Most taboo piece of clothing ever!

Paul Gorey

PE class in my time was a pretty unpleasant experience for the non-sporty kids like myself. Had absolutely no experience of team sports or being in a changing room with others.
As a kid, I always wore briefs rather than boxers, and I had the idea that it was a pretty 50/50 thing. So I was totally surprised when I started PE in first year and was literally the only boy out of 20 changing who had briefs on. I also had no clue about the MASSIVE taboo around briefs, which everyone called 'knickers', and laughed at/mocked anyone who wore them.
I literally had no idea that this was even a thing. I knew other people who wore briefs, e.g. Father, cousins, people on TV. It just seemed like they became insanely uncool all of a sudden. I don't know if this is still the case, but in my time in school, the last thing you ever wanted was anyone to find out that you wore 'knickers'.
Was this the same everywhere else? Anyone know when this taboo started? There was a time when more men actually wore briefs, so they can't always have been so uncool. Did the notion just start somewhere and spread everywhere? Just curious as to how something that was once so common could become so taboo at some stage and stay that way.

Loyal Lady

Paul, I am still scarred after all these years! We were having a laugh at home over the NYE zoom meeting. I “developed early” and really should have gotten my first bra in 5th/6th class. I used to dread P.E lessons in secondary school where my classmates used to ping each other’s bras. Needless to say, I never got pinged as there was nothing to ping! The school bus on hot days wasn’t much better. Sisters related similar experiences, so much so that one rang in the New Year telling her hubby that their baby daughter was going to be getting her first bra very soon. Think he’s scarred now lol

CoBo55

Kaftan...

Paul Gorey

Loyal Lady wrote: »

Paul, I am still scarred after all these years! We were having a laugh at home over the NYE zoom meeting. I “developed early” and really should have gotten my first bra in 5th/6th class. I used to dread P.E lessons in secondary school where my classmates used to ping each other’s bras. Needless to say, I never got pinged as there was nothing to ping! The school bus on hot days wasn’t much better. Sisters related similar experiences, so much so that one rang in the New Year telling her hubby that their baby daughter was going to be getting her first bra very soon. Think he’s scarred now lol

Oh the joys of the teenage years!

Airyfairy12

They look ridiculous! Its the equivalent of a woman wearing big frilly granny knickers. Theyre silly.

Paul Gorey

Airyfairy12 wrote: »

They look ridiculous! Its the equivalent of a woman wearing big frilly granny knickers. Theyre silly.

Did they always have such a taboo around them? Don't really get why they look ridiculous. They're pretty much the same as women's but in masculine colours/designs...

Airyfairy12

Paul Gorey wrote: »

Did they always have such a taboo around them? Don't really get why they look ridiculous. They're pretty much the same as women's but in masculine colours/designs...

Im not sure where or when the taboo comes from but I remember episodes of Mr Bean from the 80's where is briefs were the main gag so going back awhile I would say.
Theyre just funny, like borats green swim suit, theyre very unsexy haha

Day Lewin

Boxers are worse, they wrinkle and they, er, dangle. Ugh.

Paul Gorey

Day Lewin wrote: »

Boxers are worse, they wrinkle and they, er, dangle. Ugh.

Totally agree! So uncomfortable to wear.

Paul Gorey

Loyal Lady wrote: »

Paul, I am still scarred after all these years! We were having a laugh at home over the NYE zoom meeting. I “developed early” and really should have gotten my first bra in 5th/6th class. I used to dread P.E lessons in secondary school where my classmates used to ping each other’s bras. Needless to say, I never got pinged as there was nothing to ping! The school bus on hot days wasn’t much better. Sisters related similar experiences, so much so that one rang in the New Year telling her hubby that their baby daughter was going to be getting her first bra very soon. Think he’s scarred now lol

Any theory on the briefs taboo thing? Trying to figure out how prevalent it was...

tabby aspreme

I thought the taboo, if it was ever there, would have disappeared when Donnacha O Callaghan lost his shorts, and still wanted to go into, the line-out

Aisling(",)

I think it depends on the briefs. The plain white/navy/grey ones from dunnes etc remind me of something my grandad would have had on the line. The ones with the thick bands are a bit more stylish like the Calvin Klein ones.

meeeeh

I thought they are something that disappeared in eighties/early nighties and most people under 50 wouldn't wear them.

Paul Gorey

meeeeh wrote: »

I thought they are something that disappeared in eighties/early nighties and most people under 50 wouldn't wear them.

I never realised that...or my mum, who used to buy them for me! I was still wearing them in the early 2000s!