Mens Swimwear Varieties

The first thing that usually crosses your mind when you think of men’s briefs is the classic Speedo. Like all other swimsuits in the men’s swimwear varieties, the Speedo is essentially another name for swim briefs that is designed with a V-shaped front and a solid back worn to be just below the lower part of the waist. Swimwear of these designs is usually secured with either an elastic waistband or a drawstring.

These days, these swim briefs are produced with a composite material of nylon and spandex but can be made from polyester on occasion. These briefs are most popular with water sport athletes and are considered standard attire in competitive diving as well as water polo. The reason for the popularity of the Speedo is due to the fact that this garment reduces the water’s drag experienced by the wearer. Speedo’s used to be popular beach wear in certain European countries and is not uncommon on the beaches The United States but has lost a lot of ground to contemporary swimwear types such as board shorts.

Swimming trunks are the second form of mens swimwear we’ll be looking at. Swimming trunks are normally produced with either polyester or nylon materials. Swimming trunks also feature a mesh lining for quicker drying and are secured by elastic waistbands or drawstrings, similar to swimming briefs. The length of the swimming trunks is such that it is shorter than that of board shorts but is longer in comparison to boxer shorts.

This variety of swimwear has been put into use since the 1940s and is still a popular form of swimwear in North America. Like the Speedo, less and less people are purchasing trunks these days under the onslaught of the endless variety of contemporary fashion. The next variety is the square leg suit which is a male swimsuit designed to be form fitting. It is also popularly known as the men’s one piece suit. Like the Speedo, the square leg suit is produced using a composite material of spandex and nylon and is also commonly worn for diving and water polo.

This variety of swimsuit is a more conservative style of swimwear for men in comparison to that of speedos and was quite popular in the 1950s. Since then, this style of swimsuit has lost its popularity significantly but has been re-popularized in 2006 in The United States and Europe.
For competitive water sports, athlete’s usually use the swimsuit called the “Jammer”. Jammers are swimsuits that strongly resemble biking tights. Jammers obtained its popularity in water sport competitions due to its ability to provide speed advantages to its wearer.

As such, most major swimwear companies such as Speedo, Diana, TYR and Blueseventy manufacture separate versions of this swimwear for competition purposes. Elastic materials are again used which include spandex and nylon. This male swimwear is also designed to be form fitting so as to reduce the drag in the water experienced by the wearer.