My Most Inspiring Men

This month, I'll make it short and sweet. (Kind of like me...hehehe) I'm re-posting the real life men who inspire me, and giving everyone a teaser of what's to come in the next couple of months. I'm so privileged to have met these guys, and share their life philosophies with the world.

Theo Theodoridis - "Just remember while we keep our hearts open humanity, kindness, tenderness, compassion, and unselfishness thrive. They make us civilized, they exceed over any law or social rule, and make our world a better place. Express these to everyone."



Stephen Black - “To truly be happy and living as we should, I believe we need to hold onto what our soul tells us to hold onto. It is the food or fuel, if you will, for our happiness.”




Jei Douglas - "In life, relationships, journeys, and careers, sometimes we need to take a chance. The outcome may not be as we expect, but it will surely be memorable."




Nick King is the February sweetheart. "I think of other people first because I think its the right thing to do. The world doesn't revolve around just me. Life is what you make of it. If you strive to do your best you can accomplish anything you put your mind to."








Matt Gulakow - a cutie I'm privileged to call family. I've known this guy since he was 8 or so... He'll be playing College ball for a university in Montreal. You'll hear his story in March. He believes that if you don't take a chance on something, you'll never know.






I've met Mr. April - Charlie Junior Settee - he's a University of Winnipeg graduate and Powwow dancer. Have yet to interview him but if he's anything like these guys...well, women in the world are in good hands when there are real life heroes around. Nobody says they're perfect, but then aren't the heroes we write about flawed, too? That's what makes a good person - someone who doesn't pretend to be perfect but strives for it. So far, all of these guys, with the exception of Theo, have agreed to be in my calendar for charity. Aren't they awesome? :) You can visit them all on my blog at www.kelliejwin.com

Boxers or Briefs?

Remember that commercial with Michael Jordon? I'm sure that wasn't the first time the boxer vs brief question was asked, but it did make the question popular.
Me, I'm a rebel. I prefer boxer briefs on my hubby. You get the best of both worlds. They're tight enough to be sexy -- because I hate that baggy boxer look -- and yet, they don't make me think of panties -- as briefs do -- when I look at them.
And because my hubby has really sexy legs and I like the way they look in boxer briefs . . . but I digress.

The first men's underwear was probably the Loincloth, a simple strip of material or leather. A loincloth was also used to describe material pulled between the legs and fastened like a diaper. Not a good look for anyone :(  Greek and Roman men reportedly wore loinclothes.

During the Middle Ages, loinclothes were replaced by loose trouser like pants called Braies. Braies were a step-in design and laced at the waist and mid-calf. Wealthy men also wore chausses. 

By Renaissance, braies became shorter to accommodate longer styles of chausses -- and chausses gave way to hose. But since neither braies nor chausses were meant to be worn beneath they weren't technically underwear.

Braies were replaced by cotton, silk or linen drawers which were worn for years and years and years. And years. I couldn't find much information on how much -- if any -- the basic design changed. However, in the mid 1800's mass production of underwear began and people started to buy their drawers instead of making them at home. The Unionsuit also became popular in the mid 1800's -- 1868 actually -- and had the drop seat in the back.

In 1874, the Jock Strap came along to provide support for the bicycle jockeys riding upon cobblestone streets.

The first underwear print ad ran in the Saturday Evening Post in 1911, an oil painting, not a picture. That would have been indecent! In WWI soldiers were issued button front shorts though they were often still worn with a union suit. (Which by the way became 2 pieces in 1910 - what we call long-johns).

By 1935 Coopers Inc. sold the world's first men's briefs, the design dubbed Jockey since it provided the support once only offered by a jock strap. 30,000 pairs of new Jockeys sold within the first 3 months of introduction. In the 1950's manufacturers began to make men's underwear from colored and/or printed material. In the 1970's and 1980's advertisers began appealing to the sexual side of selling, foregoing the long time ad practice of comfort and durability. Speaking of comfort - or lack thereof - the thong became popular in the 1990's.

So, what do you prefer on your man? Boxer, brief, thong . . . or commando?