The History of the Men's Swimsuit

During the 1800s and before, men jumped into the water either in their underwear (frequently a one piece top and bottom) or in their birthday suit. Men usually participated in leisure bathing away from the eyes of women. Enjoying the beach and water together at that time was not considered proper. No wonder that as the bathing suit evolved, the earliest version for men resembled one-piece skivvies. Now, swimsuit fashions for men have become as small and revealing as the woman's itsy bitsy teeny weeny bikini of more than 40 years ago.

History

Under the "Bathing Suit Regulations" of 1917, suits included a skirt that was worn outside the trunks. Another option was flannel knee pants with a vest front. A "speed suit" was designed that had armholes and closed leggings.

Removable Top

Synthetic rubber yarn, known as Lastex, revolutionized swimwear during the 1930s. Athletic supports were sewn directly into the trunks, providing comfort and a trim appearance. But showing the chest in public was not accepted until 1933. A convertible-style suit, the Men's Topper, gave men the option to remove the top. Unfortunately, removing the top resulted in arrests for indecent exposure on beaches across America.

Tarzan to the Rescue

That same year, the B.V.D company teamed with Olympic swimmer Johnny Weismuller, later of Tarzan movie fame, to promote swimsuits. He needed special cuts around the arms on tank tops, and he wanted to show off his natural waist and other features. This created the first pair of bathing trunks. The line was introduced in France while America still demanded suits with a top. Finally, in 1937, men got the right to go topless.

Shorts, Trunks, Briefs

Shorts, also called swim trunks, finally became the typical swimwear for men during the 1940s. During the 1950s, terry-lined cabana sets became popular. Hawaiian prints were common. For the1960s, vinyl and plastic found its way into everyday clothes and swimwear. Cutoff shorts became popular during the 1970s and Lycra briefs were the suits of the 1980s.

Calvin Klein Swimwear

During the 1990s, Calvin Klein's boxer brief led the line of athletic swimwear. The renaissance of surfer culture helped the board shorts style become popular. In recent years, the invasion of fashion from Brazil has changed men's swimwear fashion once again.