Lady in long johns! Time-lapse video charts the evolution of men's underwear trends - by using a woman to model each style, from loose loincloths to tight trunks
- A time-lapse video shows a stunning model made over in styles through the ages as she shows off men's underwear from ancient times to today
- The garments modeled throughout the video covers long john underwear, the invention of the jock straps to the debut of the boxer brief
Modern pop culture seems incredibly preoccupied with the underwear worn by female models and starlets, so much so that it's often easy to forget that men's underwear has its own fascinatingly diverse history.
With this in mind, YouTube channel The Scene is telling the story of the long history of men's underwear in an impressive new video - and is using a stunning female model to do it.
Throughout the clip, the young woman not only shows off a different type of underwear for every era covered, but is also made up with make-up, hairstyles and props to further typify the historical moments.
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Back in the day: A new time-lapse video uses a blonde female model to show types of men's underwear throughout history
From the start: The first garment covered is the loincloth, which was worn in most societies across the globe that disapproved of waist-down nudity
A bit more covered: The next type of underwear covered are the braies from the Middle Ages, which were calf-length and resembles trousers
Appropriately, the video starts with the very first form of men's underwear: the loincloth.
Historically, loincloths were worn in most societies that valued covering up genitalia and was made from a variety of different materials.
The video cites the variety of fine linen loincloths found in the tomb of Tutankhamun who lived from 1341 to 1323 BC - and so the model's carefully-wrapped loincloth also appears to be fashioned from linen. The young woman is also given a wild, unkempt look with a touch of dirt on her face and unruly frizzy hair.
Moving on to the Middle Ages, the model has her hair slightly smoothed out, and slipped into a pair of braies - a calf-length garment resembling trousers that also showed the first use of the still-popular drawstring.
'In the Middle Ages, men don't really have hips, and they have these big sword belts that they're wearing so you don't want to cinch them up tight like you would with modern trousers,' explained costume designer Sean Dermond in a behind-the-scenes interview about the project.
'So part of what that underwear did was create a bit of a cushion there, where you could put your sword belt on.'
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Giving the details: In a behind-the-scenes video, costume designer Sean Dermond explained how they found some of the underwear used in the video
Making it grand: The 1700s saw the debut of the underdrawers, modeled in the video along with a Napoleon-style hat and jacket
Keeping toasty: The long johns are shown to be the garment of choice among the rich in the 1800s by dressing the model in a top hat
For the active man: The jockstrap was created by a designer for a sporting goods company in Chicago to help cyclists protect their nether regions while navigating cobble stone roads
For the next era covered, the 18th century, the model dons a Napoleon-style hat and military jacket over a set of white linen underdrawers.
Information in the video adds that the knee-length garment 'aided in preserving breeches and added an extra layer of warmth'.
Bright red long johns are the focus of the 1900s segment, explaining how the union suit was actually first created for women before becoming popular with men.
In order to illustrate that the garment was more popular among the rich, the model tops off the look with a pristine top hat.
The invention of the jockstrap is covered for the next era of the video: the late 1800s - though the model obviously would not have benefited from its unique features.
This type of underwear was developed in 1874 by a Chicago sporting goods company with the aim of helping men contain and support their private parts while cycling on the uneven streets of the city.They were later adapted for use in other sports as well.
On the move: The popular boxer shorts were invented to replace the leather belts used by boxers in the ring
Mixing it up: These undergarments were so named because they offered support similar to that of the jockstrap with their tight fit
The real thing: The model's underwear in the 1950s segment was a real vintage piece, found in a Philadelphia thrift store
The much-loved boxer short became popular in the 1920s, having given a comfortable elastic waistband in place of the leather belts previously worn by boxers.
To complete the look for this era, the model is also dressed in a white tank top - also a popular undergarment - and socks held up by garters.
Just one decade later saw the ushering in of an undergarment that would eclipse the boxer short in popularity almost immediately: the jockey briefs.
Named because they offered support similar to that of the jockstrap, the design of this type of underwear was inspired by a postcard the designer received showing a man in a form-fitting swim suit sunbathing in the French Riviera.
For this section, the model pairs the hugely popular underwear type with an open shirt, striped tie and a wide-brimmed fedora.
The 1950s segment - featuring the popularizing of new fabrics for more fashionable drawers - is unique to the rest of the collection in the video in that it is the only true vintage piece to be modeled.
'It was dead stock, so it was never used,' explains the costume designer. 'We picked it up at a great little thrift store in Philadelphia.'
Most of the other items purchased for the project were, in fact, modern underwear that had been made to look like vintage styles from different eras.
Teeny tiny: Underwear met high fashion for men in the 1970s
The revolution: The combining of the length of boxers with the snug fit of briefs shook up the underwear-making industry
Up to today: The newest undergarment covered in the video is the hipster trunks, which the model matches with a top knot and sweatshirt
The 1970s, however, saw much of that new material from the 50s segment was lost as designer briefs went on the rise.
New, sexy ad campaigns resulted in the popularity of high-fashion underwear, including the minimalist kind the model is seen showing off in the video.
The 1990s saw the combination of two of the century's favorite forms of underwear as the boxer brief went on the market - best remembered by the famous days of Mark Wahlberg's underwear modeling career for Calvin Klein, whose then-designer John Varvatos pioneered the product.
Combining the length of boxers with the snug fit of briefs, the undergarment shook up the underwear-making industry and continues to be one of the most popular in the market.
The last undergarment covered, for the present day, is what the filmmakers call the hipster trunks, which are shorter than boxer briefs and often come without a seam. The model in the video accompanies the star-patterned trunks with a grey hoodie and a very hipster-relevant top knot hairstyle.
The video, which seems to be very closely modeled on the 100 Years of Beauty series by Cut.com, appears to be the first of its kind by The Scene, who have previously done videos where fathers and sons react to their daughters and mothers being catcalled.
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