nocinonut

From our vantage point on the beach in St. Jean du Cap Ferrat one day we saw more than enough men in speedoish things and some in thongs. It left me cold and then we saw a fellow with nice loose shorts and nothing else and we three women were agog. It must be an American thing, but I would rather see a man natural in loose shorts than packed in like schnitzel.

cigalechanta

first of all, guys who love to show it are the worst lovers!!
but saying that, dont let anyone tell you what to wear IF you feel it is you and you would feel unconfortable otherwise. They may stare BUT not throw you out. (I have never seen that.)
Same goes for ladies, wearing black in some areas is like funeral wear.

EnglishOne

Its not just an American thing to not find speedos appealling, it a British thing too. I have yet to find anybody who finds this look appealling, it usually leaves us shuddering. Nobody under the age of 50 would be seen dead in the things unless they are extremely uncool. YUK - they would be ridiculed off the beach

cigalechanta

the pool is empty, the tide has gone way out so go have a drink. But not in those swimming things,

BananaSling

Proud unreconstructed speedo wearer here. I got tired of wearing wet shorts and a wet jockstrap all day. Too much chafing. Plus I don't have ridiculous tan lines down to my knees. Just a nice frame around what counts. And if you little prudes and men afraid of your own weenies don't like it, swim someplace else.

capo

SmilesTravel,

'Tis true,
some shun fun.
But of those some,
I am not one.

Degas

Claude, my wife's hairdresser, told her the other day that the boastful ones who like to talk the most, usually have far less to show upon final inspection.

QueenMab

Who says size doesn't matter? (I'm talking about swimsuits, of course.)

ffsmiles

... but if it were to matter, here's a tip off: look for the large mercedes, the beemer, the most humongous suv. and guess why.

QueenMab

You know what they say about men with big feet, don't you?
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
Big shoes!!!

gocats2002

I don't know anything about the beaches of France, all I know any woman who lap swims in a public pool in the US comes to appreciate the hot bods in the speedos. I used to love to have a guy fly by me in the next lane with a perfect body sporting a speedo. There is nothing like it, except maybe the Oregon coast.

nocinonut

How about women's attire at the beaches? Yesterday I went to a local beach in SoCal and the woman getting the most attention was in the surf wearing a white gauzy top and long pants. The men were ignoring the bikini thonged bathers and were agape at the completely covered woman. She had a thong on under the pants but that was all, and the men were on their knees, lol. The women in our group yesterday all agreed, too, that she stole the show, she was outstanding.

In Europe and the US, I think the women show too much and leave only about a few inches to the imagination.

cigalechanta

Many years ago I was in Avignon alone, spoke zilch French and was in a garden shop and saw a stone statue that would be nice in my tiny garden. Next to it was a statue of David, about three feet tall, but in terra cotta, unsuitable to sit out in Boston winter weather. I paid for the other statue and had it shipped. weeks later when it arrived at my post office, I couldn't understand why it was so light as I hauled it into a waiting cab. I unwrapped it at home to find, she had sent me David. At first, all the women had comments to make about his attributes. He now stands on my staircase and has a wardrobe of pareos made from my scarves or those I buy for him for different occassions. He's wearing wreath of small sunflower on his head at the momentand a bunch of lavender tucked in his arm. What turned out to be a big mistake is now the household amusement.

wally34949

Unfortunately, many guys are wearing the board shorts when they swim with their underware underneath in the U.S. I've noticed in Europe they want everyone to take a naked shower first before swimming. In the U.S. I never see anyone take a shower before going down a slide at a waterpark. I guess (and hope) the chemicals of mass destruction are in the U.S. pools.

laughingd2

So now we get down to the bottom of things. Not to poo-poo Wally34949's skid-marks, er, remarks, but I smell a conspiracy. Biological weapons indeed!

Degas, if you have de gas, you'd better check de shorts!

clairobscur

The reason is quite simple : it is to bar people from entering the wimming pool with shorts that they've been wearing all day long, and to prevent endless arguments arguments like "why are you letting *him* in the pool and not *me*? His outfit is just like mine!!" or "Are you telling *me* that my shorts ae *dirty*????"

kerouac

I'm still reeling in amazement that someone would say that they are embarrassed that their children can see bulges.

jfox

I am in the US I wear small bathing suits to the beach and to pools that let people wear them.I hate having a wet dripping board short on feels all wet and clingy.I would rather have my thong or bikini on, not just to show off but almost no tan lines and they dry very fast.Some people in the US are just to much of a prude.Some of the thong bikinis are lined so your object is not outlined.