The warm weather is here, and that means its time for the waves. Since it is now the first official day of summer, I am thinking about swimming. Now, us men have many options for swim wear so that means that there is no excuse not to look swell, even at the beach this summer.
There are three main categories of modern swim wear available to men. Depending on body type each of these styles of suits have something great to offer. They are as follows:
Trunks:
Worn as swimwear, are normally shorter than board shorts, which extend to the knees. Trunks are the most popular type of men’s swimsuit in North America. Varied in design, most are made of nylon with a mesh lining for quick drying. Trunks cover the mid-section of the body (hence the name ‘trunk’). They date back to the 1940s in their use as swim wear. They are loose-fitting like boxer shorts, but typically longer in the leg. They are suited well for all builds, and look best on the tall and thin body types.
Most remember the scene from Casino Royale where James Bond emerges from the sea to meet the breathtaking equestrian in a bikini, Vesper Lynd (played by Eva Green). Bond is wearing his
famous blue trunks. Daniel Craig‘s suit is from the LaPerla Grigioperla Lodato from the Spring/Summer 2006 collection price: $122.00. Unfortunately this specific piece is no longer available from them, however Grigioperla still has many similar styles available on International Jock.
Board shorts:
While on a trip to California recently I neglected to bring proper swimwear. I was scolded by my host when I told her that I needed to go out and buy some trunks. She informed me that “we don’t
have trunks here, we only wear board shorts”. So when I went out looking, I didn’t seek trunks, I found a great pair of board shorts.
Board shorts are like trunks in style and cut, but they are longer in the leg covering the knee, and slightly more loose-fitting. They are better suited (pun intended) for a more muscular build. I found a great pair of Cali-style shorts by Merona for about $20.00
Briefs:
Launched at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics by Speedo, this swimwear is designed in the same style as underwear briefs to aid in speed during the swimming events. Swim briefs are often made of a nylon and spandex composite and vary in design from a full seat to thong . A swimwear style similar to swim briefs, but with a much more conservative cut are called square-leg, or square-cut briefs. They can be compared to boxer briefs but with nylon/spandex fabric. I prefer the square cut style myself, and I believe that if you’re not built like Lou Ferrigno or on a beach in the French Rivera, you should consider leaving the thong style of banana hammocks and grape smugglers at home. A few nice options are available here.
In any case try a few different pair on, and make sure that you are aware of your body type and what looks good on you, and also what your comfortable in. As I said in the beginning-with all the options available-at the beach,there is no excuse not to be swell.
(Images courtesy of flickriver.com, bondlifestyle.com, target.com, and swimoutlet.com)
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How to be Swell 
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