How to upgrade your boxers this season.

Our underwear is the first thing we put on in the morning and the last thing we take off at night (unless you have a bit of fun in between), but when there are so many vibrant cashmere sweaters, plush down jackets and polished party shoes to shop, it’s easy to see how your undergarment repository can fall by the wayside.

Moreover, shopping for underwear can be a Y-front-plagued minefield. Unless you’re 15, for instance, novelty underpants and “humorous” prints should be approached with caution. Faded snakes and ladders boxer shorts, you’ll be surprised to hear, do not scream sexual magnetism. We’re not here to tell you how to manage your smalls, of course, but we do recommend going through your underwear drawer at least once a year to sort the wheat from the chaff.

Fortunately, the harvest here at MR PORTER is a bountiful one, and we’ve put together a choice selection of stuff that will have you looking – and feeling – confident and comfortable under your clothes. From sculpted briefs to fine cotton boxer shorts, we have you covered where it matters – scroll down for an intimate introduction into MR PORTER’s underwear drawer via three of our favourite brands.

CDLP focuses on understated smalls that are crafted for comfort – these green stretch jersey boxer briefs are designed to fit “like a second skin”, and the white pair are made from 100% pure cotton. The best part, though, is that this brand, founded by Messrs Christian Larsson and Andreas Palm, is exceptionally conscious of its carbon footprint. Instead of favouring the mass production characteristic of most underwear labels, CDLP’s approach is much more refined and sustainable; its underwear is designed in Stockholm and handcrafted by artisans in Portugal.

Founded by Ms Pauline Zimmerli Bäurlin in Switzerland in 1871, Zimmerli steadily grew from a trusted local sock maker into an international brand with a fine reputation for making exquisitely sophisticated underwear. These printed briefs are Swiss-crafted from stretch cotton, and combine comfort with support suitable for everyday wear, while these blue boxer shorts, which are made from mercerised cotton (a treatment that increases the lustre and strength of the fabric), make for great sleepwear due to their loose fit.

The Swiss apparently have a knack for good underwear: like Zimmerli, Hanro was also founded in Switzerland in the late 19th century, and is known for crafting underwear from the finest materials, giving each garment, no matter how small, hawk-eyed attention to detail. These navy blue boxer shorts are made from exquisitely soft cotton, while these dark grey boxer briefs are made from a stretch-cotton for a snug fit, and have been designed to eschew unnecessary design details in favour of a stylishly streamlined look.