Unmentionables: A Brief History of Underwear

"Boxers or Briefs?" has become a political litmus test for presidential candidates, but what does the answer really tell us? Quite a lot, argue Elaine Benson and John Esten in Unmentionables: A Brief History of Underwear. The question posed to Bill Clinton in 1992 may seem silly, but undergarments have a distinctly political part to play in history. During the women's movement, it was not effegies of men that women burnt, but bras, a daily reminder of difference--if not inequality. The history of underwear is an exposition that marks out the roles of culture and nature, the position of women, and the American love affair with the T-shirt. This thoroughly illustrated volume covers all, from the first fig leaf to the newest Fruit of the Looms and from bloomers to panties, revealing a side of humanity not often seen in public.