A "Showerthought" is a simple term used to describe the thoughts that pop into your head while you're doing everyday things like taking a shower, driving, or just daydreaming. The most popular seem to be lighthearted clever little truths, hidden in daily life.
Here are some examples to inspire your own showerthoughts:
If you made it this far, showerthoughts is accepting new mods. This community is generally tame so its not a lot of work, but having a few more mods would help reports get addressed a little sooner.
Whats it like to be a mod? Reports just show up as messages in your Lemmy inbox, and if a different mod has already addressed the report, the message goes away and you never worry about it.
I've never in my life been comfortable with anyone seeing me on a bikini, no matter how good I feel about my body. The "difference" between that and underwear or virtual nudity never permeated my brain 😂
Basically I think it's weird that they're treated so culturally different and don't feel comfortable in them myself, but also support the choice of whatever bathing suits people prefer or nudity in designated areas
It's not just Bikinis. It's all swim wear, saunas in Europe, baths in Japan. It's just socially acceptable and expected in the right context, and that expectation plays a huge role in comfort. The context seems to flip a switch in people's brain.
People are right in saying it's context and consent, and it's not completely gendered. Men's swimsuits are basically just boxer shorts. Normally I'm not self-conscious about that, but a few months ago I signed up for a toddler swimming class with my son where I wound up being the only Dad, and suddenly I felt a bit exposed. I think the normalcy of walking around in nothing but a small pair of shorts kinda evaporated once I was the only man in the room.
Do what makes you comfortable.
You'll be out with family and friends, in an environment where most any swimsuit would be expected. Any lack of confidence would come from your own internal comfort, so you do you.
As a more practical suggestion if you're on the fence, wear a wrap? Then you can decide how you feel in the moment.
social conditioning
I wouldnt go out with my underwear in the garden.
But going with my bath shorts is totally fair game to my mind.
I would even hesitate dipping into the beach with my underwear even if it was with my mother/father.
It's somehow weird to me. Even if it's totally irrational.
You get used to it, especially when nobody cares. Walking into a corner shop in nothing but shorts is pretty Sus in a city in winter, but if it's a hot summer day and the corner shop is near the beach, it's fine.
There's a restaurant at the end of the pier where I grew up that always has a sign that says "no shirt, no shoes, no problem"
Something about feeling like a mom I guess? Idk I don’t have kids! xD For me, rocking a bikini = feeling confident about my body. I used to wear smaller bikinis when I was younger but now I find swim shorts much more comfortable, practical, carefree. Why are us women wearing small tight swim clothes anyway, that you gotta adjust, fuss with the strings, prevent the nip slip, etc. Meanwhile men wear comfy shorts? Well it helps that I’m not at that stage in my life where I’m looking to date or impress anyone lol.
I will say that if I were diligent about going to the gym and had a rockin bod, then yes. I’d probably wear that bikini to show off my hard work😉💪🏼
People here saying consent (fair enough) but let me tell you, clothes are suggestive. There is more to suggestion and context than the actual content. Is anybody shocked to see a nude statue in a museum or something? Or in a painting? Now how about somebody wearing nothing but a g-string and a harness? You can argue the harnessed person in a gstring is less exposed than any nude. I say no. Clothing adds to the exposure sometimes. Underwear isn't meant to be seen, so when it's seen, it prompts judgement.
To summarize your statement, social conditioning
I go to a nudist resort fairly frequently. Most of it is clothing optional except for the pools, so you see people walking around in various states of undress depending on the weather and what they're doing (watched a guy weedwacking naked last time I was there, seemed ill-advised IMO)
You pretty quickly stop seeing nudity as being sexy there . It certainly doesn't help that the average nudist is middle aged or older and often not in the best shape.
This resort also attracts a decent amount of swingers. While the nudists aren't particularly trying to impress anyone, that's pretty much the whole reason the swingers are there. So how do you make yourself look sexier than just walking around naked? You wear something. Bathing suits, pasties, big flashy jewelry, crazy hats, see-through dresses, ropes, etc.
And though many of them aren't much more attractive than the nudists, they turn some heads.
watched a guy weedwacking naked last time I was there
In case you were wondering, this is a weedwacker
I shall choose to go with my initial interpretation of the term.
Exactly. I see a bikini every time I see people swimming. Underwear though, that implies some form of intimacy
See also: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TheissTitillationTheory : "The sexiness of an outfit is directly proportional to the perceived possibility that a vital piece of it might fall off."
We have an ad for ice-creams in NZ that covers this topic https://youtu.be/h-Lx2ihpGbc
Did he call them budgie smugglers?
Yup! Cause it looks like you’re smuggling some small birds in there!
Tog tog tog tog
I just got done working a comic convention this weekend. You might be pretty surprised by the general lack of clothing most people wear to those things (calling it a "costume").
Just this weekend alone, I saw at least five guys walking around without a shirt, and I don't know how many women wearing things that showed basically everything. Like so tight and thin I could tell what kind and color underwear they were wearing.
And this was in Indianapolis, far from a beach or lake, right in the middle of downtown.
Shoot, was GenCon this weekend?
Like the other reply said, it was PopCon, so you got at least a couple weeks.
Seems a little early for it.
PopCon
Yup, PopCon
We are on vacation right now and my SO actually wears only the bottom of the bikini and goes bra less to the beach, because she says it's unfair I can free my nipples and she can not. Well that's pretty fair I would say?
We are European though and probably a bit less prude than US Americans.
my SO actually wears only the bottom of the bikini and goes bra less to the beach, because she says it’s unfair I can free my nipples and she can not
Doesn't sound like she can't.
Society and shit. I say boobs should be free.
If boobs had guns like in Austin Power, our heads would explode trying to figure out if we cared about the 2nd amendment more or being prudes.
Context and culture and expectations. I agree with your point, but there isn't a logical/sensible answer to these things.
I'm a man and I don't think it would be acceptable for me to wear a Speedo swimsuit or have my bum exposed the way some thong bikini bottoms do. Communities, societies and cultures dictate what's acceptable in an unsaid way. It is what it is.
Some commenters in this thread are reacting in a pointed way because questions like yours seem to imply that there should be a judgement of control of what women can/cannot do. People can do what they want, but it's also OK to think about the absurdity of society's rules......like why some women with a certain body shape can wear bikinis but others get disgusted looks. Or why it is so socially unacceptable to wear the Borat mankini. Or taking it further: why is full nudity so unacceptable and offensive? My answer is: there is no logical answer and this is what the societal collective seem to have agreed.
Swimming apparel is explicitly made from slightly thicker and very different material, keeping you from looking like you entered a wet-tshirt-contest. That alone is a big subconscious help. Or are you talking about the amount (or rather lack) of clothing?
It’s more of the general exposure of my midriff, cleavage, and cheeks. But I’ll probably just say fuck it and rock it anyways lol.
The difference is consent
The difference is one is battle armor.
And I doubt you would feel comfortable with someone staring at you in a bikini either.
Obviously consent is the non negotiable standard nowadays (or I wish it were so) but it's true that beaches/swimming pools as a social construct allow for a lessened sense of prudishness in public. Underwears simply do not belong to this construct
Were you confident or just lacked a more adult understanding of nudity plus you had a greater desire for praise for your physical attributes?
Consent. If you see a woman in her swimsuit in public it's because she wants you to. If you see a woman in her underwear in public it's because she wants you to. If you see a woman in either when she DOESN'T want you to then she's likely to have the same reaction. Same as dude's in swim trunks. Public? Fine. Walk in on changing? Likely to be a bit "ahhhh!"
Frills
Disclaimer: I am a strait white mail
It does tbh