G-string
A thong, G-string, or tanga is a narrow piece of cloth or leather that passes between the legs and is attached to a band around the hips, worn as a bikini bottom or as underwear.
Also, in Australian culture, a thong is a type of footwear similar to a sandal.
Origin
Although it was worn for decades by exotic dancers, the thong first gained mainstream popularity in South America, particularly in Brazil in the 1970s. In Brazil 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.
Its earliest form was a strip of cloth between the legs secured by a string around the waist and called a "G-string," a name that was in use at least as far back as the late 1800s. Today, a G-string is generally thought of as having a 'T' back whereas a thong has a 'V' back. It is when wearing a G-string that the material goes between the buttocks—a thong has slightly more cloth.
The origin of the word "G-string" is uncertain. 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; but the earliest references spell it "geestring," suggesting that it may have been a Native American word that simply sounded like G-string. G-strings can be seen being worn in some old photographs.
The origin of the word thong is from Old English thwong, a flexible leather cord.
Many tribal peoples, such as some of the Khoisan people of southern Africa, wore a similar style of clothing for many centuries. Their word for it, tanga, is used in languages such as Spanish to refer to the garment, sometimes specifically the type with cloth through the legs and string around the sides. (In English, tangas are briefs that have full rear coverage but only a waistband at the sides.)
Popularity
By the late 1980s, the design had made its way into most of the Western world, and thong underwear became more and more popular through the 1990s. As of 2003, thong underwear is one of the fastest-selling styles among women and is also gaining some 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. The main drawback to thong underwear is that the fabric must be pulled directly between one's buttocks, which many people find unattractive and/or uncomfortable, but which others enjoy. Wearing the same thong for a prolonged period of time is considered unsanitary, just like any other underwear.
Today, there are a number of intermediate styles between full rear coverage and a string rear. 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 thong by composing songs about it and featuring artists clad in them. Artists include Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and Lil' Kim among others. One example of music that popularized this undergarment is the "Thong Song" by Sisqó, which was released in 2000. Thongs have become icons of pop culture.
As is the case with many icons of pop culture, G-string/thong underwear is not without its own controversies. In 2002 American clothing retailer Abercrombie & Fitch, known for their racy catalogues, launched a line of thong underwear marketed specifically at girls aged 13 to 16 years old. Several consumer advocacy groups objected to marketing of the thong, claiming they are too sexually suggestive. In April, 2002 thong underwear was at the centre of a media uproar after a vice-principal at a southern California high school forced female students to lift their skirts before entering a school dance, in a so-called crackdown on thong/G-string underwear.
Many beachside municipalities in the United States have legislation forbidding G-string/thong swimsuits in public, while others governments such as that of Virginia passed laws forbidding the exposure of underwear, believed to have been prompted by the deliberate and inadvertent exposure by young women of their G-string/thongs. Virginia's so-called "droopy-pants" bill was dropped two days after having been passed by the state house.
On Europe's beaches, wearing swimwear in g-string/thong-style is fairly common, especially on the Spanish Mediterranean islands like Ibiza and Mallorca. Also on Baltic Sea beaches and in public pools in France and Germany, women and men wear G-strings and thongs or thong-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 sexier clothing, there has been a moderate increase in demand for male G-strings in the U.S. male population. File:Kcthong.jpg
See also
External links
- Straight Dope: "What does the G in G-string stand for?"
- CNN/Money "Abercrombie's sexy undies 'slip'"
- NBCSanDiego "Panty Check At School Dance Sparks Uproar"
- CBS News "Tighten Your Belts, Virginia"
- CBS News "Virginia Drops Underpants Bill"