The History of Underoos
Underoos were a popular item at the time of their release and remain popular today. The children's undergarments found a great niche to offer fun underwear to children, drawing them in with images of their favorite cartoon, comic, TV, and movie characters. Today many adults buy underoos for their kids with fond memories of when they themselves wore them. The history of underoos is a success story birthed from a creative product idea.
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Description
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Underoo's slogan is "underwear that's fun to wear." Underoo's undergarment sets are available for boys and girls and include a pair of briefs and a matching top. The top is available in long sleeve, T-shirt, tank top, camisoles and bras. The distinctive feature of underoos is the picture of a character printed on them. Character options have changed over the years according to popular trends in children's television, cartoons, comics and movies.
Manufacturing
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Fruit of the Loom began marketing underoos in 1978. The company had long been known as a major brand label for undergarments -- especially plain ones that screen printers buy in bulk. The idea for underoos was first offered to the Hanes company, who did not accept it. After the concept was more fully developed, Fruit of the Loom received permission to market. The introduction of Underoos was an instant success. The brief/top character set became widely popular. Certain sets are considered valuable vintage items today.
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Textiles
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Underoos are now made of 100% cotton. Underoos were originally made of polyester: a fabric that was highly popular and widely used from the 1960s to the mid 1980s. Polyester is a synthetic material made of a long chain of polymers. It was popular because of it's resistance to shrinking, wrinkles, mold and strength. It was also quick drying and easy to clean. Cotton has since surpassed polyester in popularity because of it is breathable, comfortable and a natural source. Underoos are now made from 100 percent cotton.
Are underoos still available?
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Yes, underoos are still available for purchase. Auction sites such as eBay sell vintage polyester sets from the 1970s and 1980s. Huge retailers like Walmart, Target, K-mart, and Toys-R-Us sell modern versions emblazoned with characters popular with the current generation of kids. In 2002, a small line was created by Fruit of the Loom for adult males who may have grown up wearing underoos and desired to own them once again in their adult size for nostalgia and fun.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit i am a hero image by Arman Zhenikeyev from Fotolia.com Cotton plant -3 image by Alexey Burtsev from Fotolia.com
