Jockstrap

A jockstrap,[lower-alpha 1] colloquially called a jock, is an undergarment for protecting the scrotum and penis during contact sports or other vigorous physical activity.

A jockstrap consists of a waistband (usually elastic) with a support pouch for the genitalia and two elastic straps affixed to the base of the pouch and to the left and right sides of the waistband at the hip. The pouch, in some varieties, may be fitted with a pocket to hold an abdominal guard (impact resistant cup, box) to protect the testicles and the penis from injury.

The jillstrap (a.k.a. a "jill") is the female equivalent of the jockstrap, designed to protect the vulva from getting struck.

## Contents

* 1 Etymology
* 2 History
* 3 Design
* 4 Protective cup
* 5 Jockstraps for women
* 6 Gay subculture
* 7 Gallery
* 8 See also
* 9 Notes
* 10 References
* 11 External links

## Etymology

The word jockstrap has purportedly been in use at least since 1891, a likely contraction of "jockey strap", as the garment was first designed for bicycle-riding messengers and deliverymen, or 'bike jockeys'. The Bike Jockey Strap was the first jockstrap manufactured in America in 1874.[1][2]

Jockey meaning 'rider', primarily a race horse rider, has been in use since 1670.Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; refs with no name must have content Jockey itself is the diminutive form of the Scots nickname Jock (for John) as Jackie is for the English nickname Jack. The nicknames Jack and Jackie, Jock and Jockey have been used generically for 'man, fellow, boy, common man'. From the period c.1650–c.1850, 'jock' was used as slang for penis.[3]

The more recent American slang term "jock", meaning an athlete, is traced to the period of 1953 to 1963, and is itself derived from "jockstrap"[3] and "jockey".[4]

## History

Jockstrap ad, 1941 JayBee jockstrap

The jockstrap was invented in 1874 by C. F. Bennett of a Chicago sporting goods company, Sharp & Smith, to provide comfort and support for bicycle jockeys working the cobblestone streets of Boston.[5] The original incarnation of the jockstrap resembled a thong, as it featured a strap that went between the buttocks.[6] In 1897 Bennett's newly formed Bike Web Company patented and began mass-producing the Bike Jockey Strap.[7] The Bike Web Company later became known as the Bike Company. Bike, until 2003, was a stand-alone company. In that year, the company and its trademarks were purchased by Russell Athletic. Russell Athletic continued to produce jockstraps using the Bike brand and logos until 2017 when they retired the brand. Russell had become a Fruit-of-the-Loom subsidiary, and Fruit-of-the-Loom is owned by and part of Berkshire Hathaway. On April 15, 2021, the brand's website reopened for online sales, featuring a modernized version of their trademark "No. 10" jockstrap, as well as active apparel.

In the early 2020s, jockstraps saw a renewed popularity as underwear for men with jockstraps finding favor in place of more conventional underwear as wearing them became a fashionable trend.[8] The trend was reflected with the inclusion of the garment in the runways of various major designers including, Calvin Klein, JW Anderson, Gucci, and Rick Owens, alongside other large brands like Adidas, Diesel, and 2(x)ist making multiple styles.[9]

## Design

Jockstraps are fairly consistent in design with variations appearing in details like width of waistband and fabrics. Some jockstraps are designed for specific sports: Swim jocks, for example, have a narrow waistband, and hockey jocks sometimes have adjustable elastic straps and garter clips that hold hockey socks in place while the bulky goalie protector has genital and abdominal foam padding. Windproof jockstraps have a special layer of fabric to protect the wearer from wind and cold in winter sports. Jockstraps are made in other materials as fetish wear.[10] Aside from the aforementioned "fashion jockstraps", the 2000s have seen a resurgence in jockstrap designs and brands. Alternatives to jockstraps include the jock brief, or support briefs, which have the wide waistband of a jockstrap combined with a full seat and are made of an elastic supportive material. A thong style strap, sometimes called a dance belt, has one narrow elastic strap attached to the bottom of the pouch, passing between the legs and attaching to the waistband at the middle of the back. A strapless garment, called a jock sock or sometimes a slingshot,[11] has only an elastic waist band with an elastic pouch that holds the genitals from the front.

## Protective cup

Main article: Engineering:Protective gear in sports

Banana-style cup, down position Traditional cup, up position

Optional cups offer additional protection for contact sports and are made of hard plastic or steel, perforated for ventilation.[12] A more flexible and comfortable soft cup is also offered for low contact sports such as soccer. A flex cup variation features a hard exterior melded with a soft lining.

##  Jockstraps for women

The pelvic protector is the female equivalent of the male jockstrap. It is currently unclear who was responsible for the first invention of the female pelvic protector. It is designed to protect the female genitalia from bruising or tearing. The area protected includes the entire vulva, including the clitoris, the clitoral hood and the delicate labia minora which protrude from the vulva in some women and are therefore especially vulnerable to bruising from impact. It is also occasionally nicknamed a "jill" or "jillstrap".[13] Women wear the garment during contact sports or activities. The garment cups around the genitals and is usually reinforced with rigid material.

## Gay subculture

Selection of different jockstraps as fashionable men's underwear without jockstrap protection in a German boutique in the red-light district of Hanover, Germany.

Since the 1950s and 1960s, some gay men use jockstraps as an erotic attire, particularly those belonging to the leather and BDSM subcultures.[14] Due to how it exposes the male buttocks, the garment has become especially popular among gay men and the wider LGBTQ community in the 2020s, [8][9] with major brands producing rainbow-colored, pride-themed jockstraps.

## Gallery

* Vintage photograph of a bodybuilder

* Marpage jockstrap and packaging, c. 1930

* This Mizpah supporter ad, from a 1922 magazine, appeared in the A&E documentary Unmentionables

* A black jockstrap

* Franklin cup supporter

* A form of a cup, as worn by male cricket players.

## See also

* Baseball clothing and equipment
* BIKE Athletic Company
* Cricket clothing and equipment
* Russell Crowe's jockstrap
* Tinea cruris, more commonly known as "jock itch"

## Notes

1. ↑ Also known as a jock (male), jill (female), strap, cup, groin guard, pelvic protector (female), supporter, or athletic supporter.

## References

1. ↑ "Bike History". http://www.bikeathletic.com/History.aspx. (archived from the original on 2007-11-24).
2. ↑ Davis, Michael (2007). Art of Dress Designing. Global Media. p. 107. ISBN 978-81-904575-7-6. https://books.google.com/books?id=Go4DwgEACAAJ.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Jock". http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?l=j&p=3.
4. ↑ Adler, Polly (1953). A House Is Not a Home. p. 89. ISBN 978-1558495593.
5. ↑ Maoui, Zak (2023-08-25). "How the jockstrap took over men's fashion" (in en-GB). https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/jockstrap-trend-menswear-2023.
6. ↑ "The surprisingly unisex history of the thong" (in en). https://www.mic.com/articles/180413/the-surprisingly-unisex-history-of-the-thong.
7. ↑ Kimmel, Michael; Milrod, Christine; Kennedy, Amanda (2014). Cultural Encyclopedia of the Penis. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 97. ISBN 978-0-7591-2314-4. https://books.google.com/books?id=bHytBAAAQBAJ.
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Criales-Unzueta, Jose (2022-06-03). "With Jockstraps Hitting the Runways, Fashion is Saying Gay Loud and Clear" (in en-US). https://www.vogue.com/article/fashion-jockstraps.
9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Toumazou, Aaron (2021-02-06). "The manifold reasons to invest in a jockstrap" (in en-GB). https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/fashion/gallery/best-jockstraps.
10. ↑ "Leather Jockstraps". http://www.internationaljock.com/articles/leather-jockstraps.html.
11. ↑ "A History of the Jockstrap". http://www.jockstrapcentral.com/history.php.
12. ↑ "Jockstrap and Cup Historical Background". 2007-08-21. http://www.jockstrappedstuds.com/pages/news/jock_cup_hist.htm.
13. ↑ Hedley, Cara (2007). Twenty Miles. Coach House Books. p. 69. ISBN 978-1-5524-5186-1. https://books.google.com/books?id=jbeLGtCWuqMC&pg=PA69.
14. ↑ "How The Jockstrap Became Part Of The Gay Male Uniform". February 28, 2019. https://inmagazine.ca/2019/02/how-the-jockstrap-became-part-of-the-gay-male-uniform/.

## External links

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*[a.k.a.]: also known as
*[c.]: circa