underpant

Helene looked at the pallid child—her baby, whatever the world might say, even if the other woman was his mother fifty times over. He was wearing his pretty blue Sunday smock, and it was so filthy in front that it was practically matted. And one underpant leg hung down to the top of his boot.

1959, Sigrid Undset, “Thjodolf”, in Naomi Walfor, transl., Four Stories, Alfred A. Knopf; reprinted in Tiina Nunnally, transl., edited by Tim Page, The Unknown Sigrid Undset: Jenny and Other Works, South Royalton, Vt.: Steerforth Press, 2001, →ISBN, page 317

A leading hosiery manufacturer who is responsible for a successful supermarket pantyhose has recently been unsuccessful in approaching several underpant manufacturers proposing that they produce a panty for them to be marketed exclusively in convenience outlets.

1975, Clothes, volume 10, PRADS, Incorporated, page 48

Nearly 80% of polypropylene spunbonded fabrics are used for diapers for infants. Previously, polypropylene nonwoven fabrics were used only for side gathers. However, with underpant-type diapers increasing, these fabrics have come to be used for a portion of the back-sheet as well.

1997, JTN Monthly, numbers 506–511, Osaka Senken Limited, page 27

Within days she has assembled a list of Chinese underpant-makers who are terribly keen to meet me. But I still want, if possible, to follow a single pair of locally bought pants. […] At Quanzhou airport I am met by a driver sent by the underpant company and a couple of amputees.

2008, Joe Bennett, Where Underpants Come From: From Checkout to Cotton Field—Travels Through the New China and into the New Global Economy, New York, N.Y.: The Overlook Press, published 2009, →ISBN, pages 25 (Becoming Sherlock) and 103 (We Made Your Pants)

I always seemed to have an underpant leg showing out of my short trousers probably because they were my big brother’s old ones handed down to ‘get the wear out of them’. When the ‘laggy’ had gone you got both legs hanging out!

2013, John Wright, “Early Days”, in S’Funny How You Never Laugh at the Time Though, Innit?, Rothersthorpe: Paragon Publishing, →ISBN, page 6