Going commando

Going commando, free-balling for males, or free-buffing for females, is the practice of not wearing undergarments to cover the genitals from outer clothing.
In modern times, the term has been used by news sources in the media, specifically when female celebrities have free-buffed under their skirt or dress. Dr. Vanessa Mackay of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists suggests that going commando can be healthy for the vagina and may improve certain conditions while sleeping.
Etymology
The origins of the phrase "go commando" are uncertain, with some speculating that it may refer to being "out in the open" or "ready for action".
Slate magazine's Daniel Engber dates the modern usage to United States college campuses circa 1974, where it was perhaps associated with soldiers in the Vietnam War, who were reputed to go without underwear to "increase ventilation and reduce moisture". However, more recently, Graeme Donald has pointed out that the US forces are "Rangers" rather than "Commandos", and that in any case, the phrase was in use in the UK, referring mainly to women, from the late 1960s.
US Navy Underwater Demolitions Teams and SEAL commandos have a tradition of not wearing underwear that originated during when trainees spend extended hours in the sand and beach surf with no opportunity to remove sand collecting in their pants other than encourage it to fall out, without being hindered by underwear. Unrelenting training could also leave no opportunities for toilet breaks, necessitating reliving themselves in their pants, again, relying on the lack of underwear let waste be carried away by the sea water. Bar girls in Olongapo, Philippines were known to check in men's pants to see if they were wearing underwear to verify if they were really UDT or SEAL members, sometimes yelling "skivvie check!" in when doing so. This became a running joke, and sometimes embarrassment, associated with former UDT member and Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura. Issues with sand, as well as jungle heat and humidity, made silk underwear, including women's silk panties, common among special forces in during the Vietnam War.
The term gained currency in the popular vernacular after appearing in a 1996 episode of Friends.
In Chile, the act of not wearing underwear has been called "andar a lo gringo" (to go gringo-style) for decades.
Variations
The phrase has been adapted to describe a lack of certain other items of clothing. One example would be "going fommando", believed to be coined by Thomas Dobbs Lazaro in reference to going outside in bare feet. The phrase, coined during the 2013 Spanish heatwave, has become particularly popular among British expat populations living in Spain.<ref name=Espanol/>

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