Underwear is something so important, so personal, and so literally connected to the most private parts of us, that talking about it publically is not a very everyday thing to do, at least just yet. Having said that, we all know this, too well in fact, that even the shortest time in an uncomfortable pair, can get us squirming about like little earthworms in the ground.

Fun facts about underwear and the image of earthworms is not probably the best start to this! But then...What if we told you that this post about underwear facts was just an experiment to see how many people actually land up here to read about underwear (and perhaps, secretly envy them for having the time to look up and enjoy something like this)!

But, just kidding! You know we wouldn’t do that. Not just because underwear and everything about underwear is pretty inter-connected with what we do, but also because we’re not the mocky, judgmental, kind of people that might find it weird and strange to write and talk about underwear fun facts. Contrary to it, we are the kind of people that want you to stand for and talk about just anything under the sun that you feel like talking about.

In fact, this post on fun facts about underwear is less about underwear and more about what it represents: a fearless approach to being who you are. And if being you means being able to talk about the things that you find interesting or curious, then so be it, even if it is fun facts about underwear!

If someone asks you, ‘what is the one thing you cannot live without?’ we are pretty sure that your underwear might not top the list, however, if someone asked you that apart from the basic natural elements of wind, water, light, fire, and earth, if there was only one thing that you were allowed to own and live in the same life that you are currently living, we are pretty sure, after some thought, someone would come up with their underwear as an answer.

In that sense, we realize that our underwear is actually a rather significant piece of clothing that we use on a day to day basis – even though it may not really top the list of things vying for our attention at the beginning of the day.

Swap the context from day to night though, and a lot more of us might be paying a lot more attention to our underwear now…because we want to feel comfortable while we sleep, correct? (What else could it possibly even be, we wonder?)

Fun and games aside, what we find so fascinating is that someone, somewhere, for some reason in the world, decided to create this rather important piece of clothing that constitutes an industry worth billions of dollars today.

To get into some facts about underwear, this business seems to have started a long, long, time ago, dating all the way back to what was known as the “undergarment” somewhere in the 14th century.

The piece of clothing we call underwear today, used to be a loincloth made of wool, linen, or linsey-woolsey blend, in ancient Greece and Rome. From what we read about underwear, for some reason, only men wore them at the time. One of the reasons could be that the general attire for women ensured that their privates were covered already, however that is mere speculation, we cannot be sure of that.

What is interesting though, is that despite it being the 14th century, a lot of the behavior around how human beings lived appears to be quite similar. Probably with time it is the means that change, not the end results. So, when it comes to something unique about underwear, some say that slaves wore them in wool, linen, or other materials that were more easily available than others, whereas the more affluent in society would distinguish themselves by wearing underwear in silk.

This seemed to go on for a while and then, women’s undergarments began to show up and gain popularity. Yet, it wasn’t until the 20th century when it became a booming industry with bulk production in innovative and sometimes, quirky designs.

Today, we think about underwear, the industry has reached a whole new level with different types, colors, patterns, and brands for both men and women. Having said that, we cannot deny that this has been a very long journey, and even today, a topic like facts about underwear isn’t a normal thing unless seen within the framework of being underwear fun facts.

So we probably may have some ground to cover, but in the meanwhile, here are 13 facts about underwear from around the world that you probably might not have heard of.

A record to beat 

On 13th June, 2010 ten-year old Jack Singer of Warwick, New York wore 215 pairs of underwear simultaneously breaking the previous record of 200 pairs.

We wonder what the hell prompted this kind of trend, but hey if you want to try something like this with pajamas, we have a range of options for you to pick and put on together!

 Lady Luck likes red 

Italian women celebrate New Year’s Eve by wearing red underwear as a sign of good luck.

 Talk about representation 

In the undergarments industry, 50% represents bras, 33% briefs and corsetry more than 10% of the overall market, contributing an estimated to be worth $30billion. Yes, all the time we’ve been speaking of underwear facts we hope you knew that we meant underwear – as in – clothes that you wear under your “outerwear”, not just briefs or boxer shorts alone.

 Another place where men came first…

As mentioned before, in the middle of the 18th century, women did not wear anything as underclothing considering it to be a male garment worn under pants. In the 19th century, to keep up with the cold breeze women started wearing heavy petticoats underneath.

 Going Commando? 

Soldiers would religiously wear underwear, but sometimes it would lead to discomfort in harsh environments. Wet underwear could lead to crotch, jock, anal itching and chafing, resulting in diarrhoea, and other problems which is why soldiers would decide to avoid the traditional garment – giving rise to the term “going commando”

 We told you your underwear is important – beyond this lifetime too 

This one transcends all other underwear facts for us: Tutankhamen, also known as King Tut, an Egyptian leader, ruled from age 9 to 18. Was buried with 145 underpants.

 A Cafeteria for bacteria? 

In The field of astronomy, Russians have also been researching bacteria that will eat worn underwear of astronauts on long space missions.

 Sexy…but at what cost? 

Baleen whales were almost on the verge of extinction since the whalebone was widely used to stiffen corsets, hoop skirts, and other types of underwear. There was a time corsets contributed majorly to this industry allocating thousands of jobs.

 Making some noise 

With changing times, underwear has been used to create rebellious fashion statements. In 1780, Marie Antoinette wore chemise dresses at court. An unexpected sight left everyone shocked since the chemise was worn only as underwear.

 Science to back it up! 

1. 1935 re-invented men’s briefs as ‘scientific suspension’ and ‘restful buoyancy’ as quoted by a contemporary magazine of that time.

The word “wedgie” is derived from “wedge-heeled shoe” and became popular in the 1970s from the effect it gave the victim.

Talk about Victoria’s secret 

At an auction in Edinburgh, a pair of Queen Victoria’s underwear sold for £9,375 ($14,500 American). The knickers were made from yards of white cream fabric and had her initials VR (Victoria Regina) embroidered in them.

 Off with your belts please 

In the 1990s, hip-hop artists made it fashionable for men to wear their pants below their waists showing their boxers or briefs.

This style, called “sagging,” is said to have actually originated in prison when jail inmates had their belts removed because they might be used as a possible weapon.

Weapon or not, a lot of these trends have transgressed the borders and made it mainstream society in India, and other parts of the world. 

What remains to be seen is what comes up next, and how it will make an impact on all of us.

Until then, stay comfortable, stay sexy, and we hope you find the beast within when you pick your next pair.