What were you eating under there?

A cultural habit of American men which I have often lamented is showing signs of buckling. This is a good thing, for the trait I write of is none other than the inclination of American males to don the most baggy, unflattering, pieces of unterhosen, devoid of style and almost purposefully obscuring and deemphasizing the natural beauty of the male form. It is almost as if there is an unsaid taboo that when it comes to intimate apparel for men, there is to be no sign of sexiness or fashion sense, because it doesn't matter. Men don't need to look good down there, the fashion seems to say.

A recent article in the New York Times sent to me by a friend (from which the above photo originates) illustrates one sign that this backwards ideology may be on it's way out. Here we have an article in the New York Times, of all places, with a large, colorful panel of photos (crotch-shots, no less), of some good-looking male torsos modeling very cool and fashionable underwear. Tight ones. Colorful too. None of these baggy white rags, or oversized and under-styled boxers.

This week The Weekly Dig has given me hope that the trend will this summer expand into the realm of men's swimwear. A full page spread in their "Department of Commerce" section titled "Bathing Apes" has, once again, a panel of photos (crotch-shots), of someone's nice male torso modeling an array of swim trunks, shorts and briefs. There is the whole spectrum there, from the American Apparel brief, minimalist in both form and color, to the more typical nylon, badly colored, lackluster and baggy swim trunks that pollute our young men's bodies every summer on New England shores. One need only go to South America, or closer, to Miami, to see that many men of the world find tighter and more colorful swimwear the norm. It not only looks better, but it's more comfortable! And it doesn't give you the bizarre looking tan lines that swim trunks (they're almost tents) give one, right down there at your knees.

I have been wearing form-fitting swim trunks for years. My inspiration has been equal parts Latin American beaches, where the more macho you are the less you wear, and old James Bond movies, where 007 looked quite stunning in snug, 60s cut swim trunks during poolside and beach scenes (a sight thankfully revived with Daniel Craig in Casino Royale). I have over the years gotten strange looks and flack about wearing such trunks, but only in the US, never in Europe or South America. Now maybe I won't get that here either? Let us hope. But even if it's not the case, and only wishful thinking on my part, I won't go back to boring and baggy. No way.