Who Invented the Codpiece?

In 1463 in England, Edward IV's parliament made it compulsory for a man to cover “his privy Members and Buttokes”. Pictorial and textual evidence suggests that the early codpiece was constructed from a triangular shaped piece of cloth called a 'braye'.

What is the origin of codpiece?

The codpiece is buttoned, or tied with strings, to a man's breeches. It takes its name from the word 'cod', middle English for both 'bag' and 'scrotum', and arose because medieval men wore hose – essentially, very long socks – beneath their doublets, and nothing else in the way of underwear.

Did Henry VIII wear a codpiece?

Some very manly men in the past have worn codpieces. Henry VIII is a prime example. His armor on display in the Tower of London shows that he wore a very large codpiece.