While sagging, greying Y-fronts and cotton boxer shorts are out of fashion, brightly coloured hipster trunks with eye-catching waistbands and more discreet seams are trending.

“We’ve noticed a 30 percent rise in sales of men’s pants over the last year and our stores tell us that it’s ladies looking to revamp their partners’ underwear drawers,” the Daily Mail quoted a spokesman for Sainsbury’s, who commissioned the research, as saying.