WHAT IS THE HOLE IN BOXERS CALLED?
The hole in men’s underwear may be referred to as a pee hole, a penis hole, an air hole, or a Y hole, but it has an actual name: it’s called a fly. Yep, it’s the same term used to describe a zippered or buttoned-up opening at the front of men’s or women’s pants. While, according to tailors, the fly is technically the extra fabric covering the opening, we non-tailors tend to use the term “fly” to describe the opening itself. Especially when it’s open! As in, umm, your fly is down…
Interestingly, the fly in men’s pants and the hole in men’s underwear have always opened to the right. Most likely because most men (and people) are right-handed. Women’s pants, however, can be designed to open in either direction. (Lucky us.)
WHERE DID THE HOLE IN MEN’S UNDERWEAR COME FROM?
The most straightforward answer to where the hole in men’s underwear came from is this: It started out as a necessity! That’s because when nature calls… there’s not always much time! As soon as men started wearing clothing on the lower half of their body that was time-consuming to take off, there had to be a faster option, and a front opening was the solution.
Sometime around the Middle Ages, loincloths, which provided super easy access, were replaced by loose-fitting pants called braies. Made out of linen, braies covered the body from waist to mid-calf. Laces at the waist and around the legs held it in place, which meant there wasn’t fast or easy access when nature called (as it always has!).
The solution was a codpiece, which thankfully never contained any codfish (I checked). Cod was a slang term for scrotum in the 15th century and the codpiece was a piece of fabric attached to the braies, or to a tunic and leggings to cover a man’s private assets and allow easy access to them. (Even back then, freeballing was discouraged.)
Codpieces evolved to become quite padded and ornate before falling out of style at the end of the 16th century. Yet the functionality they provided – quick access – remained. In the 19th century, this was replicated in the buttoned opening of men’s one-piece union suit underwear. Then in 1935, American underwear manufacturer, Cooper, replaced the button style with a Y-shaped overlapping fly inspired by French men’s swimwear. After that, it wasn’t too long before boxers included an opening in front also.
BENEFITS OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF FLIES
While it’s clear that the original intent of a hole in men’s underwear was access, this underwear feature has evolved into some different styles of flies. And they each offer slightly different benefits. When considering why is there a hole in boxers, you can also consider what kind of hole you want to choose, based on the benefits below.
1. SNAP FLY
A fly secured with a snap is a (literal) snap to open and a snap to close. Plus, with this style, you can be sure you won’t accidentally reveal more than you intend to! If you like comfortable clothes that aren’t too fussy but offer some security, the snap front is for you. And if you never intend to open it, you can still feel confident the snap has you covered.
2. BUTTON FLY
A button-down shirt is often the choice for more formal occasions, so maybe a button fly is a bit more proper too? A little more “buttoned-up”? 😉 Perhaps, but like a snap fly, this style is likely to remain closed when you want it to – as long as you remember to button it back up! A button fly is a great choice for those who are detail-oriented and like to dress for success.
3. OPEN FLY
Feeling a little freer? Willing to take your chances? Or do you just enjoy a breezier feel? An open fly style consists of just two layers of fabric with no closure. Simply part the two layers, and in (or out) you go. An open fly is great for the guy on the go, who also appreciates how the double layer of fabric provides some extra coverage – and the ability to adjust easily.
