer briefs have wool content, you’ll probably find them downright itchy against your skin. You may have heard people say that wool can keep you cool as well as it keeps you warm, and that can be true at first—until you start sweating. As the wool starts to absorb water, it will start feeling hot and clammy.
Here’s where wool advocates usually chime in: what about Marino wool? It’s true, Marino wool is much softer than other kinds. But it’s also expensive, and unfortunately, it’s not very durable. You’ll also still have to deal with the heat issue (if they even last that long without ripping). This just isn’t ideal material for a boxer brief - or any other kind of undies.
5. Candy
Listen, we want you to have a good time in the bedroom. But candy underwear just isn’t worth it, no matter how much of a sweet tooth you have. Even if you hit the lottery and find the one pair of candy underwear that doesn’t taste like a latex glove or plastic wrap, you’re still bringing food into bed. At best, you’ll both be unpleasantly sticky. At worst, you’ll have to deal with bugs and perhaps a fungal infection from getting sugar in the wrong places.
It's a much better idea to choose underwear for its visual appeal and the way it makes you feel when you wear it. Edible underwear is just as unpleasant to wear as it is to eat, so no one is coming out ahead in this situation.
Get the goods your goods deserve
Tommy John boxer briefs are made from premium fabrics that keep you cool and dry, day-in and day-out. Our Cool Cotton blend is silky soft and breathable with a sculpting, contoured fit. And our Second Skin boxer briefs are a satiny dream that you’ll never want to take off. Want something even lighter? For the airy feel of going commando without the icky hygiene issues, try a pair from our Air collection. We guarantee you’ll love our underwear—and if you don’t, they won’t cost you a thing.
