Sharp Shorts: The Best Tailored Swim Shorts Brands

Looking for ways to streamline your summer packing? Finding garments that can cover multiple bases is a good place to start. That could mean shopping for versatile pieces that can be worn with lots of different outfits, or it might be buying a single garment that does the job of two. Case in point: tailored swim shorts.

These elevated swimmers are sartorially amphibious. They’re at home in and around the pool or at the beach, but they won’t see you denied entry to a fancy restaurant in the evening, either – one pair of shorts to do it all.

Not only are they versatile, tailored swim shorts are flattering and look great, too. This makes them an excellent option for men who take pride in their appearance and want to look their best while on vacation or strutting their stuff on the beach. Sound like you? Then scroll down for the need-to-know information.

What are tailored swim shorts?

Tailored swim shorts have been around for a while, but there is still some confusion around the term. These aren’t swim shorts that have been altered by a tailor or made to measure. Yes, that’s what it sounds like, but it’s really just a label for categorising swim shorts on the smarter end of the spectrum.

Tailored swim shorts are those that have a slim, flattering cut. They might also have details more commonly found on chinos and dress pants – things like a hook-and-bar fastening, slit pockets, maybe even pleats or little cinch buckles to the waist – and they’re generally made from high-quality materials, perhaps with a little added stretch.

Purchase considerations

Fit

Tailored swim shorts should be more fitted than your average baggy board shorts. They should fit similar to a slim-cut chino—trim and close to the skin but without being tight or restricting movement.

Colour

There are various colours to choose from when it comes to tailored swim shorts, but in our experience, dark shades work best.

Going navy, black or dark green reduces your chances of getting a stain on them or colours bleeding in the wash, meaning they’ll stay looking fresher for longer.

Print

If you want to try something a little different, some brands offer prints on their tailored swim shorts. The biggest name in the space is Orlebar Brown – the brand that pretty much invented the tailored swim short in the first place – whose shorts often feature all-over photographic prints.

Price

The most important question is how much you should spend. Generally, tailored swim shorts tend to be priced a little higher than your average swimmers, with prices ranging from around £50 at mid-range high-street retailers like Reiss, COS and ARKET, all the way up to £300 for Orlebar Brown’s iconic photographic print shorts.

Is a pair of swim shorts ever worth that much money? From a purely objective standpoint, almost certainly not, but as with most things in menswear, it’s worth what someone is prepared to pay. Also, in our experience, high-end swim shorts last longer, so the cost per wear can be lower.

The best brands for tailored swim shorts

Vilebrequin

French luxury swimwear brand Vilebrequin is always a safe bet for upscale resortwear. Founded in St. Tropez in the 1970s, it has consistently churned out some of the best swim shorts in the game for over half a century.

The label is known for its eye-catching yet tasteful prints and patterns, but it makes plenty of subtle styles, too. Take the flat-belt shorts, for example, which feature a low-profile design with a tailored fit, slit pockets and a slightly stretchy fabric for comfort.

Shop now at Vilebrequin

The Resort Co.

At £154 a piece, The Resort Co’s tailored swim shorts are a great accessible alternative to Orlebar Brown. High-end swim shorts are all well and good, but those £300 price tags alienate many potential buyers.

The Resort Co’s version has a similar look and feel with comparable quality for a fraction of the price. They come in a range of different colour and fabric options, including block colours and prints, and they’re handmade in Portugal using carefully sourced fabric and hardware.

Shop now at The Resort Co

Orlebar Brown

Without this British brand, there would be no tailored swim shorts. Orlebar Brown’s USP has always been creating not ‘swim shorts’, but shorts you can swim in. They’re designed to look like smart shorts first and foremost, but ones that you don’t have to whip off before jumping into the pool.

As mentioned earlier, the brand’s shorts are also famous for their eye-catching photographic prints, often depicting highly saturated vacation imagery and beach shots.

Shop now at Orlebar Brown

L’ESTRANGE

At L’ESTRANGE, £99 will get you a pair of the brand’s ‘Anywhere Shorts’, which emphasise the go-anywhere nature of its swim short.

Cut slim to mid-thigh, they look like a pair of traditional shorts, meaning they’d look equally at home floating around in the shallow water at the beach during the day as they would worn with loafers for an evening meal.

As with the rest of the London label’s range, the finer details have also been considered – there’s a hidden drawstring waist for exceptional comfort, the ability to pick internal netting or not, and a complimentary repair and care service for a year. Exceptional value.

Shop now at L’ESTRANGE

Frescobol Carioca

Hailing from the beautiful beaches of Rio de Janeiro, Frescobol Carioca is a luxury lifestyle label specialising in swim shorts, resortwear and upscale wooden beach bats.

The brand makes some stunning shirts and accessories, but it’s the shorts that keep us coming back. The Copacabana tailored swim shorts go for £185 and feature a flat waist with adjustable button fastening, slit pockets and a low-profile, fitted cut.

Shop now at Farfetch

Reiss

All of the options up to now will set you back north of £100, but you don’t have to spend that sort of money to get a great pair of tailored swim shorts.

High-street brand Reiss makes some excellent options, complete with side adjusters, slit pockets and a zip fly. Best of all, they’ll only cost you around £50.

Shop now at Reiss

Sunspel

We’re huge fans of British premium basics brand Sunspel. It makes some of the best T-shirts in the game, its knitwear is impeccable, and its tailored swim shorts are close to perfect, too.

Based on the iconic design worn by Sean Connery in Thunderball, these shorts feature a flat waist and a small flap pocket to the waistband. They also have adjustable side tabs, and they’re cut from recycled SEAQUAL fabric, which is made from waste plastic pulled from the oceans. So you won’t feel too guilty when you take that morning dip.

Shop now at Sunspel