ttps:////»https://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd»>
Because at the time this nickname appeared, it was considered something out of fashion – just like the samba-canção, a popular style that had its heyday in the 1940s and then declined. This slow and romantic form of samba, accompanied by guitar, viola and tambourine, conquered Rio de Janeiro in the 1920s. But at the end of World War II, in 1945, samba-canção lost strength and began to be seen as a rhythm outdated. At the same time, men’s fashion was undergoing a revolution: little by little, jeans replaced traditional fabric pants.
Those who lost with this were the old long briefs, made with fabric that came almost to the knee. “Wearing this type of underwear with jeans was a real torment, because the underwear rolled up the thighs”, says etymologist and writer Deonísio da Silva, from the Federal University of São Carlos (Ufscar). To solve the problem, the speedo was created, which was better adapted to the new way of dressing. “As the word underwear came to designate this new piece, the need arose to create a nickname that would identify the old underwear. It was renamed samba-canção as a symbol of a time gone by”, says another etymologist, Cláudio Moreno, columnist for . Today, sambas-canções have returned to the men’s wardrobe. Now, however, they have a more comfortable shape and are made of silk or soft fabric, to fit any outfit.