The Bottom Drawer Forums

I think we all know fashion comes in cycles with certain things going out of style and then coming back years later. I think this may be happening with the swim brief. I've often read posts from older men saying speedos were popular in the 70s and 80s, but then sometime in the 90s American/British attitudes toward skimpy men's swimwear turned hostile for a number of reasons. I can't really say of common it was for men to wear speedos in the 70s and early 80s, since I either wasn't there or was to small to have paid any attention to it.

Occasionally when I'm bored I'll do what I call negative google searches. I'll search phrases like "men in speedos are disgusting" or "men who wear speedos on the beach are gross" to see what anti-swim brief articles and rhetoric the search engine turns up. Now this is far from a scientific survey of internet results, but anecdotally it looks like hatred of men wearing speedos in the USA and UK peaked roughly around 2009. I noticed a lot of articles decrying mens swim briefs dated in the late 2000s and early 2010s. Here's a good example from that era: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyl ... speedo-ban

Starting around 2020 I've notice more favorable articles and op eds proclaiming the "the return of the speedo" or something like that. Also, in a related trend, shorter men's shorts have become fashionable in recent years. It may be that the Body Positivity movement is having some influence on Americans views of skimpy mens swimwear, who knows. Maybe we have turned a corner and are headed into a new era of speedo acceptance in the USA and Britain. Either way I'll keep wearing mine for now.

Interesting article. But to that I say I’m glad it’s 2024! We just all need to do our part and get out there in our swim briefs, swim thongs, etc. to show all men can and do wear them!

Thongwearer wrote: Mon Sep 09, 2024 6:47 pm Interesting article. But to that I say I’m glad it’s 2024! We just all need to do our part and get out there in our swim briefs, swim thongs, etc. to show all men can and do wear them!

Yes!

I'm not sure if it was 2009 the peak year, but I do agree it's in the 2000s period. I also noticed that super baggy long shorts that go beyond the knee were a popular style for men in that period. Something that they were "cool" because they looked "manlier."

I did try cargo shorts and board shorts for a bit in the early 2010s, but I never really liked them. I felt they had too much fabric for me that they might as well be pants and not shorts.

I'm glad that speedo style suits and shorter shorts for men have become more accepted, at least compared to 20 years ago. I'm making small steps to wear my swim briefs more often to pools and the beach to feel more comfortable to wear publicly.

Thongwearer wrote: Mon Sep 09, 2024 6:47 pm Interesting article. But to that I say I’m glad it’s 2024! We just all need to do our part and get out there in our swim briefs, swim thongs, etc. to show all men can and do wear them!

Yep, I agree!

jason_greets wrote: Thu Sep 12, 2024 4:40 am I'm not sure if it was 2009 the peak year, but I do agree it's in the 2000s period. I also noticed that super baggy long shorts that go beyond the knee were a popular style for men in that period. Something that they were "cool" because they looked "manlier."

I did try cargo shorts and board shorts for a bit in the early 2010s, but I never really liked them. I felt they had too much fabric for me that they might as well be pants and not shorts.

I'm glad that speedo style suits and shorter shorts for men have become more accepted, at least compared to 20 years ago. I'm making small steps to wear my swim briefs more often to pools and the beach to feel more comfortable to wear publicly.

Yeah I remember those super long shorts and boardshorts guys would wear. They looked ridiculous, almost like men's capris pants! Cargo shorts are a bad look too IMO. I don't ever wear them.

I definitely think speedo style bikinis for men are coming back. Every week I swim at a local University pool and wear an assortment of speedo styles, mostly made by 'myoddballs' or 'Budgy smuggler'. No one pays any attention and over the last couple of swims I have seen one or two more guys in speedos. I like to wear bright, colourful briefs so people will definitely see them. No point in hiding!