Man wears panties again: Comeback of ‘Karl-Heinz’?

The slip eke out an existence as a love killer and young guys wear boxer shorts – that’s the cliché. The self-portrayal world of Instagram and Co. seems to be revealing a counter-trend: tight underpants are back in fashion for men. A slip comeback?

“Men’s underpants have long been purely a fashion item and are selected based on personal comfort,” says style expert Bernhard Roetzel. “Underwear has completely changed its function in the past hundred years – from the almost medical view as warming clothing to a lifestyle product.”

Of course, the cut of the underpants has a lot to do with the pants worn over them, says author Roetzel (“The Gentleman: Handbook of Classic Men’s Fashion”). In the 80s, for example, bulky boxer shorts under pleated trousers were no problem.

Do white underpants have an image problem?

An underpants survey commissioned by the German Press Agency now shows that boxer shorts and boxer briefs – overall underpants with little legs – are the clear favorites among men in Germany. However, every fifth man (21 percent) likes the look of the briefs best if he has to decide on the shape of his underwear. Women see it less that way (11 percent). Striking: Slip fans tend to be older adults in Germany (from 45 and significantly more among those over 55), but also – surprise – young adults (18 to 24 years).

About a quarter of a century ago, tastes were very different. In 2000, a representative survey commissioned by the trade magazine “TextilWirtschaft” revealed that fine rib underpants and brightly patterned sports briefs were “by far the types of underpants worn by most men”. The cook-proof classic “Karl-Heinz” – that was a common nickname for the white fine-rib underpants in the past – was still very popular at the time.

That’s different today: “The white underpants with a fly have become a niche product. In terms of image, it suffered a lot,” says fashion critic Roetzel. “Actually, I’ve never heard of a man actually using this procedure.” Today, the “Open Fly” is often just a sewn-on dummy – a nostalgic look.

In all of this, according to Roetzel, one shouldn’t forget that until a few years ago German men mostly wore tank tops. “The undershirt was tucked into the underpants. And then everything was tucked under the pants.” Today, especially in the summer, many people left off their undershirts. “And then there doesn’t have to be room in the underpants for the undershirt.” One reason why underpants can be less baggy.

The bigger the belly, the bigger the panties

If panties or “briefs” are becoming more popular these days, then they are not wide grandpa models, no high-rise or mid-rise panties (up to just below the navel). Self-marketers and models wear low-rise briefs to look sexy. Tight low-rise briefs show off a hardened body, six-pack or trained legs better than any other type of underpants. But that’s exactly the problem for men who don’t have a washboard stomach, but a raccoon stomach. The principle applies: the bigger the belly, the bigger the panties.

There is one thing to be said about briefs: Tight briefs hold everything together well, but they also show what you have in your pants. “In the USA, given the more prudish sense of morality, it’s downright absurd for a man to wear panties underneath,” says Roetzel. “You can also see that with swimming trunks. In America, European mini swimming trunks are mocked. In Europe, especially southern Europe, it’s not against good manners for a man to walk around on the beach in his briefs.”

By the way, the history of underpants is shorter than many think. It was only with industrialization that what we passed as underpants came into existence. It was woven for a long time and cut loosely and quite long. “An interest in strength and athletic physique that was already discernible in the 19th century led to a series of tailored silhouettes in men’s fashion in the early 20th century that emphasized slimness,” says clothing historian Julia Burde (“The Straightening of the Waistline in Men’s Fashion” ).

“Thick linen underwear no longer suited the new, athletic body image,” explains Burde. “Starting in 1934, a pattern designer from the US company Jockey developed the first Y-shaped men’s briefs. He became a sales sensation. The new, skin-tight fit was made possible by the further development of artificial and synthetic fibers as well as woven and knitted fabrics made from chemically produced filaments.”

Boxer shorts and briefs dominate the century

In all eras, men’s clothing interacted with soldiers’ uniforms, says Burde, including during the world wars. Around 1920, the US Army’s boxer shorts were adopted into civilian outfits. “For about 100 years, there have been two main forms of male underwear: boxer shorts and briefs.”

Tight trousers came into fashion in the 1960s. Briefs with a gusset (sewing that protects the intimate area from rubbing and irritation) made the narrow fits possible in the first place. “This continued in the 70s, when the trouser legs were flared but the hips remained narrow,” says Burde, the cultural history of the Teaches clothing at the Berlin University of the Arts (costume design course). “Under the counter-cultural influence of grunge and hip-hop oversize, a hybrid of panty and boxer shapes became popular from 1992, primarily thanks to the Calvin Klein brand: the boxer briefs.”

Fashion expert Roetzel adds: “For a while, skaters and other men deliberately wore the waistband lower to show the edge and the brand of the tight-fitting underpants. “With the up and down of the hem of the trousers, the hem of the underpants always moves up and down.” (dpa)

An overview of the basic shapes of men’s underpants

Briefs: The tight underpants classic is called “letter” in English-speaking technical jargon. Fits well under short sports shorts and tight pants.

boxer shorts: Sit loosely and comfortably on the hips and are particularly suitable under loose pants. There is often a slit with buttons at the front, but some only have buttons for decoration.

boxer briefs: Tight-cut mix of boxer shorts and briefs with longer legs.

Trunks: The tight retro pants (also called new boxers or hipsters) are boxer briefs with a shorter leg, usually only a few centimeters long, so that they even fit under shorts such as sports shorts.

Long underwear: Tight so-called long pants are well suited for cold days. In figure-hugging cuts, they fit like a second skin under everyday pants or even ski pants.

thongs: tight, skimpy, airy underpants with string or straps in the buttocks; offers a lot of freedom of movement.

jock straps: A functional underwear originally designed for athletes and intended to place a protector on the front. The butt remains free, because on the back there are only two straps for support, so that everything stays in place.