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The style shaping up to be the hottest of the summer comes straight from your boyfriend’s wardrobe: boxer shorts. But unlike styles of season’s past, the boxers du jour are made to be seen, not relegated to your underwear drawer.
Lightweight, airy, and trending in a host of vibrant colourways, boxers are the perfect accompaniment to sticky summer days, when longer linens and even denim shorts just won’t cut it.
So how did what was once strictly considered underwear become a staple in it-girl’s wardrobes? Let’s investigate.
Style influencers like Matilda Djerf are jumping on the trend.
In winter of this year, boxers began creeping into the fashionable zeitgeist worn peeking above – sometimes well above – women’s trousers.
Even Blake Lively jumped on the bandwagon, when she was spotted sporting a pair of blue, patchwork boxers above her jeans while filming It Ends With Us—the highly anticipated adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s novel of the same name.
Blake Lively is into it (or, at least her character is in It Ends With Us).
The trend can also be traced to the runway, with Miu Miu sporting ‘boxers-above-waistbands’ in both its Spring/Summer 2023 and 2024 collections. First, the brand debuted a utility belt skirt, styled on the runway with a rising pair of Miu Miu boxers—as were several other pieces in their collection. The following year, Miu Miu saw the trend evolve into colourful waistbands peeking above just about everything, from skirts to boardshorts.
Miu Miu has undoubtedly played a big part in the re-emergence of underwear bands rising above skirts and trousers.
Underwear-as-outerwear in other iterations has also been trending in recent years, with celebs like Kendall Jenner pioneering the no-pants movement – i.e. leaving the house with their legs clad in black stockings or nothing at all, and showing off exposed briefs in the process.
Fast forward to today, and boxer briefs have well and truly become a mainstay in the wardrobes of some of fashion’s most influential. So how are they styling them?
For some, like Danish stylist and influencer Pernille Teisbaek, boxers are the warm-weather answer to traditional suiting. She paired a crisp white pair with a basic tank, black blazer, and heels for a look that you’d be forgiven for rocking in most offices.
Kendall Jenner took a similar approach, dressing up a pair of crisp white boxers and an oversized shirt with a coat by The Row for a look that is quiet luxury personified.
Others, like Paris-based curator Simay Demiral, take a more laid back approach to styling their briefs. She paired her blue Tekla style with an oversized shirt, Boston Birkenstocks, and white socks, and delivered a masterclass in looking chic while feeling comfortable in the process.
And if you still feel like you’re taking to the streets wearing underwear you literally borrowed from the man in your life, we’ve got you covered. Shirts with frilly, feminine details, silky camisoles, heels, and even boots go a long way to make boxers feel like an intentional womenswear piece.
A feminine shirt is an easy way to dress up boxer shorts.
So whether you’re planning to spend your day beachside, or have back-to-back meetings, boxers are shaping up to be the most versatile investment for your summer wardrobe. Convinced? Below, the boxer styles we’re adding to cart.
Chiara shorts, $250 from CAMILLA AND MARC.
Lorenso Short Bayou Stripe Sage, $159 from FAITHFULL THE BRAND.
Tekla White & Blue Oversized Pyjama Shorts, $210 from SSENSE.
The Frankie Shop Blue Lui Shorts, $205 from SSENSE.
Baserange Off-White Ole Shorts, $105 from SSENSE.
Bottega Veneta Pinstriped Cotton-Poplin Shorts, $930 from NET-A-PORTER.
Sebline Striped Cotton Shorts, $280 from NET-A-PORTER.
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