An 18-year-old found himself in hot water with his father over his choice of swimwear during a Caribbean family vacation.
While on the cruise, the young man attempted to wear a revealing swimsuit, leaving his dad in shock. His father insisted that he buy something more modest, especially since the original suit became almost transparent when wet.
However, the father was in for a surprise after his son’s brief shopping trip.
Desperate for advice, the father turned to the ‘Am I the A**hole’ subreddit to share his dilemma, seeking input on his son’s daring fashion choice. He recounted how his son, Jax, joined him and his wife on a weeklong cruise to celebrate the end of Jax’s school year.
“Jax is a great kid, but maybe a bit too confident,” the father explained, describing his son as an “exhibitionist.” According to him, Jax is incredibly self-assured, good-looking, athletic, and charming – often winning people over, even when challenging authority.
But on this occasion, Jax’s confidence led to a standoff with his father. The young man packed only skimpy Speedo-style swimsuits for the entire trip, leaving his dad unimpressed.
“His swimsuit was definitely not appropriate,” the father wrote, describing the revealing swim briefs as “flaunt it” attire. He explained that the particular brand, AussieBum, markets these suits with an “enhancing pouch” and “maximum sheerness when wet,” leaving little to the imagination. “If they had been black, I might have let it slide, but baby blue? It was like ‘hey, look at me.’ There was zero mystery in that suit,” the dad lamented.
Embarrassed by his son’s choice, the father politely urged him to buy a more appropriate swimsuit from one of the ship’s stores. After some resistance, Jax returned with another, slightly more modest version of his original suit – but it still wasn’t up to his father’s standards. The father insisted Jax buy a traditional pair of swim trunks, and after some back-and-forth, Jax eventually complied.
“He whined about it and begged to wear his original suit, but I said no. I have to admire his confidence – he had no issue with the attention he’d get – but there’s a time and place,” the father added.
Before asking Reddit users, “AITA for making him change?” the father explained that he covered the cost of the trip and felt it gave him some authority to enforce certain rules. He also noted that while his son is technically an adult, he still wanted him to be “decent” in public spaces.
The response from the subreddit was mixed. Many agreed with the father, stating they wouldn’t want to see their child in such a revealing swimsuit either, while others felt he may have overreacted.
One user commented, “Ask your son how he’d feel if you wore that same suit and sat next to him.” Another said, “Yeah, he’s 18, but no one wants to see that on a family vacation, regardless of age.”
Some Redditors, however, felt the dad’s reaction was a bit too harsh. “If Jax had shown up in the second suit first, this whole situation could’ve been avoided,” one user noted.
Responding to accusations of being a “prude,” the father clarified, “I’m okay with Speedos, just not those Speedos. Jax tried to push boundaries, and I wasn’t having it. If that makes me a prude, so be it.”
What would you do in this situation? Share your thoughts on this story and let us know how you’d handle it!