FROM THE UTILITIES SERIES - UNDERPANTS I

 

UNDERPANTS

The word derives from "cu", originating from the Vulgar Latin culus which means anus and from "eca" from the Greek eco which means domicile.

- Eco (a) is an element that came from Greek and means home, habitat, as in ecology. Thus, underwear is the domicile, the home of the male genitalia.

From the same place, we have swaddle (the cloth that wraps the child from the waist down), with the ending - eiro, which means a place to store something (as in sugar bowl and inkwell).

Also from there came (a) retreat, from re- (backwards) + cu + -ar; (b) corner, from a- (direction) + cu + -ar; (c) breech, from Italian culatta, the back part of the firearm.

Historically, the first underwear appeared 7 thousand years ago, when prehistoric man created a leather thong similar to a diaper. Remains of these primitive pieces have been discovered by archaeologists, giving an idea of ​​how our ancestors began to cover their “parts”.

The earliest example of men's underwear dates back to cavemen.

They are described by scholars as a long piece of linen shaped like a triangle with strips at the ends. They were tied around the hips and looped between the legs; then, with the straps, they were tied again at the hips.

Underpants made of leather may not have been very comfortable, but they fulfilled the mission that their descendants still have today: protecting them from accidents.

The notion of hiding the region for prudish reasons only appeared much later, in the Middle Ages, when pants and other equipment already fulfilled the function of protection.

In the 12th century, with the development of platinum armor, linen bands that were used as protection against the harsh metal began to be worn by knights. Since then, these fabrics have been considered the real antecedents of men's underwear. Later, underpants, often tied below the knees with ribbons or pins, shortened and were sewn together.

In the 13th century, the beginnings of long johns emerged: linen pants that covered the entire leg and were widely used by both peasants and royalty.

After the French Revolution, the English aristocracy became the model of men's fashion. What they wore were comfortable and casual clothes. With the exception of formal occasions, shorts gave way to tighter pants, accompanied by boots.

During the Renaissance, these pants stopped covering the private parts to make it easier to urinate: they became similar to huge stockings that covered everything except the penis. In the future, they were replaced by versions that covered the private parts, but contained buttons to facilitate their release.

After the Industrial Revolution, the invention of the bicycle also made underwear take on a new shape: it was necessary to better protect the penis while cycling on cobblestone streets.

The popularization of cotton fabrics helped during this period, giving rise to underwear similar to today's jockstraps, which better supported the genitals.

In the 20th century, two revolutions emerged: slip briefs and boxer shorts. The latter were derived from boxer shorts and entered the market in the 1920s. Slip briefs, created in 1935, with a “Y” opening at the front, were so revolutionary in men's fashion

In Brazil and Mozambique, underwear is the most used name to refer to men's underwear.

In Portugal, however, this word is used, normally in the plural or diminutive, to also refer to the corresponding model for women which, in Brazil and Mozambique, is called panties (also in the plural).

In the men's version, its seam is specially shaped to provide support to the sexual organs, and may also have a fly. In some regions of Brazil, it is also called sunga and in Portugal boxer.

Men don't like anything that tightens their faithful companion too much, which is why more elastic materials that fit the body better are among their preferences.

The current models are varied: slip (the most traditional and best-selling in Brazil, which is scooped on the sides), boxer (normally does not mark the body and is preferred by tall men, as it “shortens” the legs), boxer shorts ( which makes everything much looser), swim trunks (a halfway point between slips and boxers) and jockstraps (only cover the penis, leaving the buttocks exposed).

The principle of men's underwear is comfort and simplicity, which is why shorts called "boxer shorts" became very common in the 1980s.

PS. Copiei tudo e dei meu jeito...

Fontes: https://pt.wikipedia.org/

https://www.megacurioso.com.br

https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/

https://www.cardosoelima.shop/pagina/historia-da-jockstraps.html

 

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