What His Swimsuit Says About Him

Basic Trunks

By Natasha Burton

This standard swimwear choice goes hand-in-hand with driving a pick-up truck and having a golden retriever in our minds. Yet, while a pair of basic trunks indicates a no-frills guy’s guy to us, Lisa Vogel, creative director of swimwear line LUXE by Lisa Vogel, says they could actually signal a “conservative, maybe even pocket-protector, type.”

Boardshorts

“Boardshorts have become the sweat pants of swimming — guys are even wearing them to the gym,” Vogel says. A staple for the California surfer dude (or wannabe surfer dude), boardshorts may be a more relaxed type of swim-garb, but with their bright colors and tropical patterns, they can make their wearers the peacocks of the beach.

Pro-Wear

First, let’s take in the perfection that is Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte. However, his look is one best reserved for the pros. “Unless you are training for the Summer Olympics or Iron Man, the swim jammers are a no-go," says Vogel. "You may feel like a champion, but I promise you will not win the gold with this look."

T-Shirt + Suit

Unless he's using his shirt as a rash guard or sun protection, we're not fond of this choice — it’s sexier for a man to own his flaws, since confidence is one of the male characteristics we admire most. Fashion designer Bradley Bayou says that if you spy this guy poolside, “be prepared to work a little harder to get him to open up.”

Briefs

A guy with teeny-weeny, skin-tight swimwear “is either very confident, or completely out of the loop ... unless he is hottie Daniel Craig in Casino Royale,” says Vogel. We have to agree. While we’re not sure these tiny shorts would look as good on all men, we do appreciate Mr. Craig's ability to really pull them off.

Speedo

“Exposing so much of his body signals that he's extremely self-confident, secure and optimistic,” Bayou notes. But we’re a bit torn on this suit, which is popular with both European men and former high school swimmers. On the one hand, we appreciate a man who’s not afraid to show what he’s got — that confidence is so key. On the other, we’re just not sure about wearing what looks like underwear as swimwear. (We’re talking to you, too, thong bikinis.)

Ladies' Suit

If you thought the Speedo signaled body security, this bold suit means that the guy wearing it is not only totally cool with potentially indecent exposure, but he’s also not afraid to look, well, a little ridiculous. A man with supreme comedic chops, like those of Jim Carrey, may be the only kind of guy who can really pull this off without raising some eyebrows.