By Admin 
Ever put on your pair of boxers and wondered what the little gap in the front is for?
Even though I don’t have much experience with that type of underwear, half of the population use them daily.
So, it’s only natural to wonder what on Earth the gap is for.
Perhaps it’s a lipstick holder for your girlfriend, or a ventilation tactic the manufacturer created?
OK, so it’s neither of those things, but it does spark curiosity.
There’s a reason for the gap in your boxers (Getty Stock Image/Fadyukhin)
As it turns out, the question is regularly asked on Google, Reddit and Quora – and many people are perplexed and curious about the origin of the little gap in the front.
While you might prefer to wear the tighty whities that have no holes in the front, a lot of brands continue to create them, so there must be a reason as to why it’s there.
So, does it serve a purpose or is it purely a stylistic decision?
Well, wonder no longer, as underwear brand Sheath has given us the answer: “The hole in your boxers is also called a fly.
“You’re free to call them whatever name you want, but the functional term is still fly.”
Fair enough. And what’s the point?
Well, according to Sheath: “The purpose of the fly is to make it easier for you to pee while wearing boxers.”
Despite this, the brand also states that 80 percent of men actually never use the hole in their underwear to pee.
Pulling them down is generally a whole lot easier.
In fact, some blokes on Reddit consider the hole a useless addition. One wrote: “Who actually uses it though? It seems so inconvenient.
“I hardly even undo my pants anymore, I just push em down and whip it out. Saves a lot of time when I have to wear a belt.”
Sheath’s website states: “Today’s modern underwear is nothing like what men wore even a few decades ago.
It’s to pee (Getty Stock Image/Chris Collins)
“The actual pouch where the fly is located has also been changing drastically.
“In the past, this area used to be flat. This design does not give the man a natural way for his penis to be contoured. Thankfully, men today have a better option.
“New boxer briefs and men’s briefs have a design that actually has a roomier pouch.
“This new pouch design gives the man more definition, comfort, support, and freedom.”
So there you go – probably more information about boxers than you’ll ever need.
Perhaps you’ve never noticed, but buttons on men’s shirts are actually on a different side to women’s – but why is that?
While some now recall a random drunken chat about it in the pub, others are now rushing to the wardrobe to see if this is actually the case.
Yep, it is.
Those recalling those drunken chats in the local are likely remembering that bizarre theory your pal came up with surrounding the matter that lasted all too long.
And let’s be honest, it had no validity, did it?
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So why are the buttons for the two genders on opposite sides. Well, there’s no officially confirmed reason why men’s shirts have buttons running down the right-hand side, and women’s on the left, there are a number of ideas on the matter – most of which are rooted in history.
Firstly, it’s thought that men’s buttons were on that side because their clothing traditionally held weapons.
Chloe Chapin, fashion historian and Harvard University Ph.D. candidate in American studies, previously told Today: “I think it’s important to question which time period we’re talking about, since shirt and jacket buttons are a relatively new phenomenon.
“But as a general rule, many elements of men’s fashion can be traced back to the military.”
Paul Keers, author of A Gentleman’s Wardrobe, seems to agree, having told The Guardian: “A gentleman’s sword was always worn on the left side, so that it could be drawn with the right hand.
“If a jacket buttoned right over left, the handle of the sword would be likely to catch in the jacket opening when drawn, so any serious swordsman would demand a tunic which buttoned left over right.”
But while this could be the reason why men’s buttons tend to sit on the right, it doesn’t necessarily explain why women’s buttons are on the opposite side – especially when the majority of people are right-handed.
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However, once again speaking to Today, Melanie M. Moore, founder of women’s blouse brand Elizabeth & Clarke, gave her theory.
“Wealthy women back then did not dress themselves – their lady’s maid did,” she said.
“Since most people were right-handed, this made it easier for someone standing across from you to button your dress.”
Other possible reasons include, as the Smithsonian Magazine notes, the fact that some people believe many women breastfeed while holding their baby in their left arm, or that Napoleon ‘mass-produced clothing that was intentionally difficult for women to put on’.
However, it can never really be known for sure why the buttons are on opposite sides.