Thoughts on just being a guy

[sebbie]

A Fruit of the Loom Strap?

Scrounging around, I found one of the earliest straps that I ever purchased, perhaps the earliest one of all. I have been comparing the appearance and features of this strap with others I have. I also have been looking at the very faded tag in an attempt to determine the brand. There is a tag with three faded colors, maybe four, green, red and purple with a possible gold on the left side.

In sorting through images on the Internet the only logo that would fit would be Fruit of the Loom, and the logo that fits dates either from the 60s or from 1970-78. I think I purchased this strap in the mid 1970s when I was off in college in another state. I had always wanted to have a strap of my own but I was off on my own now and no one I knew to question why I owned a strap despite the fact that I was a non athlete who did not “need” one. Part of the “fun” actually was the secrecy of what I was doing to and by myself. And the FOTL strap was “forbidden fruit”. This was going to make for some fun experiments in male “self abuse”.

Currently the strap is in not terrible condition considering the “life” it led as a long-time “partner” of mine. This was not a Bike strap, it was a strap that would have been sold at a discount house not an athletic clothing place as such. I am guessing that I found my strap on a display at K mart next to other sporting goods items big and small on a wall in that particular section of the store. Not very expensive, maybe under $2. Just think the amount of fun I would have for that little money.

In comparing this strap to my newer straps, there are some things that are the same but a lot that is different too. The pouch is made of that goofy ribbed rubberized cloth at is never used in other types of clothing. Unlike a pouch made with Spandex, it still is in pretty good condition after maybe 50 years. The rubberized pouch holds up a lot better over time whereas one made with Lycra/Spandex would deteriorate and lose its “snap”.

The waistband is two inches wide not three inches wide. The elastic in that has held up well too, and there is another narrow ¼ inch wide strip of elastic sewn to the top of the pouch which in turn is sewn to the waistband using a zig zag stitch. The sewing and all the elastic is in good condition too.

Inside, on the waistband to the right of the pouch is a little elastic hanger loop as if FOTL expected guys to rinse out their straps after the game and then hang them to dry from this loop in a locker to dry until the next practice. I don’t know if anyone ever did that but I guess that was the intended purpose of the hanger loop.

Then there wwere the leg straps, once again bands of elastic about 3/8 ths inch wide that attach at the waistband an inch or so to the left and right of the pouch. These are all twisted but again the elastic is in very good shape given the age.

Of course, these elastic straps have to attach to the pouch at the base of the pouch, and there is quite a knot of material and stitching where they do. For someone into perineum stimulation this is quite a big deal, But back in the 70s I knew nothing about that. Still, looking at how this strap was made, I now better understand what was going on when I put on this strap--both in my brain and in my groin.

Oh, and did I mention that this strap still fits me, but the fit is really really tight. No doubt, when I made my purchase, I selected one in a smaller size. However, these straps were made in such a way that it is difficult to see how any guy could wear one without getting at least somewhat stimulated down there. Teen male athletes used to “play” with their peers in this regard by grabbing the back of a friend’s waistband on the strap and “snapping” his strap. Any guy who was already even a little aroused from just wearing the strap would quickly discover some sensitivities down there he did not realize he had let alone appreciate. Generically, this game is sometimes referred to as “horseplay” by young males, and of course horseplay is a lot more fun if the guys are all wearing straps in the locker room.

Did I mention that I can still wear the strap and diagnose what happens to me once I am in? Yesterday I put on a pair of thong underwear and pulled this strap on over. I have never quite figured out why for a long time it was something of a male “rite of passage” to be in locker rooms completely butt-naked while wearing a strap, but that was how it was. Being butt naked although strapped did not protect any athlete from a groin injury, but then the pouch without a cup merely managed to hold the genitalia in one place and not flopping around. Still, that was part of being an athlete—as an athlete you were required to be strapped! (and maybe cupped as well but that varied by sport).

I spent the entire day in the strap and thong. The neat part about this is that the thong wants to push my important body parts upward and forward even as the snug-fitting pouch wants to add a downward force and pressure. Combine that with the perineum pressure from both the knot on the thong where the back attaches to the thong pouch and the leg straps attach to the strap pouch, and you have a simple recipe for some really interesting sensations.

This strap long was and is great fun. I learned a lot of stuff about me and my body by engaging in this sort of strap play. Every guy who has worn an old-school strap like this probably can relate to what I am saying, and I am happy to share ideas as to what must be going on and why.