Men’s underwear – where it comes from?

These days, wearing underwear seems to be a standard, something we don’t even think about, yet we do. In particular, this phenomenon seems to be occurring in the male part of our society. And yet! Silly jokes about turning underwear inside out to make it last longer or the stereotype of dirty, smelly socks have become part of our identity and seem to be one of the few things associated with men’s underwear. However, our thinking is very limited and incorrect – manufacturers and underwear designers have a huge range of men’s underwear, starting from different cuts, ending with materials.

But let’s start from the beginning, where did men’s underwear come from?

History of men’s underwear

We will not discuss the issue of leaves hanging on the hips from paintings here, because no sources have survived to support the theory of the existence of this form of clothing. The first surviving evidence of underwear among our ancestors is an archaeological discovery made in 1991, i.e. a perfectly preserved male body with a lumbar girdle from 5,300 years ago found in an Alpine glacier. Further archaeological discoveries, this time from Egypt, prove that the pharaohs also used a form of underwear, linen belts tied many times around the hips – even 145 times! The first primitive form of today’s boxers may have been the Roman femoralia, or knee-length cloth shorts. They had a purely practical function, to prevent chafing caused by clothing and armor, among other things. As the Middle Ages is known as the Dark Ages for a reason, the history of underwear also stops here. Most men wore only a linen tunic under their clothes. Less popular were the so-called pants, which are long, wide, linen pants, with an opening in the back. In the 15th century, the era of shortened cloth pants began, until the industrial revolution of the 18th century, when underpants, very similar to those used today, became widespread. Later, close-fitting overalls with buttons from the neck to the crotch were also popular. They used to be day underwear as well as night underwear. In 1925, the French introduced short underpants, known as briefs, which were very different from today’s briefs. Since then, the underwear revolution has gained momentum and today, almost 100 years later, men have the opportunity to dissect cuts, patterns and materials.

Trends in the world of men’s underwear

Men above all value comfort, like everyone else, underwear must not interfere with our ability to function comfortably. It is supposed to give us comfort and a specific sense of security. Naturally, personal preferences come first when choosing underwear. Currently, the most popular cut of men’s underwear is the boxer brief, which offers increased comfort thanks to its longer legs. Also very popular are briefs that have no legs. Thongs are also growing in popularity and many men feel very comfortable in them. The conclusion is simple – there is something for everyone!

Stylish underwear? And yet!

In recent years, underwear with colorful patterns, including animal prints, often with images. The latest trend is underwear with prints of famous works of art, socks with Van Gogh’s works have taken over the Internet. Nowadays, underwear can add character to your outfit, and thanks to the large selection of underwear, men can not only choose what they feel best in, but can also emphasize their style.