National Underwear Day

National Underwear Day lands on August 5 each year. It’s a lighthearted style holiday built around one of the most overlooked pieces of clothing people wear every single day.

From Loincloths to Lingerie

The history of underwear goes back to ancient civilizations, with early forms like loincloths providing modesty and basic protection. Over the centuries, designs evolved quite a bit, moving from simple linen garments to corsets, drawers, and eventually the wide range of styles available today.

The observance itself started as a corporate initiative. Freshpair, an online underwear retailer, established National Underwear Day in 2003 to promote body positivity and draw attention to underwear as its own garment category. The company held annual events in New York City, including a Times Square runway show and a 2013 attempt at a Guinness World Record. The idea caught on, and the day has stuck around ever since.

Underwear Facts You Might Not Know

• The average person owns between 15 and 20 pairs of underwear, enough for a comfortable rotation between washes.
• Experts generally recommend replacing underwear every six to twelve months for hygiene and elasticity.
• The global underwear market was valued at roughly 90 billion dollars in 2023 and is projected to reach 140 billion dollars by 2032.

• The U.S. underwear market generated close to $6 billion in revenue in 2025, according to Statista, with per-person spending in the category averaging around $17 for the year. The market is projected to expand by roughly 2.8 to 2.9 percent annually through the end of the decade.

• Buying habits vary quite a bit by gender and generation. A 2020 survey by Hunk USA found that about 36 percent of American men replace their underwear at least once every three months, a pace that’s faster than the six-to-twelve-month replacement window many retailers and hygiene experts recommend.

• On the style side, data from The NPD Group shows boxer briefs have become the dominant choice among American men, capturing 64 percent of dollar sales in the men’s underwear category as of 2020.

Deals Worth Knowing About

For retailers, National Underwear Day has turned into a marketing opportunity. Underwear brands and department stores commonly use the day to run sales, limited-time discounts, or bundle promotions, particularly online, where much of the category’s growth has been concentrated in recent years.

• Victoria’s Secret sometimes gives away a free pair of panties in stores.
• Calvin Klein often runs a sale offering 30 to 50 percent off select underwear for the day.
• Jockey usually discounts select men’s and women’s underwear by up to 30 percent.
• Retailers like Aerie and Target tend to join in with their own markdowns and promotions.

Since these deals are tied to a single date, it’s worth checking store apps or signing up for email alerts ahead of time so nothing gets missed.