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...?
Really I ask you ?
In deepest rural south of France and off we toddle off for a local swim - no you must wear budgie smugglers ! Wtf
first time in over 20 odd years we’ve been asked ( including the children)
My 8 year old with autism told the life guard he was dumb ! ( then he had the mother of all melt downs ) all wasn’t lost as luckily the boss had packed some for the boys.
Me ? I’ll be a stubborn English pig and refuse to buy any ! No way I’m wearing them !
A mate many years back simply took off his boardies and jumped in naked....
Had this last year at a pool. It’s so the dirty Brits don’t go in wearing shorts they’ve had on all day.
Hygiene apparently, but I think it's more likely they just want to have a laugh at the expense of foreigners.
When did the British stop wearing swimming trunks and start wearing shorts?
Many many years ago, unless your after a record shorts are fine.
Its cleaner, hygiene, simple.
When in (rome) France....
Its cleaner, hygiene, simple.
And now for the sciencey bit?
Everyone else in the pool has trunks on so there's not really a problem with it.
I have some that are like long boxers so my white british thighs don't look too ridiculous!!
aero for the pool !
It's ****ing bullshit. The pool's full of germ killing chemicals. The French are weird. I remember my wife just about had a hernia laughing at me wearing some. She took a picture and I demanded it to be deleted..I had to chase her for the camera round the campsite in my wee trunks. 😆😂🤣
I'm a fan of Budgie smugglers for swimming. Feels much better than baggies with all that wet material flapping around.
I'd were them over here, but Mrs taxi won't be seen dead with me if I do 🙁
Brazilians are similar they love "sungas" or as we call them "speedos"
Don't see a problem with it myself I have a couple of pairs of lycra shorts that are similar in length to a pair of boxer shorts . If anyone decides to have a giggle at my expense then at least I've made someones day (+ I know its a grower not a shower 😀 ) . They go under a wet suit better for surf duties too.
+1 On the wet suit thing.
I'm in France right now, and have wondered the same thing. Marin has it, above - the thinking is that you're unlikely to wear speedos (of any length - mine are as long as my cycling short liners) for the day, then jump in the pool, so it's cleaner.
The thinking is flawed, of course, since no-one (so far) has checked how well I wiped my bum, or washed my hands....
It’s nothing to do with hygiene it’s to do with the amount of water Bermuda shorts hold and remove from the pool each time you exit.
I assume that the same folk who don't like swimming trunks avoid lycra when cycling? It's just that the French don't have the same hang ups about physical appearance and fashion that many Brits seem to have.
Think yourself lucky. We have just had to wear swimming caps in Aosta. However the bold headed men with bushy beards were OK without them
only the Brits seem to have an issue with them . Once you get used to it , it is much better in a pool .
From what I’ve read it’s because the French don’t like to pull pubes out of the water filter - proper swimming shorts have the mess liner to catch the little blighters, board shorts don’t and they’d rather not check.
Also, even more coyly they’d rather not have big fat geezers like me with their kit off so it’s a way of putting them off.
I largely ignore them, having Speedo branded shorts is sometimes enough to let them turn a blind eye.
Question - does the jammer pass muster?
This was me last night (in my dreams).
Try swimming in Iceland (not Blue Lagoon, but a proper Icelandic pool for locals). They are VERY particular about making sure you've had a shower before you get in the pool. And not a cursory 0.5 secs under the water like you did at school but a proper thorough wash. The custom is to walk to the shower from the change area naked (some of these places are unisex- might have been an issue as the school kid above) with your swimmers in your hand then a full soapy scrub of your pits and groin before kitting up. The local fellow swimmers or attendant will be quick to send you back if they don't think you were thorough enough. Upside is the water is virtually chemical free - so nice in comparison to the typical British cesspool.
What’s the problem, this is stw, everyone of us has a body like a Greek god, no?
I assume that the same folk who don’t like swimming trunks avoid lycra when cycling?
Yep. Endura shorts all the way. I love me some pockets.
I was told recently that it stops certain groups of people going to swimming pools because culturally they don't like tight clothing.
I don’t think there’s any scientific research done on this topic (I googled it and all that it threw up was a load of pics of French blokes in speedos, which on reflection wasn’t that bad)
And i’m sorry to hear that some of you are adverse to wearing them, I don’t know the reasons obviously but on the face of it it sounds like you are not happy about the shape (and maybe colour)of your bodies.
Free the mind, it’s only a body.. it’s the attitude that counts..
Just go for a 60's trunk rather than a Speedo style. Nothing to hide, we are all fit and in shape cyclists on this forum aren't we?
Always wear tight speedo shorts in the uk and overseas. Prefer them to be honest. But their country, their rules. I wouldn't complain about driving on the 'wrong' side of the road (even though that is very wrong!)
Very few people wear traditional budgie smugglers, mostly the tight Speedo shorts. No one enforced the rule during our recent French camping trip.
I believe the larger swimming trunk as modelled above are called euro boys!
Despite the barracking I receive from my wife and son I wear Speedos, the same pair I've worn for the last 20 years at least. There's no reason to change them, they are in fine condition, I still have a 32" waist and my belly doesn't hang over the top and I have cyclist's thighs, which the Speedos show off to their best as they follow the inguinal crease between thigh and groin. I would also hate the sensation of flappy wet material around my thighs.
Jekkly +1. It’s an aesthetic preference that some French pools justify using any old bullshit. Never, ever been asked to shower before using any French pool - so it’s not about cleanliness. Not once. Never been asked to wear speedos at any French water park either - just hotel and resort pools.
At one resort, the lifeguard saw me pull clean board shorts out of a bag and over speedos and still had an issue with it... Luckily he spoke English and I was able to explain that it wasn’t the non-existent dirt from my machine-fresh board shorts that he should worry about it - he should be more concerned with “Fromage au nob” from the great unwashed... To be fair, he actually laughed! 😁
It’s just that the French don’t have the same hang ups about physical appearance and fashion that many Brits seem to have.
You have been to France...? 😉
When in France I wear my fluoro pink budgie smugglers, all the other men,women and children are wearing lycra swimming costumes, equality innit?
And i’m sorry to hear that some of you are adverse to wearing them, I don’t know the reasons obviously but on the face of it it sounds like you are not happy about the shape (and maybe colour)of your bodies.
Shape - not right now. Pretty unhappy with it.
Colour - I’m mixed race, so I’m a bit browner naturally! 😉
Apart from all the derision in the UK, what is actually wrong with budgie smugglers? It's like armpit hair on girls (and more recently on more intimate parts) just seems to be something to turn your nose up because that's the thing to do.
+1 for swimming in budgies & I'd even go as far as saying swimming naked trumps budgies too
Apart from all the derision in the UK, what is actually wrong with budgie smugglers?
They suit a very small range of body types.
It is a 'thing', and so you do it. I look stunning* in my longer trunk lycra bad boys.
I also had a colleague a few years back ski-ing in France, who had an invite from the trio of Dutch girls staying in the same hotel to go for a swim one night - except all he had was board shorts. Cue that decision of refusing, having to *rent* (gip) or buy budgie smugglers, or see if the hotel really would put up with a French approach to life... He has still never revealed what happened, or what he revealed...
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*mrs_oab may disagree
I have some long Speedos I use in France - they go to about 2 inches above the knee.
It may help to explain the French obsession with correct clothing if I tell you that once, when I lived in Paris and it snowed, I overheard an elderly lady saying to her friend in shocked tones: "...and do you know, people are even walking around the streets in sports attire!"
They suit a very small range of body types.
Why does that matter for swimming or sitting about in the sun. I don't expect you to be walking around the shops or going to work in them
Never thought anything of it in 70s and 80s in UK (was only a kid anyway), until suddenly shorts were the thing and speedo stuff were so unfashionable inviting giggling from others. Weird stuff fashion.
Not that I've been in a public swimming pool for years. Swimming in chlorinated piss isn't my thing.
If you don't like it, don't go to France. More for me.
I am not sure they'd miss you all that much either.
Never thought anything of it in 70s and 80s in UK (was only a kid anyway), until suddenly shorts were the thing and speedo stuff were so unfashionable inviting giggling from others. Weird stuff fashion.
It was that creepy guy at the pool who had peeled the "S" off.
He ruined it for everyone.
The ladies and gents by the side of the Allier river seemed to not require any bathing costumes...
Eggzakerly...
Plenty of nudists down South Brittany way (Carnac down past Lorient)
I do think the British a bit prudish, not that it’s a bad thing in some respects... like I’d not want to see your Mum in the nude in Tescos, but couldn’t care less on a beach ..
Why does that matter for swimming or sitting about in the sun. I don’t expect you to be walking around the shops or going to work in them
This leaves me a little confused. I’m not sure it’s appropriate for you to decide what I may or may not be comfortable wearing...
If you don’t like it, don’t go to France. More for me.
I am not sure they’d miss you all that much either.
What a ridiculous. idiotic position to take.
I take another option, I choose to wear the long Speedos.
When did the British stop wearing swimming trunks and start wearing shorts?
It's quite simple really. Merkans have always worn shorts (baggies in 60s parlance). It's a Mormon chastity thing with them because they're puritans. Everybody else wore the minimum they could get away with. Then surfing became fashionable and we all became wannabe Merkans so we started aping them in every respect possible. When Europeans went to surf locations frequented by Merkans the Merkans were shocked. Obviously they'd seen swimming trunks used in swimming sports but not by the general public. They referred to the people as Euros and the apparel as "Speedos". Aussies who are still in the 1950s, coined the term "budgie smuggler" I believe. Like many Aussie habits it has the merit of being less po-faced than the Merkan equivalent, while being just as judgemental and prudish. Admittedly the Italians idea of minimal is a step further than even the French or pre-Merkan Brits. Germans of course get their kit off altogether at the first sight of water or a pine tree, as do Scandinavians and this is a completely asexual thing. This may have all changed now that we have gone back in time to a cross between the 50s and the 80s. But I was in Greece a couple of weeks ago and saw more than one "Euro" wearing pretty minimal swim-wear, so they have obviously not caved in to the American right.
It was that creepy guy at the pool who had peeled the “S” off.
He ruined it for everyone.
PP you should be on the stage.
What’s the problem, this is stw, everyone of us has a body like a Greek god, no?
Indeed.
*spits coffee*
I don’t remember posing for that!😂😂😂
They suit a very small range of body types.
Considering we're talking about going swimming in a pool, flappy shorts suit nobody.
The sensible thing to do would be to wear nothing, but that would risk *gasp* people seeing lady bits or men's pee pees or (maybe worse still) A FEMALE NIPPLE!!!!
So to avoid these huge risks we wear Speedos. Then people get worried that somebody might see the outline of a wang, and steal the soul of the wang's owner (or something), so we wear baggies.
It's even more daft than wearing baggies for MTBing.
steal the soul of the wang’s owner
Could be worse. Imagine if they stole the wang of the soul's owner !!
I have no issue with what other people choose to wear - frankly, it’s not much my business. However, being a bit lardy - I prefer to cover up a bit more as I feel more comfortable exposing less of my fatness. How anyone else feels about my attire is largely immaterial.
As for whether larger “flappy” shorts are a great idea for swimming - let’s be honest few of us in a pool on holiday are swimming for performance, we are staying cool and/or having fun with our children. Having larger thighs as well - muscle not fat in that particular area of my body, most shorts don’t flap much anyway. If we were all truly swimming for performance, would we not be wearing those ribbed costumes that were popular in competitive swimming about 15 years ago...?
Legislating for what people wear in a pool is however ridiculous. If anyone can come up with data to suggest pools are more easily maintained or stay cleaner because of tight trunks - I would like to see it - but I would bet it doesn’t’ exist. It’s a naff argument to support a custom. There are a lot of those about in this world...
I’d strongly suggest we are better off letting people be happy and comfortable and leave rules in swimming pools to concentrate on the safety and wellbeing of users. I can imagine there are huge safety reasons to wear tight trunks over anything else.
Tight vs. loose is all about an aesthetic - aesthetics are best left to people to choose for themselves. Surely, that is wear these things are best left. The swimming garments you wear - don’t hurt anyone else after all.
..or if they wanged the steel of the owners Soul
Could be worse. Imagine if they stole the wang of the soul’s owner !!
That would be psychotic.
The sensible thing to do would be to wear nothing, but that would risk *gasp* people seeing lady bits or men’s pee pees or (maybe worse still) A FEMALE NIPPLE!!!!
It probably does go back to the hang ups UK people have around nudity. Went on a group holiday years ago in Italy. Me and girlfriend straight into the mixed sauna, the rest of the group wouldn't dare to go in.
(having said that I didn't appreciate the slap on the thigh I got from the german guy when I sat down)
What did he slap on your thigh?
What did he slap on your thigh?
The Bratwurst he was carrying?
Wearing clothing does not equal a problem with nudity. What an absolutely over-simplified, over generalised and narrow view.
What on Earth has the choices people make about their bodies got to do with you?
On the beach the frenchies wear underpants under their shorts. You see the branded elasticated waist peeping over the waist of their shorts.
WTF is that about?
Question though is when did we kick the Victorian obsession with covering everything up and went to speedos, and why?
I’ll say it, Speedos (the budgie smuggler variety) just make the wearer look a tad molestery (is that even a word?) and kind of sinister. I’m not a prude, I just don’t want to see that much of other men when I’m trying to chill in the pool.
If you’re competing then yeah, go for it. On holiday with the family or just relaxing by the pool? Cover up pervert 😉
If you’re competing then yeah, go for it. On holiday with the family or just relaxing by the pool? Cover up pervert
Do you feel the same about girls in bikinis? Or is it just penises you feel uncomfortable about?
I'll rephrase my previous comment to make it clearer. The French require men to wear swimming trunks rather than baggier shorts as its a method of social control to exclude "certain elements" of French society from swimming pools and facilities because those "certain elements" have cultural inhibitions about wearing tight clothing covering the gentleman's area.
Oh, and pasty Brits.
Do you feel the same about girls in bikinis? Or is it just penises you feel uncomfortable about?
He did say, "if you're competing ... ", which might be a clue.
Or is it just penises you feel uncomfortable about?
Wangxiety?
I’ll rephrase my previous comment to make it clearer. The French require men to wear swimming trunks rather than baggier shorts as its a method of social control to exclude “certain elements” of French society from swimming pools and facilities because those “certain elements” have cultural inhibitions about wearing tight clothing covering the gentleman’s area.
You mean funkmasterp?
Do you feel the same about girls in bikinis? Or is it just penises you feel uncomfortable about?
Not uncomfortable around penises. If I was I wouldn’t post on here. It’s more the overall look of a man in them who’s not actually swimming. It’d be like wearing Lycra or full downhill gear for going to the shop or Leasure ride with the family . A bit odd. Same goes for bikinis too I guess.
A French swimming pool earlier:
@ AP, sorry but a lot of nonsense.
My local pool in France, made speedo compulsory late 80s. Before that, we wore shorts .
Reasons given were for hygiène, people wore non swimming shorts to go swimming. Had them on all day and then Jumped in the pool.
Till the 80s, most French men had y front pants. When caleçon became a thing, the pool banned them for swimming.
The short ban was not so much for proper swimming shorts but more for caleçons. ( underwear) .
^^ Now that I can see.
@cchris2lou;
Can you explain the french custom for underpants under board shorts for beach swimming?
It’s more the overall look of a man in them who’s not actually swimming.
But we are talking about swimming in them aren't we? Ot maybe sunbathing on the beach.
The beach is a bit of a free for all really, you are not going shopping or to the pub you are at the beach or by a pool. Some people look better in them than others but so what, what does it matter?
when i was a teenager i wore speedos below swimming shorts to try and hide my pleasure at seeing all those lovely ladies !
not sure why someone older would do it ? unless some boards shorts dont have an inside mesh , and they dont like their bits swinging all over the place .
Some people look better in them than others but so what, what does it matter?
It doesn’t. I just think they look ****ing wrong on anyone not doing lengths / actually swimming as opposed to generally arsing about at the pool. I’d rather folk be naked than wear them. I wouldn’t run off screaming if I saw somebody wearing them. Just think anyone looks a right **** in them.
It’s like having a kick about with your mates and one turns up wearing team kit, shin pads and football boots. He’d be a bit of a dick.
edit - shit! Honestly thought we were talking about playing around in a pool as opposed to actually swimming. If actually swimming, yeah rock those smugglers. If not, ****ing weirdo 😉
Except if you turn up to a French pool, all the men will be wearing them because if they aren't, they don't get let in. So it's not at all like having a kick about with your mates and one turns up wearing team kit, shin pads and football boots.