Good quality woven boxer shorts...but with fun patterns?

August 31, 2023 7:32 AM

So lo these many years ago, like probably 2012 or so, I ordered some boxer shorts with fun patterns from J Crew to wear as pajamas. They were great, but they gave up the ghost this year.

"Order some more boxer shorts from J Crew" you might say. Well, I did, and the fabric quality was much worse, the elastic was cheaper and one of them literally tore along a seam in the wash the first time through. I'm not surprised; J Crew's quality has been declining for years through rebrand after rebrand.

But anyway! I just want a couple of pairs of high quality woven boxer shorts with fun patterns that come in a comfortable XL. Bright and fun colors would be okay too. "Witty" patterns or patterns that are sex- or booze-related are not what I'm looking for here.

I am willing to pay more as long as they will stand up to pajama wear for some years. I probably do not want but will consider ultra-luxe, like, Italian boxer shorts hand-woven by nuns from cotton watered only by filtered llama tears or whatever the highest end is nowadays.

Note that I do not want knit boxer briefs; clingy clothes make me anxious.

posted by Frowner to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (5 answers total)

Tommy Bahama has some.
posted by doift at 10:36 AM on August 31, 2023

This is a very sideways answer, but this is approximately the single easiest garment sewing project (especially if you don't need a fly), and quilting cotton comes in any pattern you can imagine. Do you have a local fabric store with classes? Or a crafty friend who could coach you and let you use their machine (I would charge you dinner and an alcohol for this. It would cost you more to have me just make them for you, even though it would take longer, both for socialization and "teach a man to fish" reasons)?
posted by DebetEsse at 11:45 AM on August 31, 2023 [1 favorite]

I've been trying Pact's stuff recently (based on an AskMe comment from a few months ago) and they've been the best mix of quality/price/(supposed) ethics I've found in a number of years. Depending on personal preference, the patterns may read more as "not boring" than "FUN!", but here is their current line of woven boxers.

I can't vouch for their long-term durability, but I have zero concerns after the first 8-10 times through the laundry.
posted by Ufez Jones at 12:00 PM on August 31, 2023

The ones I frequently borrow to use as PJs are from Marks & Spencer. Not sure they're interesting enough for you, but they meet all your other criteria and are well made and durable.
posted by tangerine at 1:40 PM on August 31, 2023

Banana Republic sometimes has good patterns.
posted by gemutlichkeit at 5:39 PM on August 31, 2023 [1 favorite]