The Man, The Myth, The Underwear


My husband has a special relationship with his clothes. It’s a commitment. He wears them until they fall off. And not in a sexy way. Think more “archaeological dig” than “romantic striptease.”

Now, I’m not talking about a favorite shirt he’s emotionally attached to or a pair of jeans with a story. I’m talking about T-shirts that are more hole than fabric, and underwear that… well, let’s just say they’ve retired from being underwear and are now honorary members of the household.

If I dare buy him something new — a fresh pair of briefs, a shirt without daylight coming through it — it will sit in the closet, tags on, like a museum piece. For years. Seriously!

Once, years ago, I bought him some new T-shirts and underwear. He found them and acted like I had insulted his ancestors. He was genuinely upset. His mother was visiting and overheard the drama. She gave me this look like, “What have you done?”

So I said, “Come with me.” I marched her to his drawer, opened it, and pulled out Exhibit A.

She took one look at that piece of elastic and thread pretending to be underwear and lost it. I mean full-on, can’t-breathe, tears-down-the-face laughter. She couldn’t speak. I don’t even think she breathed for a solid minute.

To this day, that moment is one of my favorites. I didn’t have to exaggerate — and believe me, I am a storyteller. But this? This was pure truth. A holy relic of proof that I was not, in fact, the unreasonable one.

The new underwear? Still in the drawer. Tag on. I think it’s collecting dust now, possibly dating back to a past century.

And just when you think I’m exaggerating again — I give you this. Look at the photo. These are his favorite work shorts. His favorite. As you can see, they’re barely holding it together.

And that rip in the back? Oh yeah. That’s not an accident. That’s ventilation. And yes — in case you’re wondering — they do match his underwear. It’s a coordinated disaster.



Comments

6 responses to “The Man, The Myth, The Underwear”

  1. The last picture of his shorts made me laugh hard. I have to admit that I had a t-shirt that my husband gave me when we were first married and I wore it for years, years, until there were too many holes in it. It was my favorite. Sadly after too many holes it ended up as one of the rags.

  2. Ann of Avondale

    Funny! The idiosyncrasies of our spouses. My husband hates to shop for anything, and I love to shop so we’re a good match. He says, “I need…” and its music to my ears – a license to shop. He likes his clothes in perfect order and places his clothes in drawers with Marie Condo perfection. Differences attract right?

  3. I must admit, I was not expecting to see the headline of today’s post when I rambled over to your website with my first coffee of the day! LOL.

    However this phrase: “that piece of elastic and thread pretending to be underwear” made me burst out laughing!! Mostly because I may have had a pair or two of those myself in the past. And not wearing new stuff for a while…I totally get that but don’t know why I do it…I guess the new stuff are interrupters to the status quo. However, that rule doesn’t apply to brocante finds. An unexpected and laugh out loud post.

  4. Nancy Reppert

    Thanks for the giggles! I have a favorite t-shirt that I have worn for years. It is badly frayed around the sleeves and neck-line, so I have stopped wearing it, although it is still in my drawer. Perhaps you’ve inspired me to begin wearing it again! I can see I’ve retired it far too soon!

  5. Absolutely hilarious and so well written, Corey!!

  6. ..and here I thought he was a snazzy dresser.! I remember once when he went out and bought really colorful trousers and shirts, sweaters, right? Like bright new cantaloupe orange and pink, green maybe?

    This was a funny post. He needs you Corey, don’t go. 🤣🤣

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