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Men's Sexy Swimwear: A Lesson in Social Acceptance , or may not think? Truly, each of us has made decisions in life based upon the strongest need to belong. In fact, our need to belong is so strong that it often over shadows our strongest emotions and desires in life. Indeed, wanting to “fit in” is not an experience we only face during adolescence, but something we will encounter our entire lives. Most people are familiar with the expression "keeping up with the Jones' " but neglect its true meaning of wanting to fit in. As adults, we tend to conform to the social standards set forth by our peers while adapting our ideas and beliefs around what others might think. So, why begin a topic about men's swimwear with an analysis on human behavior? The need for a sense of belonging can often challenge our choices in clothing or how we will exhibit our individual styles. In fact, when we are being shunned or mocked, our sense of belonging is threatened leaving us feeling vulnerable or inadequate. As a result, the human psyche actually protects itself from the fear of exclusion by embracing the latest trends and styles. It is not uncommon for individuals to go for broke trying to keep up on the latest brand names in fashion. Yet, isn’t it interesting that the latest trends and styles typically blossom from something that stands out to be so different? So, feeling properly educated with the psychological background of why one conforms to societal expectations, it’s now time to start challenging societies expectations and barriers by analyzing modern choices in men’s swimwear. Do men in our generation really have a genuine choice in swimwear? Does society continue to control and dictate what a man should wear at the pool or at the beach? How far have we come? Typically, lessons in history can be boring and uneventful. However, after reviewing many articles in fashion literature, as well as websites dedicated to the history of men’s swimwear, it is truly remarkable how quickly (in some ways) our society has regressed back to the dark ages in regards to men’s swimwear. Approximately a century ago, men typically wore complete body covers when frequenting the beach or poolside. In the early 1900’s, proper etiquette dictated a more formal type of swimwear when taking quick excursions to the beach. Luckily, trends began to change through the 20’s & 30’s with the introduction of new “nude” like fabrics. Crediting the influential power of women’s fashion throughout history, designs in women’s swimwear had a profound impact on the evolutionary process of men’s swimwear. Indeed, as decades past men’s swimwear became more tailored to be less covering and to show more skin. Eventually, men’s swimwear began to shorten and shrink to the style we most famously know as the “Speedo”. Thankfully, men’s swimwear eventually evolved and crossed into a generation where the male expression was open to the display of the male physique. Remarkably, by the early 70’s guys were ready and daring enough to show themselves in a whole new and special way. So, what has happened to men’s swimwear in the last decade or two? Bikini’s versus Board Shorts Truly, it is interesting to see the progression of changes in men’s swimwear from the 70’s to present day. In the last decade or two, it seems that society has undergone a reevaluation process determining the appropriateness (or lack of a better term) the inappropriateness of men’s swimwear. It is this type of determination process that continues to be an instrumental factor when guys are selecting their style of swimwear. Sadly, today’s men must evaluate their swimwear choice based on a determination of masculinity. As a result, many wonderful and attractive swimwear styles for men have been determined to be less than masculine. Understandably, this type of topic is very sensitive for some men (particularly in the United States), but it is time for a new generation of men to become educated and desensitized to make a movement towards more appropriate apparel for the beach. Watching a nation divided; there are many types of selections in fashion. For men’s swimwear, however, there are mainly two types of swimwear to be noted at beaches or at the public poolside; board shorts versus bikini brief swimwear. Disagree? Take note during the next special outing at the beach. Men can be summed into these two swimwear categories. For those accustomed to wearing the “Board Short” type bathing suit and being extremely physically fit, it is inconceivable that these men feel more comfortable wearing long pants into the water (a.k.a. board shorts) than any other smaller and sexier type of swimwear. In some countries, board shorts have been banned due to concerns with hygiene and the like. Secretly, it is believed that most men would prefer something a little simpler, functional and, let’s face it, more revealing! The bikini swimsuit (a.k.a: Speedo) is a sexier type of men swimwear that truly accentuates the male physique. Popular in the early 80’s, this type of swimwear has been ostracized in recent years in lieu of Board Shorts based on social pressures. A slightly more acceptable form of the bikini bathing suit, the square cut, has a more masculine fit and has survived some retribution in certain communities. Whether Married, single, straight or gay, it is time for the modern man to stand up for his right to wear any type of swimwear without the fear of reprisal from social stigmas! Join the cause for societal change. It is not to say that board shorts are not an unapproved selection of swimwear (especially for those trying to hide those unsightly blemishes), but men need to express their masculinity with a swimwear that shows off what they have! Like most styles that come and go and come back again, it time for society to embrace all swimwear choices for men! Changing Society: One Pant Leg at a Time Wait! Are my eyes deceiving me? Is that Aston Kutcher flaunting his Ginch Gonch undies in the new movie Spread? Can someone please tell me when things suddenly changed without my knowledge? I Remember a time, not to far too long ago, when guys wearing anything but the traditional “tighty whites”, were ostracized for their underwear choice. In fact, men who dared enough to wear anything remotely sexier than a functional pair of underwear had their masculinity directly attacked! Yet, somewhere along the way these old limitations became obsolete with the introduction of a new, more acceptable form of man, the metro sexual! This new genre of guy, engaging in “man-scapping” practices(body shaving); wearing the latest in men’s designer fashions, and even wearing flamboyant underwear styles, have become the acceptable norm for expressing for individuality. Fascinating, isn’t it?
Well, how fascinated are you with the topic of men’s underwear? Not sure? Well it’s probably more than you think! Interestingly enough, when conducting top searches about “men’s underwear” on the Internet, the results reveal a plethora of underwear website pages specifically targeting men who want to know more about the undies they wear. At the time of this article, there are over 8,990,000 related websites pages about men’s underwear. This includes men’s underwear blogs, men’s online underwear stores and other websites with topics on men’s underwear. After perusing the abundance of men’s underwear blogs it is interesting to discover the tens of thousands of followers that regularly scan through the various articles on the subject of men’s underwear. Whether it’s the allure, or just a mere fascination of what’s hiding beneath those tight pair of jeans, the men in our society are changing; one pant leg at a time!
Looking at yesteryears gone by, it is not hard to acknowledge the monumental changes marking the evolution in men’s underwear, or the focus on feeling sexy in the right kind of underwear. Popular icons have sprung up throughout the years including Marky Mark who seemingly changed the world by showing off his underwear goods; Calvin Klein billboards flaunting those sexy male models in their skivvies; and dare we say “The Naked Cowboy” who has been regularly spotted in New York walking around in his underwear strumming his guitar. While these people, places and events may seem unrelated with their impacts, these images and figures have slowly desensitized public view to create a modern man’s society yearning to look like they just jumped out of the pages of a GQ magazine. So guys! Where does that leave us in the new millennium?
Alright guys! Let’s take ourselves back almost two decades ago while we toiled with social acceptance in our formidable teenage years. Yes, we’re talking about that horrible time period when young social pressures dictated what we were going to wear, or more importantly what we would not be caught dead in during our school locker room days. Well, it appears that in adulthood, those days are over! There seem to be many acceptable styles now that still include the “tighty whities”, but have also expanded into the bikini and square cut underwear styles. An expert in the field of men’s underwear and men’s swimwear, this is the most exciting time for us guys! New underwear designers are springing up everywhere. Designs and colors are becoming more stylish, daring and sexier than ever. Additionally, new types of innovative construction in underwear have helped many men with those irregular body parts; whether trying to hide something or improve an attribute. Recently, the male enhancement underwear has been a newly inspired rage sweeping across the underwear industry. Saving the embarrassment of selecting underwear styles in an open forum, online stores have assisted men to feel comfortable buying the latest in men’s bikini and square cut styles. These continue to be hot sellers in today’s tough economy. Remember, you can always change the way you feel. The cheapest way is by feeling sexy underneath. Guys! It is time to join the social revolution and experience the modern selections that have been afforded to you; you are free!
Men’s Underwear Sales—The Barometer of The Economic Climate
Folks, Let’s face it! Societies all across the globe continue to struggle in a weary economic climate. With little assurances of when, or if, the economy will ever stabilize many have remained hopeful for a quick recovery. Truly, the aftermath of such tragic economic events rocked the confidences of many and have impacted the fundamental security of our economic future. From the down fall of the real estate market to a nation-wide credit fiasco, people and businesses alike found themselves in unfortunate circumstances. For many, this sobering time period has led to a critical reevaluation over the events of the past decade. Blindly navigating through a booming real estate market, following the assurances of banks and large businesses, there seemed to be no end to the windfall created by a quickly growing economy. However, as recently discovered, specific laws governing life were tested and proven true again; what goes up must come down! The Underwear Prophecy Indeed, it was really hard to imagine as home prices continued to escalate that our nation soon would be faced with one of the worst economic time periods in history. Trying to make sense of the events leading up to the economic downfall, one has to wonder if there were any visible signs available to prepare us for the economic trauma that lay ahead. If so, would these same indicators also aid us today in providing promise and hope for a better future? Well, the Chairman of the Federal Reserve, Alan Greenspan seems to thinks so! In fact, Greenspan makes several inferences in his book “Age of Turbulance”, of a correlation between men’s underwear sales and indentifying fluctuations in our economic environment. Meaning, when men are feeling the financial pinch they are less likely to splurge on new underwear. Thankfully, when the economy is strong and bubbling, men opt to change out those old pairs of undies for a brand set of fresh ones. So, it should come as no surprise that to predict a recovery in our financial world, economists such as Alan Greenspan, look to men's underwear sales. So, how financially confident are men today? The Verdict
The jury is still out on this one! While we are hopeful that men are not walking around with those old pair of undies, underwear sales have not seen any remarkable increase since its dramatic decrease of approximately 2.3% in 2009. However, men’s underwear stores are hopeful that a stabilized economy is close on the horizon. Reportedly, underwear sales have seen a leveling off over the past year. Are men becoming more confident in our economy, or are they just at that critical point where the purchase of new pair of underwear is a necessity; not a choice. Letting history be our guide, if men’s underwear sales really serve as an indicator for our economic environment, then good change might be close at hand. Truly, keep an eye on underwear sales. While it may not be the catalyst decision maker in your financial affairs, it may assist in being a barometer in evaluating the economic environment!
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