Swimwear For Men - Some Thoughts

Swimwear design and manufarture is an enormous industry and thousands of swimwear manufacturers are offering the market a wide array of options. Nevertheless, the swimwear market seems to favor women more since there are only very few choices available when it comes to men's swimwear. Even though men's swimwear seems to be limited in design there are still plenty of styles and colors to choose from.



Conventionally speaking, men are left with the popular brand of Speedo for their swimwear, which leaves them with practically no choice at all. In the past, men were used to wearing briefs whenever they went to the sea and the swimming pool. The more daring men chose to wear thongs and g-strings. G-strings are daring in a sense since they cover minimal part of the men's front and back while thongs are best described as 'posing pouches.'



Conservative men and not-so audacious men have preferred to wear what are called 'board shorts' since the 1980's. Donning board shorts started in countries where surfing was popular. The surfers didn't want to have to take the time to change from street wear to swimwear nor did they want to have to keep track of any extra items of clothing that could be left behind or lost. Board shorts look similar to ordinary shorts as the leg length ranges from the mid-thigh to the knee cap. These typically have two front pockets and most also have a back pocket. The difference between casual dress shorts and board shorts is the nylon mesh inside and the fabric which is used to make the shorts. Board shorts are typically made of nylon, like the inner mesh weave, and casual dress shorts are typically made from cotton or linen.

In the 1990's, an advancement in swimwear brought about the creation of Jammers by Speedo. This style looks like spandex bicycle shorts and major brands that sell jammer swim shorts use a patented fabric from Speedo called the 'endurance fabric'. This fabric is lighter than nylon and much more water-resistant. Swimwear which is made to be water-resistant has been worn mainly in contests. In competition, the water resistance quality of the swimwear is what separates athletes of equal strength and skill. When two swimmers of equal talent race, the swimmer that is more water-resistant will cross the winning line first because their suit has created less drag against the water.



In 2000, the manufacture began of another breakthrough swimwear that covers the whole body. This kind of swimwear, which is bodyskin in form, lessens drag when swimming but most swimmers still prefer to wear swimwear that is styled like shorts or briefs.



The choice of swimwear still lies with the man and he should decide what his preference is when it comes to swimwear and his reason for buying the swimwear. For men who want to go to the beach and get that perfect tan, briefs are must-have swimwear. Those who want to show off their body may go for g-strings and thongs. For the less daring men who love sports like surfing, board shorts are the only way to go. And finally, athletes now have the choice between bodysuits, jammers, and can still rely on briefs if they so desire.