(Login Nafana) Forum Owner Posted Jun 30, 2009 12:59 PM
Many posters from Great Britain have reported this was common practice when they were in school because it was felt wearing sweaty underwear was unhygienic. I think shirtless gym was standard there too, but I'll leave it to our GB posters to clarify this.
I've read and even seen photos of gym classes done completely nude in 1930s Germany. This was the Nazi's way to emphasize physical fitness (they were preparing boys to be future soldiers) and indeed every kid in those photos had a perfect physique- not a ouch of flab.
For what it's worth- my experience in 1950-60s USA- there was no official policy regarding gym underwear but boys in earlier grades wore white cotton briefs while some in high school wore jocks instead. I heard that some coaches required jocks but none of my did.
As for shirts- it depended on what "team" you were on as this is how they identified teams- "shirts" & "skins" and it alternated so one day you might be a "shirt" and the next a "skin". Gym classes were segregated by sex- none of the co-ed PE like they have now a days. (I couldn't even imagine that!)
My school didn't have a pool but nude swimming was standard at my YMCA and summer camp. I'm pretty sure that's not done anymore. A lot has changed since then.