Ancient Egypt: nudity or light lingerie
The beginning of masculine lingerie was marked by the time of ancient Egypt, although for the most part, poor men did not wear lingerie or underwear. Richer men wear a loincloth called chendjit made of linen decorated with a fitted belt. The loincloth can have several styles from short to long at times, with or without pleats and sometimes beads or other fancy details are added. This piece of lingerie was created primarily to retain warmth, protection and comfort for the genitals.
The Renaissance: fly lingerie and long stockings
During the Renaissance era, men wore flies as men's underwear. A fly is a padded piece of colorful fabric that covers men's genitals, which is worn under their tunic. The fly could be decorated according to the social class of the man in question and could even be used as a pocket to put money. We then mixed aesthetics and utility with the men's lingerie of that time.
The Age of Enlightenment: the appearance of underpants
Two versions of the boxer shorts will take their place in men's everyday underwear, including a long linen version reaching to the ankles finished with elastic and a short silk version reaching to the knees tight at the waist. These underwear are created for cleanliness, avoiding soiling clothes and protecting the body from irritation. Changing underwear could sometimes take longer than taking a bath for some men.
Early 20th century: Long jumpsuit for men
To this day, men's underwear was designed primarily to meet men's hygiene needs. Therefore, the evolution of the style of men's lingerie is very limited unlike women's lingerie (see article). We prefer a very flexible long jumpsuit in wool for winter or cotton for summer with a buttoned opening at the crotch. This type of suit will first be worn by men and possibly shared with women later.
World Wars Period: Legless breeches and short underpants
It is thanks to the popularization of sport after the First War that we saw the arrival of legless breeches and short underpants which are more practical for moving around even in everyday life. Some styles have a “Y” shaped front opening and others have a side opening. Although it was not very popular with the public at that time, the first boxer appeared around 1925 in the world of boxing created by the Everlast company. The belt originally worn with boxer briefs will be replaced by an elastic band to provide better movement.
The 60s & 70s: popularization of briefs and fine men's lingerie
At the beginning of the 1960s, the Eminence company launched a model of cotton briefs that were opaque in the middle and transparent on the sides. This model is becoming super popular and is still available today. Boxer briefs are also gaining popularity, but still not to the extent of success they are experiencing today. In the 70s, we began to see men's fine lingerie slowly appear by manufacturers who saw the need emerging. We are referring here to more seductive and fancy men's lingerie inspired by fine feminine lingerie such as thongs, lace, pastel colors, etc.
The 80s & 90s: boxers become the men's reference
At the beginning of the 80s, the famous Calvin Klein campaigns were born and brought the boxer style to the next level, becoming the benchmark for men's underwear. These advertisements also bring another way of seeing men and their underwear in a more sensual and more erotic way than before. This direction that Calvin Klein will bring will mark the men's underwear industry, which is still present today. Subsequently, men's underwear diversified in their form and increasingly evoked the image of a sexualized man. The thong makes its entry into men's lingerie in a mentality of comfort and liberation for men, providing a sexier option available. Followed by the thong and the jockstrap as well.
The years 2000 to today:
Even in the 2000s and today, boxers are the most popular piece of men's underwear. Several types of boxers are present on the market from the classic cotton style to the more sensual lace style or the hybrid mesh boxer or even a sportier lycra model. There really is something for all tastes and occasions!
We also see this type of diversity in other models including thongs, thongs and panties. There are a few brands that also offer models for the top in lace or in leather in the form of a harness that we will be able to discuss in another article to come! Clearly, fine men's lingerie remains little discovered and offered despite the very present needs and interested parties, which is why Fleur Sauvage Lingerie wishes to develop more and more products in this direction!
Sources:
- https://petroneparis.fr/blogs/news/petite-histoire-sous-vetements-masculins#:~:text=On%20retrouve%20la%20premi%C3%A8re%20trace,et%20constitue%20l'unique%20vesture .
- https://storage.googleapis.com/hub-media-cant-prod-northamerica/02/bca2c8787a25bb76837605eca44acd059c6bf1.pdf
- https://eveetcie.com/blog-lingerie/le-sous-vetement-pour-homme-a-travers-les-ages/