All is Fair in Love and Bikinis

So, I didn't take a picture of an Italian man in a "man bikini" or what we always called a "banana ham mick".  And I sure didn't see anyone who rocked it like this picture.  But my thought process was this.  Wow, they have really stuck by their guns and have not gone with the American fashion of baggy swim suits.  I respect their resilience and I gotta say, I like how it evens the playing field of bikinis on the beach or at the pool;  equally humiliating men and women alike.

There is absolutely no room for error in a bikini.  Now we (American women) have known that forever.  Every spring we torture ourselves with bathing suit shopping.  We've gone the the string bikini (very young days or possibly one of the "Housewives", the tankini route, the skirt bikini etc.  I (we) kill myself in the spring working out so that there isn't more than 1 or 2 rolls poking over the bottoms.   I think we might sweat this process out a whole lot less if our man was going to wear one too!  It was awesome.  Couples - not perfect physical specimens - sporty bikinis together.  American men, standing around gawking on the beach, might have a lot less to say about what women look like in a bikini if they were wearing one too.  I'm sure of it and I now know one Christmas present someone is getting.

The Italians even take it as far as lingerie.  Seriously!  I loved walking by the "lingerie" store and seeing Men's and Women's Lingerie in the window.  OMG, seriously.  Can you imagine getting your "American" husband lingerie and him appreciating it in anyway.  Is  there anyway he wouldn't think you were joking?  I'm not talking about baggy, long, drawstring flannel pants.  I'm talking about a sequined, bedazzled bikini bottom.  And I don't think this is just for holidays...

So as much as this fashion wearing topic is not going to change anything in my house, it does say to me sometimes it doesn't hurt to level the playing field.  What I mean is - we (women) shouldn't have expectations for ourselves that we wouldn't expect of our spouse or vice versa.  It speaks to the whole "double standard" way of viewing things.  In this instance, the Italians got it right.  "Better not eat that cookie honey, you have a bikini to wear very soon."   It makes me laugh just thinking of it...

Speaking of all this bikini wearing, I'm glad I don't have to put one on anytime soon.  I fell into some "Neopolitan Oreos" lately and have to drag myself out although I think it was too late.  It's almost jean time and that means - well you know; join me!