Swim Shop Experience

[California Dolphin]

Glad to hear that jammers are slowly, but surely going the way of the dinosaurs.

As briefs become more common, men will also become less hesitant and more comfortable wearing them in public.

[SwimTeamSpeedo]

I had a similar experience several years ago. A nearby town had a small shop that sold competitive swimwear. It was near the high school and town pool and served most of the local swim teams. Of course this was before the internet had taken hold. The shop was run by an older lady who started it when her kids were on swim teams. I used to stop in whenever I was in town. One afternoon, about 3:30 I stopped in to see what was new.

Other than me, there was a young man, he looked like he was still in school. I was looking at the swim briefs, as was he.

"You on swim team?" I asked.

"Yeah," he replied.

"That's great. Swimming is such a cool sport," I replied.

"Yeah, I like it alot." he replied.

I then silently picked out a couple of new suits. I did not need to try them on, since I knew my size. "Good luck with swimming," I said as I started to turn and walk away.

"Hey, can I ask you a question?" the young man asked. I turned back.

"Sure, what's up?"

"I am thinking of trying one of these. I have always worn jammers, but I really like how these look on the college swimmers."

"Yeah, briefs are awesome." I replied. "But very different from jammers, so much more freedom in the water. And yes, most serious swimmers wear them."

"What size should I get?" he asked.

"Well, you want them to be tight on. Lots of swimmers get them one size less than their waist." He had on Levi jeans and the leather label said he was wearing size 30. "I would start with 30, based on your jeans, and then try a 28, too. The 30 will feel snug, but the suit will stretch out after a while. If the 28 feels really tight, it is probably perfect."

"Thanks," he replied, grabbing a suit in each size and went toward the fitting room. I went to pay.

"Ryan, you got some nice suits," Dot, the owner, said.

"Yes, I really don't need them, but I like the colors." I replied.

"A swimmer always needs more swimsuits," Dot replied as she bagged my purchase. We were chatting about business and she was telling me how she wasn't sure how long the shop was going to stay around. "More and more teams are buying on line." As we chatted, the young man stuck his head out the fitting room curtain.

"Hey, mister, can I ask you some more?"

"Sure," I said walking over.

He sheepishly stepped out of the fitting room in one of the suits. "Does this look right?" he asked. He looked great in the suit. "It is size 30." He turned around so I could see all sides. The suit looked snug, but not tight.

"I'd try the 28. See how much more snug it is. If you want, I'll wait."

"That'd be great," he replied. A minute later he came out in the smaller size. It was pretty snug.

"This feels much tighter," he said. "Sure isn't much to them," he added.

We decided the 28 was right. "I'll be the only guy on my team wearing a suit like this," he confided.

"You look great, once you start the other guys will follow."

He thanked me for the help and we shook hands. Dot later told me he actually came back and bought two more suits, and he brought two other guys from the team. Her shop closed a few years after that.

[Captain.Jammer]

Excellent encounters, both of you.

And with these accounts, you have have given me a better answer to a question I posed on another thread-- I was asking how tight do you wear your suits, when I should have asked, how tight should suits be. Since I have never been a swimmer, and have never bought racer cut suits for that purpose (yes I do wear jammers), I never would have guessed to go a size smaller than your waist. Interesting. But those Speedo Axcel Spliced Jammers I posted a pic of the other day are like 2 sizes too small to my actual current waist measurement. (I don't like the way they 'dig into' my body being so tight, but it appears they should do that to some degree? At least one size smaller's worth.) I got them so I would have them (discontinued style) for when I lose the weight I plan to lose. I am hoping to get to a waist of 36 and I believe those are a 38. So one size bigger, not smaller. Oh well, now I know for future purchases.

What I am also amazed at is how you both could remember conversations so well! I am impressed, But then I have a horrible memory.

Thanks for sharing the experiences. Anyone else with something similar to share?

[Torchwatch]

Of course if you are buying Asian swim briefs you need to upsize as they are cut rather small.

[Captain.Jammer]

Originally Posted by Torchwatch

Of course if you are buying Asian swim briefs you need to upsize as they are cut rather small.

They can be VERY affordable, and some do look awesome... but I have never tried to get any because of my size.

[PSDave]

I gave up on Asian suits a while back. The sizing is so screwed up and totally inconsistent. If they want to sell to the West, they should go with measurements and not S,M,L. Inches or Centimeters are always the same and you would have a chance of getting a suit that fits. I have a drawer full of suits that don't fit and even got stuck with a couple fakes. Like the pricing - quality ok, but suing sucks!

[sebbie]

You can get the Asian suits in a bit higher rise that would cover your butt entirely. See this Seobean.
The XL is probably slightly larger than the US MED
Keith1178 is a good vendor on ebay. He imports these from China but is in the US so they arrive in a few days. I'm sure if you have size questions he would help you.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Seobean-New-...-/321884112020