# Why would any guy wear tidy whities? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 27, 2013, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-any-guy-wear-tidy-whities/656855 "2013-04-27T19:13:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Erdosain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/erdosain/32/7284_2.png) [@Erdosain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Erdosain)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2013, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-any-guy-wear-tidy-whities/656855/21 "2013-04-27T20:39:44Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I’ve seen it both ways. Tighty whities and tidy whities. You may have seen it both ways, but “tidy” is wrong. It doesn’t make any sense and it’s clearly a mishearing of tighty. But that’s exactly the kind of sloppy, let it all hang out there thinking I’d expect from a boxer man. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2013, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-any-guy-wear-tidy-whities/656855/22 "2013-04-27T21:12:54Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > Me, too. I’m 56 and have worn tighty whites all my life. So did my dad as far back as I can remember. I like things wrapped up in a neat package, not flopping around loose. Yep… I’ve tried boxers, and hated 'em. Just felt awkward and messy. Individualism: it’s the heart and soul of liberty. ---
**Author:** ![Foggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foggy/32/1082_2.png) [@Foggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Foggy)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2013, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-any-guy-wear-tidy-whities/656855/23 "2013-04-27T21:39:44Z")
Because people are different. I prefer briefs. Always have. I find boxers to be uncomfortable. ---
**Author:** ![SeldomSeen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ba0ec/32.png) [@SeldomSeen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeldomSeen)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2013, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-any-guy-wear-tidy-whities/656855/24 "2013-04-27T22:20:38Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > Briefs are too tight, but boxers don’t provide enough support. I find boxer-briefs to be juuuuuuust right. This 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2013, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-any-guy-wear-tidy-whities/656855/25 "2013-04-27T22:48:00Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I’ve seen it both ways. Tighty whities and tidy whities. > > Tom Cruise made them famous. Before Tom’s Risky Business most guys wore boxers. I still prefer boxers. I’ve worn briefs all my life. I’m 51. My dad’s worn briefs all of his life. He’s 81. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2013, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-any-guy-wear-tidy-whities/656855/26 "2013-04-27T22:48:25Z")
Wear briefs for the support. Tried boxer-briefs but didn’t care for them. They tended to ride up my thighs during the day and require readjustment. ---
**Author:** ![liquorinthefront](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/22d042/32.png) [@liquorinthefront](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/liquorinthefront)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2013, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-any-guy-wear-tidy-whities/656855/27 "2013-04-27T23:20:12Z")
Boxers all the way. Dress left. ---
**Author:** ![kevja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/aeb1de/32.png) [@kevja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kevja)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2013, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-any-guy-wear-tidy-whities/656855/28 "2013-04-27T23:44:14Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > Me, too. I’m 56 and have worn tighty whites all my life. So did my dad as far back as I can remember. I like things wrapped up in a neat package, not flopping around loose. Oh hell yeah. It’s called a package for a reason. ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2013, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-any-guy-wear-tidy-whities/656855/29 "2013-04-27T23:46:36Z")
I’ve been a boxer guy for twenty years now, and I’d never think of changing. I like my freedom 🙂 FTR, I dress left, and am right-handed…perhaps a poll is needed? ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2013, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-any-guy-wear-tidy-whities/656855/30 "2013-04-27T23:46:58Z")
Our dad’s influenced us a lot. Mine was career military and boxers were part of the uniform. I may have been imitating dad without thinking about it. ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2013, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-any-guy-wear-tidy-whities/656855/31 "2013-04-28T00:22:22Z")
I have a bit of a gut going which pushes my pants down but i don’t have a big enough ass to help hold them up so I tend to be hikin’ my pants up quite a bit. For some reason boxers and boxer briefs make it even harder to keep my pants up where they oughtta be. I have some of all styles but I prefer low-rise briefs. Seriously, my pants stay up better and they are more flattering to my body style, not that anyone ever sees me in them. Never white, though. ---
**Author:** ![diggerwam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/919ad9/32.png) [@diggerwam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/diggerwam)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2013, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-any-guy-wear-tidy-whities/656855/32 "2013-04-28T00:29:04Z")
With boxer briefs, I would find myself painfully squishing myself a couple times a week. Not to brag. So I went back to tighty whites. And greys. And blues. There are more colors than just white. ---
**Author:** ![D-bear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@D-bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D-bear)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2013, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-any-guy-wear-tidy-whities/656855/33 "2013-04-28T01:24:57Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Our dad’s influenced us a lot. > > Mine was career military and boxers were part of the uniform. I may have been imitating dad without thinking about it. I’d posit that our Mothers had more to do with it than our Fathers. Mom decided what we would be wearing after we were out of diapers, and she bought us what she bought for dad. I was put into briefs as a lad and that’s what I’m wearing 40+ years later… ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2013, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-any-guy-wear-tidy-whities/656855/34 "2013-04-28T02:15:44Z")
> [@RandMcnally](#): > > I need the support or else I bruise my knee. Tie a couple of knots in it. Works for me. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2013, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-any-guy-wear-tidy-whities/656855/35 "2013-04-28T02:54:26Z")
> [@D-bear](#): > > I’d posit that our Mothers had more to do with it than our Fathers. Mom decided what we would be wearing after we were out of diapers, and she bought us what she bought for dad… Yeah, my mother was bewildered when I started spending my own money to buy boxers in 6th grade (coincidently this was when we started changing for gym). :o I was too embarrassed to ask her to buy boxers. ---
**Author:** ![kittenblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ba8739/32.png) [@kittenblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenblue)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2013, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-any-guy-wear-tidy-whities/656855/36 "2013-04-28T03:05:10Z")
> [@D-bear](#): > > I’d posit that our Mothers had more to do with it than our Fathers. Mom decided what we would be wearing after we were out of diapers, and she bought us what she bought for dad. > > I was put into briefs as a lad and that’s what I’m wearing 40+ years later… This. Exactly. As a mom, when it came time to transition my son from diapers to pull-ups to big-boy undies, the only choice for a toddler was briefs. With dinosaurs on them, of course. My son’s dad wore boxers under his Army fatigues, but he wore bikini briefs (remember, it was the 70’s and 80’s) when he wore dressy clothes, and commando in jeans, because boxers bunched up and showed through tight pants. I can’t remember when exactly my son made the transition to boxers, but it had to be at age 13 when he started sagging his baggies…by then his father had moved out and was not there to lay down the law. Had fashion gone a different way, I think he’d still be wearing tightie whities. But teen culture these days requires boxers, it seems, and he hasn’t changed. Well, okay, he changes them every day, and he’s no longer a teen… .I’ll step away from the computer now… ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2013, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-any-guy-wear-tidy-whities/656855/37 "2013-04-28T04:09:38Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > I’m not sure this is true. I never wore boxers in my life. And I predate that movie by quite a bit. I don’t know what _most_ guys wear, but all the stores I shop in have a lot of all kinds of underwear, so I assume all styles have a considerable following. I agree. Thinking back to college days in the dorms, where most guys didn’t put much on when walking from the room to the shower or toilet, or even hanging around in their rooms studying (yeah the whole building was like one big Abercrombie & Fitch ad). I don’t remember seeing many boxer guys at all. I wore briefs back then and still do now, mostly. I don’t like the boys dangling down inside my pants leg, waiting to be squished when I sit down. ---
**Author:** ![markdash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@markdash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markdash)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2013, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-any-guy-wear-tidy-whities/656855/38 "2013-04-28T04:30:40Z")
I switched from briefs to boxers about 10 years ago. When I had my vasectomy last year, on my first day back at work let’s just say I wished I had held onto a couple. I waddled to Target and bought a pair that very day. Don’t wear them anymore, but hey, sometimes you just need the support. ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2013, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-any-guy-wear-tidy-whities/656855/39 "2013-04-28T05:04:13Z")
I have boxers, boxer briefs, briefs, and even a couple bikini briefs. They are all nice in their own way. Variety is the spice of life! ---
**Author:** ![enomaj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/59ef9b/32.png) [@enomaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enomaj)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2013, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-any-guy-wear-tidy-whities/656855/40 "2013-04-28T05:22:32Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > Briefs are too tight, but boxers don’t provide enough support. I find boxer-briefs to be juuuuuuust right. Should Goldilocks really be wearing men’s underwear? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-any-guy-wear-tidy-whities/656855.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-any-guy-wear-tidy-whities/656855.md?page=3)