In this article, we shall discuss the 20 highest quality underwear brands of 2024. To skip our detailed analysis of the global apparel and fashion industries in 2024, go directly and see 5 Highest Quality Underwear Brands of 2024.
In 2024, revenue from the global apparel market is expected to hit the $1.79 trillion mark, a 2.87% increase year-over-year. According to McKinsey, the global industry is expected to deliver top-line growth of more than four percent in 2024. Despite the industry being prone to geopolitical and economic tailwinds, experience of the past couple of years has showcased the industry's strong resilience to economic turbulence. In 2023 however, the industry faced persistent and deepening challenges, pertaining to slow growth in the United States and Europe, and diminishing performance in China in the second half of the fiscal year. Furthermore, the luxury segment of the industry, which is responsible for some of the highest quality underwear brands of 2024, fell victim to low demand in the first quarter of 2024, leading to slow sales and uneven performances. In 2024, the most prevalent sentiment around top apparel stocks like NIKE Inc. (NYSE:NKE), The TJX Companies Inc. (NYSE:TJX), and Ralph Lauren Corporation (NYSE:RL) is uncertainty in the face of subdued economic growth, skyrocketing inflation, and diminishing consumer confidence.
As the global industry is posited to grow by four percent in 2024, the luxury segment is expected to make up for much of the share of economic profit. However, even in the luxury segment, companies are expected to face an uphill battle amid a complex economic atmosphere. With consumers reining in spending post-pandemic, European and Chinese markets are expected to slow down, while the market in the US is expected to pick up post the first half of 2024, shedding light upon the slightly more optimistic outlook there. To read more on the global apparel and fashion industry, check out our coverage of the 15 Most Valuable Clothing Companies in the World.
Generative AI in Apparel: An Analysis
As the global apparel and fashion industry faces an uphill battle amid an increasingly turbulent macroeconomic climate, brands like NIKE Inc. (NYSE:NKE), The TJX Companies Inc. (NYSE:TJX), and Ralph Lauren Corporation (NYSE:RL) are turning to the development of generative AI capabilities to offset economic hardships and identify new pockets of value to unlock key drivers of performance. Apart from simply identifying and classifying new datasets, generative AI boasts the capability of creating new information, including but not limited to audio, code, images, text, simulations and videos, by making use of deep learning models which can balance a litany of complex tasks simultaneously. As the global economic outlook plummets, some of the highest quality underwear brands of 2024 have been experimenting with basic AI and other frontier technologies like the metaverse, NFTs, and digital IDs to build upon its digital footprint. However, up till now, any entry into the generative AI space has remained scarce, partly owing to its relatively new interface and partly to its worrisome bugs. However, all indicators currently point to the technology becoming a game-changer for fashion companies in the next decade. To read more on how generative AI is transforming the economic space globally, read our coverage of 18 Biggest Generative AI Companies In The World.
According to a report by McKinsey, the next three to five years could see the technology add more than $275 billion to the apparel, fashion, and luxury segments' operating profits. This technology could prove handy in codesigning, optimizing content development processes, and creating new spaces for creativity overall. Although any use of gen AI in the apparel industry is still premature, the technology has made itself of use in certain key areas already, namely product innovation, marketing, and sales and customer experience. In these areas, the results of implementing gen AI capabilities is more practical in the short-term and has generated robust results, especially with regards to some of the highest quality underwear brands of 2024. According to the report, the implementation of gen AI is not merely about automation but also about augmentation.
One of the primary uses of gen AI in the fashion industry is within the areas of product development and innovation. Instead of relying on exhaustive market reports and trend analyses to create the collections for the upcoming seasons, mass-market fashion retailers and luxury brands like NIKE Inc. (NYSE:NKE), The TJX Companies Inc. (NYSE:TJX), and Ralph Lauren Corporation (NYSE:RL) can tap into their generative AI capabilities to analyze various types of unstructured datasets in minimal amounts of time. For instance, the technology is able to aggregate and analyze data around the highest quality underwear brands of 2024 from sources on social media or model trends from consumer data.
Sustainability in Fast Fashion: A Overview
According to a report by Bloomberg, the global surge in the production of apparel products has exacerbated carbon emissions and other ecological detriments. This has led to a massive shift in consumer sentiment, with many consumers now saying that they would prefer purchasing from the highest quality underwear brands which also ensure minimal environmental injury. This has led to major players like NIKE Inc. (NYSE:NKE), The TJX Companies Inc. (NYSE:TJX), and Ralph Lauren Corporation (NYSE:RL) commit to producing sustainable apparel alternatives and to fix loopholes in their supply chain. Companies like Adidas AG has reported that 96% of its polyester use in 2023 was derived from recycled material. According to Hugo Boss AG and The Gap Inc. (NYSE:GPS), more than 93% and 81% of their cotton supply was acquired from more sustainable sources respectively. Many other companies are following suit.
However, according to another report by Bloomberg, product returns are gravely undermining corporate efforts to reduce their environmental footprints and integrate sustainability imperatives into their day-to-day operations. According to the report, nearly 25% of apparel purchases in the United States get shipped back. This is an enormous concern for some of the highest quality underwear brands of 2024 considering the fact that transporting returned goods churns more than 15 million metric tons of carbon emissions into the atmosphere. If the fashion industry is to make any considerable advances in the sustainability arena, it must fill these holes in its supply chain. To read more on sustainability in the apparel industry, check out our coverage of 12 Countries That Produce the Best Fashion Designers in the World.
To compile our list of the 20 highest quality underwear brands of 2024, we decided to undertake a consensus-based approach using a diverse variety of credible sources which ranked brands based on comfort, material quality, innovation, and sustainability practices (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10). We picked brands which appeared at least twice in these sources, assigning them an average ranking based on the numbers at which they appeared on the lists. Low averages mean that the brand appeared at high ranks overall during our research. For instance, if a brand ranked number 1 in one list and number 2 on the other, the average ranking it obtained would be 1.5. Alternatively, if a brand ranked number 20 on one list and number 30 on another, the average ranking would be 25. We then arranged all the entries based on their average rankings, from highest to lowest.
To sum it up, we ranked the 20 highest quality underwear brands of 2024 using a consensus methodology. By the way, Insider Monkey is an investing website that tracks the movements of corporate insiders and hedge funds. By using a similar consensus approach, we identify the best stock picks of more than 900 hedge funds investing in US stocks. The top 10 consensus stock picks of hedge funds outperformed the S&P 500 Index by more than 140 percentage points over the last 10 years (see the details here). Whether you are a beginner investor or professional one looking for the best stocks to buy, you can benefit from the wisdom of hedge funds and corporate insiders.
20 Highest Quality Underwear Brands of 2024
20. Agent Provocateur
Average Ranking: 39
Founded in 1994, Agent Provocateur manufactures traditional-style underwear, as well as, bridal, swimwear, and loungewear. The brand is mainly perceived to create undergarments of high quality by using durable material.
19. Savage X Fenty
Average Ranking: 37.5
Savage X Fenty is mainly known for a diverse range of underwear for every woman, regardless of her shape and choice. The material of the underwear is known to be of extremely high quality, in which every customer can feel comfortable.
18. Old Navy
Average Ranking: 35
Old Navy has budget-friendly yet high-quality underwear for men and women, making it one of the highest quality underwear brands of 2024. It is an ideal choice for basics and everyday wear. Underwear at Old Navy is known to be comfortable and breathable.
17. Cosabella
Average Ranking: 33
Known for its quality and durability, Cosabella provides its female clients with underwear with lace and mesh designs that are comfortable and soft on the skin. The lifespan of Cosabella underwear is known to be long because of the high-quality material.
16. Uniqlo
Average Ranking: 32.5
Uniqlo offers women with a diverse range of underwear and men with a variety of boxers and briefs, making it one of the highest quality underwear brands of 2024. Uniqlo’s underwear and boxers are made up of high-quality material, including cotton and nylon that attracts many customers.
15. Lululemon
Average Ranking: 31.5
Primarily known for their athletic wear, Lululemon produces underwear for men that are an ideal choice to wear under gym-wear. Lululemon’s underwear are known to have a high-quality fabric, comfort, and style.
14. Fruit of the Loom
Average Ranking: 30
An ideal choice for everyday wear, Fruit of the Loom produces high-quality underwear that provide its customer with not just comfort but also with classic designs. The underwear are known to be affordable and durable, making Fruit of the Loom one of the highest quality underwear brands of 2024.
13. Bombas
Average Ranking: 27
Manufactured with a combination of cotton and modal, Bombas underwear are known to be extremely soft to the skin and of high quality. The material of the underwear is durable for several washes and wears.
12. Tommy John
Average Ranking: 24.5
Tommy John underwear are known to combine luxury with practicality. The brand produces extremely good quality underwear with high-technology fabric. Launched in 2008, the brand is now known to be one of the highest quality underwear brands of 2024.
11. EBY
Average Ranking: 22
Undergarments produced by EBY are widely perceived to be of high-quality. Its durability and quality justifies the high prices of the underwear. EBY provides its users with multiple options, in terms of style, material, and color.
10. CouCou Intimates
Average Ranking: 18
Made of 100% cotton material, the underwear at CouCou Intimates are known to be of high quality and provide comfort to its users. Launched in 2017, the brand offers a wide range of underwear and is one of the highest quality underwear brands of 2024.
9. Hanes
Average Ranking: 17.5
Hanes offers high-quality briefs and boxers for men. The brand is known to have invented the modern underwear design. The brand includes a wide range of underwear, including high-tech athletic underwear to old-fashioned cotton underwear.
8. Saxx
Average Ranking: 15.5
The underwear range at Saxx is known to be of high quality, comfortable, and provides its users with a wide range of fun and vibrant designs. The underwear includes a BallPark Pouch, which reduces chafing and adds support.
7. Mack Weldon
Average Ranking: 14
Mack Weldon is one of the most preferred underwear brands in 2024 by men. It creates modern and trendy briefs that are combined with high-tech fabrics. Mack Weldon’s briefs are known to be suitable to wear under office-wear or gym-wear, making it one of the highest quality underwear brands of 2024.
6. Intimissimi
Average Ranking: 10
Intimissimi is an undergarments brand that produces comfortable underwear for women. It is mostly known for its seamless undergarment shorts that can be worn under dresses to prevent chafing.