I was always a bit too embarrassed to wear Speedos growing up. It didn't help that not many guys were seen wearing them, and I didn't like the idea of the attention they would bring if I were to wear one. I'd have been a lot more at ease wearing one if they were the norm, but sadly they never were here in America. Seeing a guy in Speedos was a rare sight. As a 16 year old there were a few times where I came close to buying a Speedo from the local sports store, but I even had a lack of confidence about buying one never mind wearing it. Instead, I remember sneaking into my dads bedroom one day and borrowing one of his Speedo trunks. The next time I went swimming I put it on under some boardshorts and I remember how fantastic it felt. I would've loved to have taken the shorts off at the pool but that was as far as I went at the time. This became a recurring thing for a little while, and it was satisfying enough. I was able to wear a Speedo, and not be seen.
A couple of years later and I'm off on holiday with the extended family for a couple of weeks in the summer. Obviously, I had knee length board shorts packed for the trip. On about the third evening dad and I were sat on the hotel balcony in his room enjoying a few beers. He comments that I'm going to end up with some awful tan lines due to the board shorts. I shrugged it off, but then I said I'd would wear them but they were "uncool". I remember dad laughed at me a little bit for being too embarrassed to wear one, so I just threw a question at him - why are you not embarrassed to wear them? "They're just swimming trunks" I remember he said. I replied saying how boardshorts were what guys normally wear, and dad explained how Speedos were a lot more comfortable to wear, how you swam better in them, they dried quicker and so on. Of course I knew this. I asked another question, about how he could be so confident wearing them. He told me that Speedos are all he'd ever worn to the beach or pool, and so that was the norm for him. I'd somehow never really noticed it before but he was right. I don't think I had ever seen dad wear shorts. He commented that I should take a leaf out of his book. If shorts were what I wanted to wear then I should wear them, but I shouldn't be wearing them just because other guys do or because it's what's considered normal.
My next question to him was about any comments or remarks that other people made about wearing Speedos, especially from girls. He said he receives the odd remark here and there but he just laughs them off and has learnt not to care what others think or say. That evening dad lent me one of his spare Speedos when I said I'd maybe wear one at the pool the next day. He also told me not to make a big deal about it because it would just encourage others to pick up on it. Just act normal he said, and he gave me a great bit of advice in general - "whatever you do, do it with confidence and nobody will ever doubt or judge you." I didn't know it at the time, but that is the absolute truth. Confidence conquers all.
I wore the trunks the following day and it felt quite liberating in a way, and not a word was said. I continued to wear them for the duration of the holiday and by the end I'd started to question why I ever shied away from wearing them in the first place. Upon my return home and I set out and bought a couple of Speedos for myself. I gradually started wearing them more and more over time. Of course there were a few comments but I just did what dad had told me and laughed them off. Now 25 years old, I can't actually remember the last time I wore shorts to the pool or beach.
I was just recently looking back over some home videos of some family vacations and picked up on how dad was wearing Speedos on holiday. I'd never noticed at the time. Whenever I thought about wearing Speedos I was too concerned with what other guys were wearing. I probably should have looked to dad as inspiration a lot earlier. He must've had great confidence to wear them when nobody else around him was. Thought I'd share a few videos of him wearing Speedos from the aforementioned home vids.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jX8qnjEQvYM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJWM5-fDe1c