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You’ve been crying out for a pair of nice green swimming shorts for months. Crying, screaming, throwing your hands about in dismay. But please, we beg of you: stop it. If you stopped being so hysterical for just one second, you’d realise that Asket – the Swedish everyday brand that sounds a lot like, but is crucially not, Swedish everyday brand Arket – has some of the best simple swimmers on the market. They’re crafted from recovered marine plastics, can be easily teamed with your land-appropriate wardrobe and are built to last.
Orlebar Brown’s updated paisley print is enough to make a statement whether you’re wearing them by the pool or heading into town. They’re also made using recycled polyester and finished with a silver buckle and adjustable straps that helps to give them a formality not usually associated with swimwear.
There’s no messing about with NN07’s swim shorts. Nice brown colour, nice straight leg, comfortable elastic waistband. What more could you ask for?
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London-based designer Bianca Saunders pushes the boat out with her swim shorts. The design sports her signature checked design, combining a green and orange front with a sand and orange combination on the back.
Polo Ralph Lauren rightly has a reputation for very nice swim shorts. This pair is no different, and the blue and white stripe – combined with a red logo – makes them the perfect preppy-inspired pair for summer.
Why just get in the sea when you could also be dressed as the sea? Known for the colours and prints of its swimwear offering, Vilbrequin has pushed the boat out even further (sorry) with this wave print.
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Indonesian label Devá States manages to mix a tropical beach aesthetic – palm trees, hibiscus flowers, bright colours – with a checkerboard reference to the skateboarding. The combination works, and the Palmera shorts are a winner.
Stone Island’s swim shorts may look pretty straightforward, but the combination of a recycled polyamide shell, tonal detailing and, obviously, THAT badge all add up to make them a must have.
Admittedly Barbour isn’t the first name that comes to mind when you think of swim shorts, but this pair is a clever riff on the brand’s iconic waxed coats. The tartan lining so often associated with Barbour jackets is recreated, although this time it’s for sunny days by the beach, not rainy days on the moors.
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Everyone knows about Casablanca’s printed silk shirts, but their printed swimmers are just as good. This pair – which comes in the label’s Ange de Jour print in yellow and blue – is the perfect example.
Just when you thought Adidas' classic school gym shorts couldn't get any better, they went and joined the swim team.
12Speedo
John Lewis SHOP
Speedo may be synonymous with big, big Copacabana meatheads in tiny, tiny trunks, but the performance-driven brand also makes swim shorts that actually work (and actually look great).
£24; amazon.co.uk
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13Mr Marvis
Mr Marvis SHOP
Mr Marvis, good day to you good sir! Because this kindly gent has been making some of the best shorts – and some of the best swim shorts – for the best part of the last decade.
£89; mrmarvis.co.uk
14Marcelo Burlon
Farfetch SHOP
That's Marcelo Burlon, County of Milan to you! And now, it seems the designer (an alum of Gucci, McQueen and Raf Simons) is taking his techno-infused menswear to the County of Capri by way of some printed swim shorts.
£107; farfetch.com
15Arket
Arket SHOP
Lightweight, versatile and made from recycled nylon waste, Arket ticks all the boxes of what a good pair of swim shorts should look like.
£35; arket.com
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16Vilebrequin x Massimo Vitali
Vilebrequin SHOP
Part of a collaboration with famed Italian photographer Massimo Vitali, these mid-length shorts come with an elastic waist and an all-over print of a happy summer's afternoon taken from the rooftop of le villa Noailles, one of the Riviera's most iconic vantage points.
£230; vilebrequin.com
17Tom Ford
Mr Porter SHOP
Smart and a bit... sexy? These shorts by Tom Ford will make you the talk of the Chateau Marmont pool. You do have a membership, don't you?
£350; mrporter.com
18Paul Smith
END Clothing SHOP
The stripe seen across the globe, Sir Paul's aesthetic calling card works particularly well on a nice, classic pair of summer swim shorts.
£99; endclothing.com
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