Speedos: Yes Or No?

Background

Speedos, officially called swim briefs or racing briefs are any brief-style male swimsuit that feature a v-shape front and solid back providing the wearer a form-fitting coverage. Speedos are usually worn below the lower waist. Generally, they are secured by a thin elastic band around the waist and at the upper tights. Swim briefs are generally made from a spandex and nylon composite, which gives them the necessary features that make them good for fast swimming and water sports. Most racing briefs also feature a white or beige front lining made of a similar fabric.

The name speedos actually derive their name from the popular Australian brand Speedo, who created a highly popular racing brief that eventually became synonymous with the design of the piece. Other names for speedos are swimming trunks, bathers, posing briefs, racing briefs, competition briefs and in Australia people even call them budgie smugglers.

The bad rap

During the last years, speedos have got a bad rap in popular culture. While they were not only popular, but quite the norm back in the day (for example in the 1950s or 1970s), these days speedos are quite controversial. Or so it seems.

The bad rap of speedos is actually a very American thing. In other parts of the world, such as France or Brazil, men wearing speedos at the beach or at the pool is quite a common thing.

Of course, there are many men who avoid speedos throughout the world, especially in conservative countries that are highly influenced by American culture (such as Eastern Europe).

Saying “no” to speedos is a cultural phenomenon that has several roots and causes. The deepest one is most likely that in today’s world, things tend to be highly sexualized, and, given that clothing is strongly gendered and “showing skin” is considered to be a female thing, wearing speedos can quickly become a taboo.

What to do?

The fact that speedos do show a lot of skin cannot be overlooked, regardless of other things. The context is what it is and the reality is that some shapes do not frame the male body as others. In other words, bathing suits with a narrower cut fit some men better than others, depending on their bodies. Basically, it’s not whether the speedos fit the man, it’s whether the man fits the speedos.

In this sense, the man who wears speedos and who is not toned well or who is in bad shape might give off a bad vibe, visually speaking. Boardshorts add a lot of structure to the male body, so they are usually more appropriate for men who don’t have a well-toned body. Not to be understood that one needs to have a Hercules body to wear speedos, but generally, if you are going to show a lot of skin as a man, you should be quite toned and in pretty good shape.

To conclude, whether you should wear speedos or not is a question that cannot be answered with a definitive “yes” or “no”, but it can be answered as follows: “Speedos are something that you should consider and, if you feel comfortable in them, you should go for it”.

Fraquoh and Franchomme

Further reading:

Choose the perfect swimwear for your body type

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