Reflections on the design of men's underwear

My wife bought me a package of "midway briefs" men's underwear, a newer design that was not familiar to me. I must admit, this is the most comfortable underwear I've ever worn. And naturally, my mind being what it is, I began wondering about the history and design of men's underwear.

Men have not always made fashion statements in their underwear. John Wayne never did. It used to be, a man would simply throw on his long handles, step outside his cabin and gun down a moose. All a man used to seek was some sort of underwear that would not bulge, bind, gap, chafe, or sag, something that would not shrink in the wash, something that — when hung out to dry — would not attract enemy fire.

Table of Contents
Ancient Beginnings
The Twentieth Century
Mass Production Begins
The Early Pioneers
The Teen Years
New Technologies, New Names — The Twenties
Patents & Branding — The Thirties
War Shortages & New Designs — The Forties
Colors & Synthetics — The Fifties
Upscale Pricing, Sexy Selling — The Sixties & Beyond

History of Men's Underwear

There appear to be two basic styles of men's underwear, boxer shorts and briefs, with variations of each. I've worn both at some point in my life.

My own journey went something like this ...

• I began with briefs, which I think is common for children since they resemble diapers.
• The Army issues boxer shorts, and this was my introduction to the style.
• After the Army I continued to wear boxers but at some point I switched back to briefs. I don't remember the circumstances. Great moments, great decisions, sometimes get forgotten. I suspect it had to do with the issue of dangling testicles. There are two kinds of men, those who dangle their testicles on the left, and those who dangle them on the right, and, yes, I've been a lefty all of my life.

Thus far, the midway briefs are great, and the front pouch for easy access at the urinal is ingenious. My hat is off to the man who designed this style of men's underwear. It renews my faith in progress.