I am going to admit it. I downloaded TikTok because I saw a TikTok video on Twitter of this really hot guy doing this sexy rope trick. There is no shortage of hot men on this app. After I downloaded it, I find myself going down the rabbit hole of TikTok videos whenever I’m bored. There are lots of cat videos, which as a cat lover, I find very cute. Then there are the videos of teachers telling funny stories of students. Of course, there are lots of drag queens, and I can’t resist watching a good drag queen. There are also the dances that are usually cute at first but then they get a little redundant. Finally, there is what seems like a never-ending supply of gay men on TikTok. It’s a total thirst trap. There are some sexy straight men too, but I prefer the gay ones. A lot of the videos, which are all under one minute, are humorous, while there are some that always have more serious content. I usually open up the app for entertainment, not a lecture, but I digress.

The point of this post is not really about TikTok, but it needed to serve as a sort of introduction to this post. One of the things I have noticed with a lot of the young gay men is that a large number of them are now wearing dangling earrings. Honestly, it’s not something I find very attractive. Some of the earrings that loop to another ear piercing higher up their ear remind me of Bajoran earrings from Star Trek. If you have ever watched Deep Space Nine or any episodes with Ro Lauren on The Next Generation, you know what I am talking about. The Bajoran earring was an elaborate piece of jewelry traditionally worn on the right ear by the Bajorans, male and female alike, as a symbol of their faith. Each person’s earring was individualized and bore the symbol of their family.

I know these guys aren’t wearing the dangling earrings as a homage to Star Trek, but I have to wonder: what is with this trend? Naturally, I decided to do a little research on the subject. According to an August 2019 article “It’s Time to Embrace the Dangly Earring” in GQ:

The trend traces most obviously to George Michael, who wore a single dangling silver cross during the 1980s. (Mr. T’s trailing feather hoops also deserve a mention.) But let’s start further back, in Elizabethan England. According to priest William Harrison’s 1557 text Description of England, some men—specifically “lusty courtiers…and gentlemen of courage”—at that time were wearing large earrings made from “gold, stones, or pearl.” (Harrison editorialized that earrings “rather disgrace than adorn their persons.”) Dangling pearl drops were worn by Sir Walter Raleigh, and, later, by King Charles I, whose taste for luxury goods played no small part in the English Civil War and his subsequent execution. Charles, who acquired his rare ovoid pearl earring at the age of fifteen, actually kept the earring on during his own beheading, after which it was removed and sent to his daughter and eventually ended up in the collection of an East Midlands estate.

The New York Times in November 2019 mentions the TikTok trend specifically, saying:

It has also permeated internet culture, with dangly men’s earrings popping up in TikTok videos and various memes. Zach Clayton, a 19-year-old internet celebrity who lives in Los Angeles, recently observed on Twitter: “I just went on TikTok for the first time in so damn long and every dude on there has one dangling earring.”

In the same article, The New York Times goes on to discuss how the trend has been co-opted by fashion designers:

Fashion designers have been quick to co-opt the trend, perhaps sensing that men’s dangly earrings are well suited for our nonbinary gender moment…Dangling earrings were sent down the runway at numerous men’s wear shows earlier this year, including at Celine, Balenciaga and Gucci.

While this trend may have been around since the 1500s, it seems that until recently, it was not something that was fashionable for the average person. At first it was something that the upper classes wore, then devolved to pirates, and by the 1980s to rock stars, to be more specific—George Michael. In the current social media frenzy climate, it seems to a fashion trend for many, but for some it is also a statement about non-gender conformity. While it is not a trend I think looks good, I think we will see more trends that bring attention to non-gender conformity as the LGBTQ+ community becomes freer and more open to gender expression as the world become more accepting of differing sexualities.

Levi Strauss & Co. is launching a Harvey Milk collection of gender-neutral clothing for pride season. Levi’s has paired up with a number of LGBT charities over the years that create a yearly pride collection. They are one of the first major companies to announce a new range of Pride-related merchandise for this year’s Pride season.

The San Francisco-headquartered organization has teamed up with the Harvey Milk Foundation to produce a range of gender-neutral T-shirts, tank tops and shorts. The shorts feature a rainbow watch pocket. The range also includes a denim jacket emblazoned with the Milk quotation ‘Hope will never be silent’ and rainbow embellishments, and an evergreen Pride T-shirt and hat featuring the Levi’s rainbow batwing.

A portion of proceeds from the sale of the items will go to the Foundation. ‘The Levi’s x Harvey Milk Foundation Pride 2016 collection is the physical representation of Levi’s belief in equality for all people while continuing the legacy of one outspoken, courageous and pioneering individual whose inspiring example will never be forgotten,’ said a company spokesperson.

Harvey Milk was the first openly gay person to be elected to public office in US history. He joined the Board of Supervisors in San Francisco in 1977 but was assassinated whilst in office in 1978. ‘Harvey was a true leader, whose passion was palpable and has expanded the decades since his untimely assassination,’ said Grant Barth, chief merchandising officer at Levi Strauss & Co. ‘He brought not only the LGBTQ community forward, but he fought for the visibility of all minorities.’

The collection has the support of Stuart Milk, nephew of Harvey and founder of the Harvey Milk Foundation. ‘It is a simple message, marked by dignity and respect, that we embrace all without exception, and keep alive Uncle Harvey’s promise of equality for all people, everywhere.’

This is the third time that Levi Strauss has produced a Pride collection. The Fortune1000 company has consistently scored the top mark of 100 on the HRC Foundation’s Corporate Equality Index – a ranking of LGBTI-friendly US businesses. Major companies are increasingly commemorating Pride season. In 2015, adidas, Nike and Target all produced Pride collections, while Lush made headlines with its #GayIsOK soap and social media campaign.

I love the rainbow tag on these jeans. Bonus points for the person who tells what the black handkerchief is a code for, and I’ll give even more credit if you tell me  the significance of the pocket.

Just as underclothes are shielded from public view, the evolution of men’s most intimate apparel is shrouded in secrecy. But the story of men’s underwear is about more than which came first: boxers or briefs. Undergarments as we know them today were first sold to promote cleanliness and improve the comfort of wearing clothing. The idea that they might one day be deemed fashionable was not even an after-thought.

During ancient times, the loincloth was the garment of choice. Typically made from wool, linen, silk or leather, material was wrapped between the legs and around the hips. Can you imagine how uncomfortable it was to have wool against the family jewels? Speed up to the Renaissance period to find men who wore a codpiece, a cloth pouch that supported the genitals, and typically was adhered to hosiery and attached with a button for easy access for bathroom breaks. The Industrial Age brought with it a structured type of garment known as a jockstrap, an undergarment that has an elastic waistband and a pouch over the genitals designed for support and protection.

In the 19th century, men’s underwear was closely linked with hygiene; associating these undergarments with athleticism, let alone sexuality, is a 20th-century notion. These shifts paralleled a growing public acceptance of the undressed male body, moving from the chaste forms of the Victorian era to the endlessly scrutinized torsos of today.

Hanes finally came into the underwear game during the roaring 20s, bringing comfort and ease with the creation of boxers. Jockey was introduced during the 1950s and the brief became the underwear of choice. Finally, in modern times with fabric introductions such as spandex and nylon, men’s undergarments have evolved into upgraded versions of the boxer and the brief, including boxer-briefs and trunks.

The men’s underwear game once only had two major players— boxers and briefs—but now there is more opportunity than ever for a man to express his style when getting dressed for the day. Men are no longer expected to declare loyalty to one style. Every style of underwear lends itself to different occasions. Moisture-wicking briefs, trunks, and jockstraps excel in athletic environments, while seamless briefs or thongs will go unnoticed beneath dress pants. My underwear drawer has a multitude of styles to suit my mood for the day, but you won’t find any thongs. If my ass is going to be bare, then it will be in a jockstrap.

While many will offer plenty of advice on what underwear style looks better on different body types, ultimately, the decision should be based on what makes you feel best. Briefs alone offer an extensive assortment of silhouettes for all different types of men—whether it’s the classic, white cotton, fly-front brief, or a low-rise, contour pouch brief in a fashion color. Boxer shorts are now available in a stylish, tailored fit as well as the relaxed fit made popular in the 90’s. Newest to the annals of underwear history, the trunk is a shorter, square-cut version of its predecessor, the boxer brief. And, not to be confined to strip joints and bodybuilding competitions, men’s thongs and g-strings serve a higher purpose in the boardroom—working hard to prevent visible underwear lines beneath your trousers, but I just can’t being myself to wear them.

What you wear beneath your clothes should be as fun and unique as you are, or wish to be. If drab work clothes or uniforms—or company policy—have you seeing drab neutrals every day, start mixing up the styles in your underwear drawer with bold prints, bright colors, and diverse textures and fabrics. Don’t be afraid to get a little risqué—a fashion jockstrap will have you feeling adventurous and daring even when sitting at your computer for eight hour days. Give others a peek at your inner-exhibitionist by flashing a stylish waistband above your jeans. With new fashion styles coming in every season, there’s never any shortage of distinctive new underwear styles for men.

Which do you prefer?