In the past the men's swimwear and underwear market was not nearly as diverse and thriving as it is now. Back then, men's underwear seemed to come in just one colour -- white! Now, it's every color under the sun; made from a wide variety of materials ranging from cotton, to chiffon, to luxurious silk. Similarly, male beach goers have a much greater choice of swimwear than just board shorts and "Speedos". There is a dizzying array of designer brands on offer.

Men's clothing is no longer considered merely functional, but is increasingly seen as self adornment and self expression. Men have become like women in a sense, choosing their clothing in ways that are much more creative, individualistic and aesthetic.

So, why the change? There are many factors.

Firstly, there is the increasing acceptance of homosexuality. Men who were previously "in the closet" are now free to be themselves. Many gays are well paid inner-urban professionals and therefore have the economic clout to indulge their tastes. There are dozens of highly sought after designer brands catering to this growing demographic all over the Western world. These include Joe Snyder, Andrew Christian, Calvin Klein, Narciso, and DMK Designs.

The rise of gay culture has meant that the celebration of male beauty is no longer in the shadows. It has gone mainstream. So now straight men are emulating their gay counterparts and becoming far more style conscious.

The loosening up of gender roles has also resulted in young straight men increasingly investigating style and fashion. While being well groomed used to be seen as effeminate, nowadays it is considered an integral part of heterosexual masculinity. Today's young women, being more demanding than in the past, have added to this trend by requiring that their partners are not mere slobs in t-shirts and grubby jeans, but smartly dressed and exuding style and self respect.

These young, fit, style conscious men even have their own title. They are "metrosexuals".

Today's male sporting stars are more often than not metrosexuals. They are role models to millions all over the world, and enjoy a level of celebrity as great as any movie idol. Not surprisingly, several of these stars including David Beckham and Pat Rafter have decided to take advantage of their fame by venturing into the men's underwear market!

These forces combine to create the phenomenon we see today: young fit, style-conscious men â€" both gay and straight â€" who have money to burn are exercising their considerable economic clout through their choice of clothing, particularly underwear and swimwear.

Many online businesses have developed to satisfy this demand. One of the most successful is DealByEthan.com. A thriving mail-order site based in Perth, Western Australia, it caters to customers all over the world by shipping from multiple warehouses in the USA, South America, Asia and Europe.

DealByEthan.com sells a huge range of sexy, stylish metrosexual and gay men's clothing and accessories at excellent prices, with fast and affordable worldwide shipping. Discounts are offered for purchases of more than 2 items.

Customers can choose from over 2000 items in 50 brands including JOCKO, Men's Union, Pulse, Private Structure, Marc Quest, Male Power and Delio Dietz. It offers a variety of online payment options including 2CO and Paypal.