Men’s underwear, from the beginning

In a time where we are evaluating what is essential in our lives, we know underwear is a basic human right. But how did we get here?

Just like men have evolved over time, so have the garments they put on their body. Almost 7000 years ago prehistoric men decided it was time to cover up their boys.

It began as a piece of cloth, draped strategically over their body while they went about their day. It was named the ‘loincloth’. Even back in ancient history, men wanted their undergarments to be fun. Using different fabrics such as leather and linen, and even various prints, patterns and colours. It was a form of expression and just like we feel here at Tackle, it was COMFY AS. Imagine the feeling of the wind between your legs… You almost wish you could go back to this right?

From there we move into the Medieval Ages where there was the invention of ‘braises.’ Imagine a pair of baggy shorts made from linen or wool, tied at the waist. They quickly realised however that when needing to take a leak, it wasn’t particularly convenient, thus the ‘codpiece’ was created. This was the flap at the front of the garment that could be quickly unfastened when nature called. So handy right? A clear trendsetter at the time was Henry VIII of England who decided that he wanted his codpiece padded! Lets just pretend it was for comfort purposes…

All his subjects followed suit and even began using the pouch to hold important items. The connotation of a man’s package kind of makes sense now...

By the 1860’s men had decided to move into a fuller body undergarment. Sporting what is referred to as the ‘union suit’. It had long sleeves and long pants which doesn’t sound particularly comfortable. You may know this garment now by its modern name ‘long johns’, made famous by American boxer John L Sullivan.

Our next moment in history occurred with the invention of the bicycle and subsequently ‘jockstraps’ were born. It was designed to have a pouch that supported and protected the boys whilst doing activity. Although now modernised, men still use these today, particularly when playing sport such as cricket.

Men didn’t start wearing what we recognise as underwear until the 1920’s. First made known by Everlast founder Jacob Golomb were ‘boxer shorts.’ He wanted his fighters to have more movement and flexibility compared to the leather shorts they used to wear. These weren’t an immediate success but eventually over time men learned to love them and once briefs were invented, they became part of the classic debate, ‘boxers or briefs?’

By the 1930’s briefs we’re born. Arthur Kneible, a designer for an American hosiery company created what is now known as ‘tightey whities.’ These were initially dubbed ‘jockey shorts’ and on their first day of selling in Chicago department store Marshalls Fields, the entire stock of 600 pairs sold out. Fast forward three months later and they had sold over 30,000 pairs and eventually changed the name of their company to Jockey.

Today we have the best of both worlds with a mixture of boxers and briefs, in what we like to call trunks. They’re comfortable but still offer support. Here at Tackle we have created a pair that’s so incredible, we think it will change your life.

Just like prehistoric men with their loincloths, we know that comfort is key. That’s why our undies have innovative no chafe panels on the inner legs of our trunks, made from microfibre that keeps moisture away, meaning your legs will slide past each other easily. Say goodbye to friction and chafing! The rest of our undies are made from super soft bamboo that feels luxurious on the skin. It’s breathable, absorbent and will keep its shape even after wash and wear! You’ll feel like King Henry VIII yourself wearing these!

Try one of our pairs today and change your undies experience forever.