Male genitalia is beautiful to many men and women alike, but to many others (dare I say most), the penis and scrotum are humorous, awkward, or even ugly. I don't agree with this viewpoint personally, but many think that the cock and balls abruptly break the smooth, aerodynamic, or muscular lines of the male form. No doubt this was one of the contributing factors to the invention of clothing, along with the delicacy and sensitivity of the masculine apparatus and the very obvious nature of male arousal.
A combination of social and practical factors more than likely led to the loincloth, as a way to protect the genitals from harm from daily activities and as a way to obscure arousal. Even in societies where nudity is accepted, displaying arousal publicly can be seen as distasteful or even aggressive. Imagine the control that young men raised in such communities must develop over arousal!
Early loincloths may have been like skirts or aprons, roughly hewn bits of leather or fur belted onto the hips. With the creation and perfection of textiles however came a refining and perfecting of this basic essential attire all across the globe. Culturally identifiable variations on the loincloth like the Aztec maxtlatl, the Thai pakawma, the Indian langot, and the Japanese fundoshi appeared and their wearing became a highly developed and nearly ritualistic uniform. Many of these loincloths, where still worn, have not changed basic form in a millennium.
While some examples like the langot and the ettchu-style of fundoshi continue to use ties around the waist, most of the others are worn through a simple combination of looping, twisting, and friction. In the case of rokushaku fundoshi especially, a symmetrical appearance is achieved through a basic formula that must go back at least 1,200 years. What this does to the male crotch is: it holds the genitalia near the body for safety and support, it smooths the appearance of the crotch, and it provides an athletic V-shape that does not intentionally obscure the genital region. If anything, fundoshi accentuates the genitals of the wearer, not in a prideful way but in an acknowledgement of the masculine form and function, and with as little extra fabric as possible.
Fundoshi is a superb design, a supportive undergarment created for activity and comfort, with the usual Japanese attentiveness to ingenious form and minimal simplicity. A thousand years later, as I sit typing in my fundoshi, I feel uniquely blessed by those who perfected the Japanese loincloth (likely Shinto monks). Their design has persisted through the centuries because of it's engineering and its architectural beauty. It is a fine addition to the natural beauty of the male body.
6 comments:
You are right, and I agree your post. xD
P.S.: I still have to show you how to tie up a "maxtlatl". xD
I would love that Joshua!
That first picture (red loincloth aka rokushaku) is mine. This spring I did a photo session to make a picture for my own website. I took 250 piuctures, then I choosed one (by my opinion), the best of of them. I only little played with colors of the photo in photoshop then. So, that result you can see here.
That loincloth is made from licra, it looks like fundoshi; thong part, belt and front flap. It is all sewed together; I mean belt part and long strip of cloth. While arranging in front of camera I sometime tighten that front flap back between my thighs, so it looks like rokushaku on that picture.
In real, it is not fundoshi in genuine. It was made because I am keen on indians, as well as I love James Cameron movie Avatar, so here you do not see japan rokushaku, or fundoshi, or native indian loincloth, but it is genuine loincloth of blue people Na´vi. All of it ese loincloths are pretty similar, by the way. Don´t you think?
I discovered - at first - native indian loincloths as a boy in age of 10 or 11. I loved Capitaine Apache comics. It was very primary source of my uncommon hobby. Later I did my own loincloth in native indian style. During my childhood I used it (mostly in secret)as my summer dress to woods, seashore, cottage then. It was important item of my naive (good meaning) indian spirituality, I enjoyed it in "native indian noble savage" way. Discovering sexuality was very native part of it too. Have to say, that it was sometime connected with my early homosexual fantasies. Some of these fantasies had "captive" theme in pure native indian style. Some of them were pretty brutal. Innocent age of 12 is not always innocent as it is widely expected.
In my childhood I enjoyed boys wearing skimpy speedos, loincloths (of course), and later tangas in rokushaku style. I discovered that simple dress as a boy in my 13 or 14. Today I wear loincloths in native indian style, rokushaku, fundoshi and.... tewng - dress of Pandorians. I only omit that
blue color of skin and tail. Both are pretty impractical and... I love smooth of healthy human skin.
Last mentioned loincloth (tewng) and sometime rokushaku I often use as my swimming "trunks" in public swimming pools. It is extremely comfortable while swimming. People around me in these pools enjoy my swimming costume mostly pretty well, they are curious. Boys, men, girls.... Well, by my opinion. I am living in central Europe, btw.
Enjoy that picture. I am happy that I found that in here, in a very deep circle of loinbclothed fans. I am proud to see it used as a label of that article. I agree with the text, its my point of view too.
That is excellent John Smith, and thank you for making this photograph. It's good to know who you are, your experiences and that you are another human who feels the importance of loincloths! It's an honor to feature your photograph here.
I truly enjoyed reading thru your thots and how that pict came about, John Smith. Indeed on first glance it did felt like a leathery fundoshi. Glad you gave your viewpoints. Always happy to read the thots behind the images.
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