Are Long Johns Considered Underwear?

Thermals, commonly known as long johns, are either a complete thermal top or a thermal bottom or one or the other. The majority will have long sleeves and will be generally worn around the fall and winter season. The most common way to wear your long johns is going to be underneath your regular clothes. While wearing them underneath your traditional garments will help keep you warm and build an extra layer of insulation, they are not underwear.

While long underwear does have the word underwear in it, it doesn't mean they are underwear. In fact, your long johns are not considered underwear. Both your underwear and your thermals, we'll have completely different jobs to do when working as a specific type of clothing. And since you and everyone else knows what underwear does for the most part. However, we will go into what separates long johns from regular underwear, so you know for sure that your thermals are not to be worn as actual underwear.

A Little Bit of History

Though your Long johns has a rich and exciting history, they were first introduced in England around the 17th century. However, they didn't become popular as sleepwear until around the mid-eighteenth century. Even today, you can still use your thermal underwear as the perfect pajama during the winter season.

Long underwear was first used as a form of loungewear. However, around the turn of the nineteenth century, Long johns had become more developed and famous in the European area. This led to more people as a way to keep warm and to add extra comfort during the winter season.

Separating the Thermals from the Underwear

To draw the line between your regular underwear and your long underwear, it helps to know what benefits your thermals are going to give you. While your underwear will help give you some extra support and coverage in your private areas as much as possible, thermals will fit snug against your skin. They'll also retain your body heat across your whole body. Your underwear is not going to be able to do this.

Thermal underwear will also wick away moisture which will keep you dry. This is especially helpful during the cold season, where being wet and cold can cause some health problems. However, even if it is moisture-wicking, your underwear will not be able to keep you dry across your whole body. Another thing to consider is that your regular underwear will allow you to wear your thermals a few times a week without you having to worry about washing them. This will help keep your thermals cleaner a little bit longer.

While some may argue that you can wear your thermals as underwear, it is not recommended. Certain areas of your body need to have a certain amount of extra support and needs that only underwear can give you. Your underwear can also protect your thermals from any unforeseen accidents that may happen while you wear them.