Ask dapperQ: Masculine Swimwear Part II

A reader asks:

“Can we talk about swimwear? With beach season almost upon us, I am reminded yet again of the differences between my partner and myself. For me, swimsuit season kicks off with a crash diet and an all-day shopping trip with a friend to find the perfect two-piece. However, my typically confident and dapper stud pales at the mention of swimwear. Every year, she is caught in the middle between over sized board shorts/tanks/tees or an awkward (and confidence dashing) feminine one-piece. A day at the beach with your honey should be fun and sexy, not something to dread because you are not comfortable. Any suggestions?”

Yes, we can talk about swimwear, and yes we have suggestions. First, I recommend taking a look at our swimwear post from last summer, in which we put together several different sexy, head turning, comfortable swimwear ensembles for dapperQs. (Read it here.) Many of those looks are now sold out (some items are available, so be sure to visit the original post for purchase info), but you can search for similar items using Google, or fashion-specific search engines like Shopstyle or Polyvore. Here were some of the looks in last year’s post (again, check original post for store links). The overall message from that post: Take risks (pattern mix, power clash, etc.) to avoid looks that fall flat. And, remember, you can wear a plain sports bra/bikini top under tanks.

RASH GUARD + BOARD SHORT COMBOS

Butch Swimwear

 

VINTAGE TANK + SWIM TRUNK COMBOS

Butch Swimwear II

But, I have even more good news: A new tomboy swimwear line called OutPlay is set to launch in the next few months. Like them on Facebook and stay tuned to dapperQ to be the first to know about their release dates. In the meantime, here are a few new ensembles we put together:

Swimwear II

Shirts from left to right:
HURLEY Surfside Girls Rash Guard
Nautical Anchor Yoga/Beach Top
Sunnyside Seamless Rash Guard Tee
Seea Seaside Tank Rash Guard

Shorts from left to right:

Billabong Flip Heather Board Shorts
Sperry Top-Sider Board Short
Diesel Fresh and Bright Divine Trunk
Faherty Moonlight Batik Board Shorts

Now, some of our readers do not fit neatly into the traditional butch/femme gender binary. My girl, for example, presents more like Ellen DeGeneres at work, but is really body confident and prefers to show her midriff at the beach. However, she’s not into the hyper-feminine, super-sexy string bikinis. Here are some options that lean more toward the sporty and/or androgynous side but are still hecka stylish.

SeeaSeea Monterey Bikini in Black

Seea_0004_Monterey_Zilian_Full_Front_grandeSeea Monterey Bikini in lavender

SwimZiri Bikini

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