Supporter Feature: David_NC

In this round of the Supporter Feature we have David_NC joining us. Let’s take a look into his underwear journey and him getting back into wearing thongs.

When did your interest in bikinis and/or thongs start (age, high school, college, adulthood)?
My earliest memories were seeing the Jockey Elance tubes at JCPenney, the Jockey ads with sports figures like Jim Palmer in “skimpy undies”, and movies with actors in bikinis, Jean Claude Van Damme. This was all in the early 90s, right as I was reaching my teens.

What sparked the interest?
Seeing these masculine men wearing underwear smaller than my plain Fruit of the Looms or Hanes briefs, I thought this is what men wear. My father only wore boxers at the time and I thought they looked boring compared to the men on the TV and in the advertisements, so I knew I had to try them.

How long have you been wearing them?
I was 14 and my mom bought my first-string bikini from K-Mart before I started freshman year of high school. They were a 5-pack, I think they were Hanes or Brut and I wore them until they were worn out and luckily she bought me more. I had seen thongs also and wanted to try them, but was nervous to ask, so it wasn’t until I was 18 before I got to try my first real thong.

Side note: I say real thong because prior to getting my first string bikini I cut up old briefs to try and achieve the look – they failed obviously and later I cut the make-shift string bikini into a thong.

What does your wife think about you wearing these styles of underwear?
When I first told her I was going to add thongs to my daily wear she asked if I was gay, which I was prepared for the “backlash”; even though she knew I wore string bikini underwear from time to time. We had a long conversation, I let her know that thongs made me feel more confident, how comfortable I thought they were, that they were simply underwear. We did have some intimate time afterwards. She did say, I always knew you had an underwear fetish – overtime she has seen me in the more and more; she now says it is just underwear and it doesn’t phase her. She does say I have to many, but I don’t think she is right.

It’s a bummer as a guy we have to expect some kind of backlash with going against the norm in men’s underwear. How did you go about bringing up the subject to your wife? I was already wearing bikinis and thongs regularly when I met my wife, so it was already ‘my normal’ underwear. I’m guessing there are other guys out there that don’t know how to bring it up and some insight would be helpful for them.
I wore a PPU tuxedo thong on our honeymoon, my wife made a funny face at it and something like you don’t wear those often. So I think I was worried to bring it up. But my normal underwear included boxer briefs and string bikinis. So minimal underwear wasn’t unusual for her to see me in. But I would wear the 8 or so thongs I had in secret when I wanted a confidence boost. Fast forward 10 years and the pandemic hit and I was working from home and would wear the thongs a little more. I started researching is it normal for guys to wear thongs. Of course there are different opinions, luckily I found this site and forum and after reading I somehow found the courage to bring it up. So I was working from home and my wife happened to be home that day. So I asked her what she thought if I started wearing thong underwear, that is when she said are you gay? I said no, I’m wearing one now do I act any different. She asked me to prove it so I dropped my shorts right there in the kitchen. She gave me a weird look and checked things out. I was wearing a vintage CK thong. Of course we talked and all has worked out for the good since I basically wear thongs everyday. I did wonder if there was a better way to bring it up. I might have sprung it on her to fast. Maybe that was the questioning. Perhaps I should have just worn one and let her “catch” me. But then I thought the direct approach was best. I also wish I hadn’t hid the fact I liked thongs for so long, but then my collection might be a lot larger haha.

I remember you asking about ideas on how to bring it up. Getting straight to the point isn’t a bad idea! Letting her discover wouldn’t be a back approach too. Though it might be seen as being a spicy jester and not getting the point that you want to wear them as regular underwear. Glad it worked out for you. I know you have purchased a swim brief at least, so you have the interest in them. So what is holding you back from wearing one to the beach? Then did your interest in underwear drive your interest in trying a swim brief?
I agree – I think the direct approach was better. It was nerve racking at first and I went through so many scenarios in my head – but when it came down to it – getting to the point was the best option.

Growing up speedos were for Olympians and the swim team, I was neither so regular shorts with the built in mesh brief was my only choice. I don’t even remember seeing swim briefs in any store we bought swimwear at. Even at the beach we went to every year, only shorts. This is true even to this day, a dozen or more stores on the island and all only sell shorts. This forum has helped me realize more guys wear swim briefs than I thought (along with Instagram). I have bought a handful of swim briefs and at the very least, I cut out the built in mesh brief and wear my swim brief under my shorts. I have one time slipped off the shorts in my parents pool; just my wife and daughter swimming – and it felt great. I have yet to do it again or at the beach. Body confidence is my biggest hold back, I am not an Olympian or on a swim team, I’m not a body builder. Ironically, all the reasons I didn’t buy underwear from Prevail Sport – I didn’t look like the model. I am aware there are guys bigger than me and they rock their swim brief, I just simply don’t have the confidence to do it. However, this year I made myself a small goal, to wear a swim brief at least once at the beach or maybe sneak a swim at my parents (when no one is home); I also thought about trying to rent a house with a private pool but they are very expensive or even changing beaches (but we love the one we go to). Environment is another hold back – if you go to a beach and a bunch of people are wearing a swim brief you may be more comfortable wearing one – instead of being the only one wearing one.

Like you growing up, the swim brief was for the swim team or the professionals. Not something you normally saw outside the sports. Though once I got into bikini underwear I started an interest in smaller swimwear. It was a long road for me to break out a swim brief for the first time at the beach and several years later to start being confident to wear them regularly at the beach. Not the easiest being the long swim brief wearer, but someone has to lead the way. Glad you have set a goal to give it a whirl. Why do you enjoy wearing the style as underwear and/or swimwear?
For underwear, to begin with, comfort – I fell into the boxer brief crazy of the early 2000’s. I bought into the hype they were the most comfortable underwear – and for some they might be, I do actually still own some boxer briefs and if we go somewhere and I’ve got to do a lot of walking, I will probably opt for my boxer briefs; the right material around my thighs helps to minimize chaffing. But for normal, everyday wear – thongs are just more comfortable, they provide support in all the right places without a lot of added material. In the summer time, NC is humid so it’s nice to have minimal coverage when you still have to be dressed. Even in the winter time and its 30 degrees I still rock my thong. Confidence is another, it isn’t easy to explain, but it is a feeling you get knowing you have a little secret that no one else knows about – that you can wear something that isn’t “the norm”.

For swimwear, I have always hated the mesh liner in bathing suits, they were baggy, ill-fitting, and let sand in way to easily. I started cutting the liners and would wear compression shorts, but then they would get hot after long periods of time and your thighs couldn’t breath. I found a Speedo at Macy’s marked down in my size, bought it and used that instead. It was so much better at providing support and modesty – these young guys that I see wearing board shorts with cotton boxer briefs, I just laugh and want to say why?? I now have about 7 or 8 swim briefs and a couple of swim thongs, I wear them under my swim shorts. I do hope to find the confidence to take the shorts off and just wear the swim brief – I don’t think I’ll ever get brave enough to wear a swim thong in public.

What do you feel is the hardest thing for you with breaking the norm in underwear?
Breaking the norm, the hardest part – I guess we should look at this in a couple of different ways. I tried my first thong when I was 18, at that time the hardest part for breaking the norm was availability. Where I live, you could either buy one from K-mart or the Jockey store (I bought some from each and still have them today). It was a year or so later I discovered Undergear/International Male and Prevail Sport. I was then able to order from their magazines (pre-internet online shopping) using a paper check. Then sporadically I could find thongs in nicer stores like Macy’s and Belk, but these were limited to brands such as Calvin Klein and 2xist – both 100% cotton. I was willing to wear something that wasn’t cookie cutter, but I wasn’t willing to show it off. The second hardest part, comes down to positive body image and confidence. I didn’t have either, I didn’t look like the models in the Prevail Sport ads so I didn’t buy from them. At that time I felt like to wear something as skimpy and exciting as their thongs, I needed to look like their models. I am glad to see some brands embracing the larger model for their skimpy undies, it proves that skimpy undies are for everybody. I still don’t have a great positive body image, which is why you won’t see me wearing a thong changing clothes in a crowded locker room or laying out on a beach or almost any time that I think I might have to disrobe, for example the doctors office. This leads to the fear of being laughed at – bullies are real at 8 years old and 40 years old, I prefer not to put myself into a position that I would be laughed at. Or even worse, everyone has a camera in their pocket and access to any social media where that image could be shared thousands of times over – and I don’t have the confidence for that to happen. I follow someone on IG that is much larger than I am, and they rock wearing their thong anywhere they want, I could honestly never see myself being that brave.

What is your favorite brand(s) and favorite pair(s)?
My #1 favorite brand is JM. I love their Skinz line; they are my typical “go to” for everyday – I have every color currently offered. Other brands that are also highly liked are Bike and MeUndies, both have a similar cut in their thong, which I surprisingly find comfortable even though they are more fabric than most here would want in their thong. If I want a very skimpy feel, N2N or Daniel Alexander are the ones I’ll be wearing.

JM is a solid brand for a nice traditional cut thong. All around great fit and extremely comfortable. I wish they’d bring back some of their patterns they used to carry. What would you say to someone that wants to venture away from the norm in men’s underwear and try bikini or thong underwear?
To anyone that wants to break the norm and try a bikini or a thong, I say go for it. At the end of the day, it is just underwear and we deserve to be comfortable. However, be patient, there are lots of cuts/styles and materials. It may take a few purchases to find the one(s) that fit you just right. Read the reviews, forums like this are a wealth of knowledge, and if there is a brand you like, sign up for their emails, there may be coupons or sales that help save a few dollars.

Thank you to David_NC for reaching out to me to join in the Supporter Feature series. If you are interested in joining the series then send me a message through my contact form.