Swimwear Season 2023: Swim Briefs, Bikinis, Thongs, or Less
With a little warm up in temperatures a week or so back, it got me itching for swimwear season. Though it is really still like three to four months away here. Now we’re back to snow on the ground and snowball fights with the kids. It’s still nice to think about warmer weather and soaking up the sun.
Swimwear season is all about you and what you want to wear. Or it can be what the situation and area allows us to wear too. For example, thongs aren’t legal where we go locally and really many places. So if that is what you want to wear you have to compromise a lot of places. For me that isn’t a big deal. Wearing a thong at a public beach isn’t at the top of my list. If an opportunity presents itself then so be it.
Swimwear decisions
I really have more swimsuits than I need for how much I actually get a chance to wear them. I have a wide range of coverages from thong to about 3″ side swim briefs. Ok, I still have a pair of trunks too. Though I need a shorter pair, since there at least seems to be a trend for shorter trunks. Back to how I decide on my swimsuit. My rule of thumb is based on what women are wearing. If they’re wearing a certain cut then I can wear the same cut at the place.
I also take in consideration the location, who’s along, and the maturity of the people in the area. Guess it is really my comfort level with those factors, since I really should be able to wear what I want and is legal. For me swimwear season will be mostly swim briefs and swim bikinis. If a thong comes out it will be private in the backyard or off the beaten path in seclusion.
How do you decide what swimwear to wear? Do you just stick with one style? Change it up based on the situation?
Swim Briefs Plan This Summer
I mentioned another potential trip to Myrtle Beach area again in an earlier post. Well, the condo has been reserved. We decided on a different area, which is farther north than last year’s trip. It sounds like it may be somewhat less busy of an area too. The in-laws are going and staying with us. Supposedly the sister-in-law and potentially some of her teenagers may be coming. No clue if it will happen or if they’ll stay in the same general area.
I’m not planning to break from my swim briefs wearing at the beach for any of them. I’ll be leaving the trunks at home and packing my more conservative swim briefs again. My skimpiest will most likely be my Speedo Solar. Though thinking I will take two others that are slightly smaller just in case. You can read about last year’s trip here and get some glimpses of what I wore.
The local beach will most likely get to see Speedo Solars as in the past. Sometimes I sneak in a little smaller. The Solars are really my go to swim briefs for public wear. Still somewhat conservative, but with narrower sides.
I don’t think I’ll have the confidence for swim briefs at the local water park still. The trunks will most likely be worn….but not going to say never! Just a lot of school aged and teens running around there unsupervised.
So will it be Swim Briefs, Bikinis, Thongs, or Less?
What’s in store for you this summer with your swimsuit choice? Or for those where summer is winding down, what did you end up having the chance to wear? Did you set any swimwear goals?
Ways to Support The Bottom Drawer by Shopping
This all depends on which beach we go too. The thongs will probably be left at home. My Speedos are the best choice, they seen to work for most places I go. North Carolina Beaches are starting to ease up on people (girls) on what they wear, so I am hoping the males will also get a break. I am looking forward to a great summer. Everyone enjoy the sun. Tommy
I will likely stay with the styles I wore last year, namely Sporti Euros (swimoutlet). They are about as skimpy as I feel comfortable with here on the Gulf Coast beaches. If you want a bikini with a little less coverage than the Solar they are a good option. However they have a really flat front with no center seam, unlike the Solar. I like the bright turquoise Euro when I’m really feeling confident. The navy one is a nice but more subtle color. Sporti also has some nice pattern suits they introduced last year so I bought one and really enjoyed wearing it as well.
I like you’re rule about going by what women are wearing at a given beach. Down here I’ve only seen the occasional thong bikini. They are probably more popular with spring break crowd. Women mostly wear one piece suits and regular fullback bikinis on our beaches.
Can’t wait to get on the beach soon!
I find the rule of matching what the women are wearing interesting. In the midwest, it is common for (young) women to wear very skimpy bikinis, but I have almost never seen a fellow man in anything less than knee-length shorts. My rule is men+1 – whatever the skimpiest suit is on another man, I’ll go one level skimpier. Usually I only see men in long shorts, so I wear a square-cut. If I see a man in a square cut suit, I’ll wear a full-cut bikini. If I see a man in a full-cut, I’ll wear something skimpy. That works when I travel, but near home that means I only wear square cut suits.
I would be interested in hearing others’ “rules” for swimwear.
I too usually bring more suits to the beach than I will likely have opportunity to wear. Speedo Solar used to be my go to when I felt comfortable wearing a bikini at the beach. On recent trips to Hawaii and Italy I felt comfortable and not out of place wearing even skimpier bikinis. The only time I felt comfortable wearing a thong swimsuit in public was on a remote island off the gulf coast of Florida. My wife and I were dropped off by a charter boat and had the island to ourselves to explore and collect shells and sea urchins for a couple of hours. It was incredibly freeing and sensual to wear a thong with no one to judge me.
My wife and I plan to travel to France this Summer, in part to La Baule Escoublac. I will bring a variety of briefs and bikinis and plan to do my best to fit in to what at least some guys are wearing. These will undoubtedly include some mini briefs and micro bikinis from French brand Hom. My wife and I love to walk beaches for hours. We have never been to this part of France, but are really looking forward to this trip.
Well here in the uk it is rather different and a 5 cm speedo is commonly worn by swimmers in pools , as opposed to those just splashing about . But still maybe a minority … 1/7 or 1-10 . I just tend to go down to Joe Snyder bikini . The girls often wear thongs in pools here but I would rather stay with 3/4 back and a 1 inch or 3/4 inch side . On the family beach it would be the same but more remote beaches a thong or string side tanga . And in Europe the same and briefer round the pools . In the uk people are fairly reserved , it’s a generalisation , and would rarely say something to you about your swine here anyway .
For my main beach, where my wife and I typically hang out by the bar more than the waves, and where I might run into people I know, I’ll stick to my 3″ suits – iSwim essential brief, Sporti Hydrolast. If we will be in and out of the water, I may try the Speedo Solar and Shoreline and Sporti Euros – to me those are the smallest ‘swim’ suits – less than that are for show!
Speaking of show, at that beach all ages and sizes of women can be spotted in thong bottoms and very cheeky swimsuits – I think at this point cheeky is pretty much their standard!
We’re going on a cruise soon – I’ve stuck with the 3″ around the pool/bars in the past, but this year it’s with a European cruise line, so I’m wondering if the mood will be to be accepting of the 1″ bunch – I hope so!
And looking forward to wearing a thong I got myself at a formerly-nude beach not far from me (where I’d been nude) that has cracked down and is now all thong. I should fit right in.
I’ve had an awesome summer here in Australia this year. I’ve really been pushing my limits. I always wear a small bikini swimsuit to the beach, but this year, I’m determined to wear a thong to our nearest beach. I’ve been wearing a thong to several less popular beaches, but really want to wear one to our normal beach.
We also started going to a nudist beach, I never pushed my wife to go nude, but she surprised me when I stripped off, she did the same, we both felt wonderful for the experience.
Recently I’ve been experimenting wearing my normal underwear (Ice Silk / Nylon) bikinis, which are slightly see through, to the beach, I also wear a cockring, so it can’t be too see through, else everyone would know I’m wearing undies, anyway, its working well.
I’ve also been wearing very thin, see through bikinis bathers but with a pattern on them, so you can’t actually tell the are see through.
So, for all you guys out there, if I can do it, I’m sure you can.
Happy summer for you guys and keep on pushing your limits.
I was on a surfing vacation to the Gold Coast in 2016 with my son. We explored the beaches up and down that coastline, most being well visited by surfers and everyone. But we did find a few stretches of beaches petty empty, except for a few beachgoers. That’s when I told myself why not and dropped my boardshorts and just enjoyed the time wearing just my swim thongs. Those were G’days, mate.
When I’m away on my summer holiday and planning on going alone to the unofficial nudist zone, I make the long walk wearing a t-shirt and shorts with a g-string underneath. In my bag I have a c-string, a spare g-string and 2 half back Daniel Alexander swim tangas. This gives me options, although the tangas are only there should I decide to stop off at a crowded area on the way back, which hasn’t happened yet.
If I’m going with friends to a crowded beach I will wear one of a choice of half back tangas, but if I’m on my own and the beach is quiet I will wear a g-string.
I think you just have to size up each situation and then decide what you feel is most appropriate at any given time.
And I thought I was the only one to take multiple swimwear options to the nude beach! As you wrote, we can’t walk naked from where we park to the secluded nudie section; we have to walk past the textiles. Once past the textiles I find a spot where I can change from the brief to a g-string. One thing I changed last summer was starting off wearing a brief instead of shorts. So far no rude comments, etc. Surprisingly, a woman and her teenage daughter exchanged greetings with me while wearing it on the trail back to the parking lot. I would like to go skimpier and replace the brief with a thong, but the area is conservative and haven’t seen any woman in a thong. Some younger women do wear cheeky bikinis.
I go by what seems to be the vibe at a particular place, but I tend to push the envelope as far as I dare! I love wearing thongs or even better a g-string. But if there are likely to be children around, then swim briefs/ speedos – in Britain you are assumed to be a paedophile until proved otherwise. Families are generally very uptight here. Luckily, my local hotel has an adults only policy, and I pop in nearly every day for a swim – as there are no children, I often wear a thong or a g-string, and I have never had any problems.
I live, was born and raised in Hawaii. I’m 71 yrs, old. The baring of the male buttocks in the Hawaiian culture was never taboo until the arrival the Christian missionaries. In fact, the Hawaiian male loincloth (called a Malo in Hawaiian) was all that was needed to protect the genitals from injury or the weather. No pants or boardshorts were even introduced until the arrival of Captain Cook in the late 1700’s. When the Hawaiian Renaissance happened in the early 1970’s, the peo[ple looked back at their ancestors and revived the old cultural values of their language, their songs and chants, the ancient hulas, their own cultural values and their lifestyles. The exposed male buttocks regained acceptance in the general public through the ancient hula dances performed by the men and boys, called the Kahiko, wearing only their malos. There is no shame or embarrassment in going bare buns in public as long as your genitals are covered. It’s a known fact that ancient Hawaiians of all genders and ages went swimming and surfing in the nude. Makes no sense trying to swim with a parachute around your waist. There is no law in Hawaii banning g-strings or less as long as you cover up your genitals so you can’t get arrested for indecent exposure on the beach. It is unlawful to be nude in public. but no body is going to complain if you find a secluded beach with others of similar interest. So, with all that said, I’ve been free as a bird here in the tropics wearing whatever or not wearing whatever that makes me feel comfortable. I’ve worn Speedos and boardshorts all my life and feel most comfortable wearing thongs while swimming and surfing. I kept myself in good health and in great shape all my life to this day and don’t plan to slow down. All my friends know I wear thongs and g-strings, and I tell them should they ask. I’ve had lots of Positive vibes and comments from both men and women when they see me at the beach either swimming or surfing. Over the years I am seeing more men here in Hawaii and on YouTube wearing thongs and g-strings and that makes me happy. That’s a BIG step outside from back in the days of hiding in the closet. I concur with all of you men that say “if the women can do it, so can we!” after all, men were the first to invent the g-string/loincloth.
I am planning a trip to France this summer and this will be the first for me and my wife to visit the European continent. Will be interesting to see what the natives will be wearing or not wearing when the air is warm and the sun is out. So men, the future is your hands. Take it and run with it, and be Proud!
Follow-up on my trip to France. My first day was on a small beach in Marseilles, some of the women wore g-strings and rest wore regular bikinis, topless was common or optional. most men wore bikini briefs or beach volleyball style shorts as did the lifeguards. So, I decided to just wear my Speedo Solar and not go thonging. On that morning I didn’t see any males wearing a thong. On to a 7 day river cruiseship up the Rhone River with a very small and shallow poolbar on deck. I opted to continue just wearing my Speedos and save the thongs for another time. I did encounter a bicyclist wearing a Borat suit on one of my day side excursions. Next I plan to spend more time on the French Riviera and spent more time on the beaches.
Swim Thong under Swim Briefs under Swim Shorts for me. I like shedding layers as I get more comfortable with the location. National & State Recreation Parks with rivers are my favorite destinations because ocean beaches in my state tend to have lots of families with young children around. I like more secluded areas that take a little bit more effort to get to. That way there’s not as much risk of “offending” anyone. Thongs also happen to be legal in most National Parks. I have worn Thongs on beaches where it’s technically not allowed but I’ve yet to be confronted by anyone who didn’t approve or appreciate my swimwear. Also really helps to have a very supportive wife who can’t get enough of me in my preferred swimwear options.
Pardon the ramble….My small swimwear collection is just plain embarrassing. I recently tried to scale down a bit, sorting out what I will probably wear, what I’m not likely to wear, and what I absolutely won’t wear. I dumped the last category. Just no point, they were all bad choices anyway. But the “not likely” and “probably will” categories are about equal! Of course, the “not likely” category will be worn, just not outside the bedroom. Yeah, got a little crazy on some of them. And yes, I’m adding to the collection right now in anticipation of the summer. I’m fortunate to have a summer home on a lake. It’s not private, but there’s not much going on either. So, unless the one neighbor is outside (and he usually isn’t), my only observer is my lady, and so the “show” aspect is pretty darned great. I can wear anything, she’ll let me know what’s working and what’s not, and applauds my private exhibitionism. But on that note, if I were on a trip somewhere that I’m not a member of the community, and the beach had an even somewhat liberal attitude (beaches do have attitudes!), I’d be there with thongs and g-strings blazing. I guess what I wear is influenced by who sees it and if I know them.
This year I’m leaning to smaller thongs with even less coverage in front, and g-strings. I’m also getting a new group of 1/2 back tanga style suits which I really like. They’re sometimes called “string bikinis” too, just a strap joining the front and back panels. I like the 1/2 back coverage for swim suits, and the narrow front panel is the best. Most of my underwear is that style (with full back), has been for quite a few years, so doing it in swimwear is natural.
Also this year, I’m moving away from the “push up pouch” styles, and more to the seamless “flat/smooth” designs. I have the push-ups, they’re fine, quite comfortable, but also can be a little shocking to view. Time and a place, if you get my drift. I have one of the “Hoist” thongs from Buffedbod. That and a c-ring, and some part of you gets into the room before the rest of you. Darn fun, you’re absolutely huge, but not for public viewing. So the smoother fronts are what I’m doing this year.
Can’t wait for the lake to be ready. The ice hasn’t gone out yet, but it’s never too early to dream. We swim, kayak, cruise, fish, sun, and I’ll be doing as much of that in max exposure suits as I can. I do bring a towel, and some shorts just in case, but the need has been minimal. I’ll even do some work around the outside of the house, like pressure washing, stripped down to a 1″ side bikini or tanga.
I’ve just bought a selection of Kiniki tangas, the Cuba model, non-tan-through. Their colors are very limited, but their construction and materials are good and very reasonable prices. I also found a guy on Etsy who makes a really nice tanga, got one, and I’m working to see if I can get a special color, plus talking him into doing a g-string back. Look for Lagos Swimwear. Superb quality and very fast ship.
And I just ordered a Gary Majdell Sport Bikini (tanga style) on Amazon, unfortunately I could only get it in small, which will be a little small, but ok to just play with. Can’t get real serious about that stuff, but I had to try one anyway. And I got a really interesting thong on Aliexpress, a lime and blue suit with semi-transparent vertical stripe 1/2 panels, 1″ sides, and a very exciting snug fit. It’s in my “must wear” group for sure.
Still searching for the ultimate fabric color and design combo, but I’m happy with what I had yet still totally addicted and buying more than I’m getting rid of. It’s like a disease. Or obsession. Help me! No, Nevermind!
Yes, Jimmy, I know how easy it is to amass a huge collection! I keep seeing a gorgeous swimsuit or panties on line, and thinking I must have them. Now and again, I ask myself how often I have actually worn them, and how much have I spent that I couldn’t really afford? I don’t know the answer to this problem.
The first part of solving a problem is recognizing you have it. Done. The second part is wanting to fix it. Um….yeah….well….
This is a very deep-rooted thing for me, started very much in my youth (with a bit of psychology I’ll never understand), grew when I had money and could buy stuff myself, and blossomed well into adulthood when the Internet made buying this stuff easy.
So, I guess we break the Internet…and go from there.