Feeling embarrassed about who I wear Speedos in front of

[deadendwaterfall]

If I go to the swimming pool as a family thing, I'd cringe at the though of just me wearing Speedos and my dad and my brother wearing what they and my mum like to call "straight person's swimwear" or "normal person's swimwear". Or if I saw somebody such as an old school teacher, I'd dread them seeing me wearing Speedos.

If I was with complete strangers or with my girlfriend, then I would have no problem wearing Speedos.



Do you get embarrassed wearing Speedos in front of anybody you know?

[diveguy]

There have been long discussion threads on this topic here before. I would not feel comfortable wearing one in front of "people I know" with the exceptions of my girlfriends who I've worn them in their presence. Family especially, but regular friends too. I think there is a natural human desire to "fit in" and blend amongst your closest circle of friends/family, and if you are the only one in a speedo, I guess that makes you stick out like a sore thumb. that philosophy would be different if I were a competitive platform diver or swimmer to whom wearing a speedo is a understood part of the routine. But I wonder how often competitive water sport athletes wear speedos in normal everyday casual situations like pool parties or times spent at the beach when they are not actually competing or training at their specific sporting venues. I can't remember seeing too many pictures of that kind of situation. all the pics of speedo-centric athletes that we typically see are when they are actually engaged in their sport.

[5t9]

No, I don't; but I have a leg up because I grew up summers on the beach that I usually visit, so the folks there either grew up with me, or watched me grow up, long story short, I'm in a comfortable zone around people I know. (They've all seen me in far less when my parents used to dunk me as a toddler naked in the water).

I didn't always wear speedos, just last 3 years.

I am sorry to hear remarks like "straight people's clothes," sounds like you are having to deal with judgy attitudes, which can be difficult, but not unsurmountable.

It's all in your own comfort level.

[johnc]

My brother's wife commented that I "look like I'm going into the olympics," ha ha. No big deal though.

I don't swim in front of my family often so it is not really a concern.

[britt69]

I hesitate to wear Speedos as I'm not fit enough to so in public, no problems with friends tho. Part of it is being in the USA where you basically have to be an Adonis to wear them. Even tho I've lost 125 pounds and have a football players build (our kind of football lol) I'd be ridiculed. Wish things were different here, so much for being a so called liberal progressive country.

[tanned bum]

if you are too ashamed of yourself in speedos in front of friends or family or past acquaintances you really should get another form of swim wear. Maybe some therapy to overcome insecurities or other issues that make you embarrassed to be seen in something as basic as a swim suit.

[...:::sam:::...]

If I go to the swimming pool as a family thing, I'd cringe at the though of just me wearing Speedos and my dad and my brother wearing what they and my mum like to call "straight person's swimwear" or "normal person's swimwear". Or if I saw somebody such as an old school teacher, I'd dread them seeing me wearing Speedos.

If I was with complete strangers or with my girlfriend, then I would have no problem wearing Speedos.



Do you get embarrassed wearing Speedos in front of anybody you know?

I spend a lot of time in/at the pool and always in speedos (well, Aussiebums really). Its not embarrising, its just what people wear. I think the majority of embarrisment comes from self awareness rather than what others are thinking. I've always had speedos, mum used to buy them, we used to wear them at school and as uniform and nobody ever really worried about them.

[britt69]

Great comments guys! Do you think that there is a difference in where you live... for instance Australia or Europe "seems" to be different as far as speedo use. Just a thought. Hi "tanned bum" thanks for your comments and I hope you were being positive when you suggested that I may need counseling. Just so happens I plan on getting and wearing some this summer.

[tanned bum]

Yes I was serious. Being insecure about yourself in speedos may mean you are just plain insecure about yourself as a person. It is something you want to overcome. The more self assured you are (without being arrogant) the better you will do throughout life. When you walk into an interview the interviewer is watching your body language to see if you are confident that you are the person for the job, or insecure about your shortcomings. Of course, this confidence will overflow into all aspects of your life with your friends and romantic partners -- and, of course, wearing speedos in front of others. I am a big fan of doing what you can to improve yourself now. It pays off 10 fold in the future.

[<3 speedos]

I'm ok to wear speedos in front of friends but not family

[PeterSF]

Great comments guys! Do you think that there is a difference in where you live... for instance Australia or Europe "seems" to be different as far as speedo use. Just a thought. Hi "tanned bum" thanks for your comments and I hope you were being positive when you suggested that I may need counseling. Just so happens I plan on getting and wearing some this summer.

Judging by comments on the site over time, there certainly seems to be a huge difference. However, when I've been in the USA I've swum mostly in university pools and hotel pools, always worn speedos and never had any comments or perceived hostile attitudes. Maybe it's mostly in the mind? Wear what you choose and just get on with it!

[JonUK037]

If I go to the swimming pool as a family thing, I'd cringe at the though of just me wearing Speedos and my dad and my brother wearing what they and my mum like to call "straight person's swimwear" or "normal person's swimwear". Or if I saw somebody such as an old school teacher, I'd dread them seeing me wearing Speedos.

If I was with complete strangers or with my girlfriend, then I would have no problem wearing Speedos.



Do you get embarrassed wearing Speedos in front of anybody you know?

No, I don’t really get embarrassed wearing Speedos in front of people I know. I switched to shorts when I was about 14 and then switched back to Speedos when I was 17, which was thirteen years ago. To start with I only wore the Speedos for fitness swimming on my own but gradually over time I started to gain confidence to wear then regardless of who I’m with.

I do think that in England at least, the reactions of your family are the exception, rather than the norm. In my experience, the vast majority of people couldn’t care less what type of swimsuit other people are wearing and even for the few that do, it’s still unlikely that they are going say so or otherwise behave negatively towards you. Out of the hundreds of times I have worn Speedos for fitness swimming, in leisure pools, at spas and on beaches, I have only ever had one negative comment and that was from a kid who was about 12 - hardly a barometer of wider public opinion!

I don’t have any siblings and my parents have never had a problem with my swimwear choice, quite the opposite in fact. The comparison I can make with you is the experience I have had with friends. Yes, some of them have made comments but none have been overly negative and is soon ceases to become an issue if you persevere. The best advice I can give is to just wear your Speedos and not act like it’s a big deal. Sometimes I wondered whether I should warn friends in advance that I’ll be wearing Speedos, but I soon came to realise that all that does is to make clear that I think it might be an issue.

Most of the comments from friends are along the lines of ‘nice trunks’ or ‘I didn’t know you wore those’ to which the response is ‘thanks, they are far more comfortable and practical for swimming, you should try them sometime’. Not one of them has been disgusted or offended by my swimwear choice and it has rarely been mentioned again in the event that I went swimming with that friend again.

Just a couple of weeks ago, I went to a pool / spa with a housemate who is a couple of years younger than me. He didn’t react in any way to my swimwear choice when I put them on while standing next to him in the changing room. We just carried on with the conversation we’d been having.

I can see that wearing Speedos in front of your family would be difficult given the attitudes that you have mentioned. Perhaps you should try wearing them in front of some select friends, at least at first? I think you would find that like me, very few people care that much. Yes, you will get comments from mates at first, but that’s no different to what would happen if you turned up for a night out with a completely new hair style. It’s highly unlikely that anyone is going to stop being your friend because you wear Speedos and more than likely you will soon find that it is a none issue. I’m actually quite a shy guy so if I can overcome the fear then anyone can!