Boxer Shorts are an American invention, created by the sportswear company Everlast in 1925 for, as you may have guessed, boxers to wear in the ring. However, the elastic-waisted design quickly caught on as a type of underwear, but that’s not the end of the story.
Across the pond, one company is responsible for both introducing the open-legged undergarment to the British market and innovating it to what is, more or less, the same design we wear today: Sunspel.
In 1947, the great-grandson of Sunspel’s founder returned from a trip to America and began working on a more comfortable boxer short, specifically designed to be worn as a base layer. He added a center-back panel, smoothed out the seams and used a softer long-staple cotton.
If boxers are your underwear of choice, you have Sunspel to thank, and the British clothing brand continues to produce what is widely considered the best option available. The Fall/Winter 2025 collection is celebrating this achievement by reissuing three patterns from its archives.
All three patterns feature subtle stripes over a white background, and join the over a dozen color options that Sunspel routinely offers.
