Men: pants under swimmers?!

[SgtCawood]

Just returned from hot seaside holiday at a resort very popular with Germans/Dutch/Austrians.
At least half the men were wearing boxers under their swimming trunks. No I wasn’t gawping but hard to ignore after the third or fourth keks waistband looming above the wet baggy swimmers, and then I couldn’t unsee it.
What’s that about, then? Looks flipping uncomfortable, not to mention impractical. Sort of the opposite of the French speedos rule.

I have seen this in the UK too.

I wonder if it is a fear of an 'outline', the male equivalent of a camel toe.

Were they wearing actual swimming shorts or just shorts?

I don't have much practical experience of.mens swimming shorts, the pair I have washed had a mesh like material inside and normal shorts don't. Maybe it's easier to wear boxers and just regular shorts if you don't swim often?

DH does this , he said it just feels more secure

I thought it was just a "fashion" thing

Weve just been away and I had to cut the mesh lining out of my sons shorts as they were chafing him and hurting. He was happy with nothing else (and his shorts were quite long so no risk of flopping out anywhere!) but maybe there was no mesh inside and they feel more secure?

I thought it was just a "fashion" thing

Never seen it but do they wear their swimmers halfway down their thighs to show off their pants?

My son's, both avid swimmers do this too. No idea why, but seems to be the norm

Never seen this and sounds odd and uncomfortable, imagine wearing knickers under a swimsuit or bikini

There are some women who wear swim shorts over bikini bottoms or a one piece swimsuit, but I expect their reasons are very different and it is not underwear they have underneath.

I imagine swim shorts wouldn't hold you in that great
What they need maybe are speedos under swim shorts rather than boxers though
Or maybe a tighter style like the girlie swim shorts.

I think it is manky, especially in a swimming pool.

Shorts don’t hold you in, the ones that have mesh chaffe, the mesh also pulls on hair.

OH does it. He says it feels more secure, he doesn't like things flopping about in water, plus he's worried about accidentally flashing, either up the leg or the shorts coming down if they became undone or not tights enough.

Which?
Wearing pants or not wearing pants?

I've noticed it to and think it's a weird fashion thing. Must be something to do with the mesh not being comfy. But I think speedos or jammers would make more sense than cotton trunks.

Hahaaa. Every summer on holiday around Europe I am questioning this. I don't recall people in Australia and NZ doing this when I was young living there. No idea now.

It's weird. Swimming shorts are made of quick dry fabric. Underpants are not. The idea of wearing wet pants under swimming shorts is really strange to me. It's like wearing a bra under a bikini.

Wearing pants.
I envisage that men/boys aren't putting fresh ones on just before swimming.
Less manky if they are.

In some places swim shorts have essentially a built in speedo made of short material, rather than a rough mesh.

I often go to a swimming pool at a gym in England & often see men doing this. It seems pretty gross and unhygienic to me, especially in a pool.

It's really unhygienic to swim in your underwear.

Saw this in Italy and it surprised me too. I should imagine it's something to do with feeling self-conscious or mesh discomfort.

I didn't know you could get something like that. A built-in brief makes a lot of sense. Perhaps unlikely, but is it possible boxers underneath is some sort of fashion trend? Men wore their shorts low to flash their boxers a few decades back. That was equally strange.

The mesh can be really uncomfortable. There’s also a high accidental flashing risk.

An alternative is to buy some tight budgie smuggler trunks (with a bit of a leg) to wear under.

Yes, quickdry v cotton is what I don’t get - are they then sitting around the beach for the rest of the day in damp M&S boxers? Surely the chafage would outweigh any extra security.