Undergarments are clothes worn under other
clothes, often next to the skin. They
keep outer garments from being soiled by perspiration, shape the body and
provide support for parts of it, and in cold climates help the wearer to keep
warm. Undergarments can be used to
preserve the wearer’s modesty.
Generally, two types of undergarments are worn,
worn to cover the torso and worn to cover the waist and legs, though garments that cover both are also available. Different
styles of undergarments are generally worn by women and men. Undergarments
commonly worn by women today include brassieres and panties (knickers),
while men often wear briefs or boxers. Items commonly worn by both sexes
include T-shirts, sleeveless
shirts (also called
singlets or tank tops), bikini underwear, thongs,
and G-strings.
Underwear is worn for a variety of reasons.
They keep outer garments from being soiled by perspiration, urine,[2] semen, menstrual blood, and feces.[3] Women's brassieres
provide support for the breasts,
and men's briefs serve the same function for the male genitalia. A corset may be worn as a foundation garment to alter a woman's body shape.
For additional support and protection when playing sports, men often wear more
tightly fitting underwear, including jockstraps.
Women may wear sports bras that provide greater support, thus
increasing comfort and reducing the chance of damage to the ligaments of the chest during high-impact
exercises such as jogging.
Another reason for clothing is to control
our body’s temperature. In cool climates, clothing traps heat so that we stay warmer. In hot climates clothing can keep
heat away from the body, which is why people in the desert wear clothing that
covers most of their bodies.
Yet another reason for clothing is for
protection. Fair-skinned people
especially understand that exposed skin can burn, which can lead to skin cancer
later in life. But we also wear clothing
to protect sensitive areas of our bodies. We wear shoes so that we can walk on rough surfaces
without pain. Our genitals are ver
sensitive and clothing keeps things from directly touching them.
Some outer garment material can be seen
through when the lighting is just right or if the material gets wet. Underwear is a backup system to prevent
others from seeing our private areas.
Some outer garment material is heavy and
rough. Underwear made of softer material
protects the sensitive genitals from rubbing against the harsher materials.
If the outer garment is thin or stretchy,
underwear prevents our genitals from being outlined, especially when we have an
erection.
