The History of Underwear #Part 3: The BRIEF

In 1909, when union suits – full-body garments combining a long-sleeved top and long johns with an inconvenient rear opening – were in vogue for men, Horace Greely Johnson, one of Cooper's designers (which would later become Jockey), proposed a version with a diagonal, overlapping front opening, not unlike that of Y-front briefs. Thus, the Kenosha Klosed Krotsch became the widespread model of men's underwear worldwide, just as Jockey products would be for the next generation.

On January 19, 1935, the first briefs were introduced at Marshall Field & Co. department store in Chicago, and six hundred pairs were sold within three hours. The following week, 12,000 pairs were sold, and Jockey had to charter a plane, wittily nicknamed the "Masculiner," to speed up nationwide distribution.

The first commercial for Jockey briefs aired in America in 1958 during an episode of The Tonight Show, where the host was expected to present a product live during the commercial break. The honor fell to Jack Paar, who burst out laughing while reading his script and holding a pair of underwear. The client was not pleased. However, to allow the host to compose himself and start over, the thirty-second commercial extended to two minutes: the next day, there was a rush for Jockey briefs across America.