Swim shorts,
explained properly.

Eight straight answers to the questions people actually ask before buying — sizing, fit, fabric and care. No filler, and we'll tell you when something isn't worth buying.

Choosing a pair

• What size swim shorts? A straight answer.
  Waist measurements mislead you because the waistband stretches. Height tables for men and boys, plus four checks that tell you whether a pair actually fits.
• Swim shorts vs board shorts vs trunks
  Three genuinely different garments. Every feature of board shorts solves a surfing problem — which is why most people shouldn't buy them.
• Do swim shorts need a liner?
  What the mesh brief does, why cotton underwear underneath is a mistake, and the difference between a mesh liner and a hygiene liner.
• What “quick-dry” actually means
  Nobody has to prove anything to print the words. Here's the actual mechanism, the three things that change drying speed, and the three that don't.
• Swim shorts with pockets: what to look for
  Drainage, depth and closures — plus an honest answer about whether you can carry a phone. You can't.

Buying for children

• Buying for a boy who's growing fast
  Why two sizes up backfires, why one size up buys you two seasons, and when to move from youth sizing to men's Small.
• How many pairs does a child actually need?
  One, two or three depending on how often they swim. Anyone telling you five is selling swim shorts.

Looking after them

• Chlorine, salt water and how to survive them
  Swimming barely wears swimwear at all. Everything that shortens its life happens after you get out — and one habit prevents most of it.

Question we haven't answered? Email icecross@theicecross.com — if it comes up more than once we'll write it up.