Whether he’s sporting sweaty soccer shorts or the tightest Armani whities, David Beckham can clearly do more with less. While vacationing with his wife, Victoria, on their yacht in St. Tropez, the midfielder known as Golden Balls provided another reason for his colorful nickname.
Bauer Griffin
The man who once asked the musical question “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy?” has been rockin’ the skimpy swimsuits for more than four decades. From his early days with Britt Eklund in the 1970s to this pair of tighty whities, Stewart is clearly committed to the look.
Splash News
For a guy who once starred in Hard Target, Jean-Claude Van Damme shows he’s still worthy of the title. The action star, who is closing in on his 59th birthday, still has the six-pack to complement the briefs as he waves to fans in Cannes.
Bauer Griffin
When a man wears yellow Spandex trunks for a living, you might think he’d opt for a different look when not at work. The only difference between Hulk Hogan’s office attire and his weekend wear? The personal bikini is even teenier than one he wears in the ring.
Pacific Coast News
After dropping the baby fat from his Stand By Me Days days, Jerry O’Connell shaped up to marry actress Rebecca Romijn. Whether that washboard stomach or barely-there red bathing suit convinced the former supermodel that O’Connell was the one is unknown, but they couldn’t have hurt.
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Swimmer Mark Spitz had seven reasons to wear this red, white, and blue Speedo during the 1972 Olympics—all of them gold. His astonishing record stood until last year when Michael Phelps won eight gold medals in Beijing, earning him a $1 million bonus from the swimsuit maker and a sponsorship through 2013.
Terry O'Neill, Hulton Archive / Getty Images
As a sleazy French scuba instructor in 2004’s Along Came Polly, Hank Azaria bravely donned a striped pair of white trunks while stealing Ben Stiller’s wife (played by Debra Messing). The outfit may have been used as a visual joke, but there was nothing funny about Azaria’s abs.
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The legendary fashion designer doesn’t need to wear a pair of Speedos when he hits the beach, he can simply wear one of his own creations. Not many 75-year-old men can pull off this look, but Armani cuts a bella figura.
ENF / Fame Pictures
Once, Arnold Schwarzenegger filled out tiny trunks better than any mister in the Universe. But these days the California governor should seriously consider terminating the look.
Fame Pictures
No one is affected by the ban on full-length swimsuits more than Olympic god Michael Phelps. In July, Phelps was upset at the world championships by a little-known German swimmer who was wearing one of the high-tech suits, while Phelps sported his once-state-of-the-art LZR Racer. Phelps is looking forward to returning to a level playing pool where he can wear an old-school Speedo once again. "It's going to be fun next year," he said last summer, "when swimming is back to swimming."
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Back in 2004, while studying at St. Andrew’s University in Scotland, Prince William made waves when competing on the teams’ water polo squad. Though his Speedo did little to hide the royal scepter and family jewels, most agreed that William was fit for a future king.
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Former Queer Eye co-host Carson Kressley has advised many a straight guy about what to wear, but when the fashion guru hit the beaches of Sydney—birthplace of the Speedo—he opted for a skimpy pink number. Then again, Kressley now hosts Lifetime’s How to Look Good Naked .
Newscom
It’s easy to see what Miley Cyrus saw in ex-boyfriend Justin Gaston. The former underwear model and Nashville Star contestant can pull off the banana hammock—but not on the Disney Channel.
Splasn News
When singer Ricky Martin was livin’ la vida yoga on the beach with a friend a few years ago, his choice of swimwear gave new meaning to the words “Me nudo.”
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