I was going through my news app and came across something interesting. The BBC reported that tight swimwear, aka swim briefs, is the most hated piece of clothing in the UK. It ranks above leather pants and Crocs. It got me thinking if this was a wider issue in the US and rest of the world?

Every year we do our Swim Brief Challenge, to have guys wear swim briefs where they feel comfortable. It could be a private sun deck, private pool, public lake or beach. It’s about easing into it with your comfort level and building on it. I have worn swim briefs since I was 18, both in private and public. I love the fit and feel of them and prefer them as swimwear over board shorts. More of our readers gay/bi/straight are starting to wear them as well.

My biggest concern about the article was, “are guys wearing the correct size?” If you’re into underwear/swimwear you know sizing varies per manufacturer. If you wear a size too small it feels like your manhood is in a vice and being squeezed to death. If too big it offers no support and can be baggy. Also, different body types look better in different designs. For example, I’m a bigger guy and a 3-inch side swim brief fits better and looks better. If you’re a muscle guy, going for a 1-inch side can look great. It depends on your body composition and comfort level.

Outside of us underwear guys, very few guys talk about underwear and swimwear. If you have fallen into the trap of wearing the wrong size or not knowing about different sizing, you don’t have anyone to ask advice to about the gear. We need to be more open about gear and talk. It’s a process I have been advocating for over 10 years!

I”m curious as to what you guys think about this article? Why do you think it’s the most hated clothing in the UK? What can be done to change the image of the swim brief? Both for the US and UK. You guys are pretty smart and always bring up great points.

Read the BBC Tight Swimwear article

It’s time for Underwear Deals! If you missed some of the Memorial Day sales, never fear, Baskit is here to help you expand your underwear drawer. This weeks $12 Tuesday pair is the Luxe Boxer Brief. You can get the classic colors or add some fun into your underwear drawer. Remember its only on sale for one day.

I wanted to run a previous Swimwear Shoot from 2014. We are shooting the Swimwear Guide next Sunday! So get ready for a super fun shoot!

I’m not the biggest thong fan on UNB. I do have quite a few of them but they aren’t my daily pair I choose to wear. I usually wear them when I”m feeling super sexy or have a reason to wear them. My go-to style has always been the bikini brief or pouch brief. When I think back to when I got my first thongs. I’m trying to remember the very first pair I bought.

I remember seeing a brand in the 80’s in one of the fitness magazines. Either Exercise for Men Only or Men’s Workout or there was another back in the day. There was a brand called, I think, Michael David. They had a guy in a yellow brief with what looked to be a black thong over it. My 18-year-old mind had to have one. I had to find one. This was the days before the internet so getting one would be difficult. Plus I didn’t have a credit card to buy the one I saw in the magazine.

One a trip to Rich’s (which became Macy’s), I would always hit the underwear section before going to the bookstore down the mall. There on the shelf was a black thong. Just what I imagined was in the picture. I already had a yellow swim brief. I could recreate the look. I grabbed my sized and walked up to the counter and bought it. Being so excited I skipped the bookstore and drove straight home. The 20-minute drive was killing me. I ran to my room and put it on. I liked it and then did the look with the swim brief. I was in heaven.

There was one problem with that thong the strap in the back was way too wide and annoyed me throughout the day. This would delay any other thong purchases for a while. That was until I started to work out. I joined a gym way away from where I lived and would rarely go. But it was open 24 hours and I wanted something fun to wear. Another store across from the mall had more spandex, swimsuit type of thongs. I went over and bought 1 and tried it out. I loved the fit and feel. Especially at the gym. I was bold enough to change in plain view of anyone in the locker room, I didn’t care. The brands of these thongs were Sauvage. Which I know they don’t make anymore.

Then I went back to buy 2-3 more and told the guy working that I wore them to the gym and we had a conversation about them for about 10 mins. Looking back he was gay too and I think wanted to pick me up. I was so clueless back then on when I was being hit on. But I kept wearing them to the gym.

As of today I still have quite a few thongs. The one thong that brought me back to wearing them after I was a teen was the 2(X)ist Y-Back Thong. It was amazing and I still have several of these in my collection. Other favorites now are Joe Snyder Pride Frame, Gregg Homme Torrid line, and Cocksox CX05 thong.