Underpants are

underwear Underwear, underclothing, or undergarments are items of clothing worn beneath outer clothes, usually in direct contact with the skin, although they may comprise more than a single layer. They serve to keep outer clothing from being soiled ...

worn on the lower body generally extending no higher than the

navel The navel (clinically known as the umbilicus; : umbilici or umbilicuses; also known as the belly button or tummy button) is a protruding, flat, or hollowed area on the abdomen at the attachment site of the umbilical cord. Structure The u ...

. In

British English British English is the set of Variety (linguistics), varieties of the English language native to the United Kingdom, especially Great Britain. More narrowly, it can refer specifically to the English language in England, or, more broadly, to ...

they are often called simply pants. If a given pair of underpants has a wider waistband, it might bear the

brand A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's goods or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create and ...

name of the manufacturer on it.

Types of underpants

Unisex

Long underpants

Long underpants are the bottom half of a style of two-piece underwear called long underwear, long johns, or thermal underwear, that has long legs and long sleeves, and is normally worn during cold weather; also commonly worn by people under their clothes in cold countries. The male version of a long underwear bottom may or may not have a front fly.

Briefs

Classic briefs have an elasticated waistband at or near the wearer's waist, and leg bands that end at or near the

groin In human anatomy, the groin, also known as the inguinal region or iliac region, is the junctional area between the torso and the thigh. The groin is at the front of the body on either side of the pubic tubercle, where the lower part of the abdom ...

. Many male briefs feature a fly. They also come in ultra-absorbent varieties.

Bikini briefs

Bikini briefs are a variation on classic briefs that have less coverage; though typically full coverage of the derrière. Conventionally, the men’s version has no fly.

Thong

Thongs are like bikini briefs, except the backside is very narrow and goes between the buttocks.

Open drawers

Open drawers are undergarments where the backs and front of the legs are not joined together.

Diapers

Diapers (North America) or nappies (Britain, Ireland, and Australia) are a type of underwear worn by young children and those suffering from incontinence. Unlike other briefs, diapers allow the wearer to urinate or defecate without soiling their surroundings. These can be either reusable or disposable.

Male

Boxer shorts

Boxer shorts, boxers, or trunks (Britain), have an elasticated waistband that is at or near the wearer's waist, while the leg sections are fairly loose and extend to the mid-thigh. There is usually a fly, either with or without

button A button is a fastener that joins two pieces of fabric together by slipping through a loop or by sliding through a buttonhole. In modern clothing and fashion design, buttons are commonly made of plastic but also may be made of metal, wood, or ...

Midway briefs

Midway briefs are similar in style to boxer briefs, but are longer in the leg, at the longest being down to the knees.

Boxer briefs

Boxer briefs are similar in style to boxer shorts, but are form-fitting like classic

briefs Briefs (or a brief) are a type of short, form-fitting Undergarment, underwear and swimsuit, swimwear, as opposed to styles where material extends down the thighs. Briefs have various different styles, usually with a waistband attached to fabric ...

. Like men’s briefs, they often utilize a fly. Sometimes boxer briefs are called ''trunks'' (Britain), see next section.

Trunk briefs

Trunk briefs, also known as simply trunks, are shorter than boxer briefs but still have leg sections, unlike briefs."High Anxiety in the Underwear Department"
''The Wall Street Journal''. New York. May 14, 2009.

Female

Panties

"Panties" is a general term for female underpants. There are a number of different styles including bikinis, boyshorts, briefs, cheekies, g-strings, hipsters, and thongs. The UK English equivalent is "knickers".

Image gallery

File:LongJohns01.JPG, A male wearing long underwear File:Full Cut Fruit of the Looms Men%27s Classic Briefs in white.jpg, Male briefs File:Bikini brief.jpg, Male bikini briefs File:A-man-in-black-thongs.JPG, Male thong File:BoxerShorts-20070901.jpg, Boxer shorts File:Tier one protection MOD 45154146.jpg, Midway briefs File:Boxer para hombre, calzoncillo.jpg, Boxer briefs File:Retroshorts.jpg, Trunk briefs File:Panties styles - en.svg, Several styles of women's underpants (thong and G-string: back view)

History

References

{{Authority control Undergarments