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How much would you pay for a pair of boxer shorts? The breezy men’s undergarment is now regularly available in cashmere, wool blends and 100 per cent sustainably sourced silk. Perhaps the only thing more alarming than the price tag (some pairs cost upwards of £700) is the care label spelled out in extra-fine print: dry clean only.
According to luxury etailer Mr Porter, customer searches for Tom Ford’s silk boxer shorts (from £145) have increased 154 per cent in the past three months. The demand follows the menswear shows for SS26, which saw fashion designers pair boxers with tailcoats (Acne, £330), oversized blazers (Martine Rose, £385) or purposefully peeking beneath tailored trousers (Saint Laurent, £770). This season, Balenciaga also offered a boxer-swim-short hybrid in pinstripes with two slash pockets for £595.
Saint Laurent silk Cassandre shorts
Price: £770
BUY
Tom Ford silk-satin boxer shorts
Price: £230
BUY
“There is a growing interest in luxury-feel fibres such as silk and modal mixes that come directly out of the premium loungewear market,” says Lorna Hall, director of fashion intelligence at trend forecasting agency WSGN. “Boxer shorts are also a versatile investment because they can double up as sleepwear [or ‘dayjamas’ à la Paul Mescal].”
Bode’s Monday Boxers (£350) are drawn from a 1940s bandanna patterned with dogs, its Ace of Spades (£450) inspired by a 1920s card motif and the International Boxers (£490) are covered in a patchwork of kitsch and colourful flags. Speciale’s cotton boxers (£45) are embellished with mother-of-pearl buttons and come in delicious sherbet hues, and see too Sébline’s hand-embroidered styles (£225).
Sunspel confirms the boxer’s general rise in popularity, reporting a 50 per cent increase in sales for its more classic, stripy styles over the past six months following years of steady growth. Next month the brand, which has been producing boxers since 1947, will relaunch its original boxer collection (£45); it also offers its Classic Boxer in several Liberty fabrics (from £75).
For some, the luxury boxer looks so good it can be worn outdoors too. “I love wearing shorts that look like my boxers,” says Switzerland-based visual project manager Endirt Nurcaj. “In summer, when I’m a little tanned, they seem to elongate my silhouette. Add a blazer and it’s perfect.” However, actual boxers [worn as clothing] can look weird from the back,” he remarks of their balloon-style construction. He recommends shorts which approximate the boxer look from Cos – see the Drawstring style (£45) – or the pyjama section at Prada. Regardless of what you choose, just be careful to not spill anything.
