Men’s swimsuits traditionally receive far less attention than women’s swimsuits in the designer clothes world. Designers like Polo Ralph Lauren create different styles for men’s swimwear. However, men’s swimsuits do have a fairly interesting history. Also, a larger variation in the style of men’s swimsuits exists than one may believe at first.
When swimming and public bathing returned to larger popularity in the 18th century, men’s swimsuits were actually somewhat similar in appearance and coverage to women’s swimsuits. While women wore swim dresses that fell to the knee and left the arms covered, men wore swimsuits with shirts and shorts that also ended at the knee and left the arms covered. It would actually be several more decades before a man’s chest was even allowed public exposure in a swimsuit!
Men’s swimsuits were originally very tight in their coverage. Boxer-style swim shorts were available throughout the 20th century, but only a small amount of men actually wore this type of swim shorts. While the Speedo-type of swimsuit, with its scanty, brief-like coverage, may seem somewhat immodest now, this type of swimsuit was actually quite common and popular during the 1940s and 1950s.
Today, men’s swimsuits come in different kinds. There are, of course, the incredibly popular swim trunks, which one sees men wearing nearly every day at the beach and at the pool. Swim trunks, with their baggy, knee-length coverage, offer men a more generous amount of coverage than they would have received in the 1940s. Tighter, brief-like swimsuits do retain some popularity, however, and many men wear this type of swimsuit for its facilitation of speed and smoothness when swimming.
The primary means of individuality men express in swimwear, But comfortability is the most important when it comes to this trend. Be confident if you wear one.
I prefer to wear “speedo” type swimming suits over trunk style swimming suits for the following reasons:
1. for the support
2. faster drying and therefore I do not get as cold (I have very low body fat)
3. less drag of water and air while swimming
4. less chaffing or rubbing
I feel most North Americans have an unfair double standard in that it is acceptable to see the outline or bulge of the woman’s body (breasts and sometimes even the vulva) in a one piece or a two piece swimming suit but most people in North America are not okay seeing the outline or bulge of a man’s body.
Do we have an aversion to the male form? Why can a woman wear a form fitting swimming suit right next to her skin but not a man?
I believe in practical modesty; I believe a form fitting (speedo type) swimming suit should be acceptable attire for swimming and getting in and out of the water. I encourage men and women to compare wearing a form fitting swimming suit to a trunk style swimming suit while swimming and getting in and out of the water.