Underwear and the Single Man

Hey there, Gal Pals (and Guy Pals too),

So, I was sitting here reminiscing about my single life, and about the men I've dated. Then, my focus turned to the men I've dated and their underwear. This shift in thought made me even more thankful to be single.

Let me break it down for you. Off hand, I can think of four men that I've dated in the past who - more often than not - wore the same pair of underwear two or more days in a row. One was a briefs man and the other three were boxer men. Is it just me, or is wearing the same pair of underwear continuously without washing them pretty nasty?

Example: Several years ago, I dated a guy named Clay. He was your typical guy in his early twenties. He liked beer, cigarettes (ick!) and video games. I can handle a beer every now and again. No problem! Video games? Sure, I'm willing to kick someone's butt at Mortal Kombat or Call of Duty. Cigarettes... no. Everything smells like them when you smoke - breath, body, clothes, furniture... Anyway, I tried to deal with them for Clay because he was also cute, fit, funny, and sweet. He wasn't the perfect man, but he was a good guy.

Briefly, we moved in together and I began to notice an unsavory trend with him. He liked to sleep in a t-shirt and boxer shorts. That was fine. The problem came the next day when his shirt had changed but his boxers had not. On the third day of this, I questioned it and his response was, 'Oh, I guess I should take a shower.'

Okay... I forgave it. Lapse of memory perhaps. Maybe his mind was preoccupied. Maybe he'd just been busy. He showered, changed clothes, and I did the laundry. After his shower, he put on fresh boxer shorts and all was fine. Until the next day. That night when we got ready for bed, I noticed he was wearing the same underwear he'd put on the day before after his shower. This meant that he had not only not showered again but he also hadn't bothered to change his drawers. Again.

The next day, I brought it up again, and after he showered, he put on fresh underwear. I was glad he put on clean boxers but I was perturbed by the fact that I had to remind him - or even request him - to do so. I saw that this was a habit of his, and it was obviously one he'd had for a while - long before we started dating... long before we'd moved in together.

That weekend, I had to go out of town for a week. When I left, he was sitting on the bed in a white t-shirt and blue and white striped boxer shorts. He was playing a video game and smoking a cigarette. When I returned, he was sitting on the bed in a dirty white t-shirt, the same blue and white striped boxer shorts that were also dirty, smoking a cigarette and playing the same video game. He had not showered in the entire six days I was gone. He hadn't changed his underwear. He hadn't even gone to work. It turned out he'd called in sick so he could sit in front of the television and focus on beating his new game.

The camel's back had been broken and that was the last day that Clay and I were a couple. I moved out a couple of hours later after gathering up my stuff and stayed with a friend until I could get another apartment. I'm still in this apartment, as I will never move in with another man until we've known each other for a long, long while.

However, I've stayed over with a few boyfriends for a night or three and, sadly, I discovered that Clay's unsanitary underwear habit was not his alone. While men might see nothing wrong with wearing the same underwear a few days in a row, I find it pretty disgusting. First of all, we know how gassy men can be, and the gas just gathers in their underwear like it's a propane tank. Secondly, men have a habit of dribbling after relieving their bladder. The ex that wore the same pair of briefs for a couple of days in a row had a yellow stain on the front that was enough for me to break off our relationship. I think most women will agree with me when I say that I want a man who is clean, body and clothing alike.

So... what is the reason for this disturbing habit with men? Why do they think it's okay to just never change their underwear? Do they like the feel of the grime? Do they like the smell of their gassy skank tank? Are they just lazy? Is it a combination of all of this?

Ladies, if you have a man like this who likes to wear the same pair of underwear for a few days in a row without cleaning or changing them, you have every right to request they shower and put on a fresh pair. You have every right to demand cleanliness in your relationship. If they refuse or if they continue this habit, you have every right to end the relationship. Sadly, most men will not change unless they are made to, and disgusting habits like wearing nasty dirty underwear need to be changed. You deserve a man who cares enough about you and himself to be clean, and I deserve that too.

Here's to fresh underwear and clean men! Cheers!

Much love, Jenn 💋