codpiece and two gentlemen

Since I am not a fashion historian, I thought I would never write an article on the codpiece, which was the most prominent and protruding development in men's fashion beginning in the 15th century. However, the story is so interesting and possiblity of double-entendres so great, that I had to put my hand to it. There is no agreement among these historians, however, about when and in what context it arose, so I will share some conflicting theories here. What you should know is it began as a triangular-shaped film or pouch to cover the male genitals but had, by the 16th century, grown to such proportions that it could give the impression of a permanent erection being barely restrained under the man's tights (maybe just this kind of talk is the reason why no one, in our sexually-conflicted culture, speaks of codpieces anymore). Thus, as we will see, it had a functional, as well as a sexual connotation to it. Its modern successor is the athletic "cup" or the support worn by male dancers when they are leaping and twisting on stage. Many people also noted that when President Bush donned military attire to appear on the deck of a US Warship proclaiming victory in Iraq in May 2003 (yes, it was more than three years ago), he was wearing such a device that was moderately prominent (picture here).

Theories of the Codpiece's Origin

Two conflicting theories about how it arose, so to speak, are from the desires of Edward III in the 1330s to project a more "confident" military pose and from the desires of the very handsome Edward IV a century later to make both a fashion and a practical statement. I haven't seen much support for the former, though one source says that during the 100 Years War with France, Edward III had the protective area around the groin enlarged to astounding proportions in order to project the notion of "competence" or "virility" against the French. That codpieces were used as military accoutrements is clear, as this 1590 description by military historian Sir John Smyth has it: "The arrowes...light either upon their breasts, bellies, cod peeces, thighes, knees, or legges," but we don't know if it appeared as early as the 14th century.

The more common explanation for its origin was a practical one. During the 15th century the doublet or outer garment, which covered up a man wearing hose with an "open" front, became shorter and shorter. This would, as some writers have pointed out, lead to exposure of the private parts, especially when engaged in activities like mounting your horse, bending over to pick something up or a host of things where doublets would hike up. Indeed, as early as Chaucer in the late 14th century, we have this not very sexy description by the Parson:

"Alas! some of them show the very boss of the penis and the horrible pushed-out testicles that look like the malady of hernia in the wrapping of their hose, and the buttocks of such persons look like the hinder parts of a she-ape in the full of the moon. And moreover, the hateful proud members that they show by the fantastic fashion of making one leg of their hose white and the other red, make it seem that half of their privy members are flayed. And if it be that they divide their hose in other colours, as white and black, or white and blue, or black and red, and so forth, then it seems, by the variation of colour, that the half of their privy members are corrupted by the fire of Saint Anthony, or by cancer, or by other such misfortune."

One author that quotes this passage talks about the "regimental" view of a person that the short doublet would provide. Thus, in speaking of "bosses" of penises and "regimental" views, we start to get the hang of the story--you can't separate the fashion statement of covering the privies from the male sense of ruling, generating, showing power, etc.

Oh, back to Edward IV, who ruled beginning in 1461. He was a young, very virile, single man and was said to have developed the codpiece both to counteract a "rising doublet" as well as to signal to all that a new generation and generative force was here. Yet a cautionary note should be added here. It seems that the codpiece, the covering and enhancement of the male virility, developed in those times when England wanted to project military might. In both instances of alleged origin, the ones promoting the codpieces were defeated. So much for the male show of strength.

Becoming Standard Equipment

The use of the codpiece in England reached its peak, so to speak, during the reign of Henry VIII (1509-47). The Wikipedia article on codpiece has a picture of him with a fairly prominent codpiece. Again, ironies abound, since this Henry was unable to produce a male heir to the throne, though he tried for a number of years with various women. His chief successor, after the short reigns of Edward VI and Mary Tudor, was a woman, Elizabeth I. As you might imagine, codpieces fell out of fashion at the royal court under her regency, though the focus on the codpiece seemed to shift to Spain at the time. Indeed, the Spanish codpieces of the mid-16th century were said to be so exaggerated and so extreme that it seemed as if the wearers were not only packing permanent erections but erections of rather massive proportions. Well, Spain, too, got its comeuppance in 1588 when its Armada was destroyed before the English fleet. When will men realize that the prominent display and parading of the genitals, in whatever form, which gives one such a sense of power and virility, is normally followed by follies and disasters which demonstrate exactly the opposite message to the world--i.e., your impotence?

The Codpiece in Two Gentlemen

Yet the codpiece still hadn't completely died out in the late 16th century when Shakespeare was writing. For, in Two Gentlemen, whose words I have been discussing here and here and here, the following conversation happens between Julia and her maid Lucetta when the former is getting prepared to go to Milan disguised as a man. Lucetta asks: "What fasion, madam, shall I make your breeches?" Julia responds: "That fits as well as 'Tell me, good my lord, What compass will you wear your farthngale?' Why, ev'n what fasion thou best likes, Lucetta." To which Lucetta answers, "You must needs have them with a codpiece, madam." Julia says: "Out, out, Lucetta, that will be ill-favore'd. To which Lucetta answers: "A round hose, madam, now's not worth a pin, Unless you have a codpiece to stick pins on" (a common method of ornamenting the codpiece; 2.7.49-56).

Conclusion

Because of male psychology being what it is, and because of fashion being the means of attracting the opposite sex, men will continue to experiment with "modifed codpieces," whose purpose now is not required by fashion but is simply ornamental. But nothing will rise to the level of the 16th century instruments. At least not in America in the 21st century..

2016