Boxer shorts (also known as loose boxers or as simply boxers) are a type of undergarment Undergarments or underwear are clothes worn under other clothes, often next to the skin. They keep outer garments from being soiled by perspiration, urine, semen, feces, and other discharges; shape the body; and provide support for parts of it. In cold weather, long underwear sometimes is worn to provide additional warmth. Some undergarments are worn by men. The term has been used in English since 1944 for all-around-elastic shorts, so named after the shorts worn by pugilists Boxing is a combat sport and martial art in which two people fight using their fists. Boxing is typically supervised by a referee engaged in during a series of one- to three-minute intervals called rounds, and boxers generally of similar weight. There are three ways to win; if the opponent is knocked out and unable to get up before the referee, for whom unhindered leg movement ('footwork') is very important.
Reasons for a preference for boxers can be attributed to their variety of styles and design as well as the way boxers look on the wearer. Unlike traditional briefs In the case of men's underwear, briefs, unlike boxer shorts, hold the wearer's genitals in a relatively fixed position, which make 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, boxers allow for more freedom in the selection of a fabric type and print design.
History and design
In 1925, Jacob Golomb, founder of Everlast Everlast is active in the design, manufacturing, licensing and marketing of authentic boxing, mixed martial arts and fitness related sporting goods equipment, apparel, footwear, and accessories. Based in Manhattan, Everlast's products are sold across more than 75 countries and 6 continents. Everlast is a wholly owned subsidiary of Brands Holdings, designed elastic-waist trunks to replace the leather-belted trunks then worn by boxers. These trunks, now known as "boxer trunks", immediately became famous, but were later eclipsed by the popular Jockey-style briefs In the case of men's underwear, briefs, unlike boxer shorts, hold the wearer's genitals in a relatively fixed position, which make 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 beginning in the late 1930s. Around 1947, boxer shorts started to gain in popularity again.[citation needed] The two styles, briefs and boxer shorts, had varying ratios of sales for the following forty years, with strong regional and generational preferences.
In more recent decades, boxer shorts got a fashion boost in 1985 when English model and musician Nick Kamen Nick Kamen is an English male model, songwriter and musician, and brother of session guitarist Chester Kamen and artist Barry Kamen. Nick attended St Marks RC Comprehensive School in Harlow along with his brother Chester stripped to white boxers in a 1950s style "Launderette" in a Levi's commercial.[1] Since the 1990s, some men also opt for boxer briefs Boxer briefs are a type of men's undergarment which are long in the leg, like boxer shorts, but tighter-fitting, like briefs; a compromise between the two main types of male underwear in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia and Canada. Depending on the manufacturer, boxer briefs may also be spelled as one word: boxerbriefs as a compromise between the two.
Most boxer shorts have a fly in front. Boxer shorts manufacturers have a couple of methods of closing the fly: metal snaps or a button or two. However, many boxer shorts on the market do not need a fastening mechanism to close up the fly as the fabric is cut and the shorts are designed to sufficiently overlap and fully cover the opening. This is commonly known as an open fly design.
Since boxer shorts fabric is rarely stretchy, a "balloon seat", a generous panel of loosely-fitting fabric in the center rear of the shorts, is designed to accommodate the wearer's various movements, especially bending forward. The most common sewing design of boxer shorts are made with a panel seat that has two seams running on the outer edges of the back seating area, creating a center rear panel. Most mass produced commercial boxer shorts are made using this design.
Two less common forms of boxer shorts are "gripper" boxers and "yoke front" boxers. Gripper boxers have an elastic waistband like regular boxers but have snaps, usually 3, on the fly and on the waistband so that they open up completely. Yoke front boxers are similar to gripper boxers in that the wide waistband yoke can be opened up completely, and the yoke usually has three snaps to close it while the fly itself, below, has no closure mechanism. There are two types of yoke boxers: one in which there is a short piece of elastic on each side of the waistband which snugs up the yoke to fit the waist; and "tie-sides" which have narrow cloth tapes on each side of the waist yoke, like strings, which are tightened and knotted by the wearer to make an exact fit. This style of underwear was very common during World War II Albania · Australia · Austria · Azerbaijan · Belarus · Belgium · Brazil · Bulgaria · Burma · Cambodia · Canada · Ceylon (Sri Lanka) · Channel Islands · China · Czechoslovakia · Denmark · Dutch East Indies · Egypt · Estonia · Finland · France · Germany · Gibraltar · Greece · Greenland · Hong Kong · Hungary · Iceland ·, when the rubber needed for elastic waistbands had to be used for military purposes.
Boxer shorts are available in white and solid colors including pastels, and come in a variety of patterns and prints as well; Traditional patterns include "geometrics" (small repeating geometric designs), plaids and vertical stripes. Additionally, there are innumerable "novelty" boxer short patterns. Boxer shorts are produced using various fabrics including all cotton Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll around the seeds of the cotton plant. The plant is a shrub native to tropical and subtropical regions around the world, including the Americas, Pakistan, India and Africa. The fiber most often is spun into yarn or thread and used to make a soft, breathable textile, which is the most widely, cotton/polyester Polyester is a category of polymers which contain the ester functional group in their main chain. Although there are many polyesters, the term "polyester" as a specific material most commonly refers to polyethylene terephthalate . Polyesters include naturally-occurring chemicals, such as in the cutin of plant cuticles, as well as blends, jersey knits and silk Silk is a natural protein fibre, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The best-known type of silk is obtained from the cocoons of the larvae of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori reared in captivity . The shimmering appearance of silk is due to the triangular prism-like structure of the silk fibre, which allows silk cloth to refract.
Some studies have suggested that tight underwear and high temperature are bad for sperm. The reasoning is based on the following: the testicles are outside the body for cooling because they operate for sperm production at a lower temperature than the rest of the body, and boxer shorts allow the testes to operate within the required temperature range. The compression of the genitals in briefs may cause the temperature to rise and sperm production to fall. This is a similar theory regarding testicular cancer risk.[2]
In 1975, an advertisement for boxer shorts created a recurring urban legend An urban legend, urban myth, urban tale, or a contemporary legend, is a form of modern folklore consisting of apocryphal stories believed by their tellers to be true. As with all folklore and mythology, the designation suggests nothing about the story's factuality or falsehood, but merely that it is in non-institutional circulation, exhibits. The fall/winter Sears Sears, officially named Sears, Roebuck and Co., is an American chain of Department stores which was founded by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck in the late 19th century. Formerly a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, Sears merged with Kmart in early 2005, creating the Sears Holdings Corporation catalogue displayed two underwear models, one wearing briefs and another wearing boxer shorts. The model wearing the boxer shorts appears to have part of his penis (some sources say a testicle) exposed. At the time, this caused a stir because of possible indecent exposure. However, Sears states that it is a printing defect and the same ad reappeared in color in a later catalogue, where no penis is shown. Despite the publicity, Sears did not release a copy of the colored ad to allow the public to verify its statement. Without the proof, the urban legend still persists in popular culture.[3]
References
- ^ "I Love 1986 - Fashion - Boxer Shorts". British Broadcasting Corporation The British Broadcasting Corporation is the largest broadcasting organisation in the world. The BBC is an autonomous public service broadcaster that operates under a Royal Charter. Within the UK, it is funded principally by an annual television licence fee, which is charged to all United Kingdom households, companies and organisations using any. http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/ilove/years/1986/fashion1.shtml. Retrieved 2008-05-09.
- ^ Source: Sanger & Friman 1990. Reproductive Toxicology. Vol. 4, pp. 229-232. Source 2: http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1046/j.1365-2605.2000.00245.x?cookieSet=1&journalCode=ija
- ^ snopes.com: Sears Catalogue Model Exposed
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Cotton Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll around the seeds of the cotton plant. The plant is a shrub native to tropical and subtropical regions around the world, including the Americas, Pakistan, India and Africa. The fiber most often is spun into yarn or thread and used to make a soft, breathable textile, which is the most widely · Fur Fur clothing is clothing made entirely of, or partially of, the fur of animals. Fur is one of the oldest forms of clothing, thought widely used as hominids first expanded outside of Africa. Some view fur as luxurious; others reject it due to animal welfare and ethical concerns. The term 'a fur' is often used to refer to a coat, wrap, or shawl made · Leather Leather is a durable and flexible material created via the tanning of putrescible animal rawhide and skin, primarily cattlehide. It can be produced through different manufacturing processes, ranging from cottage industry to heavy industry · Linen Linen is a textile made from the fibers of the flax plant, Linum usitatissimum. Linen is labor-intensive to manufacture, but when it is made into garments, it is valued for its exceptional coolness and freshness in hot weather · Nylon Nylon is a generic designation for a family of synthetic polymers known generically as polyamides, first produced on February 28, 1935 by Wallace Carothers at DuPont's research facility at the DuPont Experimental Station. Nylon is one of the most commonly used polymers · Polyester Polyester is a category of polymers which contain the ester functional group in their main chain. Although there are many polyesters, the term "polyester" as a specific material most commonly refers to polyethylene terephthalate . Polyesters include naturally-occurring chemicals, such as in the cutin of plant cuticles, as well as · Rayon Rayon is a manufactured regenerated cellulose fiber. Because it is produced from naturally occurring polymers, it is neither a truly synthetic fiber nor a natural fiber; it is a semi-synthetic or artificial fiber. Rayon is known by the names viscose rayon and art silk in the textile industry. It usually has a high luster quality giving it a bright · Silk Silk is a natural protein fibre, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The best-known type of silk is obtained from the cocoons of the larvae of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori reared in captivity . The shimmering appearance of silk is due to the triangular prism-like structure of the silk fibre, which allows silk cloth to refract · Spandex Spandex, Lycra or elastane is a synthetic fibre known for its exceptional elasticity. It is stronger and more durable than rubber, its major non-synthetic competitor.[citation needed] It is a polyurethane-polyurea copolymer that was invented in 1959 by chemist Joseph Shivers at DuPont's Benger Laboratory in Waynesboro, Virginia. When first · Wool The term wool is usually restricted to describing the fibrous protein derived from the specialized skin cells called follicles in sheep
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Blouse A blouse is a loose-fitting upper garment that was formerly worn by workmen, peasants, artists, women and children. It is typically gathered at the waist so that it hangs loosely ("blouses") over the wearer's body. Today, the word most commonly refers to a woman's shirt but can also refer to a man's shirt if it is a loose-fitting style ( · Crop top A crop top is a T-shirt or blouse with the lower portion cut off, resulting in the exposure of some of the wearer's abdomen. The halfshirt (or bellyshirt) is a variety of shirt that is cut off from the bottom of the chest · Dress shirt A dress shirt , or simply shirt (also button-front or button-down shirt) is a shirt with a collar, a full-length opening at the front from the collar to the hem, and sleeves with cuffs. Dress shirts are predominantly used by men, since women usually wear blouses. The front opening is fastened using buttons or studs, and the cuffs close with · Halterneck Halterneck is a style of women's clothing with a single strap around the back of the neck. This can refer to either a dress or a separate shirt, called a halter top. The latter is a type of sleeveless shirt similar to a tank top . The term "halter" comes from the German word for "holder", as in Büstenhalter, which literally · Henley shirt A henley shirt is a collarless men's casual wear pullover shirt, characterized by a 10 cm to 15 cm long placket beneath the round neckline, usually having 2-5 buttons. It essentially resembles a collarless polo shirt. The sleeves may be either short or long sleeve, and it can be made in almost any fabric, although cotton, cotton-polyester blends, · Hoodie A hoodie , is a sweatshirt with a hood. The characteristic design includes large frontal pockets, a hood, and (usually) a drawstring to adjust the hood opening · Jersey A jersey is an item of knitted clothing, traditionally in wool or cotton, with sleeves, worn as a pullover, as it does not open at the front, unlike a cardigan. It is usually close-fitting and machine knitted in contrast to a guernsey that is more often hand knit with a thicker yarn. The word is usually used interchangeably with sweater and is the · Guernsey (clothing) A guernsey, or gansey, is a seaman's knitted woollen sweater, similar to a jersey, which originated in the Channel Island of the same name · Poet shirt · Polo shirt A polo shirt, also known as a golf shirt and tennis shirt, is a T-shaped shirt with a collar, typically a two- or three-button placket, and an optional pocket. Polo shirts are usually made of knitted cloth , usually piqué cotton or, less commonly, silk, merino wool, or synthetic fibers · Shirt A shirt is a cloth garment for the upper body. Originally an undergarment worn exclusively by men, it has become, in American English, a catch-all term for almost any upper-body garment other than outerwear such as sweaters, coats, jackets, or undergarments such as bras, vests or base layers. In British English, a shirt is more specifically a · Sleeveless shirt A sleeveless shirt, tank top, singlet or vest is a shirt manufactured without sleeves, or one where the sleeves have been cut off. Sleeveless shirts can be worn by either gender, depending on the style. These sleeveless undershirts do not prevent sweat stains from showing through. Tank tops are often worn by athletes in sports such as track and · Sweater A sweater, jumper, pullover, sweatshirt, jersey or guernsey is a garment intended to cover the torso and arms. They are often worn over a shirt, blouse, T-shirt, or other top. Sweaters tend to be, and in earlier times always were, made from wool; however, they can be made of cotton, synthetic fibers, or some combination thereof. Sweaters are · T-shirt A T-shirt is a shirt which is pulled on over the head to cover most of a person's torso. A T-shirt is usually buttonless and collarless, with a round neck and short sleeves · Tube top A tube top is a shoulderless, sleeveless "tube" that wraps the torso. Such a top is generally very tight over the breasts in order to prevent the garment from falling. This is usually achieved with elastic bands at the top and bottom of the garment · Turtleneck A polo neck or turtle neck (US) or skivvy (Australia) is a garment—usually a sweater—with a close-fitting, round, and high collar that folds over and covers the neck. It can also refer to type of neckline, the style of collar itself, or be used as an adjective ("polo necked")
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Bell-bottoms Bell-bottoms are trousers that become wider from the knees downward. Related styles include flare, loon pants and boot-cut/leg trousers. Hip-huggers are bell-bottomed, flare, or boot-cut pants that are fitted tightly around the hips and thighs · Bermuda shorts Bermuda Shorts, also known as walking shorts or dress shorts, are a particular type of short trousers, now widely worn as semi-casual attire by both men and women. The hem can be cuffed or un-cuffed, around one inch above the knee · Bondage pants · Capri pants Capri pants are a style of pants usually worn in warm weather. They are also known as long shorts or three-quarters in some areas of the world and longer versions are called high-waters. They are designed to end mid-calf or just below the calf. Though capri pants are most popular with women, they have become popular among men in many countries, · Cargo pants Cargo pants are much like regular khaki pants, but were designed originally for tough, outdoor activities. They are baggier, permitting free movement, made of hardwearing, quick-drying fabrics, with tough stitching, and have large belt loops and several additional patch pockets · Culottes The word culottes is of French language origin. Historically, the word "culottes" has always referred to the knee-breeches commonly worn by gentlemen of the European upper-classes from the late Middle Ages or Renaissance through the early 19th century. Culottes were normally closed and fastened about the leg, to the knee, by either · Cycling shorts Cycling shorts are short, skin-tight legwear designed to improve comfort and efficiency while cycling. They: · Dress pants · Jeans · Jodhpurs · Overall · Parachute pants · Phat pants · Shorts · Sweatpants · Windpants
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Categories: Underwear | Trousers and shorts | 1990s fashion | 2000s fashion
