Why do older men wear Speedos?
 

I was off work on Friday and went to my local pool in the afternoon. Much to my astonishment, the majority of the male swimmers were in brief swimwear! However, they were all in their 50s and 60s, and I think this has become a trend.

I have two theories on this:

1. They are past their physical peak, and it would be more exacting to swim in baggy shorts.
2. They are more aware of the temporary nature of existence, and therefore don't give a damn as to what other people think!

Well, Bede, I'm not sure what #1 means unless it's a typo and you meant to write that it takes more energy (more enervating) to swim in baggy shorts.

As far as #2 is concerned, being among the group of older folks, I don't think about the temporary nature of existence because I'm not really philosophical about it. But the second part of #2 holds for me, that I really don't care what others think. In addition, I wear brief swimwear because I can, simple as that.

Very good question - interested in what other guys in their 50's and 60's think.
D67

I wear them because i like them and it is what I grew up wearing. I also do not get hung up on what others think and do not freak out about most guys liking board shorts.

Well it does, so I'm not sure how well I could do that at my time of life!

Well, it was first swim since my father died, so I am currently in that mind-set. So, if I'm to gain anything from the experience, then hopefully that will continue.

Bede,

My sympathy to you on the death of your father. No matter what age you are it's very hard losing a parent, and when that happens, you do begin to think about your own mortality. I believe very much in living in the here and now and not putting off things that you want to do because we never know what tomorrow may bring.

D67

Because I can. I'm in better shape than most eighteen year olds by far. And I'm a swimmer and swimmers wear brief suits. And the ladies at the club enjoy seeing it, they talk about it and it got back to me through my wife who thinks it's funny. And I catch guys looking at me in jealous admiration, occasionally one will comment, not on my suit but my physical condition which begins conversation about diet and health and exercise- which I promote as a lifelong commitment to one's self and family and community.
If you got it, don't be afraid to show it off. I appreciate viewing a fine physique too.

Couldn't have said it better myself, 50 Free.

D67

Maybe its because they have worn them all their life and are secure enough in themselves that they wear what they like and are comfortable in. They don't have all the hang ups the young guys have of "are there other guys wearing them?" "what will people think?" etc Growing old (or growing up) seems to have a positive effect on independent thinking.

Board shorts do not suddenly erase wrinkles on your body. In fact, they may just look silly

Sebbie

Because swimming with air in your pockets is soooOOOooo annoying.

Not all old guys wear them.
Here at Purdue's aquatic center, I tend to see a few - three or four - older guys (older than me) who wear speedos. They wear full briefs with the three or four inch sides, one wear the smaller side cut. But these guys are quite fit for their respective ages. I was talking to one the other week before the pool opened up and how I had just converted to knee length jammers (yes can you believe it?!), and he told me he used to wear speedos when he was young then converted to board shorts but started wearing speedos again a few years ago, and he is 60. But I do see younger guys wear them too - and not just the Purdue swim team.

By the way, I LOVE LOVE LOVE the way the jammers feel and how much faster I feel I can swim! :-)

Hey Milo, if you like jammers you will love briefs. Try switching to a square cut if the thought of a brief seems too skimpy, then make the next step. Jammers are cool, but the feel and freedom of a brief cut is awesome. Good for you on starting to swim. It is a great sport.

STS

Interestingly enough, at the Y where I swim, not too many guys wear briefs, but the ones who do look to me to be in their 50's and 60's. I've seen only a few guys who are maybe in their 20's wearing briefs. But, as someone in his 60's, I like wearing briefs because the freedom of movement, like STS said, is wonderful. I also wear them because I look OK in briefs because I'm pretty lean for my age and, along with the swimming, wearing briefs makes me feel good.

Dooley67

I think I look okay in them, too. Well I had a recent medical where my body mass index was in the fit range, so I think it's my duty as a 50 plus person to show what's possible. :)

Bede,

I agree with you completely. And it's my duty as a 60 plus person to show that after 60 one's BMI can be in the fit range. We do have that responsibility to others - when you've got it, flaunt it...lol

D67

For several reasons
 

I think there are several reasons older men will wear speedos.

First, if you swim for exercise, board shorts are just silly. They slow you down.

Second, I think younger guys might wear speedos more but they are fearful of what others might think. OMG, he is wearing a speedo; he must be gay. Older guys like my self just don't give a crap what others think. I've kept myself in shape, like to swim, and really don't care what others think.

And lastly, I think younger guys are concerned about getting an erection while wearing a speedo. Hard truth: erections just don't pop up as frequently as you get older. Funny, but when you are younger you are scared of having an erection at the wrong time, but older guys will pay big bucks to get one.

I love the unintended pun. :)

STS

It was intended.

Although if you're doing strenuous exercise that won't happen, so if they are actually doing some swimming that won't be a problem.

I think are several reasons.
1) The speedo begin to disappear at middle of 80’s, this mean the guys who was born before 80’s they growth using smaller swimwear.

2) After the year 1940 with the WWII (second world war) the clothes begging to be smaller and magazines like “LIFE” show a lot of marines completely naked in the war. A lot of people begging to understand a guy naked or shirtless at home or at the streets like a “real men” who don´t feel fear about be a man… at 1985 (maybe) the clothes begging to be longer and baggy… this mean the people who was born and growth between 1940 and 1979 they have less fear about be more naked than the younger people who growth with baggy shorts (no shorts-shorts or speedos) and growth using tank tops in a hit day (no taking of the shirt)


3) The men we have different “sexual steps or ages” (“Young Male” 12-25 years old; “Young Adult” 25-30; “Mature Adult” 30-55 years old, and “Elderly” 55-99+)
To educate to the young people the occidental society like to teach in the brain of the youg men “guilt feelings” (for example: if you like to masturbate them Jesus will cry and also God is looking to you, if you like to show your body it is sin, etc). At the “mature adult age” the “guilt feelings” beginning to disappear. It is a good news because the older people really feel more free than the younger people. also with loose the “guilt feeling” some guys with the years begging to have “sexual perversions”. Because they fail to repress themselves

Thank someone that AB brought back 100% nylon
 

Yes, that's true. Here's pic of me at 68.
X

Great Picture
 

That nylon AB looks great on you! It is such a classic look and you have the perfect long thin smooth body for it. I wish those briefs would make a big comeback

Your pic looks great, you make that suit look nice.

Great picture!

It reaffirms my circular belief that wearing a Speedo motivates you to stay fit enough to wear a Speedo.

Nylon
 

Try Caussie!

"Fit enough"... lol

We live in a day and age where men and masculinity are held in low regard. The whole western culture is "men are privileged" therefore we must restrain them & "you go girl!" It is no suprise that both male values and the male form are held in low regard. Since when did so many women get grossed out by the male form?

You are right Sebbie. Wrinkles are a sign of maturity and history and wisdom. Though we all wish we didn't get them, they are nothing to be ashamed of. Like it is often said -- inside every old person is a young person trying to get out. You need to choose your friends by their attitudes, not their age. Some people resign themselves to getting old and don't realize that age is as much attitude as it is chronology.

I've discovered something that I hadn't thought of before, I hadn't foreseen that being in good shape in my fifties would be so unusual. Nor difficult! But it is both. I get compliments when I didn't before, being physically fit is more common among younger men and when I was there, I didn't stand out because I never was a body builder. Just a wiry swimmer! Notice that those who looked like Charles Atlas thirty years ago don't look so good now. But wiry swimmers are, like just mentioned, same thing but wiser and a little wrinkled. I disagree that women are grossed out by the male form. According to my wife, the ladies at the health club enjoy their eye candy.

50 Free you are right. As a swimmer and runner as a kid, I was the skinny runt against the big football guys. I was, however, way more in physical shape and while my body is showing its age, I still am fit and can rock a swimsuit pretty darn well. For sure I have some skin that sags a bit and my abs are now a bit more muddled (oh well!). The ladies at the pool I swim at all check me out like never before. I swim once in a while in the free lanes while the ladies oldies water aerobics is going on, you should see the way they check me out. Yes, those ladies do like their eye candy. Truth, I like showing it off to them... :D

STS

Several months earlier in this discussion I said that older men wear speedos because we can. But I've come to think that there is more to it. As many of us get older we are more confident and less concerned about what others think. Because I'm pretty lean now, I feel confident in my appearance in 2" brief suits. At my Y, the guys who wear briefs are like me, in their 60's and feel perfectly comfortable. Hardly any younger guys in briefs, maybe because they feel self conscious and what others might think of how they look. There are some perks that come with "older" age.

D67

My Bogner briefs are 1.7" (4.5cm) sides and quite low rise. Wore them at the pool yesterday and was the only one to wear briefs. I went for a shower after the swim and had to hang around for a couple of minutes as there were guys occupying them, but I didn't at all feel self-conscious.

As I say, I don't know what the big deal is as I'm not breaking any rules, never had any complaints...

Practical
 

I always wear speedos swimming laps and sunning on my back deck at home. I do not wear them sailing or working around on the docks of my marina. Speedos are not practical for me because of the lack of pockets for tools etc. By late summer I have 3 tan lines. Speedo, deck shorts and biking tights. I do not think that speedos are necesarily appropriate for lounging around at gatherings as to me they are not comfortable and it's not because I can't take negative remarks or glances. In my view they are for swimming and private circumstances with small groups of friends who might find them comfortable when in and out of the pool. Caussies are great because they dry very quickly and are feather weight.

Bede,

Yesterday when I went to the Y to do my laps, there were only 2 lanes available and for a time I was the only one doing laps. The rest of the pool was being used for kids learning to dive with their parents sitting in the stands watching. I was wearing my green Sporti brief that is very low cut with a 2" or a bit smaller side seam. It didn't bother me a bit that I was the only one in briefs, and it didn't appear that it bothered anyone else either. So, I agree, what's the big deal?

D67

RE 1: If speedos disappeared in the 80's does that mean that guys born before the 80"s are still wearing the same suits?
From personal experience, I never knew that the speedos disappeared. I have worn them strait thru the alleged years they disappeared and never had trouble finding them to buy.
RE 2: Talking about WW2 and pictures of the guys taking showers during the war seems to have no relivence to swimwear. During the war they didn't pack swimwear to go to battle. If swimming was going to happen it was in their less than stylish OD green boxers. The suits worn after the war were much like those horrible Sungas in Brazil. The big difference is that they had to deal with what they had the technology for. Ironically many of the suits were made of wool and most had a belt. As nylon and lycra was invented and refined for clothing the new technology went into the swimwear.
RE 3: From what I witnessed of the advent of the board short suits was nothing to do with the Bible or Mom -- it was the new thing. Surfing was the hottest craze and surfers wore the mid theigh length suits for a couple reasons. Surfers were famous for loading their boards up and heading to the beach with no towel or other clothes than the suit. It was practical for their purpose. Secondly, when the surfer craze hit, the boards were very long and very heavy. When waxed and ready to use the surface was very rough for traction and tore up the fragile nylon speedos while carrying them or paddling out to the waves.
At that time California ruled. Since the surfing craze was so popular there and it was so heavily publicized in the media, the surfer style caught on quick. (The Beach Boys were on top and even with the Beatlemania they still garnered #1 records - always singing about surfing and CA beaches)
Besides the fashion fad, many guys gave up the speedos when they got unannounced erections they couldn't control. Since walking around with an exposed erection was not cool or socially acceptable then, guys wore what would cover up the problem.
The super baggy below the knee suits first came along by a company named Jams (like short for pajamas) They were meant to be beach leisure wear - not swimwear. Since they were promoted and beach shorts or leisure wear guy just assumed that meant swimwear. Discount stores pumped out low cost copies to add to the popularity. (Jams were pricey for what they were) It also seemed to follow the fad that was popular with Hispanics wearing their shorts below their knees and knee sox as every day wear.
This is all based on personal experience from someone that lived through it. The activities of the day and the ever changing fashion market were more to blame for the shift in styles than any psychological or social pressures (other than you are not cool as a teen unless you dress like every other teen and don't think independently) It happens, styles change wether we like it or not. Actually if not for these changes we would still be wearing suits with tank tops, high button shoes and celluloid collars. Be thankful that we are now in a period where even with the fashion industry trying to influence us, we can still be independent and wear what we like. It takes a bit of nerve to break out from the norm, but I'd rather be an individual thinking for myself and not a slave to what the masses have decided is "in"

RE 1: If speedos disappeared in the 80's does that mean that guys born before the 80"s are still wearing the same suits?
From personal experience, I never knew that the speedos disappeared. I have worn them strait thru the alleged years they disappeared and never had trouble finding them to buy.
RE 2: Talking about WW2 and pictures of the guys taking showers during the war seems to have no relivence to swimwear. During the war they didn't pack swimwear to go to battle. If swimming was going to happen it was in their less than stylish OD green boxers. The suits worn after the war were much like those horrible Sungas in Brazil. The big difference is that they had to deal with what they had the technology for. Ironically many of the suits were made of wool and most had a belt. As nylon and lycra was invented and refined for clothing the new technology went into the swimwear.
RE 3: From what I witnessed of the advent of the board short suits was nothing to do with the Bible or Mom -- it was the new thing. Surfing was the hottest craze and surfers wore the mid theigh length suits for a couple reasons. Surfers were famous for loading their boards up and heading to the beach with no towel or other clothes than the suit. It was practical for their purpose. Secondly, when the surfer craze hit, the boards were very long and very heavy. When waxed and ready to use the surface was very rough for traction and tore up the fragile nylon speedos while carrying them or paddling out to the waves.
At that time California ruled. Since the surfing craze was so popular there and it was so heavily publicized in the media, the surfer style caught on quick. (The Beach Boys were on top and even with the Beatlemania they still garnered #1 records - always singing about surfing and CA beaches)
Besides the fashion fad, many guys gave up the speedos when they got unannounced erections they couldn't control. Since walking around with an exposed erection was not cool or socially acceptable then, guys wore what would cover up the problem.
The super baggy below the knee suits first came along by a company named Jams (like short for pajamas) They were meant to be beach leisure wear - not swimwear. Since they were promoted and beach shorts or leisure wear guy just assumed that meant swimwear. Discount stores pumped out low cost copies to add to the popularity. (Jams were pricey for what they were) It also seemed to follow the fad that was popular with Hispanics wearing their shorts below their knees and knee sox as every day wear.
This is all based on personal experience from someone that lived through it. The activities of the day and the ever changing fashion market were more to blame for the shift in styles than any psychological or social pressures (other than you are not cool as a teen unless you dress like every other teen and don't think independently) It happens, styles change wether we like it or not. Actually if not for these changes we would still be wearing suits with tank tops, high button shoes and celluloid collars. Be thankful that we are now in a period where even with the fashion industry trying to influence us, we can still be independent and wear what we like. It takes a bit of nerve to break out from the norm, but I'd rather be an individual thinking for myself and not a slave to what the masses have decided is "in"

Today I was at the Y doing my laps and of the 6 lanes, 5 were taken up by lap swimmers, 3 men and 2 women. All three men, including me, were wearing brief suits, and all three of us are in our mid to late 60's! This seemed to me to be a confirmation of what I wrote a few days ago about increased self confidence with advancing age. I have seen only 1 or 2 younger guys in briefs in the time that I've been swimming at the Y.

D67

You wear what you grew up with
 

This is an interesting thread with many viewpoints. I agree with SwimTeamSpeedo. If you grew up in an era when briefs were popular, you keep wearing them. Just like how people continue to listen to music (or radio stations) that you grew up with.

So I guess that if you were a teenager in the 1970's or 1980's, you may be wearing briefs today.

The real question (to be answered many years from now) is whether the younger generation that grew up wearing board-shorts will switch to briefs when they get to be older.

It's a similar thing with football (soccer) shorts. They used to be very long, but from the 1960s up to the 90s they were very short, but now they're very long again. It just seems to be the prevailing fashion, but fashion always changes. So people will change if they think it's in fashion.

The other day my wife was talking on the phone with our daughter who lives in another state. She said that she had bought her sons new Jammers as one of their Chanukah gifts because they had outgrown their older ones. They swim on a local team in their community where the boys wear Jammers. My daughter asked my wife what I wear to swim and she replied that I wear speedos. My daughter said they they're so revealing to which my wife replied, "that's what Dad says are most comfortable." It's ironic because when my kids were growing up, they saw me in briefs at the beach all the time but maybe with me as a grandfather, my daughter feels differently about me in speedos now. I think that people's perceptions are governed a lot by context - as a girl growing up seeing her father in a speedo was okay; as a parent with sons wearing Jammers, a father in a speedo might be a bit unnerving. No offense was meant and none was taken.

D67