Briefs

Briefs are a type of short, snug underwear and swimwear, as opposed to styles where looser material extends down the thighs.

Briefs have various different styles and are worn by both men and women. See swim briefs for the case of briefs as swimwear.

Briefs were first sold on January 19, 1935, by Coopers, Inc., in Chicago, Illinois, at Marshall Field's department store. They dubbed the new undergarment the "Jockey" because it offered a similar degree of support as the jockstrap (one style of which is also called jock brief or support briefs). The designer of the new style was reportedly inspired by a postcard he had received from a friend visiting the French Riviera depicting a man in a very short, form-fitting bathing suit. Thirty thousand pairs were sold within three months of their introduction.

In North America, "jockey shorts" or "jockeys" became an often used generic term for men's briefs. More recently, "tighty-whiteys" has become a commonly used nickname for briefs there.

In the UK, briefs were first sold in 1938. Soon, shops were selling 3,000 briefs per week. They were so popular that in 1948, every member of the British Olympic team was given a free pair of briefs.

In Britain, the term "jockeys" has not caught on and briefs are often referred to as "Y-fronts". The term derives from the genericized trademark "Y-Front", property of Jockey International. It in turn derives from the inverted Y-shape formed by the seams at the front of the underpants. The colloquialism is used even when the fly opening may differ in style, and not actually form the shape of the inverted letter "Y" fly on Coopers Jockey brand briefs.

In Australia, briefs are referred to as "jocks" but should not be confused with jockstraps (more specifically used by athletes) which expose the buttocks. Australians generally use the word briefs to refer to the bikini-style underwear for men, which do not have the Y-front opening.

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