Classic briefs were first sold on January 19, 1935, by Coopers, Inc., in Chicago, Illinois, at Marshall Field's department store. They dubbed the new undergarment the "Jockey", because it offered a similar degree of support as the jockstrap (one style of which is also called "jock brief" or support briefs). The designer of the new style was reportedly inspired by a postcard he had received from a friend visiting the French Riviera depicting a man in a very short, form-fitting bathing suit. 30,000 pairs were sold within three months of their introduction.In the UK, briefs were first sold in 1938. Soon, shops were selling 3,000 pairs of briefs per week.