Boyshorts, Hipsters and Briefs: Which Cut Is Which?

The naming is genuinely confusing

Search for boyshorts and you will find garments that look nothing alike. One brand's hipster is another's boyshort. Some retailers use “boy short” for anything with a longer leg; others reserve it for a square-cut shape only. There is no standard, which makes buying online harder than it should be.

We have historically called ours women's boxers, which adds a fifth name to the pile. So here is what the terms usually mean, and what to look at instead of the label.

Ignore the name, look at three things

Rise — where the waistband sits relative to your hip bone.
Leg length — how far the fabric extends down the thigh.
Leg opening — whether the leg is cut straight across or angled up over the hip.

Almost every difference between these cuts comes down to those three measurements.

Boyshort

Low rise, longest leg, straight-cut leg opening. Squared off, closest to a men's boxer brief in shape. Full coverage at the back.

The problem it solves: inner-thigh chafing. The leg extends past the point where skin rubs on skin, which is why this is the cut most often recommended for warm weather, walking, or anyone whose thighs touch. Fabric between the surfaces is doing the work.

Hipster

Low rise, shorter leg than a boyshort, slightly angled leg opening. Sits on the hip with moderate coverage — essentially a brief that has been dropped down the body.

The problem it solves: a waistband that sits somewhere tender. Same coverage as a brief, moved a few centimetres lower.

Note that in men's underwear “hipster brief” is a well-established and consistent term: a brief with a lower rise. Our men's hipster briefs are exactly that, including an elastic-free drawstring version.

Brief

Natural-waist rise, no leg length to speak of, leg cut up over the hip. The most coverage at the back and the least at the thigh.

The problem it solves: maximum coverage with minimum fabric movement. Nothing to ride up because there is no leg to ride.

So which should you buy?

Work from where the irritation is rather than from the name on the label.

• Rubbing between the thighs — boyshort. Longest leg wins.
• Marks or itching at the waist — hipster or a low-rise cut, so the band moves off the spot. Or a drawstring waist with no elastic at all.
• Riding up through the day — usually a gusset or leg-opening issue rather than a size issue. A straight-cut leg holds its position better than an angled one.
• Overheating in the leg crease — the opposite answer: less fabric, not more. Try a high-cut instead.

What the fabric changes

Cut determines where fabric sits. It does not change what the fabric does once it is there. If a boyshort in polyester and elastane is still irritating, the shape was not the problem.

Our organic cotton boyshorts come two ways: an elasticized boxer brief using latex-free elastic, and a drawstring boxer short with no rubber in it at all. Both are 100% organic cotton, made without spandex or elastane.

Related reading

Types of underwear: every cut explained · What is a gusset · Elastic-free drawstring styles