How Skims Underwear Made Our Favorite Briefs of 2024
GQ RecommendsThe dark-horse skivvies specialist hawks boxers that are soft, supportive, and, perhaps most crucially, sexy.By Gerald OrtizPhotography by Bowen FernieDecember 9, 2024Save this storySaveSave this storySaveAll products are independently selected by our editors. If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission.Skims underwear ain't the only name in the game. For more elite skivvies intel, start here.For years now, one pair of underwear has sat atop GQ’s annual ranking of the category: Calvin Klein’s signature briefs, a quiet revolution in branding wrapped in stretchy cotton-spandex. When the American label introduced them in the early ‘80s, they made designer underwear a thing, ushering in the era of the celebrity campaign in the process.But those legendary campaigns are just one factor of the equation. Decades after their debut, the briefs are still good—great, even—and well worth every honorific we’ve awarded them. So much so, in fact, that after a while, CK’s dominance started to feel inevitable, a fact of life on par with death, taxes, and summer swamp-ass.And then a little-known mogul named Kim Kardashian entered the elastic waistband fold. Late last year, Kardashian introduced the inaugural Skims men’s collection, a new assortment of undies, PJs, and sweats with immediate ramifications for your skivvies drawer. They were slinky, they were skimming, they were every bit as sexy as Calvin Klein’s genre-defining briefs—and now, almost a year later, the exact nature of those ramifications is clear.Because after months of extensive wear-testing followed by a glorious come-to-Jesus (or, uh, Jeremy Allen White) moment, the GQ Recommends braintrust arrived at a single, unassailable conclusion: those Skims briefs are the best underwear for men on the market right now. Here’s how we got there.Skims5" Boxer Brief 3-Pack$46 SkimsSkims3" Boxer Brief 3-Pack$46 SkimsFabric that deserves the equivalent of an EGOTFirst and foremost: when you’re tasked with the noble job of junk management, nailing the fabric is imperative. Underwear should have enough stretch for you to move without restriction. It should also be breathable and moisture-wicking, lest your nether regions turn into what we can only describe as Shrek’s next real-estate opportunity. Perhaps most importantly, though, the fabric should be soft. If you’re lucky, it should feel like silk. If you’re blessed, it should feel like nothing at all. The Skims briefs tick all of those boxes—stretchiness, moisture-wicking, softness—like an EGOT winner.Their homemade recipe is a blend of cotton, modal, and elastane, each of which provides an important characteristic. The midweight cotton is soft and breathable, with a natural, non-synthetic hand feel. The modal wicks away moisture. And that healthy dash of elastane keeps everything snug without cutting off circulation.A close-up of that flyless pouch. (Quads sold separately.) And a better look at the flatlock stitching, photographed in GQ's clandestine testing studio. Rock-solid construction and a bespoke-like fitAs praiseworthy as the fabric is, it might as well be scraps if the construction was shoddy. Thankfully, the construction is great: The Skims briefs use flatlock stitches, which reduces bulk and makes for more flush and comfortable seams. Chafing? Never heard of it. The fabric panels are cut in a way that avoids bunching, hugs the curves in all the right ways, and adds shape and room where you need it.The pouch is the most critical area of a pair of briefs, an oh-so delicate push and pull between support and third-leg room. Mercifully, Skims approaches the pouch with the zen-like focus of a master rock-balancer. We hesitate to say that they've reached enlightenment, but the pouch was the most comfortable out of all the briefs we tested. In tandem with that silky fabric and an almost bespoke level of fit, the brand achieved this level of comfort by forgoing the addition of a functional fly. Sure, some folks will prefer the convenience of an exit door, but we think Skims made the right call.Most importantly: they make you feel hotIf you’ve spent any time on social media, you’ve probably seen that Skims dress. It’s the one that every fashion girlie raves about and every other brand tries to dupe, all because it looks incredible on, well, everyone. We know that a floor length-dress isn’t the same as boxer briefs (apples and oranges, etc.) but when we tried on the Skims briefs, we couldn’t help but feel the same way that thousands of TikTokers did.The fabric and construction coalesced into one glove-like fit that caressed and contoured every curve just right. The delusions of starring in a massive underwear campaign ourselves came rushing in. (No, it wasn’t the underwear cutting off oxygen to our brains.) Though most people won’t have the pleasure of seeing you in your undies, it’s a serious confidence booster to know that when those spicy situations arise, you won’t be the only one really feelin
All products are independently selected by our editors. If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Skims underwear ain't the only name in the game. For more elite skivvies intel, start here.
For years now, one pair of underwear has sat atop GQ’s annual ranking of the category: Calvin Klein’s signature briefs, a quiet revolution in branding wrapped in stretchy cotton-spandex. When the American label introduced them in the early ‘80s, they made designer underwear a thing, ushering in the era of the celebrity campaign in the process.
But those legendary campaigns are just one factor of the equation. Decades after their debut, the briefs are still good—great, even—and well worth every honorific we’ve awarded them. So much so, in fact, that after a while, CK’s dominance started to feel inevitable, a fact of life on par with death, taxes, and summer swamp-ass.
And then a little-known mogul named Kim Kardashian entered the elastic waistband fold. Late last year, Kardashian introduced the inaugural Skims men’s collection, a new assortment of undies, PJs, and sweats with immediate ramifications for your skivvies drawer. They were slinky, they were skimming, they were every bit as sexy as Calvin Klein’s genre-defining briefs—and now, almost a year later, the exact nature of those ramifications is clear.
Because after months of extensive wear-testing followed by a glorious come-to-Jesus (or, uh, Jeremy Allen White) moment, the GQ Recommends braintrust arrived at a single, unassailable conclusion: those Skims briefs are the best underwear for men on the market right now. Here’s how we got there.
Fabric that deserves the equivalent of an EGOT
First and foremost: when you’re tasked with the noble job of junk management, nailing the fabric is imperative. Underwear should have enough stretch for you to move without restriction. It should also be breathable and moisture-wicking, lest your nether regions turn into what we can only describe as Shrek’s next real-estate opportunity. Perhaps most importantly, though, the fabric should be soft. If you’re lucky, it should feel like silk. If you’re blessed, it should feel like nothing at all. The Skims briefs tick all of those boxes—stretchiness, moisture-wicking, softness—like an EGOT winner.
Their homemade recipe is a blend of cotton, modal, and elastane, each of which provides an important characteristic. The midweight cotton is soft and breathable, with a natural, non-synthetic hand feel. The modal wicks away moisture. And that healthy dash of elastane keeps everything snug without cutting off circulation.
Rock-solid construction and a bespoke-like fit
As praiseworthy as the fabric is, it might as well be scraps if the construction was shoddy. Thankfully, the construction is great: The Skims briefs use flatlock stitches, which reduces bulk and makes for more flush and comfortable seams. Chafing? Never heard of it. The fabric panels are cut in a way that avoids bunching, hugs the curves in all the right ways, and adds shape and room where you need it.
The pouch is the most critical area of a pair of briefs, an oh-so delicate push and pull between support and third-leg room. Mercifully, Skims approaches the pouch with the zen-like focus of a master rock-balancer. We hesitate to say that they've reached enlightenment, but the pouch was the most comfortable out of all the briefs we tested. In tandem with that silky fabric and an almost bespoke level of fit, the brand achieved this level of comfort by forgoing the addition of a functional fly. Sure, some folks will prefer the convenience of an exit door, but we think Skims made the right call.
Most importantly: they make you feel hot
If you’ve spent any time on social media, you’ve probably seen that Skims dress. It’s the one that every fashion girlie raves about and every other brand tries to dupe, all because it looks incredible on, well, everyone. We know that a floor length-dress isn’t the same as boxer briefs (apples and oranges, etc.) but when we tried on the Skims briefs, we couldn’t help but feel the same way that thousands of TikTokers did.
The fabric and construction coalesced into one glove-like fit that caressed and contoured every curve just right. The delusions of starring in a massive underwear campaign ourselves came rushing in. (No, it wasn’t the underwear cutting off oxygen to our brains.) Though most people won’t have the pleasure of seeing you in your undies, it’s a serious confidence booster to know that when those spicy situations arise, you won’t be the only one really feeling yourself.
To be clear, we still love Calvin Klein’s underwear and won’t be clamoring to replace our drawers (which are already crammed with them). And for some of us, CK’s were still the top dog. But when something else comes along with real chutzpah, we’ve got to give credit where it’s due.
