A peek into the world of Undergarments

Following is an essay on Undergarments, extracted from Web pages.  My intention of posting this now is to highlight the importance of the undergarments on many aspects, including religious. As you you could see,  undergarments are : Protective systems, Body shapers, Erotic, and also have a Religious significance.
This is true with Kerala undergarments too. Each of the undergarments we inherited from our earlier generations, have all these parameters at its root.  That's how a Nair or Nampoothiri  think of  an Onnara or Konakam !  They all are deep rooted in our culture and minds .  Ofcourse, in this essay, I've what the West have. I am not touching upon the Keralite ! That's all on the way ... Please put your comments and come back  for more.

Undergarments or underwear are cloths worn under other clothes, often next to the skin. They keep outer garments from being soiled by perspiration, urine, semen, feces, and other discharges; shape the body; and provide support for parts of it. In cold weather, long underwear sometimes is worn to provide additional warmth. Some undergarments are intended for erotic effect. Special types of undergarments have religious significance. Some items of clothing are designed as underwear, while others, such as T-shirts and certain types of shorts, are appropriate both as undergarments and as outer clothing. If made of suitable material, some undergarments can serve as nightwear or swimsuits.
Undergarments commonly worn by women today include Brassieres and panties (also known as knickers), while men often wear briefs, boxer shorts, and boxer briefs. Items commonly worn by both sexes include T-shirts, sleeveless shirts (also called singlets), bikini underwear, thongs, and G-strings.
There are several other terms for undergarments. Undercloths, underclothing and underwear are formal terms, while undergarments may be more casually called,  undies) and Reginalds, and, in the UK smalls (from the earlier smallclothes).
Women's undergarments collectively are called lingerie. They also are called intimate clothing and intimates.
An undershirt is a piece of underwear covering the torso, while underpants (often pants in the UK), drawers, and shorts cover the genitals and often the buttocks. Terms for specific undergarments are in following table.

Why Underwear ?
Underwear is worn for a variety of reasons. They keep outer garments from being soiled by perspiration, urine, semen, and feces. Women's brassieres provide support for their 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 and trunks. Women may wear sports bras which 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.
In cold climates, underwear may be an additional layer of clothing that helps the wearer keep warm. Underwear can be used to preserve the wearer's modesty – for instance, some women wear camisoles and slips (petticoats) under clothes that are sheer. Conversely, underwear can also be worn for erotic effect. It is possible to purchase underwear made specifically for sexual titillation, such as edible underwear and crotchless panties.
Some items of clothing are designed as underwear, while others such as T-shirts and certain types of shorts are suitable both as underwear and as outer clothing. The suitability of underwear as outer clothing is, apart from the indoor or outdoor climate, largely dependent on societal norms, fashion and the requirements of the law. If made of suitable material, some underwear can serve as nightwear or swimsuits.
Undergarments can also have religious significance.
Eg.   Male Orthodox Jews wear a four-cornered prayer shawl called a tallit katan.

        Most members of the The church of Jesus Christ ( Mormons) wear special temple garments.

        Sikh men wear  a type of underpants called the Kaccha, which are similar to boxer trunks.

{ Our 'Thantri'  and 'Poojari's  must wear 'thattu' while doing their religious functions. Hindu women are to wear thattu (onnara)  while at temples and other religious ceremonies }

Types of Underwear

Worn by both sexes Whole body

Long Underwear

 

Long johns,  long handles A two-piece undergarment worn during cold weather consisting of a shirt with sleeves extending to the wrists and trousers with pant legs reaching down to the ankles.

Upper body Sleeveless shirt

Tank top, wife beater, singlet A sleeveless garment similar to a T-shirt.

A-shirt (guinea tee, muscle shirt, singlet, wifebeater, vest (UK), Banian (India) – tight-fitting with large armholes and a neckline that can extend as far as mid-chest.

T-shirt

 

Tee A garment covering a person's torso which is usually without buttons, pockets or a collar, and has long or (mostly) short sleeves. It is worn by pulling it over the head.

Round-neck T-shirt   and  V-neck T-shirt

Lower body Bikini Underwear

Usually worn with the waistband lower than the wearer's waist, and often at the hips, with the leg bands ending at the groin.  Men's bikini briefs normally have no fly..

High-sided bikini underwear   and  Low-sided bikini underwear

String bikini – consists of two triangular pieces connected at the groin but not at the sides, with a thin "string" around the waist connecting the pieces.

G-String

Gee-string, gee string A type of thong consisting of a narrow piece of material that covers or holds the genitals, passes between the buttocks, and is attached to a band around the hips.

Tanga

 

A type of thong which has no material around the sides other than the waistband.

Thong

Has a narrow strip of material along the centre of the garment's rear which sits between the wearer's buttocks and connects the front or pouch to the waistband behind the wearer. Thongs are sometimes worn to reduce panty lines  when wearing tightly-fitting trousers..

Worn by women Upper body

Brassiere ( Bra)

Bra : Usually consists of two cups for the breasts, a centre panel (gore), a band running around the torso under the bust, and a shoulder strap for each side.

• Demi bra (balconette bra)
• Padded bra
• Push-up bra
• Sports bra
• Strapless bra
• T-shirt bra

Lower body Boy Shorts Booty shorts, boyleg briefs, boy short panties, boys' cut shorts, boyshorts, shorties A type of panties with sides that extend lower down the hips, rather like men's briefs.

Panties

 

UK: Knickers  These usually have an elastic waistband, a crotch to cover the genital area which is usually lined with absorbent material such as cotton, and a pair of leg openings which are often also elasticized. They either have very short or no leg sections.

Control panties – usually made of strechable material such as Spandex and extending above the waist, these are designed to provide support and create a slimmer appearance.

High cut (French cut) panties.

Hipsters – worn lower with the waistband around the hips.

Worn by men Lower body

Boxer briefs
 

Trunks These are similar in style to boxer shorts, but are generally shorter and form-fitting like briefs.

• Athletic-style boxer briefs – similar to cycling shorts, these are skin-tight and usually have no fly.
• Pouch boxer briefs – these have a pouch for the genitals instead of a fly.

Boxer shorts

 

Boxers These have an elasticized 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 buttons. The waistbands of boxer shorts are usually wider than those of briefs, and often bear the brand name of the manufacturer.

Boxer shorts with colourful patterns, pictures of cartoon characters, sports team logos and slogans are readily available.

Knit boxers                 Woven boxers

Briefs

UK:  Slip, Y-fronts

US: Jockey shorts, tightie-whities

These have an elasticized waistband at or near the wearer's waist, and leg sections that end at or near the groin.

• Traditional briefs – these have a Y-shaped fly.
• Diagonal-flap briefs.
• Double-seat or double-back briefs.
• Low-cut or low-rise briefs
• Pouch briefs.

Jockstrap

Athletic supporter, jock, strap, supporter Consists of an elastic waistband with a support pouch for the genitalia and two elastic straps affixed to the base of the pouch and to the left and right sides of the waistband at the hip. In some varieties, the pouch may be fitted with a pocket to hold an impact-resistant cup to protect the genitals from injury.

• Strapless pouch – consists of a support pouch for the genitals and a waistband, with no securing straps.

Fashions and trends

Exposed underwear ( Sagging )

Underwear is sometimes partly exposed for fashion reasons or to titillate. A woman may, for instance, allow the top of her brassiere to be visible from under her collar, or wear a see-through blouse over it. Some men wear T-shirts underneath partly- or fully-unbuttoned shirts.
A common style among young men is to allow their trousers to sag below their waists, thus revealing the waistband or a greater portion of their boxer shorts. A woman wearing low-rise trousers which expose the upper rear portion of her thong underwear is said to display a " whale tail".

Not wearing undergarments ( Going Commando )

Not wearing underwear under one's outer clothing is known in American slang as freeballing for men or freebuffing for women; in addition, the term going commando is used for both sexes. People choose to forgo underwear for reasons of comfort, to enable their outer garments (particularly those which are form-fitting) to look more flattering, or because they find it sexually arousing. The practice is not without its risks, particularly for women, some of whom have been the victims of upskirt photographers.
Certain types of clothes, such as cycling shorts and  kilts, are designed to be worn or are traditionally worn without underwear. This also applies for most clothes worn as nightwear.