The global men’s underwear market size was valued at USD 29.41 billion in 2018 and is expected to register a CAGR of 5.3% from 2019 to 2025. Increasing awareness about health, best fit, and personal hygiene coupled with growing millennials population is expected to drive the growth. Increasing availability of a wide range of products and designs suitable for various purposes including sports, regular wear, and functional wear among other is anticipated to further fuel the product demand.
Improving fashion trends, increasing disposable income, and changing consumer lifestyle and preferences are expected to boost the market growth. Increasing concern regarding the fabric used for manufacturing underwear is one of the major factors driving the market. Availability of products in a variety of fabrics such as cotton, polyester, nylon, rayon, silk, and cotton blends is driving the product demand. Manufactures focus on intimate product designs and patterns such as thongs, C-string, tanga, and jockstraps among others to cater to a larger consumer base.
Millennials are driving the demand in the men’s underwear market as they are more receptive to new and different products than other generations. High demand for new and innovative products in terms of color, fabric, print, and style among millennials is creating opportunities for the manufactures. Introduction of products with new color shades by brands such as Jockey, Garçon Model, and N2N among others is anticipated to encourage consumers to choose products other than the conventional hues. Rise in modern retailing stores such as supermarkets, specialty stores, pharmacies, and discounters is projected to propel the product visibility and reach.
Companies are focusing on R&D to make products suitable for all shapes and sizes. Innovation in advance tailoring along with new fabric types such as modal, viscose or merino wool, help reduce moisture and regulate temperature, is driving the market competition. For Instance, Saxx offers 3D hammock shaped pouches that prevent friction caused by skin-against-skin with the help of mesh panels and unexposed stitching to avoid chafing. They have also created a 3D shaping around thighs, glutes, hamstring, and quads by using nine panels of fabric for better fit, feel, and functionality.
Type Insights
Boxer brief held the largest market share of around 33.0% in 2018, owing to the factors such as better fit, support, and comfort offered by the product. This type of underwear are designed to imitate tapered boxers with a snug fit while offering the comfort of briefs. The products are also available with numerous pouch options, for example, the contour pouch by Calvin Kelvin. Boxer briefs are available in a wide range of fabrics such as cotton, microfiber blends, and polyamide with the right amount of spandex for correct stretch, which makes them more comfortable.
Trunks is estimated to register the fastest CAGR of 5.7% from 2019 to 2025. Trunks are gaining popularity among millennials and Generation X as they are more versatile and suitable for everyday wear including dressing up and even sportswear. Trunks are lean and shorter than boxer briefs which allows the legs and thighs to look muscular and slimmer. This factor is driving the popularity of these products among younger generation. Trunks are the best for fit for sports, water adventures, as well as everyday wear, which is projected to drive the product demand.
Fabric Insights
Cotton fabric underwear is held the largest market share of around 68.0% in 2018. The growth is attributed to the properties of cotton that make the product soft, lightweight, and more breathable. Consumers prefer cotton fabric over others as they provide comfort, high absorbency, and resistance to moisture. Moreover, they are more durable as it withstand heat, detergents, and even bleach, which makes them more economical.
