The summer is upon us and beach seaon is about to begin. Mix hot weather, sand and water and you’ve got an excuse to get wet, get drunk and show skin at the beach.
Girls flaunt their bodies in their skimpy two pieces while playing volleyball but American blokes stick to baggy, horribly patterned board shorts while chuggin’ beers. On the beaches of southern France, Rio, and Tokyo, young guys, like those two Brazilians above, are sporting speedos and other cool form fitting swimwear.
Disco Valante wants YOU to give us your opinion why men’s beach apparel is so different in the US. Why do American guys gravitate toward board shorts? Is it becaue America was founded by prudish Puritans that passed down their conservative views of sex and sexuality that made them outcast in sex crazed Europe?
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36 Comments
May 23, 2008 at 12:05 am
I, personally, love the square-cut shorts, I’d even look for the vintage ones.
I think it’s the influence of conservatism in the US that has brought us to the use of boardshorts away from just a convenience when actually surf boarding. Boardshorts were designed to be quick drying and durable enough to withstand rubbing against the board over time. Somehow, it became a fashion trend. I remember when men used to were square cuts, short shorts, and even tangas (speedos) at the beach. (remember all those cheesy beach blanket party movies?)
Anyway, I think it’s also the over masculinity or machisimo mentality that’s preventing men (straight men mostly) from exploring the beauty that is the short shorts. Being ridiculed as being too femmie looking, or teased with “…look like a fag in those!” We all know this is stems out of their own insecurities and sexuality. And also could be the fact that some just aren’t “packing” enough that they’re afraid to “model” it out for public view (newsflash: you don’t have to have a great big ol’ shlong to make these kinds of swim wear fashionable OR acceptable)
That’s what I think. Personally I miss my tan lace-up shorties that I bought back in Rehoboth Beach several Labor Days ago. Sure I got some weird looks from the “jocks”, but most would have to admit that they looked great matched with my long sleeved shirt! ^_^
May 23, 2008 at 12:50 am
American men had always and will always be fashion backwards
we’re a country of prudes for crying out loud!
it’s something in the water here…that or we’re just stupid
i’m going to throw up a sister blog to this about my experience rocking some very skimpy swim trucks while at a pool party in Toronto for Pride last summer (yes pictures will be provided)
anyone who knows me knows while i don’t rock the board shorts, i don’t do the skimpy swim trunks either and i only rock Speedos when doing laps at the pool
but it was a very liberating experience and i did get some lovely attention seeing how with a little bit of water everyone knew i wasn’t Jewish @_@
but i do agree Disco, there is a major stigma among American men that makes most of them hide their package/body as if ashamed of it whereas women have a unlimited array of clothing options to help accentuate their external qualities and find zero shame in doing so.
why shouldn’t men have very well made and sexy looking swimwear too? why shouldn’t men who spend quality time at the gym, live active lives, and who eat and take care of themselves not flaunt the fruits of their labor via showing off a rockin bod while taking in the sun at the beach?
so, for once, I agree with you. I’m still not with you on the white jeans lover…though anything is possible
o_O
May 23, 2008 at 9:36 pm
Hi
I’m not American, I’m Belgian.
Even if tight swimwear is less not done in Europe, board shorts are more common
Why? Well, I can think of several reasons
- Thight swimwear is too gay for plain straight people
- Thight swimwear only looks good on good looking people (no beer belly!). Let’s face it: Board shorts are more forgiving.
- The wrong idea that lose clothes give more liberty of movement. It’s not true, but that’s the perception.
I think it’s a shame that tight swimwear is frown upon. Because good looking people should wear tight swimwear, briefs, …. I’m allergic to loose boxers, so ugly
May 30, 2008 at 8:18 am
Hi,
I agree with just about everything people have said above, esp. Benjamin when he says “tight swimwear only looks good on good looking people”. I think that one of the main reasons men in America don’t wear tight swimwear is because the men who do try to pull it off fail horribly. It’s mean, but true for most people, whether because it’s the “wrong fit” or if the men need to be in better shape. So all that negative stigma doesn’t help.
Also, young good looking men, esp in small towns and more rural areas, don’t know how to dress themselves. They tend to stick to baggier clothes or more converative fashion.
June 2, 2008 at 7:51 pm
One word … Homophobia
June 19, 2008 at 6:50 am
I just hate the BOARD Shorts.
Looks like a guy wearing short pants.
How goofy it must look to get a guy naked, and see his body tanned from the kees down, white from the knees to the waist and then tanned from the waist to the head.
Just goofy
June 26, 2008 at 6:33 am
Because in North America it’s all trends. Never mind that speedos was what nearly all Americans wore just a couple of decades ago. It is no longer in fashion and therefore it must be repudiated.
Europeans, while following the fashion scene, will not ridicule you just because you wear something that is a little bit outdated. Of course if you wear the type of clothes worn in the Middle Age, you will be made fun of, even in Europe. But Europeans won’t give you problems just because you wear something that was the trend in the 1970s or 1980s.
June 27, 2008 at 12:16 am
I am American. I am not a prude. Please, live and let live guys. To each his own. I do not start questioning the belief system of europeans when they come to MY South Carolina to go on the beach with their junk straining to fall out of their little banana hammocks. I really do not like for my kids to have to look at the hairy fat guy from Deutschland with a speedo and a stiffy. Watch your kids and your swimsuits. Pedophiles and wiener thong police on the beach.
July 4, 2008 at 1:19 pm
I am also american, raised on the east coast. Every year I see tourist coming from all points across the atlantic and I must say, Kudos to them all! Americans believe that you shouldn’t wear too much to the beach but we generally frown upon those that dont wear enough…make up your minds already. Either you want a tan or you dont. I however enjoy wearing a squarecut style swimsuit on the beach regardless of what the background conversationist my say. If I were in brazil I would fit right in with the locals and in the past, american men wore alot of the squarecut style swimsuits. Have we forgot about the Ocean Pacific (OP) shorts of yesteryear guys? No one wants to admit they had a pair but you know who you are. The younger generations are being pushed into an era where guys dont have a say in what they wear to the beach because of the threat of being called gay. Today boardshorts are the norm. I a decade or two we will be wearing pants as the norm. Sometimes you have to step out of the box…and the boardshorts. How many more decisions will be made for us before we decide to change the present and future of clothing for ourselves….or are you going to keep letting mommy dress you?
July 5, 2008 at 3:09 pm
I just stumbled onto this posting. I’m straight and married and I have observed this: Women typically (not always, but typically) don’t have the same sex drive as men. Most (again, not all, but most) women don’t want to be reminded of a man’s masculinity by seeing his outlined or emphasized man-parts. They want to be reminded of masculinity by seeing an athletic build or muscle, or a scruffy looking kinda rugged face (for the adults. For teenagers it’s a little different). A lot of it is probably biological. I understand, un-married women or single women will get turned on by most of the same things as a man, but a while after they get married or when they’ve been in a committed relationship for a while, many women focus on other things to get turned on, and the parts that make them pregnant are not usually at the top of the list.
Men tend to be different, they want to see the sex-parts. We’ll be forgiving about other features if the sexy bits are doing great. Since most men are straight and trying to attract women, they’ll wear what makes them attractive to women. Look up any opinion postings about what women think of speedos/swim briefs and you’ll find out that most are turned off by them. This puts the majority of men in boardshorts/trunks and causes the minority to feel awkward in front of both straight men and most women.
Just my observations
Me personally? I wear them under my boardshorts and take advantage of them to not have to use a towel to get out of my boardshorts and into a wetsuit on the beach. I’m working up the courage to wear them full-time while chilling with my wife on the beach, but I haven’t lived near the ocean in a few years and old habits and mindsets die hard.
July 17, 2008 at 8:49 pm
hello thus american sexy guys body are so………..and i like him.
July 18, 2008 at 4:14 am
I echo what a poster above said – EVERY woman I know finds Speedos repulsive. It’s not because we’re prudes – it’s because women don’t generally have a desire to see a guy’s “stuff” – and men who wear Speedos look like they’re on their way to the nearest orgy or whorehouse. Speedos & other itty-bitty men’s swimsuits provide TOO much information!
July 19, 2008 at 8:38 am
but its ok for women to leave to much out whether they are 12 to 70. All womens suits the world over are form fitted spandex. Somehow about the time when Reagan became president the trend in the U.S. went from shorts, speedos and squares cuts at the beach (as it continues else were in the world to this day) to over sized bulky, uncomfortable, heavy board shorts used before the 80’s only for surfers. I think it is a conservative prudish issue in the U.S. That is why american women think its funny and or too much info. The same women that will likely find just fine for women to wear barely there or less swimwear.
July 24, 2008 at 4:54 am
Two-thirds of American men are overweight. Boardshorts hide the the flabby figure, but not very well.
July 29, 2008 at 3:55 pm
The Brazilian guys on your photo are not wearing speedos. They are wearing square leg suits. These square leg suits are becoming popular in the United States too. But who knows maybe the growing popularity of square legged suits could mean the beginning of the return of speedos in the United States. But I doubt so. Americans may socially accept square legged suits, but I don’t think they are ready to accept speedos like they use to in the 1970s. But never say never. Nothing is impossible.
July 30, 2008 at 12:46 am
The bloaks in the photo are more fashionable? Than who?? Wow, how long did Jean Paul Gaulthier toil in his workshop to come up with “Bleu” and “Noir”??? Lets get real. The guys are what’s good looking here, the trunks are nothing more than colored briefs.
As an American boardshorter, i will also add a couple of reasons that i dont think have yet been mentioned. I prefer boardshorts for 2 main reasons:
1) pockets. Unless I am with a girl who is toting a beach bag, i like pockets for keys/wallet/etc.
2) I can wear the boardshorts to the beach/pool and after to eat/run errands/whatever. With squares or speedos, i would have to wear another pair of shorts over my swimsuit to and apres beach.
Other than that, I think you would find it has nothing to do with being prude or puritanical. Plenty a’ boardshort are shed for skinny-dipping, mooning, and flashing. If you want to see how prude Americans really are, visit any N. American beach the second week of March.
Not to mention, most American women are repulsed by the speedo/square short. That might not be the case if the guys in the photo above were the poster-children for speedos. However, at least in the States, they are not.
Most of the square/speedo wearers we see here are the hairy, old, fat (usually European) smuggling 60 year old grapes with more hair than a gorilla. Hence the stigma.
Which brings me to another topic. IF you chose to wear the skimpy trunks, TRIM your nethers!!!! My god, 90% of the repulsion is the unruly bush that explodes around the edges of the suit.
So if you are thinking about switching to the square/speedo look, here is your to do list:
1) get in shape
2) already be tan
3) shave your body
If the checklist above is not strictly adhered to, the speedo will never be haute-couture Stateside.
Personally, I am not sure what is so fashion-forward about briefs. It cracks me up how many Americans are so quick to crumble under the slightest European pressure. POSERS. Give me a break. “Oh, yeah, US Americans are so closed minded, stupid, and fasion-retarded.” Really?
“Fashion”-wise, there is a lot more creativity put into boardshorts than any speedo. Choices of art, color, fabric are much more varied and you will often never see 2 people wearing the same one.
July 31, 2008 at 3:23 am
I echo a lot of what everyone says. I think so many folks think that shorter shorts and speedos are gay
it is a shame the are definitely more comfortable
I think so many guys are just uncomfortable wearing them in public afraid they are going to be judged as gay or too old or too fat
Shorts look better on younger guys for sure but I think if more older guys just wore them you would get used to seeing them and not even notice
August 4, 2008 at 12:35 pm
American guys wear board shorts because speedos have been associated to gay men since the second half of the 1980s. Since Americans have always historically been an intolerant people, it was bound to happen that they would soon reject a garment that they think “looks gay”. To this day, the best way you can insult a straight US guy is by mistaken him for a homo. Homophobia is very well present in the US, it simply has taken a more subtle form, just like racism.
August 5, 2008 at 2:49 am
I continue to laugh at all the comments concluding that Americans are more closed-minded, homophobic, and now more apparently more racist than the rest of the world.
Can we not simply conclude that Americans might like different things than Europeans without one group or the other being “intolerant” or “ignorant”???
Apparently not. Apparently, Americans are living in the stone-age. Tell me this: what other country in the WORLD is more culturally diverse than the States? Tell me how many American athletes are booed, have crap thrown at them on the field, or receive death threats because they are black??? (Samuel Eto’o , Thierry Henry, Marc Zoro, and on and on).
I wish these truly ignorant posters who think America is the only country dealing with race/religion/culture issues would do some research.
The truth is this… boardshorts became popular from surfing. Who looks cooler at the beach? The guy shredding waves, or the fat guy in short-shorts with a farmers’ tan?? That combined with the growing popularity of wakeboarding has lead to the explosion of boardshorts. If the “cool guys” on the water are wearing them, you know many others will want to be like them.
And its not just swimwear. Our regular shorts have gotten longer too. How many guys do you see wearing khaki shorts above the knee anymore? Hardly any. Hell, my 68 year old Dad even wears his shorts at the knee now. Its a change in fashion and culture, bottom line.
And don’t be so quick to blame Americans for longer shorts, either. The capri pants/shorts/whatever they are, came from Europe.
I’ll get off my soapbox for now, but please drop the nonsense about ignorant/intolerant/racist Americans and how it relates to swim fashion, because it does not.
August 5, 2008 at 5:29 am
Karen,
Speedos are repulsive, regardless of who they are on. I dont want to see anyones genitals and if that’s what you’re in to…bring some porn to the beach and have fun.
That is all
August 5, 2008 at 11:51 am
Tim, Americans aren’t criticized because they prefer to wear board shorts over speedos. People are reacting because of Americans refusing to accept people who are different. You’re right for saying that different regions like different stuff. Americans like board shorts and Europeans like speedos. But Europeans will never mock someone for wearing board shorts. In fact, many young Europeans prefer board shorts to speedos. But you will hardly find a European mocking a guy in a speedo. Even the Europeans who hate speedos, will refrain of embarassing a guy for wearing one. But with Americans, if they hate something, then they have to bring you down for it because throughout their history Americans have always put down people who were different.
I perfectly agree with you that there is absolutely nothing pleasant about an overweight man in a speedo. But if that’s what he wants to wear, then he should be able to wear it without people getting on his case. Most countries realize this, but not the US because of their intolerance and backward mentality. Just take a look at how many Americans still consider Islam to be a satanic religion.
August 6, 2008 at 9:29 pm
Candice, have you even heard me saying that I liked speedos?
The point I’m trying to make here is to each is own. After all we do live in a free country (supposely).
You say that you don’t want to look at guy’s genitals, well don’t look at them. Simple as this.
August 6, 2008 at 11:59 pm
If a guy is in pretty good shape, and has shaved his privates,and is not too fat he should be able to wear a square cut suit. I don’t understand what all of the hype is because a guy who wants to wear a speedo or square cut at the beach. I am 37 years old and I am in good shape, I don’t look like a Calvin Klein underwear model ,but I look pretty good on the beach wearing a speedo or square cut. I would agree that it is such a double standard here in America that only a girl or woman can wear something skimpy but a guy gets weird looks if he wears a speedo. I agree with Karen. A person should be able to wear what ever he or she wants to wear, as long as it legal. ( A thong on some beaches in other countries may not be )
August 7, 2008 at 9:00 am
Candice , are you saying that if I can see a guys genitals if he is wearing a speedo, even if he is good looking and in shape that the same standard should be for a girl or woman who is wearing a bikini , and I can see her genitals, and that all girls should wear some sort of female board shorts and not bikinis correct?. Do you just mean guys. If you do than you also have double standards for just men right?
October 14, 2008 at 8:05 pm
um, not sure what some of you mean, I’ve been to many beaches where guys are wearing other then board shorts.
October 17, 2008 at 6:23 am
Because Americans are not so sexy , as hot latinos does .. uuurrriaaa.. !!
December 16, 2008 at 9:57 pm
The average brazilian has a much better physique and a much larger penis than the average American.
Hence,
Brazilian men in speedos = Awesome
American men in speedos = FAIL.
March 22, 2009 at 11:41 pm
After reading all these posts I have to say that I agree that the vast majority of americans are a little prudish. I’m a strait married guy that has lived by the beaches in florida for 30 years. I have to say that the stigma here about speedos is not in the interest of anyone who want’s to wear one! The typical applies here, old fat fat guys, gay guys, and muscle guys. On the other hand I have seen way more women wearing bikini’s to the beach that where way more out of shape, than the men I have seen in speedo’s or trunks! I think that if your going to the beach to get a tan and your in decent shape than wear what you want! If you want a tan from your knees to your feet and from your waste to your face go for it!
June 5, 2009 at 10:56 pm
plain and simple… ALL straight american males are sexist and homophobic.
June 9, 2009 at 7:53 pm
I’m American(from Hawaii) 41 and in good physical shape. My girlfriend and I are going to Thailand and the beaches. I got a few pairs of the square cut shorts and she really likes them on me. She likes my butt in them. Sexy, but appropriate for the beach and public. When I first saw them, I thought they were gay, but pick the right styles and colors with the help of a girl so you get their opinion. I still love my board shorts, but like the square cut ones for the beach. They are only for the beach anyway. “What shorts to wear” is not a life altering topic. So wear what you want…that is…as long as your significant other accepts so you aren’t seen arguing on the beach and your girlfriend trying to cover you up with a towel..haha
July 4, 2009 at 6:16 pm
Why? Because 90% of the men in Europe and else where have no business wearing speedos. But, European men generally have higher self esteem when it comes to there bodies. Americans realize when they’re unsightly and take all steps necessary to cover it up. (Also, most men look nothing like the two in the photo, anywhere.)
July 31, 2009 at 9:40 am
the men have been trained that if they wear anything other than big pants to swim in there is something wrong with their thinking .i know because i had it explained to me 50 times by my daughter in law that big pants is what you wear speedos or any other brand makes you not right
August 1, 2009 at 10:42 am
It is what we have been trainedand told to wear and the recession is over the news said so so it must be true
August 1, 2009 at 10:43 am
It is what we have been trained and told to wear ,and the recession is over the news said so, so it must be true
August 4, 2009 at 3:55 pm
All people named Tai Tai Diggs on this post are extremely prejudiced against Americans and almost as offensive as the hypocritical Candice.
August 10, 2009 at 2:33 pm
“But Europeans will never mock someone for wearing board shorts.”
Uhh…isn’t the point of this article mocking American men for wearing board shorts?
Get over yourselves, people. Let fashion take its place, and let us wear what we want when we want.