HISTORY OF NATIONAL UNDERWEAR DAY

National Underwear Day was originally created by the brand Freshpair in 2003, as a campaign promoting a positive body image. Although men were part of the initiative as well, the focus was more on women, and how society perceives their body image. This was during a time when being confident in one’s bare skin was somewhat a new concept, and market trends were rapidly changing. The movement went viral, and National Underwear Day has been celebrated on August 5 every year since.

The first underwear dates back to prehistoric times — with humans wearing a loincloth. During the Middle Ages, men wore linen shorts or ‘braies.’ Women wore a ‘shift’ under their dresses. In Britain, pants were long drawers covering the whole leg. (In fact, the word, ‘panties’ evolved from a shortened version of the word ‘pants.’) But women’s knickers didn’t appear until the 19th century.

While underwear is primarily for protecting clothes from getting stained, the rising demand for lingerie led to more fashionable varieties of underwear. Lady Duff-Gordon of Lucile was the first to create lingerie that freed women from tight corsets. Breakthrough brand Victoria’s Secret was founded in 1977 and made underwear and nightwear both fun and functional for daily wear.

National Underwear Day celebrates boxers, briefs, sports bras, and even some swimsuits. If it is worn underneath your clothing, it is an undergarment worth celebrating!