Male Speedo

FASHION - When Daniel Craig emerged from the Caribbean sea in Casino Royale, his brief trunks not only recalled another iconic James Bond swimsuit scene stealer – Ursula Andress emerging from the surf in her flesh coloured bikini in Dr. No – but it ignited a trend.

What started as a ripple when the movie was released two years ago, has now become a full blown tidal wave trend.

Men's swimsuits have gone short, snug and sleek as the Speedo-style suit makes a comeback.

But the skimpy men's bathing suit has been the object of much derision in popular culture thanks to Borat and Will Ferrell, so why is it suddenly anointed cool status?

A recent ad for a Dolce & Gabbana men's fragrance features British supermodel David Gandy, reclining on a yacht, splayed out in a tight white swimsuit, and two of the fashion world's hippest photographers – Matthias Vriens and Terry Richardson – have been pushing a '70s porn aesthetic in their work, Freeman says.

And now Bond is going back to briefs.

Men look at the gadgets and the cars in that movie and then they see Daniel Craig in those snug trunks and it gives them permission – they think, if it's okay for James Bond its okay for me...

But their body better be licensed to thrill.