Bikinis would be considered offensive not so many decades ago. What people wear in today's gyms and in public would certainly be shocking to prudes of the 1920's.
Women can get away with nipples showing through their workout gear, and very short tight workout pants. But men??? They look to other men to lead the way. The trends towards showing bulges of various levels of blatancy vary throughout the years. Maybe 10 years ago you'd see plenty of men in spandex jogging. Now most are in loose shorts, but wishing they could be back in spandex showing their equipment for all to see. I'm certain my display will encourage other men at the gym to consider doing the same. And if two or three do it, then ten will do it, and then 50 will do it. Men want to show their equipment, but wait for others to make it more acceptable.
Here's an interesting web page of mens swimwear throughtout modern ages, and I'm sure the photos on these pages were considered racy in their days.
"The ambrotype at right shows three men in late 1880/early 1990 union suit bathing suits consisting of below-knee pants and elbow-length sleeves".
and...
"the tank top includes a skirt, here with darker stripe. The stripe is repeated on the trunks.
The suits at center are similar in appearance to a short sleeved or no-sleeved thigh-length union suit. The rather shapeless garment could be a solid color or striped".
A man wearing a shapeless skirt? How shocking and disgusting
gallimauphry musings
According to Lencek and Bosker, in May 1917, the American Association of Park Superintendents published "
Bathing Suit Regulations in The American City. All-white and flesh-colored suits were discouraged as anatomical details were too clear. Nothing below the armpits could be shown on the chest. Men's suits needed a skirt or skirt effect, worn outside the trunks. The leg could not be shorter than 4 inches from the knee and the skirt not shorter than two inches above the bottom of the trunks." (41)
In 1932 The United Press reported topless men banned from beaches at Atlantic City, New Jersey, claiming the city officials wanted "no gorillas on our beaches.". The final concession of 1937 was that the legs could be cut short, but the navel could not be shown