GAYLETTER

ARTURO WEARS JOCKSTRAP BY RUXWOOD.

The jockstrap, otherwise known as an athletic supporter, strap, cup, groin guard, or simply a jock, is the uniform underneath the uniform of the archetypal masculine American athlete. The slang term ‘jock,’ meaning an athlete, derives from the jockstrap. Jockstraps are also quintessentially American. The underwear was invented in 1874 by an employee of the Chicago sporting goods company Sharp & Smith, and it never caught on as widely in other countries. The jockstrap was originally intended to provide support for the genitals of bike delivery men, or bike jockeys, riding over cobblestone streets. Later it became popular as protective equipment for a wide variety of sports, such as baseball, football, hockey, lacrosse, and boxing. Today the design typically includes a pocket to hold an impact-resistant cup to protect the testicles and penis from injury.

The appeal of the jockstrap endures, even amongst straight men, its meaning founded in an association with traditional masculinity. Online forums dedicated to discussing jockstraps have long threads with men reminiscing about their father buying them their first jock for a sport, a symbolic coming-of-age ritual, a badge of membership into the cult of manliness.

The fetishistic appeal of the jockstrap is also related to its shape. The jockstrap presents an exposed, vulnerable backside in an altogether masculine package. It accentuates the bulge, while displaying the ass. This combination of vulnerability and masculinity drives its erotic charge. Plus, you can wear it while bottoming. The jockstrap offers vulnerability without femininity, and masculinity without dominance. The jockstrap is an essential set piece for porn set in locker rooms or at the gym. Often these scenes take place post workout, and the strap is portrayed as imbued with a man’s musk.

The recent Netflix series Halston shows the designer bringing his lover’s sweaty jockstrap to a buttoned-up female perfumer, who presses it to her nose and inhales deeply. Allegedly this is how they developed the feral, animalistic base notes of Halston’s legendary perfume, which captured the wild excess and all-night dance parties of the 1970s.

Jockstraps today are out of fashion in many sports, with athletes who require protection often wearing fitted shorts with a pocket for the protective cup instead of a jockstrap. The manufacturer of the classic and most popular jockstrap, Bike, was bought by Russell Athletic in 2003 and the brand was retired in 2017. Other companies, such as Gym, moved in to fill the void left by Bike and now produce essentially the same style of jock. Marketing to gay and bisexual men, other manufactuers produce jockstraps in a wide array of colors and styles, like the bright and garish examples you might find at a circuit party. Others still, like those pictured here, take a more minimal approach to the form.

This story was printed in GAYLETTER Issue 14, get a copy here.

ARTURO WEARS JOCKSTRAP BY RUXWOOD.

The jockstrap, otherwise known as an athletic supporter, strap, cup, groin guard, or simply a jock, is the uniform underneath the uniform of the archetypal masculine American athlete. The slang term ‘jock,’ meaning an athlete, derives from the jockstrap. Jockstraps are also quintessentially American. The underwear was invented in 1874 by an employee of the Chicago sporting goods company Sharp & Smith, and it never caught on as widely in other countries. The jockstrap was originally intended to provide support for the genitals of bike delivery men, or bike jockeys, riding over cobblestone streets. Later it became popular as protective equipment for a wide variety of sports, such as baseball, football, hockey, lacrosse, and boxing. Today the design typically includes a pocket to hold an impact-resistant cup to protect the testicles and penis from injury.

The appeal of the jockstrap endures, even amongst straight men, its meaning founded in an association with traditional masculinity. Online forums dedicated to discussing jockstraps have long threads with men reminiscing about their father buying them their first jock for a sport, a symbolic coming-of-age ritual, a badge of membership into the cult of manliness.

The fetishistic appeal of the jockstrap is also related to its shape. The jockstrap presents an exposed, vulnerable backside in an altogether masculine package. It accentuates the bulge, while displaying the ass. This combination of vulnerability and masculinity drives its erotic charge. Plus, you can wear it while bottoming. The jockstrap offers vulnerability without femininity, and masculinity without dominance. The jockstrap is an essential set piece for porn set in locker rooms or at the gym. Often these scenes take place post workout, and the strap is portrayed as imbued with a man’s musk.

The recent Netflix series Halston shows the designer bringing his lover’s sweaty jockstrap to a buttoned-up female perfumer, who presses it to her nose and inhales deeply. Allegedly this is how they developed the feral, animalistic base notes of Halston’s legendary perfume, which captured the wild excess and all-night dance parties of the 1970s.

Jockstraps today are out of fashion in many sports, with athletes who require protection often wearing fitted shorts with a pocket for the protective cup instead of a jockstrap. The manufacturer of the classic and most popular jockstrap, Bike, was bought by Russell Athletic in 2003 and the brand was retired in 2017. Other companies, such as Gym, moved in to fill the void left by Bike and now produce essentially the same style of jock. Marketing to gay and bisexual men, other manufactuers produce jockstraps in a wide array of colors and styles, like the bright and garish examples you might find at a circuit party. Others still, like those pictured here, take a more minimal approach to the form.

This story was printed in GAYLETTER Issue 14, get a copy here.

ARTURO WEARS JOCKSTRAP BY RUXWOOD.

The jockstrap, otherwise known as an athletic supporter, strap, cup, groin guard, or simply a jock, is the uniform underneath the uniform of the archetypal masculine American athlete. The slang term ‘jock,’ meaning an athlete, derives from the jockstrap. Jockstraps are also quintessentially American. The underwear was invented in 1874 by an employee of the Chicago sporting goods company Sharp & Smith, and it never caught on as widely in other countries. The jockstrap was originally intended to provide support for the genitals of bike delivery men, or bike jockeys, riding over cobblestone streets. Later it became popular as protective equipment for a wide variety of sports, such as baseball, football, hockey, lacrosse, and boxing. Today the design typically includes a pocket to hold an impact-resistant cup to protect the testicles and penis from injury.

The appeal of the jockstrap endures, even amongst straight men, its meaning founded in an association with traditional masculinity. Online forums dedicated to discussing jockstraps have long threads with men reminiscing about their father buying them their first jock for a sport, a symbolic coming-of-age ritual, a badge of membership into the cult of manliness.

The fetishistic appeal of the jockstrap is also related to its shape. The jockstrap presents an exposed, vulnerable backside in an altogether masculine package. It accentuates the bulge, while displaying the ass. This combination of vulnerability and masculinity drives its erotic charge. Plus, you can wear it while bottoming. The jockstrap offers vulnerability without femininity, and masculinity without dominance. The jockstrap is an essential set piece for porn set in locker rooms or at the gym. Often these scenes take place post workout, and the strap is portrayed as imbued with a man’s musk.

The recent Netflix series Halston shows the designer bringing his lover’s sweaty jockstrap to a buttoned-up female perfumer, who presses it to her nose and inhales deeply. Allegedly this is how they developed the feral, animalistic base notes of Halston’s legendary perfume, which captured the wild excess and all-night dance parties of the 1970s.

Jockstraps today are out of fashion in many sports, with athletes who require protection often wearing fitted shorts with a pocket for the protective cup instead of a jockstrap. The manufacturer of the classic and most popular jockstrap, Bike, was bought by Russell Athletic in 2003 and the brand was retired in 2017. Other companies, such as Gym, moved in to fill the void left by Bike and now produce essentially the same style of jock. Marketing to gay and bisexual men, other manufactuers produce jockstraps in a wide array of colors and styles, like the bright and garish examples you might find at a circuit party. Others still, like those pictured here, take a more minimal approach to the form.

This story was printed in GAYLETTER Issue 14, get a copy here.

ARTURO WEARS JOCKSTRAP BY RUXWOOD.

The jockstrap, otherwise known as an athletic supporter, strap, cup, groin guard, or simply a jock, is the uniform underneath the uniform of the archetypal masculine American athlete. The slang term ‘jock,’ meaning an athlete, derives from the jockstrap. Jockstraps are also quintessentially American. The underwear was invented in 1874 by an employee of the Chicago sporting goods company Sharp & Smith, and it never caught on as widely in other countries. The jockstrap was originally intended to provide support for the genitals of bike delivery men, or bike jockeys, riding over cobblestone streets. Later it became popular as protective equipment for a wide variety of sports, such as baseball, football, hockey, lacrosse, and boxing. Today the design typically includes a pocket to hold an impact-resistant cup to protect the testicles and penis from injury.

The appeal of the jockstrap endures, even amongst straight men, its meaning founded in an association with traditional masculinity. Online forums dedicated to discussing jockstraps have long threads with men reminiscing about their father buying them their first jock for a sport, a symbolic coming-of-age ritual, a badge of membership into the cult of manliness.

The fetishistic appeal of the jockstrap is also related to its shape. The jockstrap presents an exposed, vulnerable backside in an altogether masculine package. It accentuates the bulge, while displaying the ass. This combination of vulnerability and masculinity drives its erotic charge. Plus, you can wear it while bottoming. The jockstrap offers vulnerability without femininity, and masculinity without dominance. The jockstrap is an essential set piece for porn set in locker rooms or at the gym. Often these scenes take place post workout, and the strap is portrayed as imbued with a man’s musk.

The recent Netflix series Halston shows the designer bringing his lover’s sweaty jockstrap to a buttoned-up female perfumer, who presses it to her nose and inhales deeply. Allegedly this is how they developed the feral, animalistic base notes of Halston’s legendary perfume, which captured the wild excess and all-night dance parties of the 1970s.

Jockstraps today are out of fashion in many sports, with athletes who require protection often wearing fitted shorts with a pocket for the protective cup instead of a jockstrap. The manufacturer of the classic and most popular jockstrap, Bike, was bought by Russell Athletic in 2003 and the brand was retired in 2017. Other companies, such as Gym, moved in to fill the void left by Bike and now produce essentially the same style of jock. Marketing to gay and bisexual men, other manufactuers produce jockstraps in a wide array of colors and styles, like the bright and garish examples you might find at a circuit party. Others still, like those pictured here, take a more minimal approach to the form.

This story was printed in GAYLETTER Issue 14, get a copy here.

ANJEL WEARS JOCKSTRAP BY RUXWOOD.

The jockstrap, otherwise known as an athletic supporter, strap, cup, groin guard, or simply a jock, is the uniform underneath the uniform of the archetypal masculine American athlete. The slang term ‘jock,’ meaning an athlete, derives from the jockstrap. Jockstraps are also quintessentially American. The underwear was invented in 1874 by an employee of the Chicago sporting goods company Sharp & Smith, and it never caught on as widely in other countries. The jockstrap was originally intended to provide support for the genitals of bike delivery men, or bike jockeys, riding over cobblestone streets. Later it became popular as protective equipment for a wide variety of sports, such as baseball, football, hockey, lacrosse, and boxing. Today the design typically includes a pocket to hold an impact-resistant cup to protect the testicles and penis from injury.

The appeal of the jockstrap endures, even amongst straight men, its meaning founded in an association with traditional masculinity. Online forums dedicated to discussing jockstraps have long threads with men reminiscing about their father buying them their first jock for a sport, a symbolic coming-of-age ritual, a badge of membership into the cult of manliness.

The fetishistic appeal of the jockstrap is also related to its shape. The jockstrap presents an exposed, vulnerable backside in an altogether masculine package. It accentuates the bulge, while displaying the ass. This combination of vulnerability and masculinity drives its erotic charge. Plus, you can wear it while bottoming. The jockstrap offers vulnerability without femininity, and masculinity without dominance. The jockstrap is an essential set piece for porn set in locker rooms or at the gym. Often these scenes take place post workout, and the strap is portrayed as imbued with a man’s musk.

The recent Netflix series Halston shows the designer bringing his lover’s sweaty jockstrap to a buttoned-up female perfumer, who presses it to her nose and inhales deeply. Allegedly this is how they developed the feral, animalistic base notes of Halston’s legendary perfume, which captured the wild excess and all-night dance parties of the 1970s.

Jockstraps today are out of fashion in many sports, with athletes who require protection often wearing fitted shorts with a pocket for the protective cup instead of a jockstrap. The manufacturer of the classic and most popular jockstrap, Bike, was bought by Russell Athletic in 2003 and the brand was retired in 2017. Other companies, such as Gym, moved in to fill the void left by Bike and now produce essentially the same style of jock. Marketing to gay and bisexual men, other manufactuers produce jockstraps in a wide array of colors and styles, like the bright and garish examples you might find at a circuit party. Others still, like those pictured here, take a more minimal approach to the form.

This story was printed in GAYLETTER Issue 14, get a copy here.

ANJEL WEARS JOCKSTRAP BY RUXWOOD.

The jockstrap, otherwise known as an athletic supporter, strap, cup, groin guard, or simply a jock, is the uniform underneath the uniform of the archetypal masculine American athlete. The slang term ‘jock,’ meaning an athlete, derives from the jockstrap. Jockstraps are also quintessentially American. The underwear was invented in 1874 by an employee of the Chicago sporting goods company Sharp & Smith, and it never caught on as widely in other countries. The jockstrap was originally intended to provide support for the genitals of bike delivery men, or bike jockeys, riding over cobblestone streets. Later it became popular as protective equipment for a wide variety of sports, such as baseball, football, hockey, lacrosse, and boxing. Today the design typically includes a pocket to hold an impact-resistant cup to protect the testicles and penis from injury.

The appeal of the jockstrap endures, even amongst straight men, its meaning founded in an association with traditional masculinity. Online forums dedicated to discussing jockstraps have long threads with men reminiscing about their father buying them their first jock for a sport, a symbolic coming-of-age ritual, a badge of membership into the cult of manliness.

The fetishistic appeal of the jockstrap is also related to its shape. The jockstrap presents an exposed, vulnerable backside in an altogether masculine package. It accentuates the bulge, while displaying the ass. This combination of vulnerability and masculinity drives its erotic charge. Plus, you can wear it while bottoming. The jockstrap offers vulnerability without femininity, and masculinity without dominance. The jockstrap is an essential set piece for porn set in locker rooms or at the gym. Often these scenes take place post workout, and the strap is portrayed as imbued with a man’s musk.

The recent Netflix series Halston shows the designer bringing his lover’s sweaty jockstrap to a buttoned-up female perfumer, who presses it to her nose and inhales deeply. Allegedly this is how they developed the feral, animalistic base notes of Halston’s legendary perfume, which captured the wild excess and all-night dance parties of the 1970s.

Jockstraps today are out of fashion in many sports, with athletes who require protection often wearing fitted shorts with a pocket for the protective cup instead of a jockstrap. The manufacturer of the classic and most popular jockstrap, Bike, was bought by Russell Athletic in 2003 and the brand was retired in 2017. Other companies, such as Gym, moved in to fill the void left by Bike and now produce essentially the same style of jock. Marketing to gay and bisexual men, other manufactuers produce jockstraps in a wide array of colors and styles, like the bright and garish examples you might find at a circuit party. Others still, like those pictured here, take a more minimal approach to the form.

This story was printed in GAYLETTER Issue 14, get a copy here.

ANJEL WEARS JOCKSTRAPS BY RUXWOOD AND JEANS BY LEVI’S.

The jockstrap, otherwise known as an athletic supporter, strap, cup, groin guard, or simply a jock, is the uniform underneath the uniform of the archetypal masculine American athlete. The slang term ‘jock,’ meaning an athlete, derives from the jockstrap. Jockstraps are also quintessentially American. The underwear was invented in 1874 by an employee of the Chicago sporting goods company Sharp & Smith, and it never caught on as widely in other countries. The jockstrap was originally intended to provide support for the genitals of bike delivery men, or bike jockeys, riding over cobblestone streets. Later it became popular as protective equipment for a wide variety of sports, such as baseball, football, hockey, lacrosse, and boxing. Today the design typically includes a pocket to hold an impact-resistant cup to protect the testicles and penis from injury.

The appeal of the jockstrap endures, even amongst straight men, its meaning founded in an association with traditional masculinity. Online forums dedicated to discussing jockstraps have long threads with men reminiscing about their father buying them their first jock for a sport, a symbolic coming-of-age ritual, a badge of membership into the cult of manliness.

The fetishistic appeal of the jockstrap is also related to its shape. The jockstrap presents an exposed, vulnerable backside in an altogether masculine package. It accentuates the bulge, while displaying the ass. This combination of vulnerability and masculinity drives its erotic charge. Plus, you can wear it while bottoming. The jockstrap offers vulnerability without femininity, and masculinity without dominance. The jockstrap is an essential set piece for porn set in locker rooms or at the gym. Often these scenes take place post workout, and the strap is portrayed as imbued with a man’s musk.

The recent Netflix series Halston shows the designer bringing his lover’s sweaty jockstrap to a buttoned-up female perfumer, who presses it to her nose and inhales deeply. Allegedly this is how they developed the feral, animalistic base notes of Halston’s legendary perfume, which captured the wild excess and all-night dance parties of the 1970s.

Jockstraps today are out of fashion in many sports, with athletes who require protection often wearing fitted shorts with a pocket for the protective cup instead of a jockstrap. The manufacturer of the classic and most popular jockstrap, Bike, was bought by Russell Athletic in 2003 and the brand was retired in 2017. Other companies, such as Gym, moved in to fill the void left by Bike and now produce essentially the same style of jock. Marketing to gay and bisexual men, other manufactuers produce jockstraps in a wide array of colors and styles, like the bright and garish examples you might find at a circuit party. Others still, like those pictured here, take a more minimal approach to the form.

This story was printed in GAYLETTER Issue 14, get a copy here.

ANJEL WEARS JOCKSTRAP BY RUXWOOD.

The jockstrap, otherwise known as an athletic supporter, strap, cup, groin guard, or simply a jock, is the uniform underneath the uniform of the archetypal masculine American athlete. The slang term ‘jock,’ meaning an athlete, derives from the jockstrap. Jockstraps are also quintessentially American. The underwear was invented in 1874 by an employee of the Chicago sporting goods company Sharp & Smith, and it never caught on as widely in other countries. The jockstrap was originally intended to provide support for the genitals of bike delivery men, or bike jockeys, riding over cobblestone streets. Later it became popular as protective equipment for a wide variety of sports, such as baseball, football, hockey, lacrosse, and boxing. Today the design typically includes a pocket to hold an impact-resistant cup to protect the testicles and penis from injury.

The appeal of the jockstrap endures, even amongst straight men, its meaning founded in an association with traditional masculinity. Online forums dedicated to discussing jockstraps have long threads with men reminiscing about their father buying them their first jock for a sport, a symbolic coming-of-age ritual, a badge of membership into the cult of manliness.

The fetishistic appeal of the jockstrap is also related to its shape. The jockstrap presents an exposed, vulnerable backside in an altogether masculine package. It accentuates the bulge, while displaying the ass. This combination of vulnerability and masculinity drives its erotic charge. Plus, you can wear it while bottoming. The jockstrap offers vulnerability without femininity, and masculinity without dominance. The jockstrap is an essential set piece for porn set in locker rooms or at the gym. Often these scenes take place post workout, and the strap is portrayed as imbued with a man’s musk.

The recent Netflix series Halston shows the designer bringing his lover’s sweaty jockstrap to a buttoned-up female perfumer, who presses it to her nose and inhales deeply. Allegedly this is how they developed the feral, animalistic base notes of Halston’s legendary perfume, which captured the wild excess and all-night dance parties of the 1970s.

Jockstraps today are out of fashion in many sports, with athletes who require protection often wearing fitted shorts with a pocket for the protective cup instead of a jockstrap. The manufacturer of the classic and most popular jockstrap, Bike, was bought by Russell Athletic in 2003 and the brand was retired in 2017. Other companies, such as Gym, moved in to fill the void left by Bike and now produce essentially the same style of jock. Marketing to gay and bisexual men, other manufactuers produce jockstraps in a wide array of colors and styles, like the bright and garish examples you might find at a circuit party. Others still, like those pictured here, take a more minimal approach to the form.

This story was printed in GAYLETTER Issue 14, get a copy here.

CODY WEARS JOCKSTRAP BY RUXWOOD.

The jockstrap, otherwise known as an athletic supporter, strap, cup, groin guard, or simply a jock, is the uniform underneath the uniform of the archetypal masculine American athlete. The slang term ‘jock,’ meaning an athlete, derives from the jockstrap. Jockstraps are also quintessentially American. The underwear was invented in 1874 by an employee of the Chicago sporting goods company Sharp & Smith, and it never caught on as widely in other countries. The jockstrap was originally intended to provide support for the genitals of bike delivery men, or bike jockeys, riding over cobblestone streets. Later it became popular as protective equipment for a wide variety of sports, such as baseball, football, hockey, lacrosse, and boxing. Today the design typically includes a pocket to hold an impact-resistant cup to protect the testicles and penis from injury.

The appeal of the jockstrap endures, even amongst straight men, its meaning founded in an association with traditional masculinity. Online forums dedicated to discussing jockstraps have long threads with men reminiscing about their father buying them their first jock for a sport, a symbolic coming-of-age ritual, a badge of membership into the cult of manliness.

The fetishistic appeal of the jockstrap is also related to its shape. The jockstrap presents an exposed, vulnerable backside in an altogether masculine package. It accentuates the bulge, while displaying the ass. This combination of vulnerability and masculinity drives its erotic charge. Plus, you can wear it while bottoming. The jockstrap offers vulnerability without femininity, and masculinity without dominance. The jockstrap is an essential set piece for porn set in locker rooms or at the gym. Often these scenes take place post workout, and the strap is portrayed as imbued with a man’s musk.

The recent Netflix series Halston shows the designer bringing his lover’s sweaty jockstrap to a buttoned-up female perfumer, who presses it to her nose and inhales deeply. Allegedly this is how they developed the feral, animalistic base notes of Halston’s legendary perfume, which captured the wild excess and all-night dance parties of the 1970s.

Jockstraps today are out of fashion in many sports, with athletes who require protection often wearing fitted shorts with a pocket for the protective cup instead of a jockstrap. The manufacturer of the classic and most popular jockstrap, Bike, was bought by Russell Athletic in 2003 and the brand was retired in 2017. Other companies, such as Gym, moved in to fill the void left by Bike and now produce essentially the same style of jock. Marketing to gay and bisexual men, other manufactuers produce jockstraps in a wide array of colors and styles, like the bright and garish examples you might find at a circuit party. Others still, like those pictured here, take a more minimal approach to the form.

This story was printed in GAYLETTER Issue 14, get a copy here.

CODY WEARS JOCKSTRAP BY RUXWOOD.

The jockstrap, otherwise known as an athletic supporter, strap, cup, groin guard, or simply a jock, is the uniform underneath the uniform of the archetypal masculine American athlete. The slang term ‘jock,’ meaning an athlete, derives from the jockstrap. Jockstraps are also quintessentially American. The underwear was invented in 1874 by an employee of the Chicago sporting goods company Sharp & Smith, and it never caught on as widely in other countries. The jockstrap was originally intended to provide support for the genitals of bike delivery men, or bike jockeys, riding over cobblestone streets. Later it became popular as protective equipment for a wide variety of sports, such as baseball, football, hockey, lacrosse, and boxing. Today the design typically includes a pocket to hold an impact-resistant cup to protect the testicles and penis from injury.

The appeal of the jockstrap endures, even amongst straight men, its meaning founded in an association with traditional masculinity. Online forums dedicated to discussing jockstraps have long threads with men reminiscing about their father buying them their first jock for a sport, a symbolic coming-of-age ritual, a badge of membership into the cult of manliness.

The fetishistic appeal of the jockstrap is also related to its shape. The jockstrap presents an exposed, vulnerable backside in an altogether masculine package. It accentuates the bulge, while displaying the ass. This combination of vulnerability and masculinity drives its erotic charge. Plus, you can wear it while bottoming. The jockstrap offers vulnerability without femininity, and masculinity without dominance. The jockstrap is an essential set piece for porn set in locker rooms or at the gym. Often these scenes take place post workout, and the strap is portrayed as imbued with a man’s musk.

The recent Netflix series Halston shows the designer bringing his lover’s sweaty jockstrap to a buttoned-up female perfumer, who presses it to her nose and inhales deeply. Allegedly this is how they developed the feral, animalistic base notes of Halston’s legendary perfume, which captured the wild excess and all-night dance parties of the 1970s.

Jockstraps today are out of fashion in many sports, with athletes who require protection often wearing fitted shorts with a pocket for the protective cup instead of a jockstrap. The manufacturer of the classic and most popular jockstrap, Bike, was bought by Russell Athletic in 2003 and the brand was retired in 2017. Other companies, such as Gym, moved in to fill the void left by Bike and now produce essentially the same style of jock. Marketing to gay and bisexual men, other manufactuers produce jockstraps in a wide array of colors and styles, like the bright and garish examples you might find at a circuit party. Others still, like those pictured here, take a more minimal approach to the form.

This story was printed in GAYLETTER Issue 14, get a copy here.

CODY WEARS JOCKSTRAP BY RUXWOOD.

The jockstrap, otherwise known as an athletic supporter, strap, cup, groin guard, or simply a jock, is the uniform underneath the uniform of the archetypal masculine American athlete. The slang term ‘jock,’ meaning an athlete, derives from the jockstrap. Jockstraps are also quintessentially American. The underwear was invented in 1874 by an employee of the Chicago sporting goods company Sharp & Smith, and it never caught on as widely in other countries. The jockstrap was originally intended to provide support for the genitals of bike delivery men, or bike jockeys, riding over cobblestone streets. Later it became popular as protective equipment for a wide variety of sports, such as baseball, football, hockey, lacrosse, and boxing. Today the design typically includes a pocket to hold an impact-resistant cup to protect the testicles and penis from injury.

The appeal of the jockstrap endures, even amongst straight men, its meaning founded in an association with traditional masculinity. Online forums dedicated to discussing jockstraps have long threads with men reminiscing about their father buying them their first jock for a sport, a symbolic coming-of-age ritual, a badge of membership into the cult of manliness.

The fetishistic appeal of the jockstrap is also related to its shape. The jockstrap presents an exposed, vulnerable backside in an altogether masculine package. It accentuates the bulge, while displaying the ass. This combination of vulnerability and masculinity drives its erotic charge. Plus, you can wear it while bottoming. The jockstrap offers vulnerability without femininity, and masculinity without dominance. The jockstrap is an essential set piece for porn set in locker rooms or at the gym. Often these scenes take place post workout, and the strap is portrayed as imbued with a man’s musk.

The recent Netflix series Halston shows the designer bringing his lover’s sweaty jockstrap to a buttoned-up female perfumer, who presses it to her nose and inhales deeply. Allegedly this is how they developed the feral, animalistic base notes of Halston’s legendary perfume, which captured the wild excess and all-night dance parties of the 1970s.

Jockstraps today are out of fashion in many sports, with athletes who require protection often wearing fitted shorts with a pocket for the protective cup instead of a jockstrap. The manufacturer of the classic and most popular jockstrap, Bike, was bought by Russell Athletic in 2003 and the brand was retired in 2017. Other companies, such as Gym, moved in to fill the void left by Bike and now produce essentially the same style of jock. Marketing to gay and bisexual men, other manufactuers produce jockstraps in a wide array of colors and styles, like the bright and garish examples you might find at a circuit party. Others still, like those pictured here, take a more minimal approach to the form.

This story was printed in GAYLETTER Issue 14, get a copy here.

CODY WEARS JOCKSTRAP BY RUXWOOD.

The jockstrap, otherwise known as an athletic supporter, strap, cup, groin guard, or simply a jock, is the uniform underneath the uniform of the archetypal masculine American athlete. The slang term ‘jock,’ meaning an athlete, derives from the jockstrap. Jockstraps are also quintessentially American. The underwear was invented in 1874 by an employee of the Chicago sporting goods company Sharp & Smith, and it never caught on as widely in other countries. The jockstrap was originally intended to provide support for the genitals of bike delivery men, or bike jockeys, riding over cobblestone streets. Later it became popular as protective equipment for a wide variety of sports, such as baseball, football, hockey, lacrosse, and boxing. Today the design typically includes a pocket to hold an impact-resistant cup to protect the testicles and penis from injury.

The appeal of the jockstrap endures, even amongst straight men, its meaning founded in an association with traditional masculinity. Online forums dedicated to discussing jockstraps have long threads with men reminiscing about their father buying them their first jock for a sport, a symbolic coming-of-age ritual, a badge of membership into the cult of manliness.

The fetishistic appeal of the jockstrap is also related to its shape. The jockstrap presents an exposed, vulnerable backside in an altogether masculine package. It accentuates the bulge, while displaying the ass. This combination of vulnerability and masculinity drives its erotic charge. Plus, you can wear it while bottoming. The jockstrap offers vulnerability without femininity, and masculinity without dominance. The jockstrap is an essential set piece for porn set in locker rooms or at the gym. Often these scenes take place post workout, and the strap is portrayed as imbued with a man’s musk.

The recent Netflix series Halston shows the designer bringing his lover’s sweaty jockstrap to a buttoned-up female perfumer, who presses it to her nose and inhales deeply. Allegedly this is how they developed the feral, animalistic base notes of Halston’s legendary perfume, which captured the wild excess and all-night dance parties of the 1970s.

Jockstraps today are out of fashion in many sports, with athletes who require protection often wearing fitted shorts with a pocket for the protective cup instead of a jockstrap. The manufacturer of the classic and most popular jockstrap, Bike, was bought by Russell Athletic in 2003 and the brand was retired in 2017. Other companies, such as Gym, moved in to fill the void left by Bike and now produce essentially the same style of jock. Marketing to gay and bisexual men, other manufactuers produce jockstraps in a wide array of colors and styles, like the bright and garish examples you might find at a circuit party. Others still, like those pictured here, take a more minimal approach to the form.

This story was printed in GAYLETTER Issue 14, get a copy here.