Brief newbie

Ive always swum with Jammers but a few weeks back I finally took the plunge - i bought a pair of briefs.

My wife is not happy..."not pleasing to the eye"

And i do feel a bit "exposed" - so far ive been sneaking around covering myself up to the waters edge, get in and get out quickly. When im in the pool i'm very fast between the pool and changing rooms.

But boy they are nice to swim in! So Nice!

So when will this faux pas pass? ;) :)

dpm50

Comments

  • phodgeszohophodgeszoho UKSenior Member

    When I decided to swim the channel I switched to budgies. Also felt very exposed. It wears off eventually but my wife and daughters still refuse to be anywhere near me when I wear them in public... :-/

    andissssthomasdpm50
  • andissandiss Senior Member

    Niek said:

    andiss said:
    My wife is not happy..."not pleasing to the eye"

    Did she expect a bit more?

    1 , 2 or even 3 handkerchiefs might do the trick?

    :D :)) =))

    This is only an issue post swim!! :)

    ssthomas
  • ssthomasssthomas DenverCharter Mem​ber

    From a female perspective: We don't care. If you're at the pool, a Speedo is proper attire, as far as I'm concerned. There were a few years in there where even the kids were wearing jammers, but, to me, if you're at the pool in jammers, you aren't a real swimmer and I'll confuse you for a triathlete. I'm glad the Speedo is coming back for the kiddos. I do see a lot of guys with drag suits on- more of a box cut and baggier, but probably more freeing than jammers?

    Now, if you're lounging on the beach on a towel soaking in some rays, I might raise an eyebrow. But, any other situation, rock it with confidence!

    PS: This is how I feel about two piece suits for women- I see other girls in them and I'm jealous, but when I wear one, I feel exposed, like my white, squishy stomach is a beacon that all eyes are drawn to. :-)

    dpm50evmoandissKate_Alexanderwendyv34Camilleemkhowleybluemermaid9suziedods
  • JbetleyJbetley UKMember

    I'm a budgies man myself. Always felt nicer

    dpm50
  • dpm50dpm50 PA, U.S.Senior Member

    I'm cool w guys in jammer or briefs, whatever you find comfy! Hadn't realized that jammers were less acceptable, since one of the coaches in my masters group prefers them. (The head guy goes w briefs, but his assistant wears jammers.)

    When it comes to sharing a lane during lap swim, Im disappointed if a guy comes to my lane wearing baggy trunks. Im always wondering if ill face lane hogging, wide breaststroke, etc. Jammers, briefs, or box cut suits tell me the guy gets it re swimming. Of course, as w any general statement, I try not to judge anyone by their suit choice.

    I see women in awesome looking 2 pice suits at practice, and I sometimes think of getting one, but haven't worn a 2-piece since my 20s. I sometimes do aquathlons and it seems as if they'd be more comfortable than a 1-piece for events like that. But I still prefer to go w my one-piece Tyr w skinny straps. I can always trust the fit and they last pretty well.

    So basically, go w comfort! You're the one wearing the suit!

    ssthomas said:
    From a female perspective: We don't care. If you're at the pool, a Speedo is proper attire, as far as I'm concerned. There were a few years in there where even the kids were wearing jammers, but, to me, if you're at the pool in jammers, you aren't a real swimmer and I'll confuse you for a triathlete. I'm glad the Speedo is coming back for the kiddos. I do see a lot of guys with drag suits on- more of a box cut and baggier, but probably more freeing than jammers?

    Now, if you're lounging on the beach on a towel soaking in some rays, I might raise an eyebrow. But, any other situation, rock it with confidence!

    PS: This is how I feel about two piece suits for women- I see other girls in them and I'm jealous, but when I wear one, I feel exposed, like my white, squishy stomach is a beacon that all eyes are drawn to. :-)

    ssthomas
  • evmoevmo SydneyAdmin

    Square-cut drag suits for me, for the most part. I recently unearthed my nearly-20 year old nylon drag suit from college ("TIGERS" emblazoned on the butt) and have been wearing it on my Bay swims. We'll see how long it holds out... may be a while without the chlorine exposure.

    One thing I'll say for jammers is the groin-region chafing in saltwater is less of an issue than with briefs.

    andissCopelj26IronMikeJaimie
  • JustSwimJustSwim Senior Member

    There are a wide variety of briefs. If you want a brief that isn't so brief you can try ones with a 14 mm side panels or a sunga cut. The look a bit like granny panties but they are comfortable.

  • A request to just avoid white or yellow ones. Post swim look is very scary.

    dpm50rosemarymintJaimiesuziedods
  • andissandiss Senior Member
    edited August 2017

    ssthomas said:

    Now, if you're lounging on the beach on a towel soaking in some rays, I might raise an eyebrow. But, any other situation, rock it with confidence!

    For sure - boardies when lounging. Still trying to get used to it - def much nicer to swim in than jammers. Especially in the pool

  • wendyv34wendyv34 Vashon, WASenior Member

    Having been a swim team kid, I always thought of briefs as "normal" suits for boys to wear.

    ssthomasandissCamilledpm50

    It's always a bad hair day when you work at a pool.

  • If you go with briefs you have to rock it! Most of the guys on our team like jammers, but the couple guys who like briefs are always in the brightest colors and own the brief!

    If you feel better and faster in briefs- that is all that matters!

    I always laugh that we all practically live in swim suits but all have personal hang ups too! I love picking out suits for practice and racing-but oh my... the struggle to pick out a suit for vacation!

    ViveBeneJustSwimssthomasdpm50
  • ssthomasssthomas DenverCharter Mem​ber

    Camille said:
    I always laugh that we all practically live in swim suits but all have personal hang ups too! I love picking out suits for practice and racing-but oh my... the struggle to pick out a suit for vacation!

    Isn't THAT the truth! We went to Mexico in February and I didn't know what to do. I bought a "fun" suit off of Amazon. Wore it once to snorkel, but apparently my snorkel speed was too much for the suit and no matter how tight I made it at the top, it kept billowing down- NAKED SNORKELING!

    Lesson: Just be comfortable!

    But, wearing a suit around non-swimmers is SO MUCH harder than wearing a suit at the pool or lake... Weird, huh?

    andissdpm50wendyv34Camille
  • curlycurly Issaquah, WASenior Member

    It's kind of funny when you think about it. We swimmers are so used to being around each other in an almost naked state. I mean essentially, we are in our underwear. And it's perfectly normal.

    This brings to mind an incident that happened recently. I was in the grocery store and I ran into one of the women from our pool. I said hi, and she looked at me kind of puzzled for a moment. Then she said, "Oh hi. I didn't recognize you with your clothes on!" Yes, a lot of people turned and looked...

    andissemkhowleyrosemarymintdpm50Jaimie
  • emkhowleyemkhowley Boston, MACharter Member

    ssthomas said:
    From a female perspective: We don't care. If you're at the pool, a Speedo is proper attire, as far as I'm concerned. There were a few years in there where even the kids were wearing jammers, but, to me, if you're at the pool in jammers, you aren't a real swimmer and I'll confuse you for a triathlete. I'm glad the Speedo is coming back for the kiddos. I do see a lot of guys with drag suits on- more of a box cut and baggier, but probably more freeing than jammers?

    Now, if you're lounging on the beach on a towel soaking in some rays, I might raise an eyebrow. But, any other situation, rock it with confidence!

    PS: This is how I feel about two piece suits for women- I see other girls in them and I'm jealous, but when I wear one, I feel exposed, like my white, squishy stomach is a beacon that all eyes are drawn to. :-)

    I agree with everything here, except the bit about you having a squishy stomach. @ssthomas, they ain't nothin' squishy 'bout you, m'dear. Not one single thing. If you want to rock a two-piece, you go do it.

    ssthomasdpm50wendyv34Bridgetpavlicov

    Stop me if you've heard this one...
    A grasshopper walks into a bar...
    https://elainekhowley.com/

  • kejoycekejoyce New EnglandSenior Member

    @curly that has happened to me, except it was when I was teaching and coaching small children... and it was the mom of the four-year-old who loudly exclaimed "oh, he doesn't recognize you with your clothes on!" loudly in the grocery store checkout.

    oooof.

    dpm50wendyv34curlyrosemarymint
  • wendyv34wendyv34 Vashon, WASenior Member

    Yep, that happens a lot when you teach/work at a pool. It's really awkward when the kid recognizes you at the mall and wants to give you a hug, but the parent doesn't have any idea who you are.

    rosemarymintandiss

    It's always a bad hair day when you work at a pool.

  • IronMikeIronMike Northern VirginiaCharter Member
    edited September 2017

    @evmo beat me to it: black or dark square leg suits for me, thank you very much. Covers more up so as to avoid what @andiss's wife said, and of course there's also this

    dpm50

    We're all just carbon, water, starlight, oxygen and dreams

  • andissandiss Senior Member

    On thing I noticed is thatI am a small (30-32) in briefes but in jammers I'm a medium (32-34)

  • glennglenn cape town SAMember

    I swim all the time with a baggie short costume in the pool. Does add drag but I recon he can't harm and makes my wetsuit swims feel sooo much smoother:)

    used to swim with a proper swimming costume but haven't gotten around to buying a new one since I lost my previous one

  • My mother used to hang out behind the blocks at my summer league team meets. Seeing as she enjoyed watching the "huddles" in football ( American) I am pretty sure she enjoyed (s?) watching young men in briefs.
    She's 79 btw.
    There's an old "New Yorker" comic that may still be on our fridge. It pictures a man,standing by the edge of a pool holding an envelope . Caption?
    " Swim team suits are here!".
    In those days.. the smaller the suit the faster you were supposed to go... hence the paper suits and the teeeny tiny briefs..

    JustSwimSolodpm50andissflystorms
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