Swim trunks, or bathing suits, are used not just for swimming, but are also in sports like jogging, boxing and track meets. Swimwear material is more lightweight than regular men’s shorts and is made from a waterproof material rather than some form of cotton found in regular shorts. Over the decades the fashion of men’s bathing suits has undergone some major, even radical, changes in the style.
Why are men’s bathing suits called trunks? Centuries ago, people wore underwear over most of their bodies, and the underwear covered up most of the “trunk” of the body, namely the torso and abdominal part of the male body. Bathing suits back then not only covered the trunk, but they usually ran all the way down to the feet.
Obviously, there have been radical changes in men’s trunks between the Victorian era and today. Swimming trunks include a mesh material inside to support men’s genitalia, and the trunks itself are meant to cover the region from the waist to the thighs.
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A Century Of Change In Fashion
In the 1920s, men’s swimwear consisted of a tank top and shorts, and this usually came as a one-piece outfit. We look today at old photos of men and women at the beach, women carrying parasols and wearing swimming “gowns” while men wore clothing similar to what a jogger wears today.
The tank tops were tightly fitted, so men who had flat abdomens could show them off at the beach or the swimming pool. There were also looser fitting styles around the chest and abdomen, but still tight in the trunks. Some of these one-piece styles of bathing suits even had belts over the outside of the material.
In the 1930s, men’s bathing suits changed somewhat, but weren’t seen as covering up the trunk area of the body, but actually making it stand out more with tight, clingy material that sculpted this area. Many of them resembled modern-day one-piece wrestling outfits, also called “crab backs.”
The fashion in the 1940s was shorts made with cotton or wool, but spandex came onto the scene as an alternative, and eventually, it became the standard swimming trunk material. The fashion was almost the opposite of today – the shorts were very high in the waist (covering the navel) and had low cut legs (what you’d see today in women’s one-piece bathing suits). They were referred to as “briefs.”
Briefs continued in popularity in the 1950s, but now the waistband was below the navel, and the legs dropped lower as well and began to resemble modern swim trunks in that regard. The waist was still a bit higher than the modern waistline, but lower compared to the standards of the 40s.
Putting on a matching shirt, these bathing suits (many came with zippers), allowed men to walk around at beach or pool parties and served as complete summer outfits. Incidentally, at this time men’s and women’s swim shorts greatly resembled each other.
The 1960s saw little change compared to the earlier decade, but the waistline fell a little to become “hip huggers.” The suits were now knitted and so were tighter around the waist and legs.
The advent of speedos in the 80s still continues today in some parts of the world, especially Europe, where there is less a sense of self-consciousness of one’s body. It is easy to find men wearing speedos with their gut hanging over the tight material in France, Italy, and Germany. Americans, on the other hand, are much more fashion-conscious about what they wear in public and at the beach.
What is the Current Fashion For Men’s Swimming Trunks?
Men’s swim trunks today are different than they were even 20 years ago, in terms of length, knit and materials
The length of today’s swim trunk should rest about two inches above the knee. The longer length today evens out the look, regardless of whether a guy is tall or short: The longer length flatters both.
The mesh inside keeps your junk where you want it. You don’t want it protruding. Believe it or not, women don’t like dick pics, and they feel uncomfortable around guys in swim trunks where nothing is left to the imagination.
The waist in modern swim trunks has an elastic band or drawstrings. This is also a plus since not all of us have a body mass index of 20 by the time summer comes around. You can adjust according to your weight.
There are snap closures you can have for the waist, but make sure you don’t fasten the snap too tightly, especially if you’re in a volleyball game or running or swimming. For self-confidence, you can adjust to the right tightness and won’t think twice about your appearance.
Adjusting for looseness and the length of the swim trunks are a departure from swim trunks of earlier times, when the length was much shorter (like women’s one piece bathing suits today), and they were tight around the waist and the material pressed into the genitals.
If you’re trying to match a top, like a polo shirt with your swim trunks, always opt for solid color trunks like blues and dark greens. This way most polo shirt designs will be a flattering match.
The best swim trunks you can buy today are made from fabric that protects you from the sun and have a built-in SPF 50 for added protection. Most styles today are also quick drying which is a plus after you go for a swim; within minutes they’ll be dry and fit your body right.
Shorter guys will benefit from swim trunks with vertical stripes with a solid shirt top to match. Drawstrings are fashionable over elastic, but you can wear either one.
Some swim trunks double as workout shorts, or for jogging and going to an outdoor get-together. The fashion of these shorts works as both a bathing suit and fashionable shorts.
How Do Americans Compare to Europeans On The Beach?
If you’ve ever traveled to Europe and went to one of the thousands of beaches there, you would have noticed that Europeans have a much more relaxed attitude about nudity than Americans do.
People of all ages, whether they’re 18 or 78, do not think twice about removing all their clothing and basking in the sun, in places like the south of France, or Italy’s Golden Coast.
Americans are much more self-conscious than Europeans about our appearance, and we go to extremes to make sure we have the perfect look. This is our comfort zone; however, nude beaches are starting to pop up in southern California, Florida’s South Beach and in Naples, Florida.
It is a fact that one-fourth of all Americans are evangelicals, and their opinion about public nudity leaves nothing to the imagination. They believe it is shameful to reveal your private parts in public.
American history includes the creation of new religions, dating back to the Puritans who came here to avoid persecution. But it seems that change is in the air, and it could be soon that nude beaches become the norm.
It goes beyond nudity in public in Europe. billboards, magazines, television commercials, frequently show private parts, such as women’s breasts, without a second thought. Is it possible that Americans are overly prudish?
Buying The Right Swimsuit
Knowing what you’ll be doing while wearing swim trunks will go a long way in helping you choose the right bathing suit. Ask yourself questions like how much moving about will you be doing? Do you need swim trunks that are looser fitting?
If you will be doing a lot of walking, you may want to choose swim trunks that hug your legs more. Loose fitting swim trunks will chafe and make it uncomfortable to walk.
If you plan on swimming a lot, you’d again want to get tighter fitting swim trunks, because closer fitting trunks will create drag as you move about in the water.
If you plan on walking or swimming a lot, consider getting square cut shorts.
You want to ask yourself what visual impression you want to make. If you’re going to a business meeting at the hotel pool, then make sure you’ve matched the top and bottom well. Never put two solid colors together. In general, the shorts should be a dark solid and the top can have some kind of appealing design.
If you’re going to parties you still want to make a good impression. It’s worth it to invest more in the swim trunks.
If you’re not trying to make any kind of impressions, then wear what you want. There’s no need to be uncomfortable for no reason.
On the other hand, if you are trying to make the best impression possible, you want to look as good as you can. Find the cut of swim trunks that’s as flattering as possible to your body. In general, you never want to wear shorts that are too short. On the other hand, you don’t want them too long either. At the knee or slightly above the knee is generally a good cut that improves appearance.
