For nearly 150 years, Jockey has helped define what quality, comfort, and innovation mean in underwear manufacturing. Today, Jockey South Africa builds on this legacy with the launch of the Sports Mesh range, a product shaped by advancements in fabric engineering, performance technology and precision manufacturing. As one of the world’s most established underwear manufacturers, Jockey has long understood that leadership is not defined by reacting to trends, but by anticipating them.
Across the apparel industry, everyday essentials are undergoing a fundamental shift. Industry insights point to the growing convergence between activewear and daily apparel, driven by consumers who now expect comfort, breathability, and durability as standard rather than optional. Underwear is no longer viewed as a passive base layer, but as a garment expected to support movement, regulate temperature, and deliver comfort throughout increasingly dynamic days.
In response, Jockey has accelerated their investment in advanced fabric development, moisture-management systems, and manufacturing innovation paving the way for Sports Mesh.
“At Jockey, innovation doesn’t start with trends it starts with how garments are made,” says Rob Hogg, National Sales Manager at Jockey South Africa. “Our focus has always been on manufacturing excellence, because that’s where real comfort and performance are created. Sports Mesh reflects years of investment in fabric development, testing, and construction, and displays how we continue to evolve everyday essentials through meaningful, technical progress”.
At the centre of this evolution is a next-generation mesh fabric engineered to be exceptionally lightweight while delivering an instantly cooling, icy hand feel. This innovation reflects a broader industry movement toward materials that actively regulate the body rather than simply covering it. The mesh construction enables continuous airflow while maintaining softness, elasticity, and structural integrity, meeting the demands of garments designed to perform seamlessly across everyday life and physical activity.
Advancements in ventilation technology allows underwear to play a more active role in thermal regulation. By enhancing airflow and heat exchange with the environment, Sports Mesh supports consistent body temperature across changing conditions. Equally significant is the evolution of moisture-management technology. As climates grow warmer and lifestyles more demanding, effective sweat control has become a baseline expectation.
Improved moisture transport and faster evaporation help maintain dryness, stabilise body temperature, and deliver sustained comfort throughout the day.
“Consumers today expect more from their everyday underwear,” adds Hogg. “Comfort now needs to perform across longer days, warmer climates, and more active lifestyles. Sports Mesh is our response to that shift with lightweight, breathable, and engineered garments to support the body throughout the day without compromising on comfort”.
Freshness has also emerged as a defining factor in the future of everyday essentials. Across the industry, antimicrobial solutions are increasingly embedded at fibre level to improve performance and durability. Sports Mesh integrates antimicrobial protection directly into the fabric, inhibiting the growth of odour-causing microorganisms while supporting hypoallergenic comfort and extending garment longevity through more responsible design.
Jockey’s leadership is further reinforced through construction innovation informed by decades of manufacturing expertise and wear testing.
Industry insights consistently show that seam placement and friction points are primary contributors to discomfort. Sports Mesh addresses this through refined construction techniques that eliminate side and back seams, incorporating an extra-wide gusset to reduce chafing, and feature a bagged-out pouch lining with enclosed seams ensuring freedom of movement and uninterrupted comfort.
Available in Long Leg, Short Leg, and Boxer brief silhouettes, the Sports Mesh range is offered in Black and Midnight Navy, with sizing from S to 2XL. Designed for an active lifestyle yet refined for everyday wear, the range reflects the growing expectation that underwear should work harder, feel lighter, and last longer.
“We believe the future of everyday underwear will be defined by adaptive comfort, intelligent materials, and thoughtful construction; where innovation is felt rather than seen. With our new Sports Mesh range, not only responding to the changing apparel landscape but we’re continuing to help shape the next chapter of performance-driven essentials.
The Jockey Sports Mesh range is now available at jockey.co.za.
Images: Jockey® Sports Mesh Range
