Friday, August 14, 2009

The Underwear-Free Lifestyle

Back in January, my girlfriend wrote about "The Bra-Free Lifestyle". She has identified the bra as being more trouble than it's worth, and has chosen to not wear one unless required. She made this choice long ago, before I even knew her. In that post's header, I mentioned that I was thinking about ditching underwear. To me, it seems like a completely optional article of clothing.

Not everyone seems to think so. A news story recently reported that Florida city workers are required to wear underwear, and required to not show it. How would they even know? Wouldn't it be easier to just not wear any? It saves on laundry too. I don't understand how this is a hygiene issue, since things are still wrapped in cotton.

I made the switch to boxers about 9 years ago. It gave things the freedom to move around more, which is a good feeling, but also comes with issues of it's own. Sometimes things snake their way out. Sometimes the legs of the boxers bunch up. Sometimes they are just too hot during the summer, and things end up being sweaty all day. Oh well, I still wore them every day. My primary concern was that jeans would be too rough on certain spots if I went without underwear of some sort. I tried it for very short periods of time, and it did seem a bit too rough.

Earlier this summer, I was talking with a good friend of ours. He's a nudist, and never wears underwear when he's dressed. The idea stuck in my brain that it was possible to truly live without underwear. It was an idea that I wanted to explore further.

Come to think of it, all of the males I know who go without underwear are nudists. It's entirely possible that my viewpoint is slanted, since I know a lot of nudists and have seen what they wear under their pants. But, the ones who go as naked as much as possible tend to not wear any. Is it a natural step for naturist men to forfeit their underwear?

At Eastover, I started almost every rainy morning wearing my jeans and my TNS long-sleeve to stay warm. I realized that wearing just the jeans did start off a bit scratchy, but I quickly got used to it. I enjoyed the fact that the boxers never bunched up. I enjoyed the little bit of extra freedom. It was better than I was expecting.

At the end of the week, I decided to keep with it. I went underwear-free on the trip back to Wisconsin. I wore underwear back to work, but gave that up too after a couple days. I've gone without it almost every day since.

The difference between going underwear-free (males) and bra-free (females) is that it's much easier to tell with the females. Even if a male bends over, it's possible that the underwear is too low to see so it's difficult to reach any conclusions. With females, bra-straps, nipples, and bounce can be visible through even thicker fabrics.

At the moment, only nudist friends know that I haven't been wearing my undies. How would the rest of society act if they find out? Will they have a "look of disgust and surprise at the same time" like with my girlfriend's bra-free experiences? Will I be considered a horrible person for my decision? Do censored parts really need two independent layers of protection? I think not, and society had better accept that as my answer.

It may not be permanent though. As winter rolls in, I'll welcome that extra layer of warmth. At least now I know that I'm comfortable both ways.

[UPDATE 2010: The cold didn't work. I still don't wear them...]

8 comments:

Travis Edrington said...

I still wear underwear when I wear pants because it allows me to wear my shorts or jeans more than once (usually 2 months between wash) and underwear is smaller so you can watch more in one load, saving water.

Brad Fults said...

I think "going commando" might be more popular than you think. At least among the college-aged, I knew many girls who abstained from underwear (though not bras) as a matter of course, and males who did the same. Some of that could owe to the warm climate we were in (San Diego), but I don't think it's all that uncommon.

As for me, the jeans scratching/chafing issue bothered me too much and I reverted to boxer-briefs. That said, I will still go commando with cotton shorts or something else soft that won't irritate.

Rick said...

Except for the winter mnths, I go commando at least 99.9% of the time. When I'm dressed, it's nearly always in jeans and it's never bothered me.

I sweat a lot down there and found that my underwear essentially rotted away over time. I find that without underwear there's more air circulation and I don't sweat as much. (I have never liked boxers.)

I do wear it in the winter, especially when those cold winds blow down from Canada. It gives me an extra layer of insulation. Other than that, I really see no use for underwear.

Unknown said...

I go commando most of the time even in the Winter since I really don't spend any more time outdoors in the Winter than it takes to get back and forth to the car. Though going command is I think more comfortable I do suspect that the pants would last longer with the underwear.

Anonymous said...

Sometimes I do and sometimes I don't. I'm an older guy and once in a while it leaks. Just depends on what makes me comfortable on that particular day.

Rick said...

I haven't noticed that my pants wear out any sooner than before going commando became a regular practice. If anything, I've found that my jeans last longer since there is more air flow in the region, naturally drying things out whereas before the moisture was retained by my underwear which was in constant contact with my pants. For what it's worth.

Jake said...

Haven't worn underwear for over 20 years summer,fall, winter or spring. I live in Northern Canada and have never even noticed the difference during cold weather. I also wear a kilt as often as possible as the freedom is almost as good as being nude.

Anonymous said...

I gave up wearing underwear about ten years ago. It is so much more comfortable. No more bunching up, and much less sweaty during the summer months. Since I gave them up I have never fealt the need to wear them again, and probably never will.