Several years ago I visited Cuba. Beautiful island, wonderful people, and talk about being comfortable with their bodies!
Women wore the most revealing clothes. Spandex everywhere, no matter their body size. Men were dressed not exactly in a revealing way, but jaunty and confident.
Anyway, I wanted to go scuba diving while on the trip. I took a taxi to the beach where the boat was to leave from, but I got there to find out they were diving that day. (Ah, the joy of a Communist country: today we don't work because we don't want to!)
It was annoying, having taken the taxi all the way out there, and now I had nothing to do.
On the other hand, I was at a Caribbean beach, so what could I complain about? I walked along to where others were enjoying themselves and stripped down to my swimwear.
I had put on a Speedo square cut, black & white checked. Tight is ideal under a wet suit so the wetsuit goes on and off easier and fits better when underwater -- though for the life of me I can't figure out why some men wear jammers under their wet suits. Women wear racing suits or two-piece suits, so why not guys?
Anyway, my square cut was nice and tight, but with the international clientele on the beach it was neither tight enough nor skimpy enough. A note about the foreigners: Cuba at the time, and probably still so today, segregated tourist spots like this one. No Cubans were allowed unless they were workers (at the bar and so forth). So the sunbathers were predominantly Europeans with some Canadians mixed in, Americans had a hard time getting there (but it wasn't impossible).
The beach was sandy with palm trees and low bushes and dunes -- just wonderful. A beautiful place. Lots of men in bikinis, women in bikinis, and topless women too. I was in my square cut, which was plenty revealing, but like a lot of guys on this site, feeling a little overdressed.
Of course I had packed a backup swimsuit, a bikini. As lovely as the beach was, there were no changing stations. I hadn't seen any nudity, and not wishing to tempt Castro's polizia, I searched for a somewhat secluded spot to slip into something more comfortable.
I found one behind some bushes and a dune. The shore was still visible, so if anyone strolled by and happened to look my way I'd be seen, and from the opposite side a beachcomber could have happened upon me. Not that I would have minded -- public nudity makes me happy! But again, I didn't want to risk getting in trouble with the junta.
So I set down my dive bag, put the new swimsuit on top, and took a last glance around. No one visible. I stripped out of my square cut and slid on the bikini before anyone turned their eyes toward me.
Now, I've got to tell you about this bikini. It was my absolute favorite, and from the looks I got wearing it, girls & guys liked to too.
It was made by Gucci, if you can believe it -- not exactly the sports suit we usually mention on here. I bought it from a girl who ran a website selling high-fashion clothes at a discount after the "season" had ended. She told me it was meant for men and women both. I kinda doubt that, but of course plenty of European women go to the beach topless.
So the suit: low-rise, 2" sides, minimal waist band (1/8"?), medium brown around the waist, fading to light brown at the bottom. That color change is part of what made it so appealing: when wet, it easily let me show off a bit.
The other great thing was the fit. You may have smirked at the idea of a high-fashion swimsuit, but let me tell you, the Italians know how to fit a body. Just super sexy, both on the butt and in front. The fit did what fashion should do: highlight your best parts. It gave me the chance to show off without being vulgar.
So with the suit on I walked along the surf, checking out the women and their tiny tops and thongs, the topless women, and inspecting the various bikinis worn by men. As readers here will know, European men of all ages wear bikinis, and though the oldest I saw was probably under 40, everyone was in good shape (or "h/w/p" as we say nowadays) and confident in their minimal coverage.
I got a few whistles
and smiles and winks, too. My favorite afternoon of the trip.
That suit got a lot of wear. It's the one I wore to a nude beach so I could take it off in front of everyone, and the one that at least indirectly led to a date.
Sadly, Gucci doesn't make it anymore. There's a men's bikini for $220, not that I'd pay that much, and I can't tell how it fits. But if I had cash to blow, I'd be willing to give it a shot.