If you’re a history buff, you’ll be intrigued exactly to know how men’s underwear became what it is today.
The history of men’s underwear dates back to prehistoric times, so there are few records of early underwear.
Primitive forms of underwear can be traced back at least 7000 years. Of course, since this is before recorded history, it’s highly likely that men’s underwear existed even earlier.
What is clear is that the loincloth was the precursor to modern men’s underwear. Although cavemen are typically depicted wearing loincloths, it’s actually hard to know how true this is. Evidence of early clothing is scant, and it’s probable that those caveman depictions aren’t all that accurate.
For example, most depictions of ancient men portray loincloths consisting of two flaps to cover the genitals and rear. While this type of loincloth was used over the course of history, it was only one type. Furthermore, it’s not clear exactly which peoples tended to use it.
In recorded history, the loincloth goes back to ancient Egypt. The Egyptian version of the loincloth was the skirt-like shendyt (also called the schenti). This cloth wrapping provided more coverage than the flap-style loincloths while also allowing for freedom of movement.
The loincloth continued to be the dominant men’s underwear style for millennia. Men in ancient Rome wore an undergarment called a subligaculum that came in different forms. Some variations were flap-style loincloths, while others were longer wraps that more closely resembled the shendyt.
Historical Men’s Underwear
The types of underwear that we recognize today date back to Europe in the Middle Ages. In the 1100s, men started wearing breeches, which were essentially long johns, below longer tunics. This historical style of underwear became popular because it was more hygienic and modest.
Around the same time, a similar style of trousers called braies emerged. Some braies resembled shorts while others went down to the ankles.
The garment evolved over the Middle Ages and was eventually used solely as underwear. Eventually, the Romans adapted the style to their culture, resulting in pants known as braccae (Latin for trousers).
Toward the end of the Middle Ages, a new style called the codpiece was developed. Codpieces were undergarments that opened at the front, a design that eventually became the fly. Codpieces fastened only around the genital area and were worn with two separate trouser legs.
Codpieces were also infamously tight, and over time, this became even more exaggerated. In the 16th century, Henry VIII padded his codpiece to signify power and authority, which spurred a new trend.
Larger, padded codpieces became ubiquitous, and over time, codpieces became even tighter and more elaborate.
The codpiece fell out of fashion by the start of the 17th century. At this point, the most common underwear style was a combination of trousers and linings. This style more closely resembled the kind of underwear worn today.
Men’s Underwear in the 1800s
In the 19th century, there were a few significant developments in men’s underwear that set the scene for today.
One of those developments was the invention of the sewing machine. This, combined with the many other advancements of the Industrial Revolution, made it much easier and cheaper to produce underwear.
Another development in 1800s men’s underwear was the creation of the union suit, a long one-piece garment. It featured a buttoned flap in the rear and was sometimes made from flannel. Eventually, this style was split in half, resulting in the long johns we know today.
The late 1800s also saw the rise of the jock strap, which was invented for support for cyclists. It was later adapted for use in sports.
When Were Boxers Invented?
Boxer shorts, as we know them today, were developed during the early 20th century.
Everlast founder Jacob Golomb is credited with the invention of the modern boxer short. The inspiration comes from actual boxers — specifically, the leather-belted trunks that fighters wore. Golomb adapted the design and developed trunks with elastic waistbands.
However, boxers didn’t become all that popular until after World War II. Boxers became standard-issue for the military, so they consequently became more popular in society overall.
Confusingly, boxers were modeled after boxers’ trunks, but the trunk came to be a completely different style. What we call trunks today are essentially boxers or boxer briefs with shorter inseams.
Men’s Underwear From 1900 to the Present
Of course, any guide to men’s underwear would be remiss to not include briefs and boxer briefs. Both of these styles are relatively recent inventions, but they remain two of the most popular styles of underwear today.
Briefs made their debut in 1935. Designer Arthur Kneibler had created the original brief based on the jock strap. Briefs immediately took off and remained popular for years.
Throughout the second half of the 1900s, boxers became flashier while briefs remained reliable. Many men were staunch fans of one style or the other. This led to the now infamous question of “boxers or briefs?”
It wasn’t until the early 1990s that the boxer brief was invented. Calvin Klein designer John Varvatos gets the credit for this novel idea that changed the world of men’s underwear.
Since then, there have been few major developments in men’s underwear. Instead, men’s underwear has gone through countless design tweaks. For example, the development of pouch underwear offered a comfort-forward option.
Men today continue to wear boxers, briefs, and boxer briefs, and there are benefits to the different types of underwear. Long thermal underwear is still in use today, but it tends to be used solely for outdoor adventures like hiking.
Today, many of the most important differences in underwear come down to the fabric. Most underwear is still made from cotton, but there have been some important breakthroughs in the space. Newer fabric combinations like modal and sustainable options like bamboo offer a soft, comfortable experience.
Questions? Comments? Leave them below!
Ask Me Anything