Dad Who Unapologetically Wears Speedos Shares How It's Taught His Daughters About Body Positivity (Exclusive)
- - Dad Who Unapologetically Wears Speedos Shares How It's Taught His Daughters About Body Positivity (Exclusive)
Michelle Lee, Hedy PhillipsAugust 16, 2025 at 7:00 AM
courtesy Tyler Moore
Dad opens up about his decision to wear Speedos and how it affects his children -
A New York City dad is opening up about why he chooses to wear Speedos and continues to spread awareness around men's body advocacy on social media
Tyler Moore has dedicated a part of his content to wearing the swimwear to stick it to the "double standard" around men's and women's swim apparel
In his interview with PEOPLE, Moore shares how his outlook on swimwear influences how he parents his daughters and how he handled being featured on 'Jenna & Friends'
Tyler Moore is set out to make a certain swimwear style universal for all.
Moore, a father, social media influencer, author and New York City educator, has been on a mission to advocate for body positivity in swimsuit culture through his content, which, in part, centers on his loud love for Speedos.
"Swimwear keeps getting smaller across the board, but people still have strong reactions when it’s a man in a brief. It’s okay to wear swimwear made for swimming," Moore, 39, tells PEOPLE.
"Men struggle with body image too," he continues. "We’re just not always taught how to talk about it. 'Dad bod' is such a ubiquitous phrase, yet it’s often used to make fun of or ridicule men who are overweight. I’m trying to fight against that. I want my [daughters] to know that health isn’t just about shrinking your body."
courtesy Tyler Moore
Tyler Moore
Moore, a long-distance runner in college, began wearing Speedos when he started swimming as a way to recuperate from a back injury and a pinched nerve in his leg. He "fell in love" with the sport, but not the uniform.
"Swimming in board shorts is like dragging a parachute behind you. I ordered a variety of other styles to try — jammers, square-leg shorts, Speedos. The jammers became easily worn out and I found the square-legs to be uncomfortable. But the Speedos? Game-changer. Low resistance, no drag. I felt like a fish. A fast one."
Contrary to societal norms, Moore said his wearing Speedos is a "non-issue" in his household, including his three young daughters, who simply don't react to his choice of clothing.
"In our house, swimsuits are just athletic gear. I wear a Speedo to swim laps, a wetsuit in cold open water swims and board shorts if we’re just lounging at the pool. But if I want to wear a Speedo to the beach, I’ll wear one to the beach!"
He adds: "My daughters are on a summer swim team, so they’re used to seeing swimmers wear whatever gear suits the sport, literally. We even have several sets of matching swimsuits. We’ll throw on our rubber ducky prints and dive in together. People often stop us to say how cool it is to see a dad matching with his daughters.
At the end of the day, Moore is set on raising his children with a healthy, open outlook on body image, unlike the "'90s diet culture" he grew up with and is still trying to "unlearn."
"I had an eating disorder in high school. In my 20s, I used marathon training to control my weight. In my 30s, it was a cycle of intermittent fasting and binge-eating that wrecked my body. As I now try to overhaul my health, I know they’re watching and listening, so I’m intentional about the way I talk about food, movement and my body."
His hope? Giving his children the confidence to wear whatever they choose to wear to the beach. "So many girls drop out of swim sports due to comments or body image, and I don’t want that for them. It’s okay to be unique and do something that makes you feel good."
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courtesy Tyler Moore
Tyler Moore
Moore's journey has gone viral on social media for the better since he started posting inspirational content to his page. Although, things seemed to take a disappointing turn when an image of him in his Speedo and matching with one of his daughters found its way on a Today with Jenna & Friends segment called "The Internet's Divided," during which co-hosts Jenna Bush Hager and Dwyane Wade commented on Moore's "hairy man thigh[s], followed by a statement from Bush Hager about how "not every dad" looks like Moore: a "model dad."
It didn't take long for him to share his dismay on Threads. His July 20 comments, which were also in response to a separate post slamming commentary on women's bodies, read: "It's a surreal experience to have your body publicly discussed and shamed on national television."
Moore tells PEOPLE that he doesn't think Bush Hager and Wade "meant any harm" in having the "lighthearted" conversation, and adds that the talk show host has since apologized, an act that he says revealed "just how far the conversation had traveled."
However, the Today segment "triggered a lot of old baggage for me around my body image and self-worth." To Moore, it "felt personal."
"I think if an image of a mom in a bikini was on the screen and someone said 'Not every mom looks like that model mom,' it would be a totally different story. There is a double standard for men’s and women’s bodies," he says.
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While his story has grown on a national scale, Moore's message stays the same within his community of fellow dads, swimmers — and Speedo-wearers (who he actually meets up with from time to time). "Wearing a Speedo has become a larger symbol of rejecting shame, embracing body positivity and challenging gender stereotypes," Moore says.
"My goal was never to normalize 'Speedos for all.' It was to normalize 'Swimwear for swimmers' and to help my girls be confident in their bodies."
"I also want to keep encouraging men to accept their bodies, imperfections and all, and to normalize that men have complex feelings, too. There are so many layers to who we are as dads, partners and people."
If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, The Alliance for Eating Disorders provides a fully-staffed helpline at 1-866-662-1235, as well as free, therapist-led support groups.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
