- For other uses of Brief(s), see Brief
Briefs are a type of short, tight Y-shaped underwear and swimwear, as opposed to styles where the material extends down the legs. In the case of men's underwear, briefs, unlike boxer shorts, hold the wearer's genitals in a relatively fixed position, which makes briefs a popular underwear choice for men who are participating in athletic activities or who feel they need more support than loose-fitting underwear can provide. In addition, boxers often ride up the body when the wearer is running. Tight briefs have been blamed for negatively affecting the sperm count, as they may interfere with the cooling of the testes.[1] However, research doesn't always come to the same conclusion. A study in the October 1998 Journal of Urology, for example, concluded that underwear type is unlikely to have a significant effect on male fertility.[2]
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History
Briefs were first sold on 19 January 1935 by Coopers Inc., in Chicago, Illinois. They dubbed the new undergarment the "Jockey" because it offered a similar degree of support as the jockstrap (one style of which is also called Jock brief or Support briefs). Thirty-thousand pairs were sold within three months of their introduction. In North America, "Jockey shorts" or "Jockeys" is often used as a generic term for men's briefs. In the United Kingdom, briefs were first sold in 1938. Soon, shops were selling 3,000 briefs per week. They were so popular that in 1948 every member of the British Olympic team was given a free pair of briefs. In Britain the term "jockeys" has not caught on, and briefs are often referred to as "Y-fronts". The term derives from the inverted Y-shape formed by the seams at the front of the underpants which allows easy access to the penis for urination etc. The colloquialism is used even when the fly opening may differ in style, and not actually form the shape of the inverted letter "Y" fly on Cooper Jockey brand briefs. They are also sometimes described as conduit briefs.
In Australia, briefs are often referred to as "jocks", but should not be confused with jockstraps (more specifically used by athletes) which expose the buttocks. In recent years, a hybrid called boxer briefs has become popular. Like boxers, they have short legs, but like briefs, they are made of elastic, snug-fitting material. Prior to the 2000s, the waistband of the briefs was made of hard elastic and caused visible marks on the skin of people with obese skin. Today, the waistband is made of soft elastic and does not cause such marks. While most people have accepted this as progress in the fashion industry, there are people who purchase vintage briefs from the 1970s and 1980s from the Internet, because they prefer the feel of hard elastic over soft elastic. According to recent polls done in several English speaking countries, more men wear briefs than boxers. Sales of briefs increased dramatically from 2002 and onwards. The fact that they are available in different colors and cuts may be a factor in their renewed popularity.
In popular culture
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- "Tighty-whities" is a common American nickname for briefs. The name has entered the mainstream and is usually accepted as the name of briefs; the term is often derogatory in nature. In the 1990s, briefs were seen as uncool, especially among U.S. teenagers. Bullying, such as wedgies and pantsing, may sometimes be the result of wearing briefs.
- Since 1998, there has been an annual Underpants Run as part of the Ironman Triathlon in Kona, Hawaii.
- In 2002, columnist Dan Savage held a "Tighty Whities Are Hot" contest.
- On May 3, 2003, Ashton Kutcher delivered his opening monologue on Saturday Night Live in a pair of briefs.
- A popular children's book series features Captain Underpants, a chubby super-hero who wears only white briefs and a red cape with black polka dots.
Television shows
- Several Fox series in the 1990s and 2000s featured characters that were depicted wearing briefs. They include, but are not limited to:
- In the episode "What Goes Around Comes Around" of Married ... with Children, a girl embarrasses character Bud Bundy by showing everyone a pair of his briefs that she obtained after asking him to skinnydip with her.
- The animated cartoon character Homer Simpson is often depicted sitting on his couch in his briefs drinking a can of 'Duff Beer'. His son Bart Simpson and most of his classmates also wear briefs.
- Characters on That 70s Show, included Ashton Kutcher and Topher Grace, were depicted wearing briefs, largely because that was the popular style of underwear during the decade in which the show takes place.
- In competitive swimwear, competition briefs, or speedos as they are commonly called, are a popular style of bathing suits.
- On the Nickelodeon animated series Doug, the main character Doug Funnie often accidentally exposes his briefs. In some fantasy sequences on the show, Doug's alter ego, Quailman, is a superhero who wears a cape, briefs over his pants, and a belt on his head.
- In the Paul Whitehouse sitcom Happiness, the protagonist works as a voiceover artist for Dexter, an animated kung-fu nurse bear whose principal attire is a capacious pair of Y-fronts.
Movies and films
- In "Risky Business", Tom Cruise dances in his white briefs to the song "Old Time Rock and Roll".
Other languages
In various continental European languages, such as Bulgarian, Dutch, French, German, Polish, and Persian, briefs are not called by a word indicating shortness, but rather by the English word slip, which in English is rather used for a type of lingerie, the slip. However, in Canadian French, the word caleçon is used instead of the International French word slip.
External links
References
- ^ WebMD, Boxers vs Briefs
- ^ http://www.brucegilbertmd.com/publications/articles/BRGboxers.html A critical analysis of the role of underwear type in male subfertility
