What is the early prototype of men’s underwear?
Prehistoric men used loincloths, and archaeologists found fragments of animal skin loincloths 7000 years ago. It is speculated that its shape resembles a baby diaper. The ancient Greeks also used loincloths, and historians suspect that only slaves wore them. Citizen’s Kay shirt seemed to be naked. The ancient Romans wanted to be diverse, some wore panties, and some wore a wrapped loincloth.
Braies appeared in the 13th century. Braies is a Saxon word, referring to loose underpants like pockets. It reaches the knee and is made of linen. There is a rope on the waist to tighten it, and it is worn by the king to the farmer. By the Renaissance, the underpants were shortened and the placket opened at the front. This way men do not need to take off their underpants when urinating. The wrinkled placket is either buttoned or tightened with a rope. Become the prototype of modern men’s trousers style. At that time, the men did not wear outer pants, and put tight-fitting stockings on the underpants and fastened them with garters. Therefore, Henry VIII thickened the crotch of the underpants. Historians speculate that he may have hidden a bandage soaked in potion in his crotch to relieve the pain caused by syphilis. Many men use the underpants placket as a convenient pocket, in which drugs and money for the treatment of venereal diseases are stored.
