Celebrity Fashion

17 of the most famous pants of all time (yes we went there)

12 April 2016

Image may contain Human Person Jamie Dornan Clothing Apparel and Underwear

As the V&A track the history of underwear in its new Undressed exhibition, we've tracked the most famous pants, briefs and knickers of all time.

Admittedly a less cerebral approach to the subject than the V&A, but any excuse for us to dig out pictures of David Beckham, David Gandy and Jamie Dornan in their pants. And who could forget Bridget Jones' big knickers or Kate Moss' Calvins? Pants are one of the few pieces of clothing we all have common.

Take a look at the most recognisable pants of all time, for better or for worse (we're looking at you Peter Stringfellow):

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Kate Moss and Mark Wahlberg's Calvin Kleins became ubiquitous following their iconic 90s campaign.
Hey there David Gandy... These Dolce & Gabbana white pants put the supermodel on the map.
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Not strictly pants, but Borat's mankini does cover his nether-regions (just) so we're filing it as a pant form.
David Beckham designed a loungewear collection in 2012 and who better to model it than the man himself?

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Wonder Woman, the original big pants ambassador, makes a strong case for star-covered briefs.
Smaller than most of our knickers, Kylie Minogue's Spinning Around music video starred a very skimpy gold pair of hotpants.
@Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott
Justin Bieber's Calvin Klein's campaign divided the masses. Shot in early 2015, prior to the joy of Sorry and What Do You Mean, some of us were skeptical about his fashion prowess. How wrong we were.
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Arguably the most famous pants in the world, Superman kept his red and stretchy.

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For every David Gandy, there's a Peter Stringfellow, whose regrettable penchant for a beachside thong is sadly well documented.
Before 50 Shades of Grey, Jamie Dornan was known for his offensively hot Calvin Klein campaign.
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Rihanna's nude thong saved her modesty at the CFDAs in 2014.
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Roxy Music's Country Life album cover attracted attention for starring two models in their underwear. It was banned in the United States, Spain, and the Netherlands for being too raunchy.

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Remember Spike from Notting Hill, the flatmate from hell? His slightly saggy pants caused quite a stir.
Remember the time Carrie Bradshaw stacked it on the catwalk in season five flashing her knickers for all to see?
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Ok fine so you can't actually see his pants here, but Tom Cruise Risky Business dance made his cream boxers famous.
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Bridget Jones made us all feel better about our larger briefs (of which we have many) when she scrapped her sexy black thong for a full nude-coloured brief.