The Only Swim Shorts Guide You Need This Year
Swim shorts are the most forgiving piece in the swim drawer and the easiest to buy badly. Too long and they swallow your legs, too loose and they balloon in the water, too much lining and they never dry. This is the only guide you need, length, fit, lining, and the three pairs that cover every kind of beach day.
Length is the whole game
Short inseams, around 3 to 5 inches, show more leg, dry faster, and suit pool parties and tanning days. Mid lengths split the difference for active beach days with volleyball, walks, and a cafe stop. Long boardshort lengths cover the most and move the slowest in the water. Shorter guys almost always look sharper in a shorter inseam, taller guys can carry both, and nobody looks good in a hem that hits the knee by accident.
The Billy Swim Shorts, $25.00, are the easy first pair, a clean short line at a friendly price, the pair you throw in every beach bag without thinking.
Fit and lining, the quiet details
- Waist: a drawstring plus elastic is the sweet spot, secure in the water, adjustable on land.
- Leg: room to move, no ballooning. The leg should skim, not squeeze and not sail.
- Lining: a light mesh brief lining gives support and keeps everything smooth. Unlined shorts work over a jock or brief you trust.
- Pockets: one secure pocket beats three soggy ones. Check zips before beach volleyball, not after.
- Dry time: thin, smooth fabrics dry on your body. Heavy cotton blends stay wet all day.
Fishnet Show Swim Shorts, $35.00
The Fishnet Show Swim Shorts, $35.00, are the party chapter of the guide, a short, sheer leaning line made for pool decks where the outfit is the event.
The three pair system
One classic short for every beach, one short and bold pair for parties, and one longer, pocket friendly pair for active days and travel. That system covers a cruise, a lake weekend, and a backyard pool without a single repeat worry.
The Brava Town Shorts by KBAYO, $65.00, fill the classic slot with a tailored line you can wear from the sand to lunch. KBAYO is a house brand, so it ships free inside the United States, and its runs are limited edition and never restocked.
Shorts beyond the beach
A good swim short earns its keep off the sand too. The classic pair walks to lunch, rides a bike to the store, and handles a travel day where you land and go straight to the water. That is why the waist and the fabric matter as much as the look, a short that dries in twenty minutes and never wrinkles is a packing cheat code. On a trip, two swim shorts plus the pair you wear on the plane can honestly cover a week of days that all end near water, which frees suitcase space for the fun stuff. Keep one rule for double duty days, rinse the salt and chlorine out at night, even a quick sink rinse, and hang them where air moves. Your shorts will last longer, smell better, and be dry by morning, ready to do the whole thing again.
Shop the system
Start with your classic pair, then add the fun one. Browse our shorts collection, and remember the Swim Duo takes 10 percent off when you buy 2 or more swimsuits.