Men's Thong Forum
General => Questions and Opinions => Topic started by: bemapiviz on June 02, 2020, 10:01:39 PM
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Which actions do you think underwear brands should do to normalize male thongs? (with this I don't mean thongs would become in the most worn underwear by men, just not to be considered as a freak if you wear it).
I think they should sell their thongs in physical shops, specially in those shops where youngest potentially wearers buy their clothes and underwear because if they see thongs next to boxer briefs, they would consider thongs as an option more. I think this is important because most of underwear brands offer thongs in their catalogue, but they're only available on the internet and if underwear is usually bought in phisycal shops, only people with special interest is going to buy thongs. Even more, I think the probability to take atention to thongs in a physical shop is higger than in an online shop, specially if thongs are in a different section of the target of buyer.
In my opinion, youngest wearer should have priority for brands because they probably haven't got the same prejudices that people in their 30's or 40's, encore when you're young you do what the group do at that age (the group probably wouldn't have prejudices if they see thongs in shop next to typical male underwear) and thus that market action would be more rentable, which is probaly another reason why it's very difficult to find thongs in a physical shop.
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I think it would help if there was a selection of thongs as well as bikini style briefs on the shelves at our local brick and mortar stores along with the, now, typical selection of underwear. Just seeing that there is a choice that is readily available would propel people to got things a go. Some would be hooked, some not. Either way it would open up thongs as a normal option. I know for me when I was young, seeing thongs in stores definitely help with my curiosity and willingness to give them a try. Obviously I fell in love with the thong. I can se others doing the same if the option was there when shopping for underwear and swimwear.
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Hi, I do agree that if the high street shops were to sell thongs then it's would heave a great impact on there social acceptance, I remember in the late 80s early 90s thongs were in every menswear shop, unfortunately only a few were any good, BHS were good, debenhams who are the only high street shop still with thong in store are still not great, M&S were terrible, a lot were a bit novelty and not a good comfortable fit, this is not going to ever become every day underwear. I wonder on this if we missed the chance we had as high street shopping is very much on the decline. We need celebrity indorsement, get a few high pofile sportsmen wearing them and telling the world how great they are, with the backup of a quality product at a decent price..
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When there were plenty of thongs in the stores some time ago, male thong wearers were seen as freaks then. Availability is not much of an issue when it comes to normalizing. The only way to normalize is showing up in thongs in public. Exposure by normal male persons in thongs will raise the tolerance. When a guy in a thong is there with his girlfriend/wife it will go even better. When the younger generation would have the balls to go against peer pressure, the freakyness will slowly diminish. Maybe it might even be cool to wear a thong. ;)
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I agree that the lack of thongs in stores can be frustrating but i don’t believe that would be the key by itself. I believe the evolution of sports equipment, whether it be a cup supporter or football pads have switched to be integrated into boxer brief style underwear. When I was in high school and played sports, a cup was worn with a jockstrap. This made the presence of jockstraps in the locker common place. Like a dance belt is common for male dancers, if more athletes had the option of undergarments in thong styles, this would also help with the normalization situation.
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Which actions do you think underwear brands should do to normalize male thongs? (with this I don't mean thongs would become in the most worn underwear by men, just not to be considered as a freak if you wear it).
I think they should sell their thongs in physical shops, specially in those shops where youngest potentially wearers buy their clothes and underwear because if they see thongs next to boxer briefs, they would consider thongs as an option more. I think this is important because most of underwear brands offer thongs in their catalogue, but they're only available on the internet and if underwear is usually bought in phisycal shops, only people with special interest is going to buy thongs. Even more, I think the probability to take atention to thongs in a physical shop is higger than in an online shop, specially if thongs are in a different section of the target of buyer.
In my opinion, youngest wearer should have priority for brands because they probably haven't got the same prejudices that people in their 30's or 40's, encore when you're young you do what the group do at that age (the group probably wouldn't have prejudices if they see thongs in shop next to typical male underwear) and thus that market action would be more rentable, which is probaly another reason why it's very difficult to find thongs in a physical shop.
That is right. Few stores sell thongs. You can find a wide variety on internet.
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unfortunately i think the issue is more complicated and tied to so many things, but ultimately the idea and image of masculinity, toxic masculinity and homophobia.
too many straight men thing anything not a boxer is 'panties', and straight male dominated cultures [which is most if not all] tend to think of anything else as "less".
We and culture has to actively work on breaking down those barriers, like intimacy with friends [even I dont hug friends, thats something I have to work through], accepting bodies and nudity as normal and not shameful or sexy, and not judging others. We can do only so much with visibility and our own 'activisim' but it's going to take a culture shift, which is slow. and unfortunately, being more accepting of other people's underwear choices and expanding one's own is super low priority, in the state of the world right now :(
one thing might be to actively ask retailers corporate offices to offer more variety in their stores, offer accessible brands with large ranges maybe, to encourage them to give folks better access and instant gratification compared to online shopping. I know many retailers are losing the battle to Amazon and online shopping, and may be open to suggestions?
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TxBulgeBum - AMEN! I could not have said it better.
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I probably have an unpopular opinion for this thread specifically, but I personally get a kick out of thongs for men being non-normalized. Something about their "deviant" nature makes wearing them more exciting for me.
I do agree it would be nice to have more selection in regular stores. I would like to be able to get a better idea of their fit before buying. I have particular tastes, and often pictures online don't give you the full idea of the general shape.
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I agree with Billy. If men's thongs became normalized, male thongers wouldn't have that wow factor.
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unfortunately i think the issue is more complicated and tied to so many things, but ultimately the idea and image of masculinity, toxic masculinity and homophobia.
too many straight men thing anything not a boxer is 'panties', and straight male dominated cultures [which is most if not all] tend to think of anything else as "less".
We and culture has to actively work on breaking down those barriers, like intimacy with friends [even I dont hug friends, thats something I have to work through], accepting bodies and nudity as normal and not shameful or sexy, and not judging others. We can do only so much with visibility and our own 'activisim' but it's going to take a culture shift, which is slow. and unfortunately, being more accepting of other people's underwear choices and expanding one's own is super low priority, in the state of the world right now :(
one thing might be to actively ask retailers corporate offices to offer more variety in their stores, offer accessible brands with large ranges maybe, to encourage them to give folks better access and instant gratification compared to online shopping. I know many retailers are losing the battle to Amazon and online shopping, and may be open to suggestions?
I agree a lot with you, it's true that gender stereotypes and homophobia are part of this problem. If you use are heterosexual and use thongs you're going to be considered gay -even worse, they consider to be gay as something bad.
Obviously, the end of homophobia is much more important than the end of prejudices of thongs for men, but I think there is more, there is less homophobia than years ago and prejudices in thongs are the same. I think many times gay people break gender stereotypes and heterosexual people after breaking those stereotypes begin to do what gays began before to do but I've got the impression that thongs are seen by gay people as heterosexual people do. I asked something relative to that when I started in this forum (http://mensthongforum.com/index.php?topic=485.0) and most of answers were "similar to heterosexual men". The idea of that thread was due to a conversation with a gay friend who I wanted to tell (because I thought he had got less prejudices) I use thongs sometimes and when the conversation was about that, he said that's freak so I didn't tell him.
PS: In your country men don't hugh or dont wear briefs? That's very curious for me.
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Well I mean it’s all subjective, and I’m from the southern Central US... but in general, friendly greetings I experience are fist bumps, waves, and nods. I’m not offered hugs often from men I’m friendly with.
And if I’m offered hugs at all, men women, sometimes family, I’m not comfortable with it. I don’t like physical intimacy or even closeness unless it’s my partner lol.
As for briefs, I mean I guess generic briefs from hands or Calvin Klein are common enough. But generally boxers and boxer briefs are the standard for straight men I’ve known. Anything besides those, like any other brand or style, is too much of a leap from my experience. But I do think attitudes are changing to be more open, very very slowly.
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I’m totally straight and love thongs. I know I’m in the minority but I find them more comfortable then boxers even. Hopefully they’re getting more popular. But it’s nice to find several people who share the same view.
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I’m not straight but still just a regular guy in the end. I wish thongs were just commonplace and nobody batted an eye. Since women wearing thongs still draws a lot of eyes (both desire and disdain), i don’t think men’s thongs will be fully accepted for quite a long time, if ever. Which is fine by me. I just want to wear my stuff and not be looked at strangely at the beach and gym locker room (when/if we ever get back to that!). It’s getting better out there...i wear thongs as/when/where i like...but its usually around friends/good company or out for a run or at the gym...OR at home and to bed of course.
We’ll get there...i hope!
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Care what others think and you will always be their prisoner.
This text is on my home page and it gives exactly where your problem is. Why do you care for the opinion of others? As long as it is legal, go for it. And don't watch reactions on the faces of the public. It makes you looking insecure and it radiates the idea that you are doing something pervertly.
Be proud and own the looks. That is the only way to normalize thongs.
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Care what others think and you will always be their prisoner.
This text is on my home page and it gives exactly where your problem is. Why do you care for the opinion of others? As long as it is legal, go for it. And don't watch reactions on the faces of the public. It makes you looking insecure and it radiates the idea that you are doing something pervertly.
Be proud and own the looks. That is the only way to normalize thongs.
I really like this take... the more we stop caring, the more it becomes normal. making a fuss over it just inherently implies that there is something 'remarkable' about it.
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This is my take. If women can wear thongs, so can guys. I am usually the only male thonger on the beach, but I still bite the bullet and wear a thong in public. If women can flaunt their ass in public, so can I. This thong wearing rule should be applied to both men and women. If women are allowed to wear thongs, so can guys.
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I wear a thong when I go to the beach. I do get the "looks", but they have to deal with it. I am fine. I am next to my wife in a thong. Nothing wrong with it. Also, when I go to the gym, I change and don't hide my thong. Change like everyone else does. Many have seen it and some ask questions on where to buy.
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I would love to see mainstream underwear stores selling thongs. It would help normalize this form of underwear to the public eye.
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If you have read my earlier post you can see I agree, a selection of tongs in you local brick and mortar stor would go a long way to normalizing thong wearing. Even finding a bikini cut is difficult these days.
It does help to wear a thong confidentially. This past year I was at my local beach at least twice a week I only wore a thong. I didn’t hide at the corners but was out with my friends having a good time and enjoying the day. I know this helped normalize thong wearing for men. They saw that I was just like any other beach goer, only wearing a thong. I had several people talk with me and make positive comment about my swimwear. I had a couple days where there was another man wearing a thong at the beach. One told me he found the courage and confidence to wear a thong after seeing me. I had women with children set up near me and engage in friendly conversation.
In all, the more we act like we belong, snails and be open friendly and approachable, the more we promote the normalization of men wearing thongs.
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Kmart used to sell men's thongs. But kmart is no more.
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The Japanese major lingerie manufacturer, Wacoal, recently introduced a men's line and also included a men's thong. They initially had four colours but it looks like two have sold out, which gives me hope that thongs may be getting more popular, albeit in a more subtle kind of way.
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I don't think men's thongs are frowned upon in Japan because Japanese people are used to seeing Fundoshi on guys. That doesn't mean that men's thongs are mainstream in Japan. Hopefully, men's thongs will gain popularity in Japan.
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The shock factor of looking at a man in a thong in Japan is definitely a bit more restraint compared to people in America or other places. As you correctly pointed out, fundoshi is the traditional undergarment for men. Nobody really wears it anymore, but people are still used to seeing it during certain festivals.
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Jockey and Hanes used to sell men's thongs (mostly at K-Mart). You could also buy them at Target for some time, although, I can't remember the brand. For some reason, that is no longer a thing. K-Mart obviously went belly-up and Target no longer offers them. I think most men don't even know it's an option. Mainstream media still advertises boxers as the underwear worn by most men and occasionally you'll see a cameo for briefs. It's sad, but it is what it is I suppose.
I've gotten far less concerned about wearing thongs as I have gotten older. I still wear thongs or g-strings 99% of the time and if someone notices today, then I'll shrug and brush it off. A decade ago that was not the case. I started MTF almost a decade ago because I felt alone. I was worried I was going to get beat up and shamed in public if it was discovered that I was wearing a thong or g-string. To-date, I've never had an issue. I learned from my friends here that it doesn't matter. I regret having to had to shut down the site 7 years ago, but I am so glad someone brought it back!
I digressed a bit there... To bring it home, I think that to normalize men's thongs, they need to be made available in brick and mortar shops that aren't just specialty shops (like the only place I can buy thongs in-person in Dallas). I think mainstream media and TV-shows, movies, etc. need to stop operating under the assumption that all adult men wear boxers... Boxers suck. I also think that it's important to showcase that more than just gay men wear "alternative" men's underwear.
Honestly, until those things change or we get really lucky on a random fashion week, we're going to remain the minority. Thongs were invented by men for men, but that fact seems to have been lost in history...
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Which actions do you think underwear brands should do to normalize male thongs? (with this I don't mean thongs would become in the most worn underwear by men, just not to be considered as a freak if you wear it).
I think they should sell their thongs in physical shops, specially in those shops where youngest potentially wearers buy their clothes and underwear because if they see thongs next to boxer briefs, they would consider thongs as an option more. I think this is important because most of underwear brands offer thongs in their catalogue, but they're only available on the internet and if underwear is usually bought in phisycal shops, only people with special interest is going to buy thongs. Even more, I think the probability to take atention to thongs in a physical shop is higger than in an online shop, specially if thongs are in a different section of the target of buyer.
In my opinion, youngest wearer should have priority for brands because they probably haven't got the same prejudices that people in their 30's or 40's, encore when you're young you do what the group do at that age (the group probably wouldn't have prejudices if they see thongs in shop next to typical male underwear) and thus that market action would be more rentable, which is probaly another reason why it's very difficult to find thongs in a physical shop.
I agree having a physical store would be amazing. But I would say that it would have to be something like a male version of victorias secret. The reason why normal stores rarely stock thongs is because they get stolen very often. I know even I stole them when I was a kid because I was too embarrassed to buy them out right. Although they do have self check out now so maybe it wouldn't be so bad. I always think of everything at a walmart level. They would get stolen.
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I agree having a physical store would be amazing. But I would say that it would have to be something like a male version of victorias secret. The reason why normal stores rarely stock thongs is because they get stolen very often. I know even I stole them when I was a kid because I was too embarrassed to buy them out right. Although they do have self check out now so maybe it wouldn't be so bad. I always think of everything at a walmart level. They would get stolen.
I agree that a brick-and-mortar store specialising in mens underwear would be amazing. Sadly, most physical stores (outside department stores) selling thongs tend to double as seedy-looking sex shops in run-down buildings and such; frankly such stores would be rather off-putting to me. To be able to purchase them in a nice-looking, upscale shop would be great.
However, I do know for a fact that the Japanese brand TOOT has a physical store in Tokyo.