Male Underwear
Male underwear has a long and rich history, dating back as far as 7,000 years according to reports from archaeologists who claim to have found remains of leather loincloths. Back then underwear was purely functional – and took a very basic form for that reason – but as time has passed and other considerations have come to people’s minds, the entire concept of men’s underwear has seen countless innovations which have brought us to the present day, where the choice available to the modern man has reached a stage that would make the prehistoric gentleman’s head spin. Formerly a subject that was exclusively discussed by women, underwear has become a matter for men’s magazine spreads, with issues such as support, style and price causing much discussion and difference of opinion.
Just over a year ago, a team of archaeologists exploring the tomb of Tutankhamun found a number of loincloths slightly more intricate than the earliest items, with the Pharaoh favouring a smaller piece of fabric which was cut off at the sides. Comfort and freedom, even back then, was becoming a matter of no little importance. While it wouldn’t be completely accurate to describe King Tut’s underwear as the first ever Y-fronts, it could be argued that he ignited a spirit of innovation in the men’s underclothing industry that lives on to this day in our stores and drawers. Certainly his preference for something more comfortable has been replicated throughout the ages.
As time went on, men’s underwear continued to change. Subtly, bit by bit but very definitely, amendments were made which brought it closer to the products that are bought and worn today. Innovations were made throughout the ages as a nod to changing fashions, needs and possibilities. Working with different materials meant that these possibilities widened. An important change in the middle of the last millennium saw the invention of hose (or tights) which fitted themselves to a man’s body, thus giving greater support, comfort and warmth. These hose are replicated even today in the shape of Long Johns, which are worn as pyjamas by some men and in some variations are also worn as undergarments by winter sports enthusiasts. They work by trapping warm air against the body and keeping out the cold.
As more fabrics and new ways of working with them have developed, underwear has changed in such a way as to be almost completely unconnected to those loincloths found in Tutankhamun’s tomb. It’s fair to say that few people stop to think when they put on a pair of high-cut Y-fronts, that the germ of the idea for this garment came from the time of the Pharaohs, or when they buy a pair of boxer shorts that these are a direct descendant of the codpiece, first developed for their convenience and used by Henry VIII. Henry could even lay claim to the practice, much joked about today, of stuffing his underwear, which led to a fashion for much larger codpieces. There is some suggestion though that, unlike those who copied his actions, Henry had a medical reason for doing this. Suffering from syphilis, it is suspected that he made his underwear larger in order to conceal his bandages. Bet you didn’t know that!