Underwear Styles Explained: What Is a Hipster Brief?

Hipster, brief, bikini, boyshort, thong — here's what each style means and how a hipster brief fits in.
By Better Human Goods
1 min read

Underwear styles are mostly about how much coverage they give. A few common ones: hipster sits lower on the hips with full rear coverage; brief has higher-cut legs and full coverage; bikini sits below the waist with moderate coverage; boyshort has a short-like leg for more coverage; and thong minimizes coverage and visible lines. The names describe cut and rise, not quality.

A hipster brief, then, blends the lower hip-sitting rise of a hipster with full, comfortable coverage — a popular everyday middle ground. The "best" style is just whatever fits your body and outfit comfortably; many people own a couple of styles for different clothes. Across all of them, the fabric matters most for comfort — look for soft and breathable. More in is cotton underwear better.

Try BHG everyday basics.