Supporter Feature: Ioanniskef

Welcome to another Supporter Feature. This round we have our Greek friend Ioanniskef joining in on a little Q&A.

When did your interest in bikinis and/or thongs start (age, high school, college, adulthood)? What sparked the interest? How long have you been wearing them?
First of all when I was 14, 15 years old the norm was speedo style to the beach and plain boxers for underwear. The older men used to wear briefs or plain boxers. I wore plain boxers at that time; you know with various patterns..like kisses, animals, etc. At some point in 1993 the tv presented a German show from the German channel rtl called tutti frutti. You can see some episodes on YouTube.

It was a strip show where the players, a man and woman, at the end they stripped off their clothes and remained with their underwear. I saw from the first time men string bikinis and some men’s thongs! wow…plus at that period I started to watch European porn movies and there were many men actors wearing thongs, so for me wearing thongs was a manly choice.

I started to buy small bikinis. My mother protested at first but after a while she accepted that plain boxers was not my choice. The big step towards thonging happened in 1995 when a very popular teen magazine offered for the readers a black men’s thong in various sizes. You could buy the magazine with the correct size for you. i didn’t buy it because it was sold out almost immediately, but my best friend bought it and wore it.

1995 was the starting year for a thong fashion in Europe and Greece. For the adolescents it was a right choice as the fashion was to wear jeans with big holes at front and back and nobody wanted to show his plain boxers or briefs, so a thong was the ideal choice. My best friend wore the thong every Saturday night when going out for girls and drinks with his drill jeans. I didn’t, my parents were too much conservative, so thongs or jeans with holes was not an option for me, so it was something I found sexy and forbidden for me.

In 1997 I was in Athens as a first year student. To be honest i forgot the whole thing about thongs. The fashion with the jeans was off and the next fashion was to wear tight jeans without underwear. I followed this trend as all my friends did. Thongs continued to grow around us but not for young men. They were commando hehehe. Later the fashion was tiny bikinis. I entered into this too. Tiny bikinis, full bottom but covered only the necessary parts.. and 3/4 covering tanga at the gym was all you could see.

From 1999 in every underwear store, even the smallest ones you could see at the showcase also thongs in many colors and designs. ALL the Greek designers produced thongs and g strings. The same happened in Europe. It was another choice; .fashionable choice for modern men. Iit was perfect under tight jeans and especially in Greece. It was the right choice for the hot summer anyway.

I bought my first thong from a small underwear store in my neighborhood ( until today I enjoyed the story about this first purchase) and the rest is history. I started wearing them occasionally and when I met my first gf/wife I started after her request to wear them exclusively, since 2008.

So since 2008 I started wearing them all the time. I had kept 1-2 briefs for occasions I couldn’t wear a thong. Let’s say that I used them 5 times until 2022. Since 2022 I have been with my current gf. She threw them in the bin. She is a full time thonger since 13 years old and simply couldn’t stand seeing them in my underwear drawer. So for the last 2 years I don’t have anything else but thongs in my drawer. As I say, it’s a thong or nothing for me hehehehe. Also for my gf of course.

Do you wear them as just underwear or do you wear them as swimwear too? If you wear them as swimwear, when did you begin wearing them?
Well, I exclusively wear thongs as underwear and swimwear. At the age of 18+ I gradually moved to nudism. It was very easy to do that since I live on an island with numerous beaches, some of them rather secluded or for nudists anyway, so when I moved into wearing thongs as underwear I was a nudist at the beach.

At 2010 after wearing thongs already exclusively since 2008, I thought that it would be nicer on me if I matched my underwear with the tanline of swimthongs.so i bought my first swim thong from a big swimwear store in the centre of Athens and immediately i worn it at the beach. I have to confess that if I am away from my island I wear the swim thong in every beach, since I enjoy the anonymity. I have written in another post that in Europe and Greece you can go to every beach in your way from being nude to boardshorts, from speedos to thongs. Nobody has the right to complain about and to be accurate noone is going to complain anyway.

When I am in my island either we go to secluded or more private beaches ( just 400 metres from my summer house there is a private beach) or if i am visiting more popular beaches where is possible to meet person i know i go in one of the 2 edges ( right or left) of the beach where you have the social acceptable “freedom” to wear anything you want. I have to say that often when I am settled at one edge, I meet people I know. I have seen them nude or their wives wearing the tiniest micro swimwear, but the social rule is this : anything you see at the beach edge, stays there. Is immoral to comment on it or speak about it to others. That’s why “illegal” couples like married men and their gfs go to the beach edge or it’s socially acceptable for couples to have sex on the beach even in daytime. From this point of view I feel very comfortable and safe.

Of course I have to say that the previous summer my gf insisted on visiting very popular beaches and put our towels in a very busy spot. To be honest I didn’t have the courage to walk around in my swim thong. I had it under my square trunk, but it did not come out..hehe. On the opposite, my gf was 100% free to wear her swim thongs and swim g- strings everywhere while going topless, but she is a woman..so is another story..hehe.

I did have the impression that Greece is the place to wear swim briefs or less without judgement. Seems that is the case from what you just said. Why do you enjoy wearing thongs as underwear and swimwear?
Well, in Europe and Greece more specific, this is the case. The beach is the place where true democracy is established. Think about it…even if you are prime minister, billionaire, or a poor worker at the beach you are wearing just a small speedo…and if you are nude, then you are just another human.

From the other hand in Greece, you can be absolutely free to express yourself at the beach and during carnival. The carnival in Greece lasts for 3 weeks. The big day is the last Sunday of these 3 weeks. Especially on that day you can dress yourself in every way you can imagine. You can be the character you always wanted to be. Any negative judgement is not allowed. But also during these 3 weeks there are numerous parties and social events where every idea, every costume, every character is acceptable.

In other words, in Greece there are places and periods where you can wear/ act/ transform yourself with freedom. And this culture is coming from ancient Athens to our days. That’s why in your blog during a conversation I was asking how it is possible to have police / lifeguards at the beach and say what you can or you can’t wear. To make notice to you if you are wearing a thong for example. For me it is really something I can’t understand.

Why I wear thongs…well this was something we talked a lot with my best friend, who is full time thonger also. We ended to the following conclusions.
1) I ( we) really like to think and act out of the box and I believe that as thongs are not the norm yet, is a choice showing to others that you have the capability to make choices that are not the norm. Somehow thongs make us feel unique in a way.
2) for us that capability shows that ( maybe) we are smart persons, since we are able to accept the advantages of thongs without rejecting them for silly reasons.
3) advantages are : they are truly comfy, great choice for hot climates, no panty lines etc. Here I am not going to say that they are sexy or make you feel sexy, because every underwear choice makes the wearers feel good and sexy.
4) they make us feel really masculine. You posted a very successful post about this and I ( we) agree.in many points was similar with my post about masculinity and thongs in your forum Nate.
5) and last…because my gf and my best friend wife are full time thongers also, our thongs are a way to symbolize equality between us and our girls. I don’t know how I can explain to you, because my English is not helping me, but for both of us thongs help us to feel equal as partners.
You are a woman and I am a man, but we take decisions with equality, we share the household jobs, we both try to please each other during sex, I respect you, I am not the master to whom you have to obey or to have the second role because you are the woman. So…a symbol of this equality in our relationship is that we share the same cut in our underwear.

Because ok obvious there is a difference between men’s and women’s thongs…ok…but the cut and purpose are the same. Both cover the front genitals and leave the buttocks free. I LOVE knowing that we share the same feeling at the same time. The feeling of the backstrap, the feeling of minimal coverage, the feeling of sexiness.

As for the swim thongs
1) I like to match the tan line with my underwear lines.
2) I find incredibly sexy for me and my gf the thong tan lines. I LOVE having sharp thongs tan lines both of us, especially during sex.
3) After years of nudism, I really like the small coverage a thong provides. With a speedo , for me, you are well dressed. Wearing a thong, you are nude ( free to enjoy the sensation of the sea water and sun) without being nude.

In general it seems like you’re living in a place where people are pretty open minded about bikinis and thongs for guys. Here’s a couple more questions for you. Have you gotten any positive or negative reactions with your underwear/swimwear choice? Do you find it hard to wear your preferred underwear or swimwear styles at times?
Well…comments…negative no…positive? Let’s say yes, but it was more a kind of approval.

I can remember one example. I was out one summer night with other 4 friends of mine. We decided to go for a swim nude ( it’s common among friends), so we all stripped naked. Nobody noticed my black thong. When we got out and were getting dressed they saw it. They were like : you are wearing a thong…ok…from where did you buy it?…end of the story.

I can’t recall any more positive comments…neutral reactions are the norm, as far as I can remember.
Now about embarrassment situations. Being at the beach, I can feel the eyes on me sometimes. I am feeling a little embarrassed, but nothing serious. Besides I avoid when it’s possible, crowded beaches or settle our things right in the hottest, most central spot, but I will go to buy an ice coffee in my swim thong.

As for underwear, I can write about a moment of embarrassment which happened a few days ago.
Well, my gf Maria was talking with her cousin and she said that she met a new bf and wanted to go somewhere together. Maria proposed to visit us but nothing was set. The next afternoon, out of the blue, our doorbell rang. Wow it was her cousin with her new bf. As we didn’t expect visitors, Maria was wearing a tight grey sweatpant with a g string under…ok…it was obvious that she was wearing a g string but she is a woman so ok. The “”problem”” was me, because I was wearing a white thin sweatpants, with a white thong. I knew that it was obvious but that day I just wanted to wear white underwear and plus we DIDN’T expect visitors.

So I was there on the sofa, while Maria opened the door and welcomed our visitors and I knew that my thong was more than obvious! Critical detail : her cousin is a very conservative girl, the same as I thought her bf, so not the kind of people I would be comfortable to know my choice of the day.
So..i stood up, my thong showed like a brief at the front, I tried to have me always in frontal view. I welcomed them.

My gf got the problem, so quickly she drove them to the guest room, and I took the chance to change into blue sweatpants..Ouf…xaxa.

During their stay I confirm that the guy was the classic boxer brief man, always black, and the cousin all she wore was full bottom underwear. Imagine the contrast…we both in thongs, they full bottom…hehe

What do you feel is the hardest thing for you with breaking the norm in underwear/swimwear?
I have had long talks about the same subject with my best friend who is a full time thonger also. When we first met each other back in 2016, we talked about the social stigma. It is necessary to identify the content of what is the social stigma about men who wear thongs. The answer to what I am facing when I wear thongs either as underwear or swimwear is it all about masculinity? Yes, the main issue for me and continues to be that wearing a thong, does that mean I am a gay man? In other words, having a back strap between my cheeks and touching my hole doesn’t mean that I want a penis in my butt.

Do I like the feeling of the back strap? Absolutely yes!! But, I don’t like the touch for the above reason. For the same reason even if I am gay, wearing a thong doesn’t mean that ALL I want is a penis penetrate me all the time. Because wearing a thong its not only the feeling from the backstrap, It is the total feeling of freedom,easy to move around, not having visible panty lines, etc. There are many other reasons to choose to wear a thong besides the position of the back strap, so for me the effort to protect my masculinity against this view is the first hardest of wearing a thong.

The second is to talk and convince other man that it is ok. Before you have a 120% negative attitude towards men’s thongs, please try them…wear a thong for several days having open your mind and if you don’t like it. Ok..but see the pros and cons of wearing a thong and think that for some people it’s just a choice based on what they think its comfort for them, or of what they like to see themselves wearing. In other words…before you become a hater about men thongers, please think that it is just another piece of clothing, another choice of underwear or swimwear, the same as you prefer boxers or briefs, the same as you like wearing black or colorful clothes.

So, these are the hardest for me. I don’t care if someone sees me in my thongs. I don’t like the negative thoughts about me and my personality based on what I wear as underwear. Sometimes if I feel embarrassed it is because I feel the negativity against me.

What is/are your favorite brand(s) (underwear/swimwear)? How about your favorite pair(s)?
My favorite brands are european ones..oboy, h.i.s ( german), versace, emporio armani , intimissimi (italian), punto blanco ,addicted ( spanish), med, lord , modus vivendi (greek). I do have some joe boxer ,which I use them mainly for sleeping ( if I am in the mood to wear a thong in bed).
joe boxer are nice, they do have thick cotton fabric which makes them super for cold winter nights in bed. As for day after day thongs…intimissimi, h.i.s, med and oboy primarily.

What would you say to someone that wants to venture away from the norm in men’s underwear/swimwear and try a bikini or thong?
I would strongly encourage him to try…for many reasons.
1) we live only once and our life is short…
2) is not going to harm himself..its only a piece of clothing..
3) and if he likes at the end wearing them? its pity to “protect” himself for something he might like ..at the end of the day..
4) if he doesn’t like them?…not big deal..simply can just not wear them another day…so simple..
5) i strongly believe that we have to be open mind persons..for me being open mind and willing to try new things is the best recipe, the best path in order to have a full life, to enjoy every opportunity life gives to you, to take every chance in order to live a better life, in every aspect.

So..I would say…don’t hesitate my friend..give yourself a try and maybe you may say : what I was missing all the previous years.

Thank you to Ioanniskef for agreeing to be part of the Supporter Feature series and his in-depth answers. It gives us a look into Greek culture. Interested in joining the series then send me a message through my contact form.