Get a Tan First

Yesterday I wrote about throwing a pair of trunks into the tote in case the opportunity for a swim presented itself. That caused me to realize that I had never posted about swimwear, which was surprising considering that I regularly complain to myself that there is nothing new to write about. So. Swimwear. Simple really.

Swimwear is like underwear. There are a couple of styles and comfort, both physical and psychological, should take precedence. On the one hand we have the brief, offered by Speedo and others. It is, well, brief, and as such principally suited for the man who still imagines himself competing in the hundred meter breaststroke in school.

And on the other hand, there is the trunk, a category into which fall both the conventional swim suit and its cousin the board short. Board shorts are swim trunks for men who fancy themselves as wave riders, which means they wear swim trunks that cover the knees. That makes them perhaps not as good looking as conventional length trunks but better suited for kneeling on fiberglass surfaces.

Once the other options have been considered the choice comes down to conventional length trunks, as most of us knew it would eventurally. Cut a couple inches above the knee, they should be made of a quick drying cloth like polyamid. Look for a cotton mesh lining that will function like an athletic supporter as well as a pocket or two for the key (swimmers inevitably find themselves needing a place to put a key, whether to a hotel room or a locker containing the rest of the day's possessions).

There is, finally, the question of color and pattern. I admit that for much of my life I was a believer in quiet trunks, thinking the St. Tropez style of makers like Vilebrequin and its imitators a bit too flamboyant. My view is different now. In use, those wild colors and patterns are lost in the vivid surroundings of a beach. And they complement a tan, so I say go for it.

But get a tan first.

Photo: Vilebrequin