Mens Swimming Suits

Men’s swimming suits or men’s swimwear is a reflection of society and the times. In the Victorian era, men wore conservative clothes to bathe. Men’s bathing suits of the time were heavy tank suits. They were made of wool. Although male swimwear was more manageable than the bathing clothes of women, they were still cumbersome. Moreover, young men would still, on a hot summer day, abandon their clothes and swim. It was quite common for the “lower” classes and even their “betters” to go skinny-dipping in the rivers and ponds. No one said or did anything to prevent it, if no one complained. In these instances, men’s swimsuits were their birthday suits.

In the 1900s, men’s swim suits began to change. Jantzen introduced their first male swimsuit line. This outfit weighed 9lbs soaking wet. At the same time, men were trapped in the same problem as women – maintaining their modesty at all time. The first rule, of course, was, “Do not expose your chest.” The second rule was, “Wear a skirt to conceal your trunks or wear a three-piece outfit consisting of a vest top and flannel knee pants.”

In the 1930s, the men’s swimsuit began to alter because of new technology. Lastex, a type of synthetic rubber yarn, began to replace heavy woolen yarn. This produced a nude look. Men in swimwear, during the 1930s, wore Sunaki supports helping to define their waists and body. In 1933, designers attempted to free men allowing them to appear bare-chested on the beach. A new two-piece design featured a removable top. Unfortunately, those men in the swimsuits who dared to remove their tops were arrested. It took several more years and the efforts of companies like B.V.D.to achieve the final goal. In 1937, men began to appear, without harassment, on the beaches, topless.

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In the 1940s, men’s swim wear started to resemble that of today. A look at the male swimwear galleries of history reveals the use of trunks. They were boxy and stolid, but they were actual swimming trunks. Jantzen came out with their “savage swim trunks.” The 1950s saw further loosening of the bonds. The men swimwear of the time blazed with color and patterns. Men in swimsuits showed off their chests and sported zebra stripes.

Soon, the suits diminished in size and altered shape. Swim team bathing suits became smaller and lighter. The Speedo, catering to an athletic crowd, began to appear on beaches. Today, men’s’ swimming wear includes smaller suits. There are men’s thong swimming wear and microkinis swimwear for men. Their designers battle it out in the stores against the conservative trunks and the laidback Caribbean Joe men’s swimwear for beach supremacy.