G-string

A G-string, thong, or string tanga is a narrow piece of cloth or even leather that passes between the legs, usually between the buttocks, and is attached to a band around the hips, worn as a bikini bottom or as underwear by both men and women.

Woman wearing a thong.

Origin

The G-string or thong is probably the earliest form of clothing known to man; having originated in the warmer climates of sub-Saharan Africa where clothing was first worn nearly 75,000 years ago. Many tribal peoples, such as some of the Khoisan people of southern Africa, wore thongs for many centuries. Much like the 2000+ year old Japanese Fundoshi, these early garments were made with the male genitalia in mind.

Although developed for the male anatomy by primitive peoples, in the modern world Thongs (and the like) have been worn for decades in recent years by female exotic dancers. They first gained mainstream popularity as swimwear in South America, particularly in Brazil in the 1970s. In Brazil, where the buttocks ("bundas" in Portuguese) are especially admired and emphasized, it was originally a style of swimsuit whose rear area was so thin—often just a string—that it would disappear between the wearer's buttocks.

The origin of the word "G-string" is uncertain. The term is first attested in writings by Americans in the late 1800s regarding the loincloth of Philippine natives. The origin of the term is obscure.

Today, a G-string is generally thought of as having a "T" back whereas a V-String has a "V" back. . Some speculate that it may have been an analogy to the thickest string on a violin or a euphemistic abbreviation of girdle string or groin string. G-Strings can be seen being worn by male athletes in old photographs.

The origin of the word thong is from Old English thwong, a flexible leather cord. The item is also sometimes derogatorily called buttfloss.

Commercialisation and attitudes

Attitudes to wearing G-strings vary, as usual with revealing clothing, often on the same lines as anything showing buttocks, cleavage, breasts and other sexually-associated parts of the body. Some find it acceptable while others find it offensive — in certain jurisdictions it may even be illegal. Social acceptability may also differ by the wearer's age and the venue. For example, it may be acceptable on the beach or by the pool, but not in a place of worship. Even in France, largely liberal, it is still showy enough to be a traditional eye-catching attribute for starlets eagerly parading for the press at the annual Cannes film festival.

By the late 1980s, the design had made its way into most of the Western world, and G-string underwear became more and more popular through the 1990s. As of 2003, thong underwear is one of the fastest-selling styles among women and currently gaining popularity among men. One advantage attributed to the wearing of thong underwear is that no visible panty line can be seen even under a thin, light-colored or skin-tight garment, which makes for a more attractive appearance. Although the popularity of wearing thong underwear in America has taken off only in the last decade, in Eastern and Northern Europe it has been common for many more years, and is considered commonplace today.

G-string underwear must be pulled directly between one's buttocks, which some people find unattractive and/or uncomfortable, but which others enjoy. Because the cloth makes direct contact with the anus (unlike most underwear), the requirement for good personal hygiene is increased to avoid stains or marks on the material.

Today, there are a number of intermediate styles between full rear coverage and a string rear. They include the rio, tanga, thong, string thong and microkini. A style that has a narrow band of fabric in the rear that just covers the cleft in the buttocks is often called a "Brazilian" rear, because it is often seen at Brazilian Samba carnivals.

In recent years the hip hop and R&B music industry has also helped to promote the G-string, mostly under its American nomenclature of 'thong' by composing songs about it and featuring artists clad in them. Artists include Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and Lil' Kim. One example of music that popularized this undergarment is the "Thong Song" by Sisqó, which was released in 2000. G-strings have become icons of pop culture, often with pop female artists wearing clothing that is revealing enough that their wearing of a thong is obvious, and thus the younger generation of American females following suit has increased the popularity of wearing thong underwear. Also some male actors like Sylvester Stalone[1] and Morgan Freeman[2] are using them. Male use of g-strings as beachwear is not as popular in the US as it is in other countries such as Brazil and France.

A man wearing a traditional Japanese swimwear, the fundoshi.

Male use of G-string underwear, in the West traditionally limited to the athlete's jockstrap and the dance belt, is currently increasing due to the popularization by male strippers and/or extotic dancers, e.g. Chippendales dancers. G-strings are very popular with male wrestlers like Hulk Hogan because they don't produce visible brief lines under their wrestling suits. Male use of G-strings as beachwear is not as popular in the U.S. as it is in other countries such as Brazil and France.

As is the case with many icons of pop culture, G-string underwear is not without its own controversies. In 2002 American clothing retailer Abercrombie & Fitch, known for their racy catalogues, launched a line of G-string underwear marketed specifically at girls aged 13 to 16 years. Several consumer advocacy groups objected to marketing of the G-string, claiming they are too sexually suggestive. Others argue that those offended by them should not buy them.

In April 2002, G-string underwear was at the centre of a media uproar after a vice-principal (a woman) at Rancho Bernardo High School in southern California forced female students to lift their skirts before entering a school dance, in a so-called crackdown on G-string underwear.

In May 2003, the head teacher of a British primary school voiced her concern after learning that girl pupils as young as 10 were wearing thong underwear to school. This incident led to a media debate about the appropriateness of G-string underwear and the sexualization of children.

Many beachside municipalities in the United States have legislation forbidding G-string swimsuits in public, while others governments such as that of Virginia have attempted to pass laws forbidding the exposure of underwear.These actions are believed to have been prompted by both the deliberate and inadvertent exposure by young women of their G-string as well as a current trend at the time of men wearing their pants so low down that the pubis was exposed. Virginia's so-called "droopy-pants" bill failed to report in a state senate committee two days after having been passed by the state house.

On European and Australian beaches, wearing swimwear in G-string style is fairly common, especially on the Spanish Mediterranean islands like Ibiza (Eivissa) and Mallorca, and on some Italian and Greek beaches. Also on Baltic Sea beaches and in public pools in France and Germany, women and men wear G-strings or G-string-style one-piece suits. While this type of swimsuit is quite common for European women, more and more men like to wear them not only as underwear but as swimwear in public. Although it is likely that this is a consequence of the more liberal society in many European states that results in a preference for revealing clothing, there has also been an increase in demand for male G-strings in the U.S. male population.

In other languages

In Puerto Rico, a Spanish slang term often used for G-string is gistro, most commonly used by Reggaeton artists to refer to the underwear style.

In the Japanese language, G-string is widely known as T-back, after its shape seen from behind. The sound has been causing some confusion among Japanese speakers (especially the elderly) with a tea bag, which is also common in today's Japanese dictions.

However, there are several usages of the term "T-back" in English as well (i.e., Children's literature author E.L. Konigsburg's T-backs, T-shirts, Coat and Suit).

In the Chinese language, G-string is known as renziku (人字裤) which literally means "human character pants." The Chinese character for "human" or "man" (ren, 人) looks similar to an upside-down Y, and thus similar to the shape of the G-string from the perspective of the wearer.

In Australia, the word "thong" is more commonly associated with the type of footwear that is known in the rest of the English-speaking world as the flip-flop.

Trivia

When working as a back-up singer, Dusty Springfield used the name "Gladys Thong" (before thong was a type of underwear.)

When thong underwear is visible over low-riding pants, it is called a "whale tail".

See also

• Jockstrap
• Loincloth
• Girdle
• Whale tail