It’s no surprise that fashion has been trending toward the casual, with factors like hybrid work and the quest for comfort among the reasons behind the shift.
The latest iteration is underwear as outerwear: with fashionista street style this summer often including a crisp pair of boxer shorts – or, at least, shorts that resemble boxers. According to Glamour, boxers are a “happy medium” for the so-called “no-pants look” that has dominated runways. Boxers are “easy and demure enough for casual wear, yet editorial enough to turn heads in the right way,” the fashion magazine noted. Brands like Miu Miu and Chanel have sent boxers down the runway, and celebs including Kristen Stewart and Kendall Jenner have been spotted in the trend.
In the promotional products market, the boxers as shorts trend has applications for work-from-home attire. “You can kind of keep it business on top, and a flannel pant or a boxer short on the bottom,” says Kennetha Davis, licensing coordinator at Boxercraft, a division of NG Labs (asi/41325).
Loungewear is also a great “5-9” option – the comfy pieces you slip into after a day at the office – says Logan Christensen, director of wholesale at Cozy Earth Holdings (asi/46816), a supplier that offers an array of super-soft apparel in fabrics like bamboo viscose. “You have your athleisure, you have your Nike to wear to the gym, and then our product is more geared toward after work or after the gym,” he adds.
Another option for bolder styling is “double-wearing,” Davis says, where people let the “top band of the boxer” peek out from the waistband of their jeans.
Boxercraft, which was founded in the mid-1980s, has been offering flannel pants and shorts for decades – often as “spiritwear” in campus bookstores. The boxer and loungewear trend isn’t new for the supplier, Davis says. What’s changed are the patterns and color stories to modernize the look, she adds. Styles that incorporate navy blue have been bestsellers for the supplier, according to Davis. Patterns with a “beachy vibe” – featuring corals and Pacific blues – are also trending, she says.
Consider loungewear for the travel market – comfort is key while in transit – and as gifting options for employees. “Jogger shorts and pants are a huge hit, especially in the promotional market,” during the holiday season, Christensen says.
