Why do we wear underwear?

[bcullman]

Or more precisely, why do we almost universally wear the stuff, and at what point did we realized that it would be a good idea (ie did they have unerwear in the 1500?, the 1200s?)

When did it become the commodity it is today? (ie when did tidy whiteies become nearly ubiquitous?)

[Qadgop the Mercotan]

because you can then get more than a single day's use out of pants, before they become soiled with typical bodily excretions, like from the apocrine glands in the groin, etc.

[mack]

Tightie whities are kind of like a bra for testicles. Keeps 'em in place and protects them from chafing (for that active lifestyle!).

[CC]

I wear 'em because it's more comfortable that way.

[tiny ham]

I don't wear 'em. Except for bras, which keep me from swingin' around. I hate underpants. HATE 'EM

j

[zber]

From http://www.vintageskivvies.com/pages/archives/history/ancientbeginnings.html

"The loincloth is clearly the universal antecedent of men’s underwear.

In 1352 BC Egypt, the young Pharaoh Tutankhamun was buried with 145 loincloths. Surely that was an ample supply for the afterlife. They were each a long piece of linen shaped like an isosceles triangle with strings meant to be tied around the hips. The length of cloth hanging down in back was brought forward between the legs and tucked over the tied strings in the front, from the outside in. Whenever masculine Egyptian loincloth-clad royalty covered themselves with robe or skirt, then we had an example of underwear.

The loincloth was still being worn as underwear by the shepherds in southwestern France as late as 1835..."

And the site goes in length to answer how it became to commodity it is today.

z

[samclem]

I wear them to humor my mom. :D

[mangeorge]

Qadgop the Mercotan's secretions were probably more a factor back before we had the luxury of daily baths. Old habits die hard, I guess.
Look here (http://www.1001loincloths.com/HISTORY.htm)
Peace,
mangeorge

[belladonna]

Hey! What's this WE business?! :) (http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=101600)


Seriously though, underwear's been around just about as long as people have, at least people in cold climates. It's just the forms that have changed. From around
50 BC (http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/romrelig3.html)
His underwear cannot be taken off except in covered places, lest he appear nude under the open sky, which is the same as under the eye of Jove;

And even further back, as far as 1700 BC (http://www.fashionz.co.uk/UG1.html)
Surprisingly, corsets have been worn since the Minoans and fashionable women of Tiryns...

when they were already using underwear to shape their figures to an ideal form. :eek:

I'm with jarbabyj here, count me out!

bella

[Qadgop the Mercotan]

you think bathing fazes apocrine glands?

[mangeorge]

Originally posted by Qadgop the Mercotan
you think bathing fazes apocrine glands?
:D No, but it does faze the accumulation of secretions.
Peace,
mangeorge

[Yeah]

"Why do we wear underwear? Or more precisely, why do we almost universally wear the stuff, and at what point did we realized that it would be a good idea (ie did they have unerwear in the 1500?, the 1200s?)"

Of course, wearing underwear is not universal, and I'm not just speaking of Dopers here. There are cultures extant today that do not wear fabrics of any type on any part of their bodies (I don't consider strings or gourds to be fabrics). These people live in relatively warm climates

I think it is clear that underwear, as in dainties that are worn under outerwear, was developed to protect the skin from the outerwear, which, until the past few thousand years and the development of things like cotton and silk, was made out of abrasive things such as leather and rough fabrics. I would guess that uderwear has been around as long as silk which I would guess was around well before 1200.

[mnemosyne]

Wouldn't mensutruation have anything to do with it, at least in the case of women? Back before tampons were invented, and "being on the rag" was taken literally? I figure underwear would help, and outer clothing could be protected from bothersome bloodstains that didn't matter if they were on underwear.

[racer72]

I've been waiting for a post like this. How about some of these? (http://www.manties.com)

[racer72]

Whoops, try here. (http://www.manties.net)

[LolaCocaCola]

Originally posted by racer72
Whoops, try here. (http://www.manties.net)

Thanking you in advance for tonight's nightmares.

:o

[belladonna]

Originally posted by racer72
Whoops, try here. (http://www.manties.net)

HaHaHaHaHaHa! Great site! Check out the stud in the red silkies with the dainty lil' bows in the bottom left.
Yummy!

bella

[Barking Spider]

Why do we wear underwear?


SECRETIONS!

[istara]

Old fashioned underwear often didn't have gussets, so the secretion thing (yuk!) doesn't necessarily hold true.

I expect big bloomers were worn for extra warmth, to pad out a skirt in the days of full skirts, and to provide a bit more modesty should the skirt blow up.

Loincloths would possibly have been more about protection than modesty, at least in some early societies. Like the penis-gourds worn by some south east asian peoples.

[Hippy144]

In case you forget to zip your fly.

[Shalmanese]

In an average fortnight, I go through about 4 pants and about 10 pairs of underwear. Guess what would be easier to wash.

[LorieSmurf]

ugh. I don't see how women can go without underwear. We women have natural vaginal secretions that are just a normal part of living day to day. I don't wanna see crusties on the inside of my pants or the back-inside of my skirts, etc. Yick.

Lorie

[rjung]

So, jarbabyj, how YOU doin'? ;)

[Lissla Lissar]

Underwear is and was worn for warmth, and to protect outer clothes from grease, sweat, and secretions. Chemises, petticoats, and shirts were made of washable and cheaper fabric. Women have only worn drawers, panties or the equivalent for about 200 years- they were scandalous when they were first worn- much too "masculine". They weren't common until... oh, the 1860's-70's. So when you see those Victorian postcards with men hiding under hoopskirts and smirking, you know why they were smirking.
When did it start? A very long time ago. Sorry, I only really know about Western fashion history.

[Lissla Lissar]

Very broad overview. Much generalization.

[Acsenray]

I don't wear 'em. Except for bras, which keep me from swingin' around. I hate underpants. HATE 'EM

I'm with jarbabyj here, count me out!

Where can I meet a girl like you? :-)

I seem to recall that turn-of-the-century women with their herringbone hoops covered with layer upon layer of petticoats didn't wear panties (as depicted in the film "The Piano.")

[Acsenray]

"Herringbone"? :smack: No, whalebone. No, I mean that flexible stuff.

[mangeorge]

acsenray, you've got to put those images out of your mind.
Tell yourself "All women wear panties, all the time". Repeat as neccessary.
:)
Peace,
mangeorge

[Lissla Lissar]

The Piano was set earlier than the turn of the century, I'm guessing 1850's, and yes, that was the very end of the no-pants time period. Heh.

[Dragonblink]

... You guys realize that panties -- or any sort of underwear covering the "north fork" of a lady's legs -- are a very recent development, right? As in, within the past century or two?

For the great majority of history, women's underwear consisted of petticoats and the like.

[loni]

Just picture yourself in a place that has uncomfortable clothing and no toilet paper.

Ugh!

[Acsenray]

acsenray, you've got to put those images out of your mind. Tell yourself "All women wear panties, all the time". Repeat as neccessary.

Peace,
mangeorge

Aaaaaaaaauuuuuuuuuuuummmmmmmmm .....

[Lissla Lissar]

One of the reasons for women not wearing any form of pants was the volume of clothes they wore. If one wore drawers as well as three petticoats, a corset, and a chemise, it would be impossible to go to the bathroom. As it was (prior to 1850-ish) they could just squat.