Product Guide · 9 min read
Underwear Types And Styles Explained
The words buyers and factories use for underwear constructions are not standardised, and the wrong word gets the wrong sample. This is the reference we work from.
A trunk and a boxer brief differ only in inseam length. A thong and a G-string differ only in how much material runs at the back. Those differences are invisible in an email and enormous in a pattern room, which is why an enquiry that names the construction precisely gets a useful quote and one that does not gets a guess.
Worn By Both Sexes
| Type | Other names | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Long underwear | Long johns | A whole body garment, upper and lower, reaching to the ankles. |
| Thermal underwear | Made from two ply fabric for insulation. | |
| Sleeveless shirt | Tank top, singlet, muscle shirt, athletic shirt, A-shirt | A sleeveless garment similar to a T-shirt. The A-shirt is tight fitting with large armholes and a neckline that can extend to mid chest. |
| T-shirt | Tee | Covers the torso, usually without buttons, pockets or a collar. Round neck or V-neck. |
Lower Body, Worn By Men
| Type | Other names | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Boxer briefs | Similar in style to boxer shorts but shorter and form fitting like briefs. Athletic versions are skin tight with no fly. Pouch versions have a pouch instead of a fly. | |
| Trunk briefs | Trunks, short leg boxer briefs | Similar to boxer briefs but shorter in the inseam. |
| Midway briefs | Long leg boxer briefs, boxerjocks | Longer in the leg, from the waist toward the knee, and tighter fitting. |
| Boxer shorts | Boxers | Elasticated waistband at or near the waist, loose legs to mid thigh, usually with a fly. Knit or woven. |
| Briefs | Y-fronts (UK), jockey shorts (US) | Elasticated waistband with leg sections ending at or near the groin. Traditional briefs have a Y-shaped fly. |
| Jockstrap | Athletic supporter, supporter | An elastic waistband with a support pouch and two elastic straps from the base of the pouch to the waistband at the hips. Some versions take a protective cup. |
Lower Body, Worn By Women
| Type | Other names | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Panties | Knickers (UK), briefs (US) | Elastic waistband, a crotch usually lined with an absorbent material such as cotton, and elasticated leg openings. Control, high cut and hipster variants exist. |
| Bikini underwear | Bikini briefs | Waistband lower than the waist, often at the hips, with the leg bands ending at the groin. High sided, low sided and string variants. |
| Thong | A narrow strip of material along the centre back, sitting between the buttocks and joining the front or pouch to the waistband. Often worn to reduce visible lines. | |
| G-string | Gee-string | A type of thong with a narrow piece covering the front, passing between the buttocks and attached to a string around the hips. The smallest construction. |
| C-string | As narrow as a G-string but with no supporting string at the hips - just a sideways C shaped piece. | |
| Tanga | Cheeky | Wider than a G-string and fairly wide at the front, closer to the wide V of a traditional brief. Generally more comfortable and often more embellished. |
| Boy shorts | Boyleg briefs, hipsters, shorties | Sides extend lower down the hips, similar to mens briefs. |
| Tap pants | French knickers, dance shorts | Covers the pelvic area and the top of the upper legs. |
Brassieres
A brassiere usually consists of two cups, a centre panel known as the gore, a band running around the torso under the bust, and a shoulder strap on each side. Common variants include the balconette or demi bra, padded bra, push up bra, sports bra, strapless bra and T-shirt bra.
Religious Under Clothing
Some programmes involve garments made to religious specification - temple garments, tallit katan and kachchhera among them. These are specification driven products where the pattern is fixed by the requirement, not by fashion.
