1920s Men’s Underwear and Socks History

Out with white, in with color! In the 1920s, men’s underwear and socks became just as colorful, if not more so, than women’s. The most intimate of underwear remained white as a sign of it being sanitary. The concern for heath in the 1920s was the underwear manufacturers’ new platform. Ads touted lighter fabrics like linen, silk, cotton, and breathable rayon as healthier and more versatile from summer to winter. Colors came out in pajamas, robes, socks, and the newest late ’20s invention – boxer shorts.

1920 mens union suit underwear and silk robe

Men’s 1920s Underwear

Men’s 1920s under clothes had been the kind of underwear men had been wearing for nearly 100 years. They were still the preferred style throughout the ’20s with a few modifications.

Australian wool, camel hair or ecru fabrics, long sleeve, long leg, union suits with drop seat flaps were the standard style for traditional men and colder climates. Previously men’s union suits came in separate top and bottom pieces. In the 1920s the all-in-one union suit freed a man from confines at the waist.

In summer — and year round for the younger trendier man — came the short leg and either short sleeve or sleeveless union suit. The preference was for half sleeve, short leg/half leg/knicker leg suits worn in summer in white knit gauze, silk, cotton, or rayon. Swiss dot, exclusively used in women’s lingerie, made a short appearance in men’s underwear, too. Nainsook cloth in a basket weave was particularly trendy.

1925 men’s winter long underwear

Winter varieties were the same the cuts in heavier knits, wool/rayon blends and full lambs wool. Americans gradually preferred separate shorts and undershirts for underwear, whereas the British preferred the one piece union suit.

Boxer shorts in bright color stripes were a new trend, although slow to catch on. They took inspiration from men’s athletic shorts- both tops and bottoms. Popular colors were stripes of pink, pale blue, mauve, and peach in silk or cotton. In 1929, clothing companies introduced rubber in the waist band of loose undershorts rather than a tie string. At the same time, they also introduced a fly that opened to the side.

1928 Reis Jimshorts, underwear inspired by gym shorts

The undershirt was paired with the new sport shorts. Made of ribbed cotton with deep armcycles, a high neck and thin straps, the undershirt design has changed little since.

1928 men’s new athletic style underwear and undershirts

1929 men’s gym shorts and tops inspired new underwear for men

Men’s Socks and Garters

Allen Sock Ad- Reinforce Heel, Toes and Calf Band

Socks in the 1920s were much less hidden, like white underwear. Shorter pants/knickers exposed a man’s legs much more than previous decades. Patterned socks of blue, brown, tan, and grey made of cotton, silk, rayon, or wool replaced dull solid colors of the teens and early twenties. Patterned socks were common in sportswear first, then were standard wear to the end of the ’20s.

On the golf course or in the country, gentlemen were wearing big plaid, geometric, or argyle pattern socks with their knickers or plus fours. Argyle socks, a style that originated in Scotland, are knitted in a diamond or diagonal plaid pattern using two or more colors. Women loved these pattern socks so much that many sporty flappers wore them instead of stockings. By 1927, men’s half-hose (a standard-length stocking that ends halfway between the ankle and the knee) were becoming more available in patterns.

Men’s socks lacked the stretchy knits and elastic blends of modern socks. Sock supporters helped them stay up until rubber or elastic started to be added to ribbing in 1929. They were called hose garters (socks were actually called hose in the ’20s) and made of leather or striped elastic that bound around the upper calf and clipped into the sock. It was trendy to have a matching set of sock garters and suspenders, although both were rarely seen underneath men’s clothing.

Learn more about the history of men’s socks.

1920s striped elastic sock garters

1920 men’s underwear, socks, sock garters and opera slippers

Buy 1920s Style Men’s Underwear