Alternate universes

[dillon]

Seems my recollection is a year off...anoter symptom of advancing age, I suppose.

[Tor]

Also, if you paid attention to the words in the Harry Potter books, you get the idea that robes are the only thing worn by the students of Hogswarts...

Very true. As a matter of fact, there is a very clear statement that the same is true for adult wizards. Specifically, in the fourth book at the world cup quiddich match, there is a scene where one of the wizards (a ministry wizard, even) is wearing I either a skirt or dress (I believe the former) and another (ministry) wizard is trying to get him to put on a pair of pinstriped trousers instead. The interesting bit of conversation as well as I can quote without finding and digging through my book:

"Put it on, Archie, there's a good chap."
"But I bought in in a Muggle shop."
"Muggle /women/ wear them, not men."
"I like a nice, healthy breeze 'round my privates, thank you."

[Sinned]

I have just come across a recent article in The Sun dated 22 January 2014 which shows Andrew Flintoff playing netball in a red dress with a union flag top to it. Not momentous I suppose but at least its a more recent example.

[renesm1]

I've just googled that. ALthough it looks more like a long top than a dress with the shorts underneath!

[Sinned]

Dresses worn by the ladies in sports events are generally so much shorter than normal I think.

[crfriend]

Dresses worn by the ladies in sports events are generally so much shorter than normal I think.

Indeed, and I imagine that's down to the societally-accepted notion that it's OK for the gals to show more skin than the guys. In any event, the gals are pretty modest as they wear fully-concealing undergarments which, in this context, are expected to be seen and accepted in that regard.

Guys don't get the same option. Look at the ridicule guys who wear Speedo-style bathing suits come in for.

[skirtilator]

Indeed, and I imagine that's down to the societally-accepted notion that it's OK for the gals to show more skin than the guys. In any event, the gals are pretty modest as they wear fully-concealing undergarments which, in this context, are expected to be seen and accepted in that regard.

You mean the preference of the general public, by Joe Average. By modest you mean in compliance with the American Puritan Club standards, right? I overcame these standandards because I am not a subhuman. If it is just a marketing strategy, they should take the naughty girls into account, who likes to imagine a dangling dongle ... ahm and tight legs, too.

[partlyscot]

Dresses worn by the ladies in sports events are generally so much shorter than normal I think.

Indeed, and I imagine that's down to the societally-accepted notion that it's OK for the gals to show more skin than the guys. In any event, the gals are pretty modest as they wear fully-concealing undergarments which, in this context, are expected to be seen and accepted in that regard.

Guys don't get the same option. Look at the ridicule guys who wear Speedo-style bathing suits come in for.

That basically sums it up don't you think? We're not allowed the same options without getting some static. I am going to be doing some pool training sessions this year, when we did them last year I got some comments for the "running" style speedo brand swim shorts I used, all the other guys had those awful board shorts. It wasn't perfect for me to use the ones I did, they still felt draggy and clingy, the board shorts felt worse. So heck with that, speedo swim briefs this time round, they can say what they want, I'm not putting up with the discomfort to appease their idiotic notions of fashion or propriety.

[Sinned]

Even the more common name "budgie smugglers" is hardly flattering. In the swimming pool I wear longish shorts that are designed for swimming only because MOH is happy with them. On holiday I generally wear a thong and she's happy with that. Go figure!!!! In a pool I once saw an old guy with a thong so brief that it barely covered what's necessary and the staff didn't make a comment so I don't know if it was just that they were used to him or if that was acceptable. Parallels with our skirt wearing, really.

[skirtingtoday]

I get the "budgie smugglers" as well from MOH - but that doesn't stop me wearing speedo-type swimwear or equivalents. That is for public swimming pools in UK and abroad. On the beach it is either nothing or thongs though MOH prefers the former as we do gravitate towards naturist beaches!

I am not sure if thongs are acceptable for swimming in public baths in the UK but I thought it wasn't - but I have not tried or asked though.

I did see a TV discussion some years back on appropriate wear at pools and a number of male models came out with various forms of swimming attire from "dork" shorts to thongs and the only one that was definitely unacceptable was the guy who had short denim shorts (I think only because there was no inner lining to them)

[partlyscot]

I can't remember if it was the French or German pools that have banned board shorts and similar. Reason given was that they are often used in "dirty" situations. e.g. playing in the sand or grass, and thus can bring in containments to the pool.

[renesm1]

Personally I prefer to cover up and wear one-piece swimsuits or trisuits when swimming. Men wore similar styles back in the 1930s and these weren't too different from what women wore for swimming in that period.

[DenIM]

Budgie smugglers, thongs, shorts! Have you all lost your minds!?! Everyone knows that the most appropriate swimwear is the Mankini, hee,hee! On my visits to the beach or the swimming pool it has to be a full suit of armour; now where did I put my can of oil...?

[skirtyscot]

I can't remember if it was the French or German pools that have banned board shorts and similar. Reason given was that they are often used in "dirty" situations. e.g. playing in the sand or grass, and thus can bring in containments to the pool.

It's the French. I've come across this rule on holiday. A French friend told me that it is nothing to do with shorts already being dirty. In fact it's because of men's poor personal hygiene when finishing on the toilet - trunks keep any nasty items trapped inside but shorts let them float out into the pool. Yuck!