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[[Image:Speedos.jpg|right|thumb|275px|Man wearing speedos]]
<!-- Image with disputed fair-use status removed: [[Image:Speedo.jpg|thumb|220px|right|Competitive style speedo]] -->A '''speedo''', which takes its name from the [[swimsuit]] brand [[Speedo]], may refer to any [[briefs]]-style male swimsuit such as those used in competitive [[swimming]], regardless of the actual manufacturer (see [[genericized trademark]]). Such garments are otherwise also referred to as competition briefs, swim briefs, posing briefs or racing briefs. The term is most common in [[American English]] but is also widely used in other English-speaking countries.
Like the underwear brief, speedos feature a "V-shape" front and solid back providing form-fitting coverage. They are typically worn below the lower waist. They are secured by a drawstring and thin banding at the upper thighs. Most speedos are made of a [[nylon]] and [[lycra]]/[[spandex]] composite. Suits commonly have an elastic front lining made of similar fabric and are secured around the waist with a cord [[draw string]].
Speedos are used by professional and recreational athletes in many [[List of water sports|water sports]]. They are preferred in competitive swimming for the reduction of the water's [[Drag (physics)|drag]] on the swimmer, although knee-length [[jammers]] are also common for male swimmers. Speedos are typically worn by competitive [[diving|divers]] and in [[water polo]]. Some participants in sports that require a [[wetsuit]] such as [[waterskiing]], [[Scuba]] diving, [[surfing]], and [[wakeboarding]] prefer to wear speedos as an undergarment to the wetsuit, as opposed to shorts, for purposes of comfort.
==Manufacturers==
In addition to the style's namesake company Speedo, competitive briefs-style swimwear are produced by companies including [[Nike Inc.|Nike]], [[
==Styles==
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===Racing Suits===
The most common racing suit styles are 1.5in to 3in panelled briefs (as measured by the length of the suit's side panel). The racing suit's main function is to reduce the [[Drag (physics)|drag]] of an athlete in water, thus improving his time. For this reason racing suits are made of materials that hug the body, minimize friction and minimize water retention. Lycra (Spandex) suits generally produce less drag, but are also more vulnerable to prolonged exposure to [[chlorine]] than nylon. Therefore, nylon suits are preferred for training and practice, where the increased durability is required for the long periods of usage and the extra resistance has is a training benefit. Lycra suits (and composite [[hi-tech swimwear fabrics]]) are preferred for actual racing. In [[water polo]] and sometimes in [[diving]], suits may have panels greater than 3 inches.
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===Drag Suits===
Some swimmers use a specialized training suit to simulate increased drag during practice. Drag suits are briefs with an outer layer of looser fabric - often mesh or nylon - to increase resistance against the water and build up the swimmer's endurance. They come in a variety of styles, though most resemble a looser fitting square-cut suit.
===Triathlon Suits===
A special variety of briefs made for the [[triathlon]] features the racing suit's design for the swimming portion of the race but also incorporates light padding in the [[crotch]] of the garment for the [[bicycle]] portion of the race.
===Square Leg Suits===
The square cut or square leg style suit is sometimes used as a slightly more conservative style than the racing brief for water polo and diving, or for recreational wear. They typically sit low on the waist and high on the thigh, but provide more coverage for the upper leg than briefs. The square-cut style was popular as a recreational swimsuit for men during the 1950's.[http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/news/local/states/california/14726794.htm]
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===Men's Bikinis===
Suits less than 1.5 inches, sometimes called [[bikini]]s, are less common for sporting purposes and, unlike the racing style, are not designed specifically for drag reduction. Bikinis are sometimes worn for recreational uses including [[fashion]] preferences and [[sun tanning]] to minimize suit coverage. This style is also popular in the sport of [[bodybuilding]] where it is known as the posing brief.
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Swimwear designs in the 20th century, especially among women, moved progressively toward comfort and became more revealing with the introduction of styles such as the [[bikini]]. Speedos may be the equivalent swimwear development for men, but the fashion has caught on at greatly different paces depending on the region of the world.
Austin Silver, a fashion consultant at [AskMen.com] points to the athletic advantages, comfort, range of motion, and obtaining a better tan as the main reasons stated by people who wear the style. [http://www.askmen.com/fashion/austin_60/70_fashion_style.html] Others recommend their hydrodynamics for swimming, much like competitive swimmers. The speedo style also dries quickly for wear out of the water.
Due to its apparent utilitarian value for both [[swimming]] and [[sunbathing]], the bikini-type competitive swimsuits colloquially known as
In the [[United States of America]], however, the opposite trend has developed since the [[1980]]s. While women's swimwear remains scanty, men's swimwear has evolved into boardshorts that are baggy and long enough to reach the knees, or below. Analysts attribute this [[phenomenon]] to the unique and intriguing interplay of [[religion]], [[conservatism]] and [[human sexuality]] in the [[United States|U.S.]], as in an [http://home.wanadoo.nl/ipce/library_two/files/esser_baggy.htm essay]by Kevin Esser.
===World===
The fashionability of speedos varies greatly in different parts of the world. The style is commonly worn by men in regions such as [[Australia]], [[South America]], and [[Europe]] (as well as [[competitive swimming|competitive swimmers]] and [[diving|divers]] in all countries). In Europe, says Silver, "Speedos are the bathing suit of choice for men, young and old." Fashion expert Chris Ronvy concurs, noting their comparative popularity in Europe over the United States, where he "recommend(s) wearing swimming trunks instead of a Speedo any day."[http://www.askmen.com/fashion/fashiontip_60/74_fashion_advice.html]
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===North America===
In contrast to Europe, more modest styles such as [[boardshorts]] are the most common swimsuit style for men in [[North America]] where the speedo is sometimes seen as too revealing or aesthetically unfashionable on some people. One of the most common American fashion complaints is that speedos are worn by "the wrong people." [http://www.askmen.com/fashion/austin_60/70b_fashion_style.html] A lot of the fashion preference in this region appears to be the result of the negative [[stereotyped|stereotypical]] image of an overweight, elderly, and/or excessively hairy [[European]] walking on the beach in a speedo-styled suit. Several fashion surveys of North American women have rated speedos unfavorably due to this negative image. Silver observes "it's all about the environment" and predicts that the negative stereotype of the "fat, hairy, old guy who struts his stuff" would go by the wayside among Americans if the design became fashionable in their culture.[http://www.askmen.com/fashion/austin_60/70b_fashion_style.html] For example, the negative "elderly European" image is not as much of problem in New Zealand and Australia, where the style is more popular among younger generations. [http://www.nzherald.co.nz/index.cfm?ObjectID=3542890] Recent data showing most Speedos in New Zealand are bought by men aged between 20 and 32.
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Even in North America, fashion opinions about the speedo are often more favorable when the person is in shape and in specific circumstances - typically when worn by athletes and physically fit persons. Many celebrities and pop culture icons who don the speedo style such as [[Prince William]] of Great Britain and football (soccer) star [[David Beckham]] have gotten media attention for their fashion choice.[http://www.thestudentzone.com/articles/article.php?ContentID=382]
==External links==
*[http://www.speedo.com Speedo Inc] - the original supplier
*[http://www.anu.edu.au/andc/ozwords/October_2003/speedos.html What We Wear Down Under] - Article on the various Australian names and slang for a speedo
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*[http://northcarolina.scout.com/2/504356.html From 'To Hate Like This': Part IV], Will Blythe's account of dealing with "Speedo Guy" (from March 2006)
*[http://men.style.com/gq/fashion/styleguy/grooming/234 GQ: Style Guy grooming], speedo "shaving" tips
[[Category:Swimsuits]]
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