Plastic pants

Plastic pants, plastic panties, and diaper covers are all basically the same thing. They are devices worn over a diaper for the purpose of containing liquid or solid waste that may otherwise leak through the fabric. Today, "plastic pants" are usually made out of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or polyurethane (PU) though, in some instances, the traditional latex rubber is still used. The original diaper covers were made from oiled wool, which was naturally waterproof and stoped water escaping.

The availability of inexpensive, and easily worked, man-made waterproof materials in the last half-century has significantly improved the quality of life of those with continence problems, and is an important contributory factor to changes in clothing style and freedom, especially for infants and menstruating women.

At the turn of the 19th and 20th century, oiled silk was used as a waterproofing medium in clothing, but it was not until latex rubber became cheaply available from the 1920s that the idea of wearing a protective garment started to become more common.

Ladies panties with a waterproof latex crotch insert, or a waterproof panel in the back of an underskirt, made coping with heavy periods very much easier, and socially safer.

The new (latex) rubber pants, for covering infants' nappies (diapers), much reduced the difficulties of nursing young children on long journeys, on special social occasions and overnight.

Though still occasionally used today, latex rubber has significant drawbacks in these applications: it is easily damaged by rough handling and by oils, creams and ointments, it is poor at transmitting vapour – so the skin of the wearer tends to become soggy after prolonged wear. It also makes a characteristic rustling noise when moved - an important consideration for a garment which is meant to remain a secret!

During the 1950s, plastics – mainly PVC, but more recently polyurethane – increasingly took these applications on account of their lower cost, ease of maintenance, ability to “breathe”, and lack of noise when handled. However, the history of these garments gives rise still to the common names used for such protection: “Rubber pants” and “Rubbers” are used commonly to mean waterproof pants of all kinds, even though they are usually now made of plastic.

With the invention of super-absorbent polymers (SAP) for nappies and incontinence pads, and of blood-gelling polymers for sanitary pads, the traditional re-usable cloth or disposable wood-pulp pads were displaced by these far more efficient solutions. Not only were the modern absorbent materials lighter and less bulky, but they started to appear as an “all-in-one” pad or garment with its own integral waterproof plastic backing, thus obviating the need for separate waterproof underwear in many situations. Nevertheless, waterproof pants are still used where absolute safety and confidence from leakage is important.

This dramatic change in the efficiency and usability of pads and nappies has contributed significantly to fashion. Until the late 1950s, infants of both sexes usually wore short dresses until they were ready for toilet training – thus avoiding the risks to clothing and hygiene of having top clothes in prolonged close contact with a damp nappy. Effective and easily obtainable waterproofing – whether integral with the pad or as separate pants – safely allows a child to be dressed in trousers. The decreased bulk of SAP-enhanced disposables allows a trimmer cut, so making the fit even neater as much of the bulk of cloth nappies has gone.

In the same way, menstruating women nowadays may feel completely confident in close-fitting clothes of any design, thanks to the knowledge that, should the worst happen, any overflow will be safely contained.

With improved medical techology and care, an increasing number of people now survive serious injury; however, head and spinal injuries frequently lead to continence management problems. Chronic disabling disease such as Multiple Sclerosis can also lead to continence problems. For many such individuals, absorbent products and suitable protection are vital tools to grant the freedom and confidence, denied to earlier generations, to participate fully socially and in the workplace, with much reduced risk of embarrassment. The humble plastic pant can give someone their life back!

For a history of menstrual protection see:http://www.mum.org