Going commando means wearing no underwear beneath your clothes. The phrase has been around since the 1970s and applies to any situation where you skip undergarments, whether by choice, comfort, or habit. While it started as college slang, the practice has real implications for comfort, hygiene, and even health.
Where the Phrase Comes From
The earliest recorded use of “going commando” dates to 1974, when it appeared in a collection of slang from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The exact reason commandos got attached to the idea of skipping underwear is unclear, but the allusion seems tied to commandos’ reputation for toughness and resourcefulness rather than any confirmed military dress code.
One plausible explanation comes from soldiers themselves. When deployed in the field, troops sweat heavily and can go days without showers. Their uniforms are loose enough for movement, and skipping underwear helps prevent skin eruptions and fungal infections that thrive in damp, confined spaces. A related phrase, “going regimental,” refers to Scottish infantry soldiers who traditionally wore nothing under their kilts.
The phrase entered mainstream culture in 1996 when Joey Tribbiani (played by Matt LeBlanc) used it on the sitcom Friends. Many people assumed the show’s writers coined it, but it had been circulating in American English for over two decades by then.
Potential Health Benefits for Women
Skipping underwear improves airflow to the vulvar area, which can help keep the skin dry and reduce conditions that encourage yeast overgrowth. Yeast thrives in warm, moist environments, so tight or synthetic underwear that traps heat and sweat creates an ideal breeding ground. The Mayo Clinic recommends wearing underwear with a cotton crotch and avoiding tight-fitting styles to lower the risk of vaginal yeast infections.
Even if you prefer wearing underwear during the day, going without it at night is a simple way to let the area breathe. Sleeping without underwear reduces moisture buildup during the hours when you’re least likely to notice sweating, and it gives skin that’s been covered all day a chance to recover.
Potential Health Benefits for Men
Testicles need to stay slightly cooler than core body temperature to produce sperm effectively. The normal range for scrotal skin temperature sits between roughly 33°C and 35°C (about 91°F to 95°F), and even a moderate increase of less than 1°C has been shown to significantly decrease sperm counts and affect fertility rates.
A 2018 study of 656 men found that those who wore boxers had higher sperm concentration and total sperm count compared to men who wore tighter underwear. Going without underwear altogether, particularly at night, keeps the testicles at a cooler resting temperature and may support sperm health over time. This is most relevant for men who are actively trying to conceive or have concerns about fertility.
Comfort and Sleep Quality
Your body temperature plays a direct role in how quickly you fall asleep. Cooling down signals your circadian rhythm that it’s time for rest, so removing layers, including underwear, can help you drift off faster. Fewer clothes also mean fewer elastic waistbands, seams, and fabrics shifting against skin throughout the night, which reduces the kind of low-level irritation that can disrupt sleep without fully waking you.
During the day, comfort depends heavily on what you’re wearing over the top. Loose-fitting pants, athletic shorts, or skirts with breathable fabric feel natural without a base layer. Stiff fabrics like raw denim or rough synthetics are a different story.
Risks Worth Knowing About
The main downside of going commando is friction. Underwear acts as a buffer between skin and outer clothing, and without it, seams, zippers, and coarse fabrics rub directly against sensitive areas. This is especially true during exercise or in hot weather when sweat increases friction further.
That friction can lead to chafing or a condition called intertrigo, an inflammatory skin reaction caused by repeated skin-on-skin or skin-on-fabric rubbing in the presence of heat and moisture. It typically shows up in skin folds like the groin and inner thighs. The Cleveland Clinic recommends breathable, absorbent fabrics like cotton and avoiding tight clothing to prevent it.
There’s also the hygiene factor. Underwear catches discharge, sweat, and trace amounts of bacteria that would otherwise end up on your pants or shorts. Without that layer, outer clothing picks up everything directly, which means you may need to wash pants more frequently. For people prone to skin sensitivity or infections, that tradeoff matters.
When It Makes the Most Sense
Going commando works best in situations where airflow and temperature regulation matter most. Sleeping is the most universally practical time, since you’re not moving around, sweating less, and giving skin a break from elastic and synthetic fabrics. At home in loose clothing is another low-risk scenario.
During exercise, the calculus shifts. High-friction activities like running or cycling are more likely to cause irritation without a supportive base layer. If you prefer skipping underwear during workouts, moisture-wicking shorts with a built-in liner offer a middle ground.
Fabric choice matters more than the underwear-or-not decision itself. Breathable, natural fabrics like cotton or linen reduce moisture buildup regardless of layering. Tight synthetics trap heat and sweat whether they’re underwear or outerwear, so the material against your skin is what counts most.