From Arne Adolfsen on Facebook, this still of Rudolph Valentino from the 1922 The Young Rajah:
At a time when men rarely exposed their chests in public, and wore loose-fitting swim trunks, Valentino flagrantly exposed his body, topless and in skin-tight, basket-displaying trunks — probably contributing to the general disappearance of swim tops for men in the early 1930s.
Additions to the inventory of my underwear postings in “Underwear gods” of 10/19/10:
AZBlogX 11/8/10: The Gaze Downward (link). On 10percent models and Marco Rossi.
AZBlogX 11/9/10: Lives of the pornstars (link). Aden Jaric modeling underwear.
AZBlog 12/7/10: Underwear gifting (link). Underwear from FrankDandy.
AZBlog 12/8/10: More trendy underwear (link). From MensFit.
AZBlog 12/15/10: The Xmas package (link). Undergear ad. With a pun on package, plus a remarkable jockstrap and a note on hardware.
AZBlog 12/17/10: The Xmas package 2 (link). No underwear at all in this ad. Plus a remarkable thong and a note on pouch-enhancing.
AZBlog 12/19/10: The Xmas package 3 (link). With another remarkable jockstrap.
AZBlog 12/21/10: The Xmas package 4 (link). Lots of hi-def from Undergear.
AZBlog 12/23/10: The Xmas package 5 (link). With a play on junk.
AZBlog 12/24/10: The men’s underwear book (link). Cultural history in The Story of Men’s Underwear.
AZBlog 12/25/10: More ridiculous underwear with zipper pulls (link). The Gregg Homme Forbidden Jockbrief.
AZBlog 12/29/10: Remarkable underwear (link). Two pieces of underwear humor.
AZBlogX 1/2/11: Phallicity: Reese Rideout (link). The pornstar in an extraordinarily phallic jockstrap (and out of it).
AZBlogX 1/9/11: Showoff (link). Back to hi-def from Undergear.
AZBlogX 1/21/11: Valentine gift (link). A high-def Undergear Valentine.
[You should be 18 or over to view this posting.]
Found in the Undergear catalogue (on sale for Christmas!), another piece of underwear with a zipper pull, even more outrageous (and, to my mind, a lot more uncomfortable-looking) than the last one. This one’s a jockbrief — brief in front, jock in back (no back panel, only straps):
That’s one tight little pouch to cram your package into. And a pretty sizable zipper ring to have in your pants — not that I’d expect the wearer to have pants on.
The ad copy:
Gregg Homme® Forbidden Jockbrief
Sheer pleasure. The ultra-sexy Gregg Homme Forbidden collection is a bold and cutting-edge design that provides supportive lift at both the front and the back. Featuring a faux-leather and latex look with a front contoured pouch, these daring men’s jockbriefs have a unique design of a sheer mesh with a front functional zipper for a sexy look. Plus, the zipper has protective lining so you can have peace of mind. Nylon/spandex.
Hardly any nod to comfort: the “supportive lift” and the “protective lining” to counteract the threat of the metal zipper. Otherwise, it’s vain display.
[You should be 18 or over to view this posting.]
He’s back, the young man from two previous Undergear Christmas package postings, still in his Santa-red lo-rise hi-def briefs, and so is the play on package:
From inside the catalogue, a different play on words, in the Junk Underjeans line of men’s underwear:
That’s junk ‘genitalia’, as in “Don’t touch my junk” (in airport security pat-downs).
Illustrated above is the Junk Underjeans Paradox Trunk, described in the ad copy as follows:
Sleek stripes give these trunks their inviting appeal. Junk Underjeans is new and one of the most innovative men’s underwear brands in the fashion world today. They’re designed to be worn under jeans with the waistband exposed for a sexy hint of what to expect below. Edgy, urban designs are sure to please after the jeans come off! These unique trunks include a zipper opening in front with metal “J” zipper pull, but your boys are protected from rubbing against the zipper by an imprinted fabric panel inside. A cool tattoo-like design makes an impact on the legs.
As before, the ad emphasizes the appearance of the underwear — in this case, even before, as the copy says, the jeans come off, and afterwards in the edgy tattoo-like design, the Junk logo, and the invitation of the zipper pull. Comfort is served by protecting the wearer’s balls from the zipper.
Note also boys ‘balls, testicles’ in the copy. (Guys is similarly used.)
[Warning: You should be 18 or older to view this posting.]
The Undergear Christmas ads get further and further away from explicit reference to (genital) packages, though the (gift) package remains in the photo — this time with two Santas:
Now we’re in the world of hi-def underwear (discussion on this blog here, on my X blog here): instant Basket display (though the images are not technically “adult”, because they don’t show the actual package). From the Undergear catalog, a hi-def jockstrap:
This item comes in black, white, and (illustrated here) royal blue. The ad copy:
Lighten up in this Good Devil mesh jockstrap. Crafted from an extremely soft and stretchy polyamide/spandex blend, this sheer mesh jockstrap delivers a supportive and confident look. The cutting-edge construction allows for maximum breathability while still providing a boosting lift that flatters and feels great. A whole new look in men’s underwear.
As in my earlier examples, the copy focuses on the look of the underwear while still advertising its comfort and good feel.
[You should be 18 or older to view this posting.]
Undergear continues its series of Christmas ads playing on package, this time under the heading “It’s what underneath that counts”:
As before, I’ve added an item from the catalog, the Good Devil Preview Jockstrap,
described in the ad copy:
Sneak preview. Good Devil preview jockstraps are anything but boring! This eye-catching men’s underwear features printed metallic accents on the outside and a soft and comfortable feel inside the pouch. A sexy cutout preview panel allows for a sneak peak without showing it all off at once— but definitely still gets attention! An undeniably red-hot look, these men’s jockstraps are a playful pick that are fun to wear and leave a lasting impression. A bold Good Devil logo design on the elastic waistband completes the look.
Note the rhyme sneak peak and the alliterative playful pick (which might have been intended to evoke the word prick, to go along with the image).
This time the model’s body is not shaved and smooth; in fact, in the world of underwear models he counts as a pretty hairy man.
Undergear is at it again, with another Christmas package for lovers of the male body and visual puns — this time with no visible underwear at all:
And on the site itself, another remarkable piece of clothing, the California Muscle® Milan Cross Thong (available in black, red, and white):
As before, the ad copy provides pleasures of its own:
Oh, what a night you’ll have in this incredibly comfortable pouch-enhancing men’s thong. Ingeniously designed so that the center cross lifts and enhances, the Milan men’s thong gives you a flattering silhouette without sacrificing comfort. A t-back design gives minimal coverage. Made of a smooth nylon/spandex blend with just the right amount of stretch.
Pouch-enhancing is especially nice — a word that seems to appear almost entirely in underwear ads (usually printed as two words); you can find Coxsox Mens Pouch Enhancing Underwear, DMK – Hammock Pouch Enhancing Trunk (in peacock blue or purple), Sheer Pouch Enhancing Thong by Male Power, N2N Bodywear Tropic Pouch Enhancing Boxer, and more.
Through Undergear, I’ve discovered the Nasty Pig line of gear and clothes, aimed at the rough and bearish man. Including playsheets:
Made from Nasty Pig Rubber™, these are The Original Machine Washable PlaySheets™. We have personally put together numerous focus groups to test their appeal. Elastic is stitched all the way around the edges of our Sheets so that they will hold their grip while you are busy losing yours. When you have finished abusing them, toss them in the wash. A must-have for all you Hardcore Players and Lovers. Makes the perfect wedding gift.
The copy writers seem to be fond of capitalization. Given Sheets and Hardcore Players and Lovers, I would have expected Wedding, or even Wedding Gift.
From Arne Adolfsen, this blast from 30 years ago, the 1972 AH Men catalogue, which I remember with great pleasure (even experienced the store): here.
Remarkable clothes (though tame in comparison to things available now), and even better:
ADAM Scented & Flavored Genital Towelettes
ADAM for the really liberated. A mild hygienic personal deodorant for today’s active man. In convenient towelette form. 2 erotic flavors, Lemon/Lime & Passion Wine.
Well, there have been flavored douches (for both women and men) for some time, though I haven’t experienced them, so I guess this was bound to have happened. Hey, take a shower, dude!
From Undergear today, a holiday offer with a pun on package:
The model is presenting his (genital) package as a gift package. On offer on the site is this remarkable California Muscle® Under World Jockstrap (model costs extra):
With a description emphasizing the sexual properties of the clothing:
Made with bold silver accents, this tough-looking jockstrap will help you make someone an offer they can’t refuse. The pouch and waistband come together at a silver ring that lets everyone know just what kind of a hardware you’re packing. Made from a comfortable nylon/spandex blend, this jockstrap underwear is designed to leave a lasting impression.
“Just what kind of a hardware you’re packing” has a play on the verb packing and on the noun hardware, plus the treatment of hardware as a count noun, with the determiner a — “countification”, as discussed on Language Log here.
Similar usages aren’t hard to find. One example with a:
I am not egocentric, all I would like to do is to collect information for people (like me) that wonder what kind of a hardware they really bought. (link)
And plural hardwares ‘pieces of hardware’ is incredibly common, as in this example:
i have my numark total control and 2 technics 1200 mk2 and my sl3 hardware how do i connect the hardwares to work together (link)
In my capacity as Underwear Guy, I offer some gifting advice from the FrankDandy firm, which designs underwear (and related clothing items) that is about as far from plain white as you can get and talks about their stuff with deep seriousness (they have, omigod, a Philosophy):
“We gather inspiration from pulsating cities around the world, from its unique schemes of colour, contrast, attraction and repulsion. A great deal of inspiration descend from the inhabitants that make the city, and all the different subcultures that can only arise from the shelter of anonymity originated from city life. It’s always a thrill to get a glimpse of a hidden and forbidden secret world.”
In a moment, their Christmas ad, which presents a little puzzle in audience design. But first, a couple of samples: