The humble jockstrap, a simple piece of underwear, celebrated its 150th birthday this week, and Alexander Cheves wrote an in depth look at the history of the clothing, its place in gay culture and fashion, and where the jockstrap exists today in queer culture.

Did you know that jockstraps were first designed in 1874 by C.F. Bennett for a sporting goods company? He knew that male bike riders were uncomfortable bouncing up and down on the cobblestone streets of Boston, and wanted something supportive to help out.

From there, jockstraps became a regular part of athletics, and had started to become fetishized by gay men.

Now, jockstraps have become high fashion, with brands like Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, and Armani getting in on them, and it's hard to imagine gay culture without them.