Why is it acceptable for women, even older or chubby women to wearfigure-hugging swimsuits or even bikinis but it seems to be entirely unacceptable for men to wear even modest figure-hugging swimwear (and be accused of being gay if they do)?

I think it's more of a reflection on the world we live in today. Generally speaking, in the last 100 years women, at least in Western culture, have progressed beyond that of males. What I mean by that is that women by large have been encouraged and have had the moral boost to be free and find their own identity and so on. They have, and rightfully so, been able to express themselves as themselves without the input from men. Now I'm speaking generally, we do still live in a male dominated society but women have had the momentum to forge their image through the years and push boundaries.

I think for men, we see slight instances of boundaries being pushed as far as what's acceptable and not for us in society. Questions are asked. The Mankini for example. That's a thing, and it goes with what you said you, if a guy wears one, he'd likely be laughed at and seen as gay if he pursued it.

But therein lies the problem. We laugh at it. Guys dint press for change and we certainly haven't gone out of our way to pursue it. We are still masculine and believe in being strong. It's only really now that men are allowed to cry openly. I think the masculine image is more deeply rooted in us and we find it hard to move away from that. Fame allows it more, guys can be more feminine and enjoy fashion etc, and it helps their image. But for the every day people in society, the ones we look at each day; the ones we live beside....it's not so. I think changes are happening but not at the root of society.

This is a long winded reply but I think it makes sense.

Wondered the same thing. It is ok for women to go nearly naked with their bikini's, thong's etc but guys all wear the down to the knee baggy 'swim suits'. don't get me wrong, I love the girls wearing nearly nothing, but why can't the guys do the same without criticism.

Ok. I don't get the knee-length "shorts" thing at all. It started with basketball (don't know why) but now all a guy can find in a store is knee-length swim or casual "shorts". They're NOT shorts but, rather, short pants. Are guys so vain these days that they're afraid to show their fat thighs to all those women they could have if they looked better? Do guys think that by covering up that women won't know they're ugly? Guess what? Women can tall you're ugly by looking at your face so they don't ever need to look at your legs!

As far as men not being allowed to wear tight Speedos, it has to do with men being the critics of fashion and not women. Do you think that a woman invented the two-piece bikini swimsuit? Or high heels or the push-up bra, for that matter?

Men are embarrassed to show themselves because men think that women, and other men, will judge them poorly if they don't look like Thor.

I am in pretty good shape for a 53 year-old and I feel better about my physical self now than I ever have in my life, including when I was a teenager or in my twenties. Will you ever see me somewhere other than a beach or poolside without a shirt? Don't count on it. That even though my stomach is the smallest it has ever been and my chest and arms are the largest they have ever been in my entire life. I'm 6'3" and weigh about 215 lbs. Shirtless? Forget about it.

Still I want my shorts to hit me about mid-thigh and not go to the knee. A Speedo? Don't think so.

Now the women really could wear just about anything and I will approve.

I want to proudly show my package, even though I am 68 (69 on Saturday).

Women (and other men) can take it or leave it.

I have to put up with women's cleavage all over the place, they can put up with my bulge.

I think the tendency to paint someone wearing a speedo, etc as "gay" is more a result of stereotyping by other men, not from women. Primarily it is a USA thing as well, due in the most part to the puritan roots of our culture. Europeans favor speedo type suits over the huge baggy things most wear in the US.

I deal with this issue by rejecting the whole idea that a bathing suit is even necessary. We belong to a nude resort and most of our weekends in the summer are spent there. If we go to a beach, it is a nude beach. For vacation we go somewhere where nude beaches are available. Once you strip to the skin, no generalities can be assumed due to your attire.