Men's swimwear design has been all over the place: from the near full-body suit of the early 1900's to the trendy, if hard-to-look at, Speedo bikini bottom. Back in the day, natural materials made men's swimsuits bulky and rather heavy when wet. Thankfully, synthetic materials came along in the 60's, providing lighter, faster-drying suits. With condolences to those who still cling to their Speedo's (and unfortunately, whose Speedo’s still cling to them), we're pleased that a more, uh, modest suit is back in vogue. But modest need not mean unattractive or uncomfortable. These three "Best Of" choices will have any man looking good at the pool or the beach.
If anyone is going to know swimsuits, you'd expect surfers would, right? Alan Green and John Law, two Australian surfers, founded Quicksilver in 1970. Since then it has become a major brand worldwide, producing not only swimwear, but snowboards and skateboards and even outdoor-oriented television programs. Their Intervention II Boardshort earned a "Best Of" ranking for a host of special features that could only have come from those who "get it." For instance, this swimsuit is made of 100% poly supers... FULL REVIEW
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MSRP $55
Sometimes swimsuits are less about technical function, as they are for surfers, for instance, and more about plain, old-fashioned comfort for those weekend-long (or longer) stays at a pool, lake or ocean. When that's the case, this "Best Of" selection from Tommy Bahama could be your suit of choice. The half elastic waistband provides that extra bit of stretch you may need when playing volleyball or doing a cannon ball off the high board. (Or perhaps after consuming your body weight in vacation delica... FULL REVIEW
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MSRP $75
In the 1950's many surfers didn't surf for too long at any one time. That's because they couldn't. Swimwear that protected them from the cold ocean water had not yet been invented. One guy went so far as to take a Navy paratrooper's suit and cover it in water sealant. That didn't work so well. Surfer Jack O'Neill experimented with close cell foam, which ultimately led him to his big breakthrough: the Neoprene wetsuit. That worked quite well indeed. Nowadays, his company offers a broad line of men's and women... FULL REVIEW
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LUXE IT OR LEAVE IT
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MSRP $70
