The Brief Is Back

According to the New York Times (and they’ve been on a real roll this week), when it comes to the male undies category, it’s all about the brief. When did the reign of the boxer come to an end exactly? It’s impossible to be certain, but it could have something to do with the recession: “A few years ago, brands started coming out with more and more collections and retiring them sooner,” said Michael Kleinmann, the president of Freshpair, a 10-year-old online underwear retailer. “But when the economy started changing, they scaled it back.” Whatever the reason, according to our rather epic post, “What His Underwear Says About Him,” this is a style favored by Tom Cruise, military types and hipsters. Now we can add fashion-forward gents to the list, too. [New York Times]