But neither is any so liberating, or so practical, say those truly committed to the Speedo and its ilk. None demands such brazenness, such balls. No item in the male wardrobe is so exposing. Laidlaw and his tape measure are long gone, but in certain backwards-looking jurisdictions – Britain, America – the Speedo-wearing male remains an object of discrimination and ridicule.
He called the police and had them arrested for indecent exposure. But one morning in 1961, he saw something that astonished even him – men in Speedo trunks. Laidlaw and his inspectorate patrolled the beach with tape measures, methodically escorting scantily clad women away. By the turn of the 1960s, the “Bikini Wars” were in full swing. One of the best-known beach inspectors was Aubrey Laidlaw, who had already laid down the law when the first bikini debuted on the beach in 1946.
