After years of being firmly on the "out" list, Japan's traditionally white knee-length undergarments are making a sort of comeback, thanks to innovations in patterns and colours.

This spring, Tobu Department Store in Ikebukuro, Tokyo, began carrying about 100 different types of the suteteko, up 50 per cent from the previous year's stock. Even major labels, such as Burberry and Renoma, have their names on the undergarments, which are now also adorned with floral patterns and denim prints to appeal to the youth market and women.

After expanding the selection for the first time last year, the department store sold 1,500 pairs of suteteko, a 250 per cent increase over the previous year, despite a 2,000 to 6,000 yen (US$22 to $67)price tag. It has proven popular with young men and women, who wear the shorts when lounging around the house. "We had a lot of repeat visitors who really like the distinctive texture. Suteteko now have a new image, thanks to more designs that appeal to the younger market," a store spokesman said.

According to fashion historian Hideo Aoki, the summertime garment--which is worn between pants and underwear--is indigenous to Japan, and therefore is suitable for the heat and humidity of summer. Suteteko is a shorter variation of momohiki, the male garments worn under kimono. Suteteko became common during the Meiji era (1868-1912) with the widespread adoption of Western clothing into men's dressing habits.

According to legend, suteteko takes its name from the so-called suteteko odori dance, which was performed by the popular rakugoka Sanyutei Enyu sometime around 1880. In the performance, he would roll up his kimono to show off his momohiki, pinch his nose and pretend to throw away--suteru--his undergarment.

Suteteko reach to the calves, absorbing the sweat from the back of the knees, keeping trousers from sticking to the skin and thereby ensuring air flow and coolness. It also can be worn as loungewear. In bygone days, it was common to see men lounging about in white suteteko and sleeveless undershirts. But then, it fell out of vogue as jeans and T-shirts became the rage. By the end of the 1970s, few people were wearing the garment.

Osaka-based As Corp. has been making the traditional garment for four decades. At the behest of its younger employees, it launched Suteteko.com two years ago, leading to a major revival in the suteteko. Their new lineup included suteteko with horizontal stripes and plaids, and were slimmer than the conventional drawers, while the fly buttons were concealed. The company said it now receives inquiries for the new suteteko from department stores and boutiques throughout the nation.

The products--priced at around 3,000-4,000 yen--are made of cotton crepe with the same traditional texture that has been used for years.

"I never thought much of suteteko," an As spokeswoman said. "But once I tried them on, I was hooked. We launched this brand in the hope of spreading the word about the traditional underdress. Nobody can deny the comfort that has been loved for so long by Japanese."