Parasol Beach

HongTao - Man with a Parasol

Images featuring umbrellas on beaches have had to compete with something of an iconic cliche in recent years, but this straightforward picture of a handsome, young man arriving at the beach, oiled up and ready for a day in the sun by-passes self-conscious artiness and has a strong gay vibe. His loose shorts contrive to be almost as naughty as closer fitting, racy styles. The artist's casual use of green spotting, suggests not just sea spray but the sensual wetting of the body.

Locker Room Mood

Bruno Bernal in shorts

I often ramble on about how well-chosen clothes enhance the male physique. This shot of chunky Bruno Bernal makes out a good case for my thesis. The tight tee is a classic device of course for bringing out the attractions of the upper body and though Bruno does not have the widest of shoulders, look how glorious his arms look emerging from the curving grey hem of the garment. For that matter see how thick and strong his neck looks.

The black shorts in contrast are not tight at all, nor particularly brief, but the leg is cut just high enough to produce a similar emphatic wow for Bruno's chunky thighs. The black socks play a supporting role by obscuring the more tapered part of the leg which might detract from the blocky squareness and by virtue of their colour produce a bulkier look to complement the shorts. 

The picture of Bruno below (from his Twitter feed) illustrates the opposite effects. 

Same body, different clothes. 

Clothes that allow his personality through

 

You shouldn't have any difficulty finding pictures of Bruno without clothes for further comparison. 

The UK Hot Jocks picture at the top of this article is part of a series of which you can find more here

The Elixir

Sotiris Thomaidis beached (click to enlarge)

 This colourful image is a great ad for the bottom enhancing qualities of Modus Vivendi swimwear! The curvy seams shamelessly copy the classic styling of denim jeans but then, no-one ever got bored looking at them! 

The bottle of turquoise liquid, suggestive of idyllic locations, is a constant and mysterious presence in the pictures of this advertising campaign. In this particular image though, the photographer has conjured up a feast of ideas which epitomise the world of advertising - the handsome man reaching out for a prized, precious object, which appears to have been spilled and nearly lost. But these are ideas that have a resonance for our everyday lives too which gives this picture a touch of true art.

Model: Sotiris Thomaidis photographed by Panos Misailidis for Modus Vivendi's 'Contrast' Line (2016)

Music and muse

Apollo V by Richard Taddei

A piece of male art that you could hang on any wall. It is not intended to be erotic or sensuous but succeeds in being both by dint of the sheer beauty of the model, subject matter and colouring. The pensive muse reaches out to our emotions as we wonder what he is pondering. The artsy crowded patterns suggest a complex life, perhaps a struggle to master a difficult musical composition. Lovely.

More art by Richard Taddei 
plus lots on search engines

Another Spring Shower

This image of Dwain Leland presenting an arching body to the sprinkling water of the shower showcases his fine physique but there's a sense of reckless abandon in the pose, underlined by the soggy, sagging underwear and turned-down waistband which his mother would scold him for. (Photographer: Mark Jenkins)

If you look at Dwain Leland's Instagram you'll see he's a man that loves to show off his body also at White Steel

Cycling Shorts

They say that cycling's having a bit of a boom at the moment but if all the men rode dressed like this we'd all be out there watching. This isn't the sort of garment you think of when the words cycling shorts are usually uttered but the clever pairing of blues makes it seem the most natural combination in the world. It's quite a complex design which itself gives it man appeal. The blue side flash also deceives the eye into thinking these are skimpier than they really are. Put 'em on a stunning model and Bob's your uncle. Where's the nearest bike shop? The crossbar is a very underhand trick though.