Category:
Underwear

Project Uplift

1967: Eighty freshmen at Harvey Mudd College proposed that, as their engineering project, they undertake the design of a better brassiere. They named their proposal 'Project Uplift.'

The students who made this proposal were, somewhat obviously, almost entirely male. As far as I can tell, Harvey Mudd was coed at the time (1967), but was mostly male.



Los Angeles Times - Mar 23, 1967

Posted By: Alex - Fri Sep 22, 2023 - Comments (3)
Category: Engineering and Construction, Underwear, 1960s

Surveillance Underwear

The Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA) recently announced that it's launching a program to develop "durable, ready-to-wear clothing that can record audio, video, and geolocation data." This will include underwear.

The surveillance clothing will aim to be "stretchable, bendable, comfortable, and washable like regular clothing."

I'd like to see James Bond wearing surveillance underwear in his next movie.

More info: The Intercept; IARPA's press release

Posted By: Alex - Sat Sep 16, 2023 - Comments (5)
Category: Spies and Intelligence Services, Underwear

Stained-Glass Bra

Would one wear this to church?

Jackson Sun - Jun 27, 1969



Indianapolis Star - July 1, 1969

Posted By: Alex - Sat Sep 02, 2023 - Comments (0)
Category: Fashion, Underwear, 1960s

Sound-Activated Lingerie

The clapper, adapted for underwear. From the patent:

Lingerie, such as bras which are worn by females, have a fastening mechanism, such as a hook-type fastener, which is difficult to open, especially for the male counterpart. A bra according to the present invention could be made using a signal-activated fastener such that the female's boyfriend or husband could clap his hand and the bra would automatically open.



Posted By: Alex - Thu Jul 20, 2023 - Comments (4)
Category: Patents, Underwear

The Cardrona Bra Fence

The Wikipedia page.

The Cardrona Bra Fence is a controversial tourist attraction in Central Otago, in New Zealand.[1] At some point between 1998 and 1999, passers-by began to attach bras to a rural fence. The fence gradually became a well known site as the number of bras grew to hundreds. The fence is located on a public road reserve, adjacent to farm property in the Cardrona Valley area southwest of Wanaka, near to Cardrona. Despite its popularity, there has been disagreement over the value of the attraction. The bra fence stands next to the Cardrona Distillery.


DAILY MAIL article.



Posted By: Paul - Fri Jun 16, 2023 - Comments (4)
Category: Statues, Monuments and Memorials, Public Indecency, Underwear, South Pacific

Mammiform and Protector

In 1864, Eleanor Marshall was granted Patent No. 43,321 for her "mammiform breast-protectors." From her patent:

Be it known that I, E.M. Marshall, of Hillsdale, Columbia county, in the State of New York, have invented, made, and applied to use a new and improved article for ladies' wear, which I term a "Mammiform and Protector"...

My improved mammiform and protector is formed of wire wound upon these formers, forming two springs, AA, connected together as shown, and being as similar as possible to the natural breasts. These springs AA may be separated and used singly when desired...

My improved mammiform and protector, being thus constructed, will be found to possess the following advantages: light, flexible, and covering the natural breasts without depressing them, and serving to protect them, and yet the springs of my mammiform and protector may be pressed together or onto the natural breasts, or in any other direction, and when relieved from such pressure resume their natural position and save the wearer the relaxing and debilitating effects of pads, answering all the purposes of a protector, and always presenting a natural appearance.

With springs like that, if a woman accidentally fell forward she'd bounce right back up.

Posted By: Alex - Thu Dec 29, 2022 - Comments (4)
Category: Patents, Underwear, Nineteenth Century

Magic Oval Panties

The Magic Oval Pantie lady had no qualms about parading around in public in her underwear and evening gloves, while her alter ego frantically tried to save herself from a wedgie.

Charm - Apr 1957



Cosmopolitan - March 1957



Life - Sep 16, 1957



Life - Sep 9, 1957



Photoplay - March 1957



Mademoiselle - March 1957

Posted By: Alex - Mon Dec 26, 2022 - Comments (4)
Category: Advertising, Underwear, 1950s

Contraceptive Underwear

"Le Boulocho" underwear claims to offer an all-natural form of contraception for men. It holds the testes close to the body, thereby raising their temperature and causing temporary sterility. However, it needs to be worn for 15 hours a day to reliably produce this result. And those should be waking hours, not sleeping ones.

Also, the underwear is not yet for sale, pending ongoing testing.

More info: boulocho.free.fr (in French), Thermal Male Contraception



Back in the 1970s, some researchers compared the spermatozoa of humans to that of the other great apes and found that humans tend to have a much higher percentage of abnormal (and presumably defective) spermatozoa. For instance, 18.4% of the human spermatozoa was irregularly shaped, compared to just 0.2% for chimpanzees. The researchers suggested that "testicular damage caused by clothing-induced hyperthermia" was one possible explanation for this high percentage. So arguably all underwear and pants may be slightly contraceptive.

Reference: "Morphological abnormalities in spermatozoa of man and great apes," Nature - Nov 1977.

Posted By: Alex - Wed Sep 14, 2022 - Comments (3)
Category: Underwear

Page 1 of 8 pages  1 2 3 >  Last ›


weird universe thumbnail
Who We Are
Alex Boese
Alex is the creator and curator of the Museum of Hoaxes. He's also the author of various weird, non-fiction, science-themed books such as Elephants on Acid and Psychedelic Apes.

Paul Di Filippo
Paul has been paid to put weird ideas into fictional form for over thirty years, in his career as a noted science fiction writer. He has recently begun blogging on many curious topics with three fellow writers at The Inferior 4+1.

Contact Us
Monthly Archives
March 2024 •  February 2024 •  January 2024

December 2023 •  November 2023 •  October 2023 •  September 2023 •  August 2023 •  July 2023 •  June 2023 •  May 2023 •  April 2023 •  March 2023 •  February 2023 •  January 2023

December 2022 •  November 2022 •  October 2022 •  September 2022 •  August 2022 •  July 2022 •  June 2022 •  May 2022 •  April 2022 •  March 2022 •  February 2022 •  January 2022

December 2021 •  November 2021 •  October 2021 •  September 2021 •  August 2021 •  July 2021 •  June 2021 •  May 2021 •  April 2021 •  March 2021 •  February 2021 •  January 2021

December 2020 •  November 2020 •  October 2020 •  September 2020 •  August 2020 •  July 2020 •  June 2020 •  May 2020 •  April 2020 •  March 2020 •  February 2020 •  January 2020

December 2019 •  November 2019 •  October 2019 •  September 2019 •  August 2019 •  July 2019 •  June 2019 •  May 2019 •  April 2019 •  March 2019 •  February 2019 •  January 2019

December 2018 •  November 2018 •  October 2018 •  September 2018 •  August 2018 •  July 2018 •  June 2018 •  May 2018 •  April 2018 •  March 2018 •  February 2018 •  January 2018

December 2017 •  November 2017 •  October 2017 •  September 2017 •  August 2017 •  July 2017 •  June 2017 •  May 2017 •  April 2017 •  March 2017 •  February 2017 •  January 2017

December 2016 •  November 2016 •  October 2016 •  September 2016 •  August 2016 •  July 2016 •  June 2016 •  May 2016 •  April 2016 •  March 2016 •  February 2016 •  January 2016

December 2015 •  November 2015 •  October 2015 •  September 2015 •  August 2015 •  July 2015 •  June 2015 •  May 2015 •  April 2015 •  March 2015 •  February 2015 •  January 2015

December 2014 •  November 2014 •  October 2014 •  September 2014 •  August 2014 •  July 2014 •  June 2014 •  May 2014 •  April 2014 •  March 2014 •  February 2014 •  January 2014

December 2013 •  November 2013 •  October 2013 •  September 2013 •  August 2013 •  July 2013 •  June 2013 •  May 2013 •  April 2013 •  March 2013 •  February 2013 •  January 2013

December 2012 •  November 2012 •  October 2012 •  September 2012 •  August 2012 •  July 2012 •  June 2012 •  May 2012 •  April 2012 •  March 2012 •  February 2012 •  January 2012

December 2011 •  November 2011 •  October 2011 •  September 2011 •  August 2011 •  July 2011 •  June 2011 •  May 2011 •  April 2011 •  March 2011 •  February 2011 •  January 2011

December 2010 •  November 2010 •  October 2010 •  September 2010 •  August 2010 •  July 2010 •  June 2010 •  May 2010 •  April 2010 •  March 2010 •  February 2010 •  January 2010

December 2009 •  November 2009 •  October 2009 •  September 2009 •  August 2009 •  July 2009 •  June 2009 •  May 2009 •  April 2009 •  March 2009 •  February 2009 •  January 2009

December 2008 •  November 2008 •  October 2008 •  September 2008 •  August 2008 •  July 2008 •