THE STORY OF MEN’S SWIMWEAR
Everybody loves swimwear because it makes us think about vacations or, at least, relaxing by the pool. We love swimwear so much that we decided to start a business in this particular niche, ending up with a store that sells men’s swimwear of all types and styles. Recently, we allowed ourselves to be inspired by the swimwear styles that were popular in the 1920s and 1930s, in Europe. Thus, our latest men’s swimwear collection follows these retro styles, a venture that made us want to know more about the history of men’s swimwear. Would you like to see how this particular clothing item appeared? Then let us guide you through the story.
FROM ADAM’S COSTUME TO COMPLETE COVERAGE
Men swimwear went through a lot of transformations, as the human society started to discover the shame of being seen naked, pudicity, and the term of “indecent exposure”. The ancient Greeks had no issues of this kind, as they are depicted swimming bare bottomed in numerous stone carvings. But, as we evolved, things changed a lot, and appearing naked in public areas was not considered just a shameful act, but one risked to even go to jail for displaying such courage. This is how the first notion of men swimwear appeared, as public bathhouses changed their rules and forbidden Adam’s costume. Thus, before the 1900s, men had to swimming in garments that resembled more a pajama rather than a bathing suit, as the clothing item covered everything from the knee up.
THE FIRST OFFICIAL SWIMWEAR APPEARED IN THE 1910s
In 1915, the swimwear of men covered them almost entirely. The suit covered their body, arms, and their thighs, having a length that was up to the knee. Although it was used for swimming, the suit was more like underwire, similar to the one that was worn during the cold season under the clothes. In 1925, things loosened up a little, as the swimsuits for men lost their sleeves and started looking more with tank tops. Just think about the fact that these swimsuits were knitted back then, so they were rather uncomfortable when it came to getting in the water with them. But, since there was no other alternative at those times, men had to play by the rules. Finally, the two-piece men swimwear appeared, composed out of shorts and a tank top, which gave men more flexibility, mobility, and comfort. Also, it became shorter, so swimming got a tad easier.
MEN BARE CHESTS STARTED TO BE ALLOWED IN THE 1930s
Luckily, in 1930, it became legal for men to display their bare chests in public areas, so the first shorts appeared, without any tank tops and other coverage in the upper body area. The shrinking process of men’s swimwear continued in the 40s, 50s, and 60s, when this clothing item got shorter and tighter, as people became more open-minded when it came to displaying their bodies in public. Better fabrics appeared as well, so men swimwear started to be made out of rayon, a fabric that was getting dry faster after being soaked in water, and spandex, which made the shorts mold better to the body.
MORE COLORFUL AND DARING MODELS APPEARED IN THE 1950s AND 1960s
In the 50s and 60s, the swimwear was already considered an important part of a man’s wardrobe, so now it had funky patterns and colors, as they were designed to impress. Also, bodybuilders and other men that activated in the fitness sector became quite popular, and so did their swimwear. They had very short and tight briefs, which were meant to show the well-sculpted bodies of men in all its splendor, so it wasn’t long until the Speedo model appeared.
BODYBUILDERS LIKE IT TIGHT, HIPPIES LIKE IT LOOSE
In the 80s, together with the movement of the hippies, a looser pair of shorts appeared and they were called board shorts. The image of relaxed men with their surfboards on the beach, wearing these shorts, won over a large part of the audience. The trend continued in the 90s when Hawaiian prints dominated men’s preferences when it came to their favorite beachwear. These days, you can find anything from the tight briefs to board shorts and boxers, which are, again, shorter and highly colorful. So, yes, trends are always coming back, in a cycling manner.
SWIMWEAR & SPORTS
While it is called swimwear, these clothing items found other purposes due to their resilience, lightweight, and easy maintenance. Let us just think about strongmen, bodybuilders, wrestlers, and athletes. They cannot wear sweatshirts, not even a T-shirt during competitions because no one could see their perfectly well-trained bodies. Not to mention that when training hard and depositing a lot of physical effort, you also sweat a lot, so fewer clothes is always better in this case. Thus, no wonder that the swimsuit ended up being the ideal choice for a large number of sportsmen.
The singlet, which is a type of swimsuit for men that was popular back in the days, is regaining its former glory in our days due to its shape and versatility. It is not just great for swimming, as it also provides a great support when working out. It is thin and elastic, allowing a man to perform a wide range of movements. It dries out quickly and allows the skin to breathe, and, of course, it is extremely easy to clean and maintain. You can either wash it by hand, because it dries very quickly, or you can simply wash it in the washing machine.
OUR BRAND, OUR PASSION
As mentioned earlier, we love what we do because we want to provide items that are not just practical but also make you feel and look good at the same time. We want to help you enhance the shapes of your body, for which you worked so hard while giving you stylish items to wear that is made in a responsible manner. We found value and charm in retro styles and now we present them in a modern way in our newest collection, knowing that men always look for character in everything they choose to wear. So, explore the new ZLC men’s swimwear line and let your personality and style show by wearing top-notch items. We loved making them, we love the story behind them, and we are certain that you will feel amazing wearing them as well because we invested not just high-quality materials in each item, but also a lot of effort, dedication, and creativity.
