Gentlemen's Underwear

A chappy perusing these blogs filled with silks, stockings, crepes and cami-knickers may be forgiven for feeling somewhat peeved at the appalling lack of nightwear for the dashing rogue about town.
In this latest offering I aim to go some way to rectifying this unforgiveable situation.

There are many outlets for the aspiring dandy to purchase his sensual underthings; one must simply be pointed in the right direction.

For those merely dipping their toe in the enlivening waters of bohemian bedwear I suggest a trip to T M Lewin. There one can purchase a pair of rather natty boxer shorts with two buttons set a couple of inches apart on the waistband creating a kind of double-breasted effect which, to my mind, is reminiscent of a old-style surgeon's tunic. Very suitable, I'm sure you'll agree, for those contemplating a precision operation in the boudoir (sans anaesthetic we hope). They are priced at a very reasonable £9.50 and are available in a much wider selction of colours, stripes and checks than their website might suggest (but not, sadly, in hospital green).

Once a man tires of the conservatism of the cotton boxer he may wish to advance up the ladder of masculine delicates by slipping into a daring little nightshirt. Derek Rose and Somax are two brands that I would recommend, the Somax being a tad slimmer fitting than the former, so slightly more restrictive of movement if bedroom gymnastics is your peccadillo. Of course, their are myriad stockists of gentlemen's nightshirts but , as ever, The Vintage Shirt Company comes highly recommended due to their excellent range and speedy service. They also stock matching nightcaps for those brave and confident souls who can cope with any mention of Wee Willy Winky by a sniggering paramour.

Now we come to my personal favourite (as those of you who have seen my pictures will know), the union suit. Beloved of lumberjacks, cowboys and bearded homosexuals, the union suit is surely the king of male underthings. It covers as much of the male anatomy as possible, thereby shielding the eyes of anyone unfortunate enough to be ensnared by your charm. It also keeps everything warm and, most importantly, in place. A google or ebay search for union suits will result in a plethora of emporia. Union suits are advantageous to those of us to whom idleness is a way of life, as minimal effort is required to perform otherwise tiring functions. The bottom flap negates the need to strip off in the toilet and the button-fastening front enables the wearer to perform just as many activities as the fully naked man but minus the the need to expose one's less than adequate physique.

I will leave you with a daguerrotype of yours truly demonstrating the versatility of the all-in-one union suit when strolling about town and country.

Image by ProletKult Graphik

Those of you wishing to read a more in-depth examination of both male and female underwear may wish to peruse an article I penned for issue 4 of The Wrench magazine.