New perspectives on men’s underwear

Abstract

This editorial considers the position of men’s underwear in scholarship and popular culture, starting with a reflection on the enduring question aimed at men over the choice of boxers or briefs. It addresses the changes in attitudes and approaches to men’s underwear moving from functional to sensual and luxurious and ponders on future directions in the sustainability and design of men’s undergarments and the academic study of this topic. The editorial then speculates on new questions that could be considered in relation to men’s underwear and the ways in which the authors in this Special Issue address the consumption, representation, materiality and immateriality of men’s underwear.