What's the briefest you can wear in British pools?

[Bede735]

Can't find any dress code for the pools I attend. Maybe you make up your own rules? So what's that?

General: only proper swim gear should be worn. No outside clothes. No bare bottoms on display.

Men: costumes should not be higher than the navel or lower than the knees. Swim briefs should have at minimum 1.5 inch sides. No genitalia should be visible.

Women: One or two piece costumes to be worn. Arms to be bare and no breasts visible. Please note there is no minimum width for bikini sides.

Obviously these rules don't mean much as I've seen men wear t-shirts and pants below knee level.

[Byron]

LOL - not a bad set there. You mentioned a European Standard and as the EU made fools of themselves with bananas this could be one area where the Commissioners dare not set foot (and thank God for that with such unelected and overpaid meddlers wasting everybody's time and money).

The French have hygiene standards against shorts in pools but some water parks go the other way where speedos might offend young families on their day out - so it all really boils down to "when in Rome......"

Btw, vids for the Rotterdam swim are pretty poor so the simulated one (no speedos) might be better to see the round-the-island course if anyone is interested: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTivtgzwiQg

[Torchwatch]

In the UK decency was always judged by the decision of a jury of citizens. This means that judgements will vary with the changes of the times.

[sebbie]

There is a herding instinct that goes on with all aspects of fashion and applies not only to women but men and kids of both sexes too. Everyone wants to wear what is considered fashionable by those around them. What is considered ok from the standpoint of modesty goes right along with the times. If its considered the fashion of the day it won't be deemed immodest.

I remember when mens thong swimwear initially became popular. At one point, the big department stores were stocking these. Guys seemed a bit embarrassed taking them to the cashier bit they did it. This was before INternet shopping for such items was around. (We had mail ordercatalogs from Undergear as well) And they wore them on the beach in some numbers too. I have a video of the Waikiki beach I took when I was there in about 1990, and a number of the guys were wearing thongs as well as the women. When I got home I went out and purchased a couple for myself, and even wore them at the lake. No one else seemed to even notice or care.

The only tricky part ios wearing something at the pool that is not regarded a part of popular current fashion..then you might be accused of being immodest. But I see that as more an issue of rear coverage, and maybe a front that shows pubic hair along the sides of the pouch, not the width of the sides of the suit itself.

[Bede735]

In I way I was the same. I became a regular swimmer in 1988 and used to wear trunks, but just about everyone else wore briefs. So 3 years later I went into a sports shop and bought the briefest Speedo possible, which was a Speedo Classic with 5 cm sides.
I still held onto my trunks, and a few months later wore them again when my friends arranged a pool party, because I felt a little self-conscious. However, all my friends turned up in briefs, so from that point there was no turning back. In any case, I couldn't argue that the briefs were the most comfortable swimwear available.

But the fashion now - why pick a fashion that isn't comfortable? At one time it was fashionable for men to wear three-piece suites with a hat and tie, even in warm Summer weather. Not surprisingly that isn't a fashion today.

[Bede735]

And why women wear bikini bottoms and men don't? Obviously women can have less coverage in the crotch area, and have fewer hairs on their legs, but men can shave there if it's excessive.

But there seems no intrinsic reason why mean can't wear suits with string sides, or something nearly as brief. They certainly do in indigenous cultures in the tropical regions. The women here at least have embraced those native cultures!

[Byron]

LOL - three-piece suits and most definitely some modesty for sea-bathing:
http://www.victoriana.com/Etiquette/...athingbox5.JPG

[Bede735]

In the 1960s men wore a jacket and tie in public but brief bathing suits. Nowadays they wear t-shirts and shorts in public but long shorts to swim in.

Think the fashion made more sense then.

[Byron]

... just think of the Beatles suited and booted in their early days.

[Hotbunz1969]

Came across this board today and have enjoyed reading a good few of the threads.

This one is right on the money for me! I'm an English guy and an avid swimmer, I swam for my county till the age of 19 and although I no longer compete or teach I still very much enjoy swimming.
As a competitive swimmer, and ever since, I have ALWAYS worn trunk style suits to any pool I have visited. Board shorts or short shorts are not in my wardrobe when it comes to swim wear.

I have a few different trunk style suits depending on the pool I am visiting and the clientele in it. None of them have sides wider than 5cm (2 inch) In pools I don't know I will always take a look at who is in the pool and what people are wearing before I choose my suit. Conservative situations call for a black wide side, less conservative or my local pool, I'll go for black, blue or red narrower side, and if I'm in a situation where the pool is really quiet or I have it to myself, say perhaps at a hotel or spa, it's white narrow side with no rear lining.
I have one white very narrow totally unlined suit which I wear with a white thong on underneath so you can see it, for these situations as well if the opportunity arises.
At Hyde Park lido I never wear more than a thong and if others around me are also wearing them I wear some pretty small ones, well TINY actually.

Guess what you wear and how brief it is comes down to the pool you are at and who is in it!

Cheers Paul