"Underneath It All: Underwear Through the Ages"

Opening August 5, the new above-titled show at the History Center in Ithaca, New York, up through September 29.

Wrote Jane Clark in a USA Today story about what lies beneath, "It features woolen long johns, corsets and cage crinolines — a rigid structure worn under long skirts, which not only made sitting impossible, but, in a stiff wind, could lay a hapless wearer flat."

Caption for the photo up top: "A display features a classic pair of long johns as part of the Ithaca History Center's exhibit."

More?

No problema: Through September 11, the Minnesota Historical Society in St. Paul is presenting "Underwear: A Brief [get it?] History," "which includes vintage Munsingwear samples including men's briefs with the patented 'kangaroo pouch.'"

You say now you've got an underwear Jones and can't stop?

From Orange UK: "An art student is collecting old underwear for her graduation exhibition in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province."

"Yi Ci, a senior student of Hubei Institute of Fine Arts, posted a notice in the dormitory buildings in her bid to collect old underwear a couple of weeks ago."

"The notice explained: 'Yi Ci, majoring in motion pictures studies, is collecting any old underwear for her graduation work exhibition. Hope you can donate your old underwear in the box in the public bathroom. Your kind actions will make a great art work. Please join me!'"

"Yi Ci's work is titled 'Privacy' and donations so far have totaled over several hundred pairs of underwear."

My favorite line of the Chinese story: "Hope you can donate your old underwear in the box in the public bathroom."

Why aren't there boxes in public bathrooms everywhere to collect old underwear?

It's an idea whose time has mos def come.