Purchase Your First Bikini: When? What? Where?

[Pennbikini]

My initial haul came from a store called Value City around 1988. I was just thinking about all the places where I would have bought underwear over the years, other than online. So Target, Walmart, Meijer, Ames, Kmart, Sears, Hills, JC Penny, Hess....trying to think of some others. Kind of scary to consider that all of these places had a great selection of bikini briefs, and several had thongs.

[Schoolspeedo]

My first swim bikini was a 'speedo' make royal blue bikini with 3/4 inch sides, made of lycra with front pouch seam. I bought it on the island of Jersey, in the UK Channel Islands in 1976 and even feigned illness when I was out with the family so I could sneak to the shop and buy it before returning to our hotel! I really wanted it in white but they didn't have my size so blue was fine. It was so brief and tight compared to my regular school speedo but it was a few years before I wore it on a public beach on Majorca but had worn it in secluded local beaches when with a friend who was also into skimpy swimwear. I have since added considerably to my collection but alas, this sexy little bikini eventually fell apart sadly. In the late 70s and 80s skimpy bikinis were reasonably accepted, as one UK high street gents chain sold very skimpy bikinis for a number of years, some of which made their way into my collection.

[CrossfiThong]

I think I bought my first pair of bikini underwear around December 2000 when I was about 17 at a Walmart. Not surprisingly, I was both excited and a bit afraid someone else would see me buying it.

Looking back, those were not my favorite kind as the sides were broader than what I would want.

Hahaha I used to buy mind in Soriana (super market in Mexico) and I wonder so much time to get my package of 3 tanga briefs, and I use to think “well if they are selling them it’s because they are expecting to someone buys them”.
Good times

[SnakeEyes20]

My first ones were the jockey elance bikinis off a catalogue ca 2000 when I was 15 had to ask my mom to order em. Just liked the way the horizontal black and white striped one looked, but I always switched back and forth between boxers and bikinis for years because of insecurities and I weirdly I always felt like I wouldn't be able to kick high wearing them during martial arts lol. Though I wore the knit bikini that came with the original 3 pack for those classes occasionally since it was the airyiest one because it was mesh like. I wish I could find a cotton knit one like that again. I switched full time to bikinis in my late 20s then to Tangas then string bikinis and finally thongs.

[just mark]

I bought my first bikinis in may 1988. I was 22. During my lunch break, I popped into a local UK chainstore BHS to buy some t-shirts
but as I walked into the underwear section I saw mannequin displays wearing mens tanga briefs.(string bikini) I bought two of every colour (approx 10 pairs). I didn't even know you could buy them for men at that time , but I knew I had to have them.
they were solid colours with sport written all around the narrow waist strap. I was a little nervous when paying for them, though the young female assistant commented that they were a very popular new line. My girlfriend at the time wasn't keen on them, though she wore tanga knickers herself. my mum use to do my washing at the time and the first time I went to pick up my laundry, she held up a bright yellow pair in front of my dad and commented on how skimpy my underwear was . he just looked up from his paper and said he had seen blokes wearing swimming trunks like that on the beach before.
After they wore out, I bought Sloggi for men Tangas from John Lewis . Sadly, none of those tangos are made any more.
In 1993, on a visit to BHS for some tangas, I noticed they sold thongs in the same style as the tanga. I bought a few thongs to try, I am now pretty much 24/7 thong wearer. Tangas started me on the Journey though.
I used to love walking Oxford Street in London in the 80's and checking out the underwear sections in the many department stores for new additions . one shop in particular used to have all the colourful tangas hung up on a large wall all the way up to the ceiling. if you wanted a particular one, an assistant would use a long pole to grab them down. Bought some white shiny nylon ones from there . They didn't last very long, but I did like them.

[TANGA TANGA]

I bought my first bikinis in may 1988. I was 22. During my lunch break, I popped into a local UK chainstore BHS to buy some t-shirts
but as I walked into the underwear section I saw mannequin displays wearing mens tanga briefs.(string bikini) I bought two of every colour (approx 10 pairs). I didn't even know you could buy them for men at that time , but I knew I had to have them.
they were solid colours with sport written all around the narrow waist strap. I was a little nervous when paying for them, though the young female assistant commented that they were a very popular new line. My girlfriend at the time wasn't keen on them, though she wore tanga knickers herself. my mum use to do my washing at the time and the first time I went to pick up my laundry, she held up a bright yellow pair in front of my dad and commented on how skimpy my underwear was . he just looked up from his paper and said he had seen blokes wearing swimming trunks like that on the beach before.
After they wore out, I bought Sloggi for men Tangas from John Lewis . Sadly, none of those tangos are made any more.
In 1993, on a visit to BHS for some tangas, I noticed they sold thongs in the same style as the tanga. I bought a few thongs to try, I am now pretty much 24/7 thong wearer. Tangas started me on the Journey though.
I used to love walking Oxford Street in London in the 80's and checking out the underwear sections in the many department stores for new additions . one shop in particular used to have all the colourful tangas hung up on a large wall all the way up to the ceiling. if you wanted a particular one, an assistant would use a long pole to grab them down. Bought some white shiny nylon ones from there . They didn't last very long, but I did like them.

Welcome to the forum. Have to say that reading your experience of buying your first bikinis was like a trip down memory lane for me. So many similarities in our stories. Guys today are shocked when they hear that back in the day lots of High St stores sold bikinis(tangas), thongs and even g-strings, and swim bikinis and swim thongs. Like you, I used to enjoy walking around the underwear section of the shops looking for new and exciting styles. I still have thongs that I bought in BHS(now sadly gone from the High St like many other dept stores), and yes,I was nervous going up to pay for them in case the assistant made a cheeky comment(lol).

[just mark]

I bought my first bikinis in may 1988. I was 22. During my lunch break, I popped into a local UK chainstore BHS to buy some t-shirts
but as I walked into the underwear section I saw mannequin displays wearing mens tanga briefs.(string bikini) I bought two of every colour (approx 10 pairs). I didn't even know you could buy them for men at that time , but I knew I had to have them.
they were solid colours with sport written all around the narrow waist strap. I was a little nervous when paying for them, though the young female assistant commented that they were a very popular new line. My girlfriend at the time wasn't keen on them, though she wore tanga knickers herself. my mum use to do my washing at the time and the first time I went to pick up my laundry, she held up a bright yellow pair in front of my dad and commented on how skimpy my underwear was . he just looked up from his paper and said he had seen blokes wearing swimming trunks like that on the beach before.
After they wore out, I bought Sloggi for men Tangas from John Lewis . Sadly, none of those tangos are made any more.
In 1993, on a visit to BHS for some tangas, I noticed they sold thongs in the same style as the tanga. I bought a few thongs to try, I am now pretty much 24/7 thong wearer. Tangas started me on the Journey though.
I used to love walking Oxford Street in London in the 80's and checking out the underwear sections in the many department stores for new additions . one shop in particular used to have all the colourful tangas hung up on a large wall all the way up to the ceiling. if you wanted a particular one, an assistant would use a long pole to grab them down. Bought some white shiny nylon ones from there . They didn't last very long, but I did like them.

Welcome to the forum. Have to say that reading your experience of buying your first bikinis was like a trip down memory lane for me. So many similarities in our stories. Guys today are shocked when they hear that back in the day lots of High St stores sold bikinis(tangas), thongs and even g-strings, and swim bikinis and swim thongs. Like you, I used to enjoy walking around the underwear section of the shops looking for new and exciting styles. I still have thongs that I bought in BHS(now sadly gone from the High St like many other dept stores), and yes,I was nervous going up to pay for them in case the assistant made a cheeky comment(lol).

thanks for the welcome Tanga Tanga.

[Pennbikini]

Back when I was a kid at summer camp, there were counselors from the UK and continental Europe who all wore bikini briefs and speedos. I think that probably "normalized" things for me when it came to the time when my older cousin converted me to bikinis when I was 13, which was also in the late 80s. So thanks for the transatlantic inspiration!

[Aberman]

Bought from a shop back in the late 70s when you had to ASK for them , very embarrassing , but only way to get them . Lots of newspaper mail order stuff following that .
Nowadays I mainly buy Kiniki and Joe Snyder . I mix my small bikinis for the uk pool here with pretty much a combination of strap sided thong back , half back pouch front and bulge pouch designs for when I’m abroad in Spain

[JustSomeDude71]

Bought from a shop back in the late 70s when you had to ASK for them , very embarrassing , but only way to get them . Lots of newspaper mail order stuff following that .
Nowadays I mainly buy Kiniki and Joe Snyder . I mix my small bikinis for the uk pool here with pretty much a combination of strap sided thong back , half back pouch front and bulge pouch designs for when I’m abroad in Spain

I like the cut of Kiniki string bikinis. Not a fan of thick waistbands, that (in my opinion) is not a string bikini. Kiniki provides multiple cuts and options... not just one style. And they make their underwear & swimwear in Big & Tall sizes, because us dad bods like to feel sexy too and wear sexy things for the delight and pleasure of our girlfriends and wives.