The auto-response most are trained to give when asked “Does size really matter?” is “No, of course not.”. This is a misleading & culture deteriorating lie we should stand up against. Of course size matters!

Now, maybe you think this doesn’t apply, that you are immune and that it’s not important. Your naivety is precious, but, alas, no one is impervious, it will creep up on you eventually (literally).

So what can you do to combat this problem? Measure yourself, know how you size up and let others weigh in if needed.

Measuring

Know that the true size of your underwear is typically the same size as your jeans. When you measure your waist, be sure to wrap the tape measure around your body at the same level as where your jeans are worn, make sure the tape is flat, taunt and laying horizontally on the body.

Brand Sizing

Always check each brand’s size guide to be sure your medium is their medium. There is nothing worse than buying a fancy pair of boxer briefs to have them be a size (or more) smaller than what you expected. It’s uncomfortable, unflattering and definitely not the show you want to put on when you take off your pants. We’ve gathered together all the size charts in one place to help you compare apples to apples – See our Fit & Size Guide for underwear, then choose your brand from the dropdown.

Read Reviews

If you still can’t decide if a brand’s medium is truly a medium, then read reviews for that product and similar products from that brand. Freshpair has thousands of reviews from actual customers that include comments on sizing and fit. Who better to advise on how a specific product fits than the people wearing that product day-to-day? If there’s an issue, they’ll let you know.

With this information at hand, you can now avoid the sad situation when your new mediums fit like a small and feel like some S&M contraption meant to restrict your movement.

Plus, check out all our Fit & Size guides: underwear, t-shirts, socks, and sleepwear.

Happy Underwearing.