Skims underwear ain’t the only name in the game. For more elite skivvies intel, start here.
For years now, one pair of underwear has sat atop GQ’s annual ranking of the category: Calvin Klein’s signature briefs, a quiet revolution in branding wrapped in stretchy cotton-spandex. When the American label introduced them in the early ‘80s, they made designer underwear a thing, ushering in the era of the celebrity campaign in the process.
But those legendary campaigns are just one factor of the equation. Decades after their debut, the briefs are still good—great, even—and well worth every honorific we’ve awarded them. So much so, in fact, that after a while, CK’s dominance started to feel inevitable, a fact of life on par with death, taxes, and summer swamp-ass.
And then a little-known mogul named Kim Kardashian entered the elastic waistband fold. Late last year, Kardashian introduced the inaugural Skims men’s collection, a new assortment of undies, PJs, and sweats with immediate ramifications for your skivvies drawer. They were slinky, they were skimming, they were every bit as sexy as Calvin Klein’s genre-defining briefs—and now, almost a year later, the exact nature of those ramifications is clear.
Because after months of extensive wear-testing followed by a glorious come-to-Jesus (or, uh, Jeremy Allen White) moment, the GQ Recommends braintrust arrived at a single, unassailable conclusion: those Skims briefs are the best underwear for men on the market right now. Here’s how we got there.
Fabric that deserves the equivalent of an EGOT
First and foremost: when you’re tasked with the noble job of junk management, nailing the fabric is imperative. Underwear should have enough stretch for you to move without restriction. It should also be breathable and moisture-wicking, lest your nether regions turn into what we can only describe as Shrek’s next real-estate opportunity. Perhaps most importantly, though, the fabric should be soft. If you’re lucky, it should feel like silk. If you’re blessed, it should feel like nothing at all. The Skims briefs tick all of those boxes—stretchiness, moisture-wicking, softness—like an EGOT winner.
Their homemade recipe is a blend of cotton, modal, and elastane, each of which provides an important characteristic. The midweight cotton is soft and breathable, with a natural, non-synthetic hand feel. The modal wicks away moisture. And that healthy dash of elastane keeps everything snug without cutting off circulation.
Rock-solid construction and a bespoke-like fit
As praiseworthy as the fabric is, it might as well be scraps if the construction was shoddy. Thankfully, the construction is great: The Skims briefs use flatlock stitches, which reduces bulk and makes for more flush and comfortable seams. Chafing? Never heard of it. The fabric panels are cut in a way that avoids bunching, hugs the curves in all the right ways, and adds shape and room where you need it.
