The Becks effect: Why Britain's men are splashing out on posh pants

Underwear is the luxury item men are willing to spend on in the recession
Celebrity ranges like David Beckham for H&M fuel this fashion
Selfridges have seen a 28 per cent increase in sales of 'bodywear' for men
Trunks are the most popular style accounting for 46 per cent of sales

By KATY WINTER

Stars like David Beckham promoting their own underwear ranges means that sales of mens underwear have risen as much as 28 per cent

Style icon David Beckham's numerous underwear campaigns have resulted in a huge boost in interest in men's pants ... and it's not just the girls saying that.
Men's intimates are revealing themselves to be a recession-busting item, with one major retailer noticing a 28 per cent increase in sales since the start of the year.
Gone are the days when a man's only choice was between boxers or briefs. Today the men's underwear, bodywear and sleepwear industry is big business, with high-fashion male celebrities like Beckham fronting multi-million pound campaigns.

Beckham's latest range for H&M has been hugely successful, and sales everywhere are booming

Selfridges has likened the sales of men's 'bodywear' - underwear, sleepwear and socks - to the lipstick effect, the term coined for women buying small but luxurious items in times of recession.
Seeing highly toned successful men like Beckham and rugby star Thom Evans promoting their own ranges of under garments reinforces the idea that buying the brand in someway buys you a tiny slice of their lifestyle which is appealing to men in these tough times.

Gone are the days of simple boxers or briefs for men, their underwear is now entering the realms of high fashion

The men's bodywear category has emerged as one of the strongest performers at the Selfridges store, to the extent that it is opening a 20 per cent larger bodywear department this week.
The 9,000 sq ft area will stock nearly 25,000 pairs of underwear, of which 10,000 will be displayed on a curved wall 'set to be the largest of its kind in the world'.
Those immune to the recession can choose from underwear made by Versace or Dior, which has a range of briefs at £55 a piece, or a silk dressing gown by Savile Row tailor Derek Rose for £915.
Those wanting to spend a little less will find pairs of Happy Socks for £8.
The store said its best-selling styles were trunks, making up 46 per cent per cent of sales, followed by briefs (27 per cent) and boxers (13 per cent), with the most popular colours being black, white and red.

Guy Ritchie directed the most recent advert for David Beckham's H&M's bodywear range which see's him chasing after a car, leaping over fences

Underwear seems to be the luxury item men are willing to spend money on during the recession

Selfridges menswear buying manager Richard Sanderson said: 'Sales of men's underwear at Selfridges have been very healthy throughout 2012 and they have been even stronger since the start of the year. With our new men's bodywear space we are forecasting weekly sales of nearly 3,000 pairs of underwear.
'Men have become much more fashion-conscious in their choice of underwear and are looking for details and distinctive features such as contrasting belts, mix of texture in the materials used, patterns and even devices to enhance their natural shape.'

David Beckham's Emporio Armani underwear campaign became famous with women the world over

source: dailymail