4 Things to Know About Men's Swim
The greater women’s swimwear market has overshadowed the men’s swimwear market, but new materials and innovations emerged and have helped the market share the spotlight.
Businesses specializing in men’s swimwear have expanded their markets by focusing on new materials and offering more product lines. They cater to the new millennial generation with unique designs and bold colors, representing a sense of individuality for the wearers. Take a read through this guide for tips on making a men’s swimwear line for your business.
Men's Swimwear Styles
Let’s start with the three different styles for men’s swimwear:
- Swim briefs
Or also known as ‘speedos’ in the US has evolved from the original speedo. It’s an underwear brief that is designed for swimming with a low waist and a body sculpting fit.
- Swim trunks
Like the swim brief, trunks also sculpt the body with a low-rise waist, and the difference is that they have longer legs and provide more cover. These swimming trunks usually vary in length, but they mostly have a square cut shape.  Â
Swim shorts consist of those with short legs, known as ‘short shorts’ or those with longer legs’ board shorts.’ Short shorts are more popular in Europe, while longer board shorts are more popular in Australia and the US.
Body Shapes and Types
Now that you know the main styles to choose from, it’s time to look at the different body shapes suitable for different styles so you can curate your collection to cater your target market. This is just a guideline and style is not limited to a certain body type.
- Larger men
We recommend the longer swim boards (board shorts) to cover up a little more. Look for solid colors instead of patterns to accentuate your size.
- Slimmer men
Look for baggy swim shorts that will make you look bigger and swim briefs to enhance your slender look.
- Taller men
Go for the long board shorts swimwear to reduce the appearance of your long legs, unless you want to show them off, then go for the short shorts. It’s best to opt for swimming trunks rather than swimming briefs.
- Shorter men
Shorter leg swimwear like short shorts and swimming briefs can help shorter guys to appear taller.
The Materials
Men’s swimwear fabrics have come a long way from basic cotton that was used decades ago. Here are three of the man-made materials that are much more durable and comfortable for any man.
- Nylon
This material works on swim shorts as it stretches less than polyester and fits well with any body type.
- Polyester
Polyesters are a preferred material for swimming shorts due to their light weight. Polyester mesh is also a kind of polyester with holes for more ventilation and is perfect for a summer beach day.
- Polyamide
Polyamide is an excellent material for swimming briefs and trunks. It’s smooth and comfortable for fitted styles. The smoothness of the fabric also helps water pass more naturally, which provides better swimming performance.
Features to Look for
There are other features in your men’s swimwear business that you should also focus on:
- Lining
Swim shorts should have an internal lining to keep everything where it should be when swimming. Swim shorts mostly have an inner mesh lining that is cut and shaped like a brief. Some boardshorts may or may not come with linings, this depends on preference and styles.
- Pockets
Boardshorts usually have pockets to the front, side, back and within the mesh lining. Some of these pockets even have zip fastening to keep waterproof items when swimming.Â
- Drawstrings
Elastic waist boardshorts or briefs usually have drawstrings sewn in the waistband and help wearers adjust their fit and hold everything in place when swimming. We advise including drawstring ends such as metal toggles to prevent drawstrings from fraying, which provides better quality.Â
- Lace up tie
Board shorts that don’t have an elastic waist usually have a more rigid waistband that opens at the front, often with a velcro fly. This waistband is held together with a lace-up tie. This ‘double fail-safe’ system benefits swimmers, particularly surfers, as it prevents the shorts from being pulled off by the waves during a wipeout.
- Grommet / eyelet
Sometimes sand or water can get trapped in the boardshorts, so this feature helps to get them out of the boardshort. This can be used on the body of the shorts or in the pockets.
We hope our guide has inspired you to make better products for your customers and offer more insights on the latest trend for Men’s swimwear.
Always,
Your Bali Swim Team
