So it took Daniel Craig’s sexy trudge out of the ocean in the new Bond flick in those now-legendary pale blue La Perla speedos to make the world stand up and recognize the budgie as the next big style trend in men’s swimwear.
For long, a man’s choice of beachwear had been deemed a reflection of his sexual orientation. But with the advent of the metro-sexual man, the choice no longer remains between the extremes of a pair of racing briefs or baggy shorts.
Today men’s swimwear market is overflowing with styles, colors, fabrics and prints to choose from, and being bright, colorful and sexy is very, very permissible.
‘You wouldn’t say there’s one trend. But there’s more variety out there for men now.’ Kelly Ingersole, a buyer for retail chain Swimwear Galore, has been keeping an eye on the demand for the new kind of swimwear. ‘Men are looking for more high-fashion items, and bold tropical prints.”
The demand for trendier, brighter and more attention grabbing beachwear in men’s section has gone up says Dean White, of Bang Clothing in Prahran, who sells the hugely popular aussieBum range and imports a lot of labels from the U.S. and Brazil, such as Rufskin and Pistol Pete. “We’re selling a lot of white and bright colors. There’s a lot of 1970s and retro cuts around.”
Sleeker, sexier, more stylish and definitely much smaller swimwear is now set to do the rounds across the beaches of the world.
Clement Chuah, of new Melbourne men’s fashion label Clemente Talarico, says,“Once upon a time, only a very small minority of men, the gay guys, was interested in looking hot, but now it ranges across the general public.”
Chuah designed his new range to “enhance the masculinity of the male form”, and has gone for an upmarket, retro St Tropez feel. And responding to the public debate over the propriety of these short shorts, he has focused on improving the hold of the garment “It’s also much more chlorine-resistant so it lasts longer and the colors will hold. And you can do laps in them.’ He’s has used Italian Lycra, which has a higher density than normal Lycra, so the trunks hold their form.
Not too long ago millionaire hotelier Justin Hemmes, was dubbed an “offender” for wearing Speedos by a Sydney tabloid newspaper, while Prime minister-in-waiting Malcolm Turnbull was criticized in The Australian for “parading in ill-advised budgie smugglers that left very, very little to the imagination and were stupendously un-prime ministerial”.
But times are changing. The modern man is not too shy to show off his assets, and wearing a bright budgie smuggler to the local beach isn’t as taboo as it used to be. The notion that manly bumps are shameful and unsightly and should be covered up with haggardly baggy board shorts is dated. And the creators of Casino Royale obviously agree.
