This is probably a kind of follow on from my last question but it did get me wondering. After many very helpful answers to my last question re. teenage son and underwear choice, I decided to take advice and purchase boxers and briefs for him and let him wear whatever he's comfortable with in front of the other boys in locker room etc. I was explaining this to him anyway and was saying that maybe in high school briefs or tighty whities might be considered uncool or dorky or whatever. He asked me why were briefs 'uncool' anyway? I honestly couldn't answer that one. Why are briefs the uncool underwear now for boys? I probably sound old here but I can remember when they were very common and loads of young men wore them. When did briefs become so uncool? When did boxers become the 'right' underwear for teenagers?
Same reason why boxers were uncool when I was a teen, my dad wore them.
Sort of like when I was younger a three piece suit was uncool, now my son has three and bow ties as well. His kids will not find this attire cool.
You want an explanation of how fashion works? haha ;)
I think Julie S. is probably right, though. But generally, who can explain "cool"?
Because they said so. (And no, I don't know who 'they' are)
I asked my son and he said guys do not stand around comparing their underwear, discuss what kind of underwear is cool or uncool, or check out the other guys who are changing to see what kind of underwear they are wearing. He prefers boxer briefs because he finds them comfortable. He said the only thing about underwear that would be uncool is if it were dirty.
Some people still wear briefs. Styles change, and I don't remember when exactly briefs went out of style as the go-to underwear choice for guys.
Tell your son to wear whatever he chooses, whatever he feels more comfortable in. And then hold his head up and wear them with pride. If anyone makes fun of them, he can call himself a trendsetter and do a little underwear dance for the onlookers. If he's brave enough to to that, they will be amused and he will earn respect.
Tell your son to work those bad boy briefs and get his sexy on.
I have one teen that wears briefs and one that prefers boxer-briefs. As for color, they have a mix of white, solid colors and patterns. I asked about underwear choices. They have no opinion of the underwear of other boys, don't take notice in a locker room, and wonder why they would care.
I think you are overly concerned about this or maybe thinking about it too much. I don't think it matters what is cool or not or when something became uncool. I would tell him that fashion changes all the time and it doesn't really matter when the underwear styles changed. And when he gets older hopefully he will understand that it doesn't matter what other people think of him, he will be happy wearing whatever underwear he wants. Until then, if he wants to fit in then you are happy to buy him whatever he needs. I would leave it at that. lol
Maybe when Michael Jordon told us so on commercials?
Just like granny panties are assigned to older granny type women tidy whities are assigned to little old men.
Beautiful young people wear pretty lacy hip huggers, bikini panties, lace bras with deep front openings, and men wear boxers with a 6 pack ab set.
It's all about image.
you are squicking me out. what a weird obsession with boys' underwear. why this odd need to have a perfect explanation for something at once so vague, and yet so easy?
fashions change.
boom.
that's it.
find something else to think about it.
khairete
S.
When did pants sagging to your knees become cool? Some things just have no logic
I think that many trends, fads, fashions, styles, etc are declared "cool" or "uncool" as a result of clever marketing. All it takes is one marketer or PR person to convince a celebrity to wear a certain product. It can be flaunted in public as part of a photo shoot, or it can just be subtle, just worn while out at a restaurant. And then all of a sudden that's cool. Product placement in movies and tv shows used to be very, very subtle and barely noticeable. Now they're glaring and in-your-face and not hidden at all. And so that product or style is suddenly everywhere.
Can you imagine how different things would be if there were no tv commercials, no magazines, no internet? Fashion and trends and styles would simply be spread by word-of-mouth and be much more limited than they are now. That's my opinion, at least. I'm no fashionista, but I really feel that marketing strategies are pretty much behind everything!
I think the question is when where tidy whites ever considered cool? 20 years ago when I was in college - they where not cool same reason granny panties are not cool and never have been they where just the only option and a very unattractive one at that.
Wearing boxers does not mean necessary mean your pants are hanging down. Boxer briefs in gray prints or any color other than white is acceptable imo
I think it's a genration thing. My father who would be nearly 90 if he was still alive wore boxers. My brothers who are now in their 50s did the opposite and wore tidy-whities. Jersey knit cotton fabric was new back in the 50s-60s so it was the new kind of underwear. Now guys from about mid-30s and younger seem to go for boxers cuz it's the opposite of what their fathers wear. And every teen-to-twenty-somthing can tell you that if dad wears it, it's not cool. Remember tube socks and short shorts? Need I say more?
I think it's bc boxers are typically way more flattering so girls I know prefer boyfriends or husbands in them and older guys know that or find it out. Then that trickles down to younger kids. I personally do not like the look of briefs.
When I was a kid (graduated High School in 1973) the cool well dressed girls made a lot if not most of their clothes. We had our own style. We could take the same dress pattern and use a different fabric or sleeve pattern and have a totally different look.
Then suddenly ... fashion cool became all about designers, and we could buy designer patterns... then home sewing became a dinosaur and the 'cool mall' stores were the rage.
Before I learned to sew my mom would shop the clearance racks at the best department stores in town. So I was always well dressed.
When my daughter started middle school in 2000 the popular kids all 'had to have' the Abercrombie - Hollister - etc. clothes or they were not accepted in the 'cool clique' my daughter also had to have the cute bra and panty sets or some loud mouth girl would tell everyone she wore granny panties.
I tried to explain personality is more important than clothes but in middle school it's all about 'the look'. Usually by high school the kids have it figured out -- yes clothes are important but personality is more important.
My son, 4 years younger, never cared as long as his butt was covered he was not too concerned about style. But for some kids it's all part of the rites of passage to becoming an adult.
