Just when you thought they couldn't top strutting peacocks in seersucker suits, The New York Times Thursday Styles section struts a different sort of-- oh, forget it, it's just too damn easy. Today Dana Vachon writes about the warm, womblike comfort of swimming in the buff with other men at the New York Racquet and Tennis Club, appparent bastion of guys getting naked and splashing around together.

Honestly, the thing speaks for itself:

"It's not a far leap to make a connection between showering at prep school and naked swimming in New York."

"If you meet someone swimming naked in a pool, surely you're going to do much better in an interview with them" (Ed. Especially if you let them call you Shirley!).

"What goes on at the R.T.C. stays at the R.T.C."

"One guy wasn't looking when he was coming out of a lap and grabbed another guy. He felt something strange, but familiar."

And finally, a model of understatement: "The roots of male nude bathing are planted at least partly in homoeroticism."

Oh yes, just partly. Meanwhile, Jenny 8. Lee is so wishing she wrote this.

The Tao of Skinny-Dipping [NYT]