If you look for men’s underwear with a fly on the Internet, you will be confronted not only with shopping offers, but above all with the questions: “Is this opening really for the dork?”. On a platform for hobby seamstresses, curious mothers discuss whether they need to sew the slit in their sons’ and husbands’ boxer shorts.
“How am I supposed to wear my penis in underpants with an intervention?” asks an insecure gentleman in a health forum. So the man wants to know where exactly he should place his best piece in underpants with a fly. He had bought the appropriate underwear and was puzzling: “Do you put it in the opening between the two layers of fabric?”.
Basically, the comment column of a recently published WELT article about women’s underwear asked about the actual purpose of this intervention in men’s briefs. Before we tell you the answer, we want to know from you:
So what is the actual purpose? When looking for an answer, one first encounters two widespread misconceptions:
1.) The sewn-in slit on the front of the underwear should invite you to play erotic games. Not correct.
2.) The front opening is used to ventilate the genital area. Not correct.
The answer is as simple as it is obvious: the procedure is intended to make it easier to urinate while standing. Right!
This makes sense, especially with formal clothing, such as a suit. After all, the shirt should be tucked neatly into the pants, which may be held in place with a belt or even suspenders. A quick grip through the fly is more effective than laboriously pulling the pants up and down, which can cause the shirt to crease or, because time is short, to fall unattractively after going to the toilet.
With smart clothing now giving way to more casual attire, even in many professions described as “white-collar” (occupations where formal white-shirt dress was originally the norm), it is no wonder that many men are reluctant to engage in no longer use the boxer shorts or panties. If you wear your t-shirt loosely over jeans or sweatpants, in many cases it is simply more comfortable to pull your pants down completely.
Especially if you’re left-handed: Traditionally, men’s underwear has an opening on the right-hand side, which results in a “Z”-like gripping movement. If the slit also has buttons, the procedure is simply very cumbersome.
Whether the boxer shorts or panties have an opening or not has nothing to do with the air circulation in the crotch. The purchase decision can be made according to individual needs and preferences. But what you should pay attention to is the right fit and that the underpants are made of a breathable material such as a cotton blend and not a synthetic fiber such as polyester. Both can cause sweat and moisture to build up, which can lead to everything from itching and skin irritation to fungal infections.
Speaking of sweat – this is how you remove the unpleasant smell from your clothes:
This article was first published in January 2022.
