Judging from the sheer number of boxer shorts we’ve seen on our feeds and in the wild, the biggest pants trend of the summer might just be underpants. Yes—online cool girls have ditched real bottoms en masse, instead venturing outside in literal men’s underwear (or shorts that look just like it). And you know what? We’re not mad about this 2024 fashion trend.
Since last year, the no-pants look has been taking over runways and red carpets, but walking around in, say, knit panties or hidden hot pants isn’t exactly practical for the average person. Boxers, though, present a happy medium: They’re easy and demure enough for casual wear, yet editorial enough to turn heads in the right way. Win-win.
The best boxer shorts for summer 2024
These are the pairs of boxer shorts on our radar right now—which you can totally wear with your actual underwear, by the way. From true undies to thicker pairs with pockets and more coverage, these are editor-approved favorites.
What exactly is the boxer shorts trend?
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The boxers trend has been picking up steam since last year, when Kendall Jenner, Olivia Rodrigo, and Hailey Bieber stepped out wearing men’s undies as shorts. By March of this year, even Chanel was on board, dressing Kristen Stewart in high-fashion underpants. Adding fuel to the fire, labels like Miu Miu and Bally incorporated boxer shorts into their spring-summer runway shows. As of spring 2024, it’s a full-blown trend among stylish women looking to welcome warmer weather in a new way—and we only expect it to grow as temperatures climb this summer.
The vibe is very much “I just threw this on,” even if you spent an hour deciding what to wear. It’s French-girl-who-can’t-be-bothered cosplay. It’s suggesting to the world that you’re not afraid to borrow from the boys, including your own (possibly fictional) beau. And therefore, the trend has exactly the right sartorial energy for spring and summer.
If you’re not sold on the act of walking around wearing underwear, no worries—you can still hop on the trend by embracing sagging, or letting boxers peek out over the waistband of your pants. (Just be mindful that this look didn’t originate with Miu Miu; in the ’90s and ’00s, young Black men in particular pioneered the silhouette and were largely criticized for it.)
How to style boxer shorts
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Styling men’s boxers is about as easy as styling any other pair of shorts, as style creator Katerina Seigel shows in the TikTok video above. For casual, vacation-ready looks, we suggest treating them like linen pants and going with a trusty T-shirt or button-down, slim sunglasses, and white sneakers or walking sandals.
You can also take things in a dressier direction with an oversized blazer and elevated footwear, like slingback heels or loafers. If you’re headed to a music festival, grab a striped pair of boxers, a tank top, and cowboy boots—we can almost guarantee you’ll be the coolest, most low-key attendee. Sagging, meanwhile, looks best with baby tees and loose denim or wide-leg pants.
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