A loincloth is a one-piece garment, either wrapped around itself or kept in place by a belt. It covers the genitals and sometimes the buttocks. Loincloths which are held up by belts or strings are specifically known as breechcloth or breechclout. Often, the flaps hang down in front and back.
A form of loincloth worn with a cape by Nezahualpilli, c. 1500
Australian Aboriginal dance group wearing loincloths made from modern materials on stage at the Nambassa festival
The Aztecs wore loincloths with or without other garments.
Two Mojave men in breechcloths (1871)
Underwear, underclothing, or undergarments are items of clothing worn beneath outer clothes, usually in direct contact with the skin, although they may comprise more than a single layer. They serve to keep outer clothing from being soiled or damaged by bodily excretions, to lessen the friction of outerwear against the skin, to shape the body, and to provide concealment or support for parts of it. In cold weather, long underwear is sometimes worn to provide additional warmth. Special types of undergarments have religious significance. Some items of clothing are designed as undergarments, while others, such as T-shirts and certain types of shorts, are appropriate both as underwear and outerwear. If made of suitable material or textile, some underwear can serve as nightwear or swimwear, and some undergarments are intended for sexual attraction or visual appeal.
Boxer shorts and boxer briefs
Panties or knickers
A mosaic from the Piazza Armerina in Sicily showing a woman wearing a strophium (breastcloth) and a subligaculum
Medieval braies