British football star Jude Bellingham has joined the ranks of Calvin Klein underwear campaign models, following in the footsteps of Jeremy Allen White, Bad Bunny, and Michael B. Jordan. His dripping-wet, briefs-clad photos have gone viral on X, with reactions described as 'feral' and one user admitting the commentary had her 'clutching [her] pearls!'.
While many fans expressed appreciation for the athlete's physique, a particular fascination emerged with an unexpected part of his anatomy: his veins. Shortly after the campaign went live, @baisenoel posted online: 'I want to massage all the veins in Jude Bellingham's legs with my tongue.'
Veins Take Center Stage
This isn't the first time Bellingham's circulatory system has drawn attention. In July, images of him at England's training camp received similarly spicy reactions. 'His veins…Jude Bellingham the man that you are,' @Alfonso posted on X. @favourite_gab added: 'I might not know a lot about football, but I know Jude Bellingham is so hot. You can just tell it by his veins.'
The most coveted vein is the cephalic vein, which snakes down the arm of many male celebrities in Calvin Klein campaigns. Women on Reddit have attempted to explain the attraction: @dramaticknee finds prominent veins make her feel 'incredibly primitive', adding 'there's definitely an attraction to high blood flow'. For @donttrip, veiny arms raise the prospect that another part of his anatomy might be veiny as well.
The Psychology Behind Vein Attraction
Sexologist Gigi Engle tells Metro the attraction is likely linked to the association between 'prominent veins, masculinity and testosterone', and is an extension of the hyper-masculine look currently in fashion. Engle says Bellingham's veins might be linked to the growing appeal of the 'overpowered fantasy', noting that 'given that bulges and pecks are already in right now, we're just getting more niche.'
Elite athletes have prominent veins due to low body fat from prolonged high-intensity exercise. Engle says vein-play is a thing in UK bedrooms, explaining: 'It all ties into this idea of being ravished by your partner. It can be really exciting and sexy. And veins can add to this fantasy, they heighten this idea of being feral for someone.'
The Looksmaxxing Concern
While lusting over Bellingham's physique is harmless, experts warn that cultural moments like his CK advert can trigger extreme trends. Looksmaxxing, the process of making oneself as physically attractive as possible to gain sexual attention, was first popularised on incel message boards in the 2010s and hit the mainstream in recent years. Researchers have described it as 'a systematic pseudoscientific framework' that ranks people 'through a racialised and gendered hierarchy'.
Dr Jamie Hakim, author of Work That Body: Male Bodies in Digital Culture and a lecturer at King's College London, notes the landscape has changed significantly since his research began over a decade ago. 'The culture around men showcasing their bodies on social media has become much more intense since I published the book,' he explains. 'The viral trends connected to this seem to proliferate every year. From looksmaxxing, glutemaxxing, proteinmaxxing — and now ! Every few months a new niche practice, or obscure body part emerges for young men to be concerned about.'
