Gaff (clothing)

A gaff is a piece of fabric, usually augmented by an elastic such as a rubber band, that is designed to reduce the bulge of external genitals and make the groin appear smoother and flatter.^[1] It is usually worn by people who were assigned male at birth (AMAB) who wish to wear feminine clothing, including some trans women and some gender-non-conforming and nonbinary people.

Since the 2010s, underwear manufacturers have begun to design underwear with the same function as gaffs.^[2] A common method of making a gaff uses a section of a single sock and an elastic band, such as the waistband of underwear. The elastic band is placed through the sock section resulting in two loops which become leg openings such that the elastic can be pulled over the hips. This results in the sock section being pulled taut through the crotch with enough force to hold a downward-tucked penis and inguinally inserted testes in place, though other arrangements may be used.