We are delighted to present Hast’s first swim shorts. Passionate about menswear in the broadest sense, we wanted to expand our offering and develop this essential piece for men on holiday, a little more technical than most of the pieces we already offer.
We turned to seersucker. A weaving technique originating in India, alternating a taut yarn with a slack one to create a fabric with a puckered effect. This distinctive, pleasant-to-the-touch fabric is particularly suited to swim shorts. Its airy texture dries quickly, while the high density of its wave weave makes it especially durable. Available in three colours—blue, green and red—our swim shorts can be tightened at the waist with a white cotton drawstring finished with a neat red wax tip, so they stay securely in place. They are made from a cotton and polyester fabric sourced from Portugal and are also crafted in Portugal.
Beyond being an important piece, since every man should be elegant, including at the beach, swimwear is fascinating for its evolution, so closely linked to the transformations of society.
Originally, bathing was confined to private spaces—particularly in Antiquity—where men and women swam naked. Over the course of the 20th century, swimwear gradually became more widespread, closely following political, social and cultural changes. While at the beginning of the century it was customary to cover one’s body, whether male or female, the first paid holidays in 1936, introduced by the Popular Front, encouraged growing numbers of people to head to the seaside for weekends and holidays. As ever, clothing followed these changes, and warmth, along with changing habits, gradually shortened the lengths of fabric. Sport also played an important role in the evolution of swimwear cuts. Competitive swimming became widespread in the 1960s, and swimwear adapted by becoming more close-fitting. Conversely, the 1970s saw the rise of surfing and its lifestyle, with a preference for loose-fitting swim shorts and matching long hair.
In short, the evolution of swimwear cannot be separated from changing social mores and sporting practices. Today, swimwear adapts to its context and frees itself from convention: it is either specialised for sport or a leisure piece worn according to individual preference. Even if it is tacitly accepted that mid-length swim shorts (such as those we offer) are often our contemporaries’ favourites. In every circumstance, however, they should be worn with style. Shall we swim?
