SpeedoForum.org

It seems like a racing suit or a so called "speedo" is generally only worn for competitive swimmers in America. You generally do not see people wearing them on the beach or public pools...

My question is... how do these companies make so enough money off of these swim suits (such as andrew christian, etc...) if no one in America wears them out in public? It is a fact, you will rarely see someone in public wearing one. I assume it is like my Michael Jackson music theory... Every guy listened to it, but no one wanted to admit it?

What are your opinions on how these companies are staying in business... if no one is buying the suits to wear them out in public? Also... if you answer is they sell other items such as underwear that everyone buys... why would they be selling bikinis/speedos for men if no one buys/wears them?

Personally I always wear speedo style swimmers under my board shorts I can't stand not having the support... maybe that is how they make money?
It also means I can strip wet shorts off at the car without too much worry about what people see etc... as speedo (etc) dry much quicker and I can slip on something else to drive home...

I think alot of people wear them in secrecy. Which is a shame, but I think the majority of people that buy them do.

The gay demographic probably makes up about 90% of their customers too so if you went to gay clubs, gay meets and stuff like that you'd see more people wearing them either on the outside or under their clothes.

I've always wanted to start up my own swimwear brand to see how they would sell (plus I've always wanted to do somesort of clothing line, and my love for swimwear would mean I would have to do them)

I see a lot of speedos in California, they must be making some money here. It is not a gay thing here, I think the popularity of swimming and water polo has something to do with it. Some days I don't see any shorts at the pool. I'm glad I'm not the only one wearing a speedo when I swim here.

If companies are losing money on the speed suits (including briefs, jammers, and now illegal longer suits) then they would stop selling them.
"Speedos" were originally made for competitive swimming and not everyday use, so if they are getting the competitive athlete they are fufilling the need. Secondly, they would up the cost to buy them if they were losing money. Unfortunatly for us competitve swimmers we generally must wear these suits and are forced to pay more for them.
Finally; boardshorts, goggles, and swimming "toys" are likely the majority of their profits. Speedos just make up enough for them to keep making and selling them.

Sorry for this being more businessy than this forum is suppose to be. I am just an Econ and Finance guy and this is rght up my alley.

swimming briefs are still live and well in competitive swimming up here in Canada... seeing as now you really only have the speedo or the jammer to chose from as your racing suit if you are a guy. and also, while they may not be selling a lot of swimming briefs to North Americans, they are for SURE selling enough to keep them quite comfy over in Europe, where it is still socially acceptable to wear speedos out in public in MANY places and in MANY countries all over the continent. North America is only a small population base compared to the rest of the world. specially when you take into consideration that East Asia holds a third of the whole world's population in just a hand full of countries and they still have a large number of public 'speedo' wearers over there.

though personally, i wouldn't mind seeing the speedo make a comeback in North America... having been a competitive swimming for 14 years, i MUCH rather wear a swim brief, than swim shorts

In Australia its not a gay thing at all. Everybody has them, heaps wear them under boardies because theyre quick dry, there are quite a few that wear them at the pool, less so at the beach, it is a part of school sports uniform and anybody that swims, triathlon etc wear them.

Totally agree Sam. It is common for them to be in the sports uniform and yeah... i would say 90+% of aussie guys (gay or straight) own a speedo.

The Boy Wonder wrote:I think alot of people wear them in secrecy. Which is a shame, but I think the majority of people that buy them do.

You're right. People are buying them otherwise all these web site based companies would go out of business. I think there are a ton of guys out there who wear them in private. Hardly any regular stores carry them. I was in one of the chain sporting goods stores the other day here in SoFL, and they had exactly two speedos. and they were both black and size XL!!!

JohnC wrote:I see a lot of speedos in California, they must be making some money here. It is not a gay thing here, I think the popularity of swimming and water polo has something to do with it. Some days I don't see any shorts at the pool. I'm glad I'm not the only one wearing a speedo when I swim here.

I havent traveled a lot in California but from what I saw in SoCal there were more speeds. I actually saw a few at the beach. Didn't get to any pools. A lot of the pics of water polo players here are from California. I think more guys are into swimming and water polo there than here in Florida. even though we have warmer weather here most of the year. People looked more healthy in SoCal and I dont think so many people were overweight as they are in FL.

I have always preferred to wear speedos both on the beach and at the pool - I just find them so much more comfortable for swimming than baggy shorts, and of course they make me feel sexy too.
I love to wear them in the garden too in summer but I think my wife thinks I am too old to be wearing them now - if only she understood how I feel when I am wearing speedos, maybe our sex life would improve!

And do not forget about the advertisement effect! even if we suppose that Gay community wouldn't buy these popular stuff, companies like Speedo do their best to design very effective and well performing swimming suits to persuade swimmers to wear their products, so every one in the world can see the brand of (eg) Speedo on the athlete suit; maybe now Speedo do not need to do these advertisement to sell even more, but it can keep it at the top market position

speedobelt wrote:If companies are losing money on the speed suits (including briefs, jammers, and now illegal longer suits) then they would stop selling them.
"Speedos" were originally made for competitive swimming and not everyday use, so if they are getting the competitive athlete they are fufilling the need. Secondly, they would up the cost to buy them if they were losing money. Unfortunatly for us competitve swimmers we generally must wear these suits and are forced to pay more for them.
Finally; boardshorts, goggles, and swimming "toys" are likely the majority of their profits. Speedos just make up enough for them to keep making and selling them.

Sorry for this being more businessy than this forum is suppose to be. I am just an Econ and Finance guy and this is rght up my alley.

The companies like Speedo, Nike, Tyr, etc. have made arrangements with many schools and colleges to "sponsor" swimming programs in return for the schools buying a particular brand (which are VERY expensive). When the suit makers are calling the shots on what brand/model a school's team must wear, it's a form of market manipulation.

In fact the tech suit issue was about FINA allowing those expensive suits (-IE- the LZR) most likely in return for some big $$$ under the table. Otherwise why would FINA change their rules to allow a mechanically aided swimming appliance that had been prohibited for decades?

It's a case of the old saying "You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours".

CD

JohnC wrote:I see a lot of speedos in California, they must be making some money here. It is not a gay thing here, I think the popularity of swimming and water polo has something to do with it. Some days I don't see any shorts at the pool. I'm glad I'm not the only one wearing a speedo when I swim here.

I go lap/fitness swimming at a public pool here in San Francisco and about 1/2 the guys wear conventional speedos. The rest are older guys who wear jammers or boardies.

CD

I was out at a university in North Carolina in June and swam in the university pool nearly every day (a poor Brit couldn't stand the heat!). I wasn't taking a census but I reckon that about a third of users were in speedos, most of the rest in jammers.
There was also a diving school on at the time, but that's another story!

Wow, thats great news from NC PeterSF!

PeterSF wrote:I was out at a university in North Carolina in June and swam in the university pool nearly every day (a poor Brit couldn't stand the heat!). I wasn't taking a census but I reckon that about a third of users were in speedos, most of the rest in jammers.
There was also a diving school on at the time, but that's another story!

If guys are uncomfortable with wearing speedos because they think they are too “revealing” of their "package" and their upper legs, here’s another view point they just might want to consider before slipping on a pair of jammers:

http://forums.usms.org/showpost.php?p=2 ... stcount=10

CD

JohnC wrote:Wow, thats great news from NC PeterSF!

"Like" (I keep trying to hit the "like" button here.... )

I swim competitively in the UK and I always wear speedos to train and race in so I am comfortable in them, however when I go to the beach I wear board shorts with speedos underneath.

The only time I wear speedos on the beach or in a public place other than a swimming pool would be if a mate was wearing them too, or if I was tanning.

What you don't know is they don't rely on just selling speedos for swimmers. They have a gamet of companies under there umbrella. So they get a huge contract selling or manufacturing other designer mainstream labels. Once they gobble up those brands selling speedos in the back of there trunk won't kill them financially. Unless someone wants to buy there brand name and they need capital to go on bigger or different way.
http://www.warnaco.com/index.cfm/category/1/