It was that famous social commentator Jerry Seinfeld (a man only rivaled by Homer Simpson when it comes to summing up the human experience) who said that men want the same thing from their underwear that they want from women: a little bit of support, and a little bit of freedom.

This must be true since sales of snug-fitting briefs are rocketing. In fact, I read in The Times on Saturday that sales of Y-fronts are up 35% since the recession started. Clearly, in these difficult times men are looking for support in areas other than just financial. But then, there is something inherently comforting about a pair of briefs.

Oh, don’t get me wrong, I like boxers too but briefs are miles better at holding everything comfortably in place and have the added advantage of not riding up under a suit like boxers. What’s more, you never suffer from the scourge of ‘batwing ball’ on a hot summer’s day if you’re wearing briefs (think about it).

Anyway, since we always like to be bang on trend here at Mankind, we’ve just added these classic Sunspel briefs to our selection of quality underwear. We’ll be monitoring sales closely to see whether pant sales mirror the famous ‘lipstick Index’ commentators are always talking about at times of financial hardship. So will pants really be ‘riding high’ as the recession bites? Only time will tell…

Oh, and no, that’s not me in the pic.

For more great gifts for men

Lee Kynaston, Mankind Grooming Editor