Rohan MathawanUnderwear has been around for more than 7000 years. When the men and women of yore first developed an ego, they understood the importance of underpants. The usage evolved into being purely utilitarian.
Leather from the hunt made its way on to the person, to provide support for pre-historic errands. To this day, it serves the same purpose.
Has humanity lost its knack for innovation?
Subconsciously, did we disregard innerwear as deserving of revolution?
After all, it only provides support to the part of our bodies that’s responsible for the existence of the human race.
A ‘Brief’ History of Briefs
There have been several impractical iterations of undergarments over the years. Most manufacturers were under the impression that more fabric equals advancement. There was a phase in the 50s where the innerwear of that era is considered as a full outfit today.
Luckily, they stopped before the underwear could act as an overcoat. Today, the dimensions are significantly more manageable. Great! We’re back to where we started.
Before any of the false innovations, there was an addition to the purpose of innerwear. The undergarments would serve to keep the outer garments from getting soiled and damaged from bodily excretions.
Innerwear of today
We’ve come a long way. From loincloths to braies and brassieres to pantaloons to what we have today, a plethora of options tailored to meet the design, comfort, and the support needs of the modern individual.
We now have choices aplenty. Boxers, Briefs, Boxer Briefs, Trunks, and Vests just to get started. There is now underwear for all sorts of occasions. Functional for everyday use, funky for the fashion-forward go-getter, lingerie for the nights with added excitement, and jockstraps for those who like to keep it tight.
Adapting a utilitarian perspective would lead us to believe that we’re at the peak of underwear design and functionality.
The way forward is one that’s filled with subtle nuances to the already optimized design.
The Future of Underpants
Simultaneously, it sounds like we’ve hit a wall, and looks like we’ve got nowhere to go but up.
How would future underwear look?
More importantly, how would they feel?
The most visible change would be the adaptation of minimal design and longevity. Changes in the fabric would add supreme levels of comfort, thus letting you wrap your goods in the cloth of the gods.
But what would any future-proof innerwear achieve without optimizing production to cause the least impact on the environment?
The underwear of today that attacks the soft underbelly of the environment would cease to scurry forward in the cutthroat world of modern innerwear.
But in the face of overwhelming odds and orthodox minds, innovation is bound to happen. Most likely, it’s already in motion.