posted by: Kael
As a bigger and older dude, I have to admit that it is tough to show myself in spandex anymore. I have probably been on this site for 15 to 20 years, IIRC pretty soon after it was first created, and most of my pics come from my first few years on here. Since then, I have gotten greyer and heavier (like about 100 lbs heavier). I have dealt with people making fun of heavier people in spandex.
During Con season, you always see collections of photos of people in "bad cosplay" which always includes people with imperfect body types for superhero costumes. I feel anxious about posting pics or going on cam because I don't want people to make comments like that about me.
Part of it is also that when I first got into spandex (back in the 80's) when it first started showing up everywhere, you would often hear people say "spandex is a privilege, not a right". That if you didn't have the right body type for it, that you shouldn't wear it.
Every so often, I think about how "fake" I must appear since my pics are so old, and that I really aught to post more recent pics. But then the old anxieties start coming back and I put it off saying that I am going to wait until I am in better shape. Which eventually might happen...
I totally get you Kael. I am a bigger, older guy and I have never worn spandex in public because of those exact thoughts. Well, almost never... I do wear swim jammers and rashguards for swimming, but that is all I have worn, reluctantly. I wish I could wear spandex to the gym, but I fear the rude comments which would just bring back all that bad memories of the teasing I got for being fat as a kid/teen. So, I just avoid it and enjoy my spandex in private. Just wish I had other spandex-lovers near me that would enjoy some one-on-one spandex play.