BRIEF ENCOUNTER

What's important, support or space? This week our panel tackles the intimate subject of men's underpants

Judging by our research into the market for mens' underpants, it's hard to imagine why men of earlier generations ever allowed their wives/mothers to purchase such an intimate garment for them. In a trial of six assorted underpants, four couples proved that the learning curve relating to the male anatomy is a thing yet to be completed by most women, even amongst the longest married. Should the testicles be supported, or should they be aerated? What is the use of alfresco urination equipment which cannot be easily accessed? And is it true that boxers really are more flattering to the fuller figure than briefs?

THE PANEL

These were all questions considered by our panel, whose ages ranged from 30 to 50. They included Andrew Thomas, Alan Stewart, Nigel Floyd, Donald Hudd and their respective female partners, Shelly Grobler, Anna Nicholas, Deirdre Conn and Sue Webster.

THE TEST

The judging criteria included the comfort, style, practicality, durability and, not least, the sexiness of the underpants. The test was hampered by fitting problems, which may say something about the veracity of men's claimed vital statistics - or may simply reflect wide variations in manufacturers' stated sizes.

***HOM MAXI BRIEFS

pounds 27.50

It was generally agreed, by all our testers and their partners, that these are the underpants for "the man who wishes to emphasise his masculinity". They might have won, had it not been for their exaggerated price. Sold in boxes adorned with a shining model photographed wearing the briefs in situ, they are this season's version of the new, popular knitted trunk. The manufacturer, Hom, is renowned for its avant-garde underwear designs.

The packaging was certainly approved of by our female testers, even if it tended to make for odious physical comparisons with their own, home- grown models. The fabric (available in either black or white) is a canny mixture of cotton with elastane, which flatters by holding in the stomach, while two strategically placed mesh panels either side of the crotch create what Donald Hudd described as "a cod piece effect".

The waistband bears a "very macho" rubber target logo, but with no fly in the brief, all male testers thought it a hassle to have to pull it down to pee. The Hom briefs were the favourite sample pants of Nigel Floyd, even though he found that the mesh design was "worryingly reminiscent of the string vests my Dad used to wear". Alan Stewart's wife thought his black version "would go well with red tights and a flowing black cape." Andrew Thomas was more straightforward and rather more brutal in his assessment: "Cute, but horribly over-priced. Strictly for aspirant studs.''

****ANTONI & ALLISON COTTON TRUNKS

pounds 17.50

These very cool-looking designer cotton trunks epitomise this season's underwear fashion statement for men and, despite lack of unanimity amongst our testers, emerged triumphant as the winning sample with most points. Available only in black or white, they carry the name "Antoni & Allison" woven into the waistband, in case you want to walk around with the top button of your jeans undone.

These cotton trunks have a two-button fly, which Nigel Floyd found "fiddly". His girlfriend, however, waved this caveat aside with her comment that they were "quite sexy". Alan Stewart wasn't convinced. He compared the Antoni and Allison style to "Victorian underwear" and complained that the finish on the waistband caused irritation. Otherwise, he approved of the "soft, strong material" of which they are made.

Donald Hudd was the only seriously disappointed tester. "The waistband tends to force up the flab to create - ugh! - love handles," he said ruefully. Andrew Thomas was not the only tester to notice that the Antoni & Allison trunks were remarkably similar to the version made by M&S - and therefore seemed overpriced by comparison. But these were still his favourites.

***HARRODS PATTERNED SILK BOXER SHORTS

pounds 24.95

Interestingly, of over a dozen high- street stores contacted about silk underpants, only Harrods offers a range (of both boxers and briefs) all year round. Other retailers claim sales are restricted to "Christmas and Valentine's Day", indicating that this is a gift market with romantic overtones. Our testers' response to the nicely striped/spotted/patterned boxers that we sampled revealed a more selfish subtext to this consumer behaviour. By the end of the trial, nearly all the silk boxers had been appropriated by the female partners for their own use. Andrew Thomas enjoyed his while they lasted. "They're cool and smooth, they feel nice and I like wearing stripes," he said. Donald Hudd was also keen. "They're lovely to look at and nice to touch - shame about the size," he said, meaning they were too small. Ironically, Nigel Floyd thought them "too voluminous by half" and was furious that the red dye pattern ran on first wash. Alan Stewart thought them "very nice to wear (for a change) and roomy, even a bit baggy. Wouldn't like to go for a medical check-up in these, though - far too trendy." Oddly, none of the women found them sexy; silk is clearly a luxury for the wearer.

***SLOGGI TANGA BRIEFS

pounds 7.99

These (very) close fitting briefs were the smallest of those tested in terms of design, which naturally caused eyebrows to be raised. Alan Stewart found them "extremely snug" and "tight around tender places", while his wife thought them "the male equivalent of the St Tropez bikini bottom - OK if you have an excellent figure." But Donald Hudd, who admitted elsewhere in his report to not having an excellent figure, acclaimed the Sloggi briefs as the most comfortable and flattering, since they sit on the hips below any surplus flesh. Nigel Floyd concurred that "if you like the outdated bikini brief style" they are great value. Andrew Thomas found them "very uncomfortable", even if "the picture on the box was divine." They remain a Sloggi bestseller, proving there is a firm dividing line between men who like support and men who like space.

*TM LEWIN & SONS STRIPED BOXER SHORTS

pounds 12

The star ratings for these striped boxer shorts, nicely presented in their own matching drawstring bag and made from finest Oxford pinpoint cotton, ranged from none to four, demonstrating that personal tastes vary widely. The female testers liked the bag ("sweet!", "a lovely gift" etc), and Alan Stewart thought it would be fun to match the fabric to a shirt by the same manufacturer, but Nigel Floyd was excoriating in his dismissal. "The drawstring bag is superfluous, the shorts are utterly dull,'' he opined, consigning them to "the sort of corpulent businessman who lacks the nerve to wear truly trendy pants.'' Other testers liked the fabric, which doesn't require ironing, but were disappointed with the width ("accessibility OK, but yards of fabric to wade through") and length from crotch to waist - too short even for women, like me, who tried to take them over,

**MARKS & SPENCER COTTON BOXER SHORTS

pounds 6.50

These are the run-of-the-mill, patterned cotton boxers which M&S sells in packs of two for pounds 11. They remain front runners in the popularity stakes (alongside the knitted cotton trunks) among Marks & Spencer shoppers, and many of our testers knew them well. Several agreed that they sit well on the waistline and don't cut into the legs, but also complained about the "dreadful, scratchy fabric" and "horrible patterns". Andrew Thomas said they made him feel like "a father at the swimming pool." They last for "about a year" when worn and washed regularly, which was thought fair at the price, but the cry, "why can't they be more stylish?" was universal. Deirdre Conn remarked, "They could be sexy, if you had a father fixation."

STOCKISTS

TM Lewin, Jermyn Street, SW1; M&S nationwide; Sloggi and Hom, major department stores; Antoni & Allison at Harrods' "Way In"; Harrods own at Harrods, of course.