Swim Shop Experience

[California Dolphin]

Originally Posted by MaryAnderson

Swim Jammers looks like shorts to make you feel sleeker and faster when you swim. I think this would be perfect for swimming. With this, you can also use goggles and swim caps to look more attractive and dashing.

Jammers are irritating and just an annoyance for swimming, running, and an example of "Good for nothing".

They also seem to be another version of the persistent knee-length theme in men's "shorts". The knee-length style is some kind of "Ritual Wear" meant to make an obscure statement about men's sexuality.

[sebbie]

I wear jammers a lot but for stationary rowing, stationary bicycling and my weight workout. Nothing quite like a snug pair of jammers and a nice-fitting strap under for this...In cooler weather I switch off with a wrestling singlet and sometimes as another option a pair of football pants, too. Jammers tend to be my choice for summertime workouts. The right clothing can make your workout time more pleasant and satisfying for sure.

[Captain.Jammer]

Originally Posted by California Dolphin

Jammers are irritating and just an annoyance for swimming, running, and an example of "Good for nothing". ...

The great thing about life is we can choose what we want to do and use and enjoy according to our needs and preferences.

I, for one (and I seem to not be alone, thanks to Sebbie's recent response), really like Jammers. And to not throw this thread further off topic -- I really want to hear if others have had similar swim shop experiences -- may I suggestion we move further Jammer discussion to the thread I started some time ago, "In Defense of Jammers". My reasons for liking Jammers are given there.

[Bede735]

Originally Posted by California Dolphin

They also seem to be another version of the persistent knee-length theme in men's "shorts". The knee-length style is some kind of "Ritual Wear" meant to make an obscure statement about men's sexuality.

I think they just want one pair of shorts to go swimming in, play tennis, walk about town in etc.

[California Dolphin]

Why/what makes jammers so appealing?

They are very irritating and look just plain weird. In fact, the knee length distorts the form of the human body and looks "deformed" much like people afflicted with Down's Syndrome.

[NE_OH_thonger]

I'm sorry, California Dolphin, but that last comment was a low blow. First of all, it was insulting to people with Down's Syndrome (I have a cousin who has it). Secondly, jammers wearers have been welcome on this site for a long time. They are close cousins to the the brief swimsuit, and serve a similar purpose. It is OK to dislike the aesthetics of them, but to say they are "good for nothing" is patently untrue.
Captain.Jammer, I am completely with you that further discussion of this should have its own topic. <Putting my soapbox away>

[Torchwatch]

One summer I took my jammers camping in France. I wore them around the campsite and to and from the beach. However I wore Speedos when I went swimming in the sea. I prefer how Speedos feel in water and don't like how jammers behave when wet. This is a personal preference and if you feel differently that is your choice.

[Bede735]

The inescapable truth is that the less you wear, the more comfortable you will feel.

[SwimTeamSpeedo]

I do not understand how someone else wearing jammers, boardies or whatever impacts any of us. Just as we don't want someone judging us by what swimwear we prefer, we ought not judge or insult the other way. On the right guy, jammers look fantastic, and so do board shorts. Wear what you want and tell everyone else to go you know what.

STS

[jackk78]

I was back at this swim shop Friday night. It looked surprisingly busy. On the door, there was a sign about a Fitting Party for a high school boys swim team. The boys season is usually winter here.

Inside, there were a bunch of kids and parents. A couple of small areas near the changing rooms had been walled off with screens to provide additional space to change.

I asked the staff member what was going on. She told me the team was doing a group fitting a suit purchase. I asked her what suit they were using and she held up a Tyr brief. "No jammers this year?" I asked. She told me not this year and added that a few other teams have switched back to briefs only. I told her I was going to browse. The staff member said that would be fine, but warned me there might be a bit of a wait for a fitting room.

I walked around the store and found a couple of suits I wanted to try on. The fitting rooms were both occupied. One of the mothers waiting for her son pointed to the screened off area and said she thought it was empty. I peeked around the corner of the wall and saw that it was.

I went into the screened off area and got undressed with my back to the opening. When I turned around to pick up the first suit, I noticed in the mirror that one of the other moms had a pretty good view inside. I pulled on the suit while she took cautious glances at me, probably hoping I wouldn't notice. When I took off the suit to try on the other one, she must have said something to the other woman she was talking to, because she turned around right at that moment, looked in the mirror, smiled, and turned away again.

The second suit fit perfectly and I liked the pattern. As I took it off, I could see the woman still watching me, and they were joined by one more. They must have said something to the new woman, because she took a quick glance in my direction. I pretended to check the label in the suit lingering nude for a moment longer. I saw her take one more glance. Then I got dressed.

The group of women smiled at me as I walked past to the cashier. I bought the suit I'd picked out and left.

The experience reminded me of a summer when I'd taken to swimming laps in the morning. The place where I swam ran classes for kids and my swims would often end around the same time as the classes. For some reason, mothers felt that it was acceptable to help their kids change and would come right into the locker room sometimes. The first time it happened, I had a moment of panic when I thought I'd walked into the wrong locker room. The mom apologized and said she be out of there in a minute. I waited for a bit, but figured she made the choice to come into the men's locker room, so I changed. She discretely looked at me a few times.

This happened on numerous other occasions. At first, the really did seem to be there just to help their kids. Eventually, however, it started to seem like the were just using as an excuse to come in. They walk into the open shower area saying they were looking for their kid. I mentioned it to the lifeguard. She just apologized and told me that it sometimes happens after the classes end and suggested that I could wait a bit for the locker room to clear out.

Since I was enjoying the experience, I did not.