The Evolution Of Men's Underwear

The first thing you put on, the last thing you take off, underwear - no matter in what shape or style - is the one thing that most men have in common. You may think they're just pieces of cloth, protecting your parts and keeping them close, but what you've probably never realized is this: when you put on underwear, you're participating in a historic act, passed down through the ages.



Okay, maybe that's putting too much on "leg in, leg in, pull up, adjust", especially since the first underwear didn't even have legs. The first type of part protection was the loincloth - stylish, comfortable and nothing more than a strip of leather with strings. Welcome to cave man days.



Loincloths stayed in style for ages, but the material changed. Ancient Egyptians also used the loincloth, but decided linen was more comfortable than leather. Believing that underwear would be needed even in the afterlife, the ancient Egyptians buried their dead pharaohs with them. In fact, King Tutankhamen (also known as King Tut), was buried with over 140 loincloths; no matter what happened, he'd be prepared with a clean pair.



In Greece, while the free peoples didn't wear loincloths - they wore a body wrap from neck to knee - the slaves did. Ancient Romans, particularly gladiators, athletes and stage actors, wore subligaculums, a fancy name for loincloths or shorts.



On to the Middle Ages and a time when people believed in magic, caused mayhem, wore clanking armor and decided that codpieces were needed. In the 13th century, the people realized how important underwear were, and threw off the loincloth. Braies, or baggy drawers, replaced the loincloth and introduced the whole act of "leg in, leg in, pull up, adjust". With their importance recognized, underwear began to include undershirts and stockings as well.