Girls, why do women wear bikinis?

Question

Let me preface this with the following. Yes, girls have the right to wear what they want. And a woman's clothing should be determined mainly by her preferences, not the opinions of men.

Having said that, I'm not the only guy who wonders why a lot of girls prefer wearing bikinis. Most women I know wouldn't want a man to see them in their underwear unless it's someone they've chosen to be intimate with. Yet, many women seem perfectly comfortable (if not happy) showing their skin in public at the beach or pool.

Not to mention the fact that some bikini styles are more revealing than others. I've seen girls at the beach wearing what is essentially a tiny bra and a G-string. It doesn't seem remotely practical, and it shows quite a bit more skin than many kinds of women's underwear.

So I mean it as an honest question. Ladies, why do you wear bikinis (if you do)? How do they make you feel?

Answer 1

MeghanL

Xper 7

Okay, I'll preface by thanking you for recognizing our right to decide for ourselves what we wear.
Now then. Like other things I wear, I wear bikinis because I want to. I like how they look on me. For swimming I find the athletic style bikinis allow more freedom of movement.
Regarding your comparing bikinis to underwear I think most recognize that swimwear is swimwear & underwear is underwear, & don't confuse the 2.

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1 Person

Dave9623

1 y
Obviously, bikinis are waterproof and underwear is not, so they have different purposes. But having said that, I think most folks also recognize that bikinis reveal about as much skin as a bra and panties, depending on style.

For us guys, swim trunks cover a lot more than boxer shorts or (especially) briefs do, so I don't feel like I'm wearing underwear in public when I wear trunks to the pool. But in terms of APPEARANCE, bikinis are quite revealing, just like underwear. Now, clearly girls feel different about wearing a bikini versus showing their underwear in public. Part of my question is: why?

Although guys can also wear Speedos to the beach or pool, which is essentially wearing waterproof briefs. But at least from what I've seen, it is FAR more common for girls to wear bikinis than for guys to wear Speedos.
MeghanL

1 y
Swimwear & underwear serve different purposes, of course. With underwear there are connotations of intimacy that swimwear doesn't have. I believe that's the biggest driver. A similar example - I go out in shorts & a crop top, showing a lot of my legs as well as my tummy. While I may get looks that's still considered acceptable in public. Whereas if I go to the same place in my robe & pajamas, not so much, even though I'm showing less skin.

With Speedos I think a lot is with the culture. I've seen European men wearing them on vacations outside the US, most of whom did not exactly rock the look. American men generally don't wear them as casual swimwear. I would defer to the guys for the reasons.
Dave9623

1 y
That's true. I just find it interesting how in some situations, how much skin you show isn't the only connotation of whether or not your attire is generally accepted. Personally, I'd be far more comfortable wearing my pajama pants in a public park as opposed to a pair of short shorts (even if they are clearly running shorts) because I don't like showing much leg above the thigh. And it makes sense in my head for both sexes to wear less clothes sleeping in bed than they do out and about. But it doesn't always work that way.

Also, most men whom I've ever seen wearing Speedos are either Europeans, competitive swimmers, competitive divers, or some mix of the three. I'd say it's because American men don't generally like to show off their legs in this day and age. In fact, there's also a stereotype that only gay men would wear short shorts or Speedos. (It's dumb, but it exists).

Meanwhile, Western women don't seem to mind showing off their legs, or they even enjoy it. Would you say that's true?
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MeghanL

1 y
I can't speak for all western women but I like showing off my legs. So weather permitting I wear shorts, skorts & other such clothes, in dressier settings short dresses ( where appropriate).

Recently I've seen competitive swimmers wearing longer swimsuits, almost knee-length, & sometimes full body suits. I've also noticed that shorter shorts on straight men are coming back.

As for sleepwear it depends on the season. We have cold winters where I live, & I used to sleep in long pajama pants & a tank top in the winter. Much less in the summer.

Answer 2

Dave9623

Obviously, bikinis are waterproof and underwear is not, so they have different purposes. But having said that, I think most folks also recognize that bikinis reveal about as much skin as a bra and panties, depending on style.

For us guys, swim trunks cover a lot more than boxer shorts or (especially) briefs do, so I don't feel like I'm wearing underwear in public when I wear trunks to the pool. But in terms of APPEARANCE, bikinis are quite revealing, just like underwear. Now, clearly girls feel different about wearing a bikini versus showing their underwear in public. Part of my question is: why?

Although guys can also wear Speedos to the beach or pool, which is essentially wearing waterproof briefs. But at least from what I've seen, it is FAR more common for girls to wear bikinis than for guys to wear Speedos.

Answer 3

MeghanL

Swimwear & underwear serve different purposes, of course. With underwear there are connotations of intimacy that swimwear doesn't have. I believe that's the biggest driver. A similar example - I go out in shorts & a crop top, showing a lot of my legs as well as my tummy. While I may get looks that's still considered acceptable in public. Whereas if I go to the same place in my robe & pajamas, not so much, even though I'm showing less skin.

With Speedos I think a lot is with the culture. I've seen European men wearing them on vacations outside the US, most of whom did not exactly rock the look. American men generally don't wear them as casual swimwear. I would defer to the guys for the reasons.

Answer 4

Dave9623

That's true. I just find it interesting how in some situations, how much skin you show isn't the only connotation of whether or not your attire is generally accepted. Personally, I'd be far more comfortable wearing my pajama pants in a public park as opposed to a pair of short shorts (even if they are clearly running shorts) because I don't like showing much leg above the thigh. And it makes sense in my head for both sexes to wear less clothes sleeping in bed than they do out and about. But it doesn't always work that way.

Also, most men whom I've ever seen wearing Speedos are either Europeans, competitive swimmers, competitive divers, or some mix of the three. I'd say it's because American men don't generally like to show off their legs in this day and age. In fact, there's also a stereotype that only gay men would wear short shorts or Speedos. (It's dumb, but it exists).

Meanwhile, Western women don't seem to mind showing off their legs, or they even enjoy it. Would you say that's true?

Answer 5

MeghanL

I can't speak for all western women but I like showing off my legs. So weather permitting I wear shorts, skorts & other such clothes, in dressier settings short dresses ( where appropriate).

Recently I've seen competitive swimmers wearing longer swimsuits, almost knee-length, & sometimes full body suits. I've also noticed that shorter shorts on straight men are coming back.

As for sleepwear it depends on the season. We have cold winters where I live, & I used to sleep in long pajama pants & a tank top in the winter. Much less in the summer.

Answer 6

MaddyJ | 281 opinions shared on Fashion & Beauty topic.

Xper 6

I always wear bikinis and never really thought about it. They are just common swimwear. Good for swimming, tanning, lounging. And they are comfy

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Answer 7

Emma14f

Xper 1

I’ve always worn bikinis and never really think about it too much. I like the way they look and feel. If i’m going swimming in the public pool i’ll usually wear a bikini. I agree though some do show a heck of a lot of skin.

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2 People

Answer 8

sheikalana | 1.1K opinions shared on Fashion & Beauty topic.

Guru

To get most of their bodies tanned.

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1 Person

Girls, why do women wear bikinis?

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