2021's Hottest Swimwear for Men: More Than Meets The Eye!

Is there such a thing as one swimsuit style that fits them all? There are many popular brands and styles of men's shorts but do they all fit your body?

We put together a list of popular brands but also all the different styles of men's swimwear shorts. Pay attention to the details about each style.

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While you have favorites, it's best to include a variety of swimwear styles in your bag for different happenings. No one needs to see you in your speedo if you are going to a pool party where a third of the guests aren't in swim shorts.

Or why would you want to wear long baggy board shorts if you are short and/or super fit? Longboard swim shorts make you look short. They look better on a tall surfer. Go with a length more proportionate to your entire body length. And do show more thigh, catch my drift?

A Few Basics First...

Swimwear Fabrics & Properties

The ideal swimwear fabrics should be composed of man-made fibers. However, the cotton will absorb all the water, feel heavy, and take hours to dry. The quick-dry concepts are usually made of either 100% polyester, a polyester blend, or nylon. Look for a small percentage (10-20%) of Lycra or Spandex for a good stretch feel.

• Polyester (best for the sauna, dry the quickest and provide UV protection all the time)

• Nylon ( soft lightweight feel, elastic, especially with stretch and lycra blend, absorbs little moisture, strong in tension can be used for running, gym, workouts

• Cotton absorbs all the water and takes hours to dry, sticks to your body, and weighs you down.

• Elastane is also known as spandex or lycra is high breathability with a high moisture-wicking ability fabric It has low heat retention and stretches very well. It is made in China.

• Lycra is also known as spandex or elastane is a polyether-polyurea copolymer fabric with a high breathability factor.

• Polyurethane

• Rayon

• Spandex like lycra is very stretchy

• Viscose is also known as rayon is a synthetic substance with a 300-600 thread, very breathable with high moisture-wicking ability. Made in the UK.

Two-Way vs 4-Way Stretch Fabrics in Men's Swimwear

When you're shopping for swimwear, it's important to know the difference between a two-way stretch and a four-way stretch. The two-way stretch will only have stretch from selvage to selvage whereas four-way is a little extra help because not only does it go back and forth but also has some lengthwise stretching as well. The two-way stretch will have some give in the fabric, but four-way is even better since it'll be more flexible and easier to get into at home or when renting a suit from the beach.

Does Chlorine Damage Swim Wear?

Chlorine is a powerful chemical that can affect everything, but synthetic fabrics (polyester, nylon) are resilient and polyester has the ability to resist chlorine. Polyester also tolerates chronic full sun / ultraviolet exposure or anything of this sort better than other textiles do because it doesn't fade as quickly with time like nylon does.

Quick Dry Swim Shorts for Men

This is a characteristic determined by the material blend of your swimwear. It can be a 100% polyester or a polyester blend if you are looking for a very strong fabric that is chlorine and UV resistant (when it has PBT fabric which is resistant to saltwater, color fading, and chlorine. PBT is textured polyester with natural stretch similar to Spandex really lightweight and a high-tech feel). It can also be made of a nylon blend with lycra for the stretchy bit. But once you decided this is what you want, you can find quick dry in every style of shorts we discuss in this article.

Polyester Swim Shorts for Men

It's no secret that polyester is the fabric of choice for competitive swimwear, but new advancements have made it even more superior. The hand and feel are now unparalleled by any other materials out there making it the perfect solution! Polyester holds its color better than most fabrics so you're sure to look good in your suit regardless if blended with Lycra® or not. And because chlorine doesn't affect this material like others, be prepared to spend less time at poolside maintenance while still looking great during competitions!

Hurley Dry-Fit Shorts, 98% Polyester | $35 @ Nordstrom

Kanu Surf Long Board UFC 50+ with lining, 100% polyester | $19+ on Amazon

Stripe Texture Swim Trunks by River Island , 100% Polyester | $35 @ Nordstrom

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Men Swimwear by Style

The Solid Colors Swim Shorts

It's a good idea to stick with solid colors and small-scale patterns to mix and match more easily. You'll probably only own one or two pairs of swim trunks at any given time, so you might as well go for versatile ones!

Solid Washed Nylon Swim Trunks by Vintage Summer, 100% Nylon | $39 at Nordstrom

Naples IslandActive by Tommy Bahama, 100% polyester | $89.50 @ Nordstrom

Turnberry Swim Trunks Sorbet, cotton & polyamide | $80 @ Nordstrom

The Pattern Swimwear Look

The pattern tends to be associated with the current style and fashion trends. As fashion changes every season, this one is harder to follow so you might want to check online with the large retailers for the most popular styles of the season (Lululemon, ASOS, Nordstrom, Macy's).

Quick-dry with jacquard-woven floral pattern by BOSS, Polyester blend | $118 @ BOSS

Eco Daisy Floral Swim Shorts, 100% recycled polyester | $36.95 @ Nordstrom

Chubbies Thigh Napples 51/2", 92% polyester, 8% spandex | $79.50 @ Nordstrom

The Bold Logo-Print Swim Short in Technical Fabric

The bold logo will obviously be associated with popular brands like Lacoste, BOSS, CK, O'Neil, Gymshark, Hurley, etc. otherwise, what's the point in printing an unknown knockoff like anyone of those Aliexpress or Alibaba swimwear?