A trip to the beach used to be a simple case of sticking an old, sloppy stained tee on with some loose baggy swim shorts and flip-flopping your way to that stripey deckchair. But beach wear, or resort wear as marketeers like to call it, has seriously upped its game in the past decade.

Luxury swimwear brands like Orlebar Brown, Frescobol Carioca, Onia and Vilbrequin have lead the way, significantly smartening the swim short and bringing back a sort of elegant mid-century style that wouldn’t look out of place in an Alfred Hitchcock spy caper on the Riviera.

“There’s now the idea that beachwear is no longer exclusively for the beach or the pool, so consumers have a higher expectation of the pieces they buy, as well as the need for them to be functional & versatile,” notes Oliver Moores, creative director at Frescobol Carioca

So just how do you traverse this age of grace and decorum in men’s beachwear – sorry, sorry – resort wear? Well, we’ve tied up a few of our pointers in this comprehensive guide. Just don’t, for the love of Poseidon, get those baggy board shorts from your teen years back out again.

Frescobol Carioca

Top Men’s Beach Wear Styling Tips

Getting ready for beach days doesn’t have to be a stressful experience… Here are our top tips for looking your best while hitting the sand.

1. Steer Classic

Certain menswear pieces have stayed popular for a reason. From the upper-body enhancing polo shirt to the slip-on elegance of a loafer, stick to these simple, timeless pieces and you’ll be safe by any mass of water.
And it’s not that it’s particularly wrong per se to wear cargo pants or a neon bum bag on the beach or by the pool, but these sort of on-trend pieces have always looked more at home in town. Beachwear is beachwear, leave the trendy streetwear for the street.

2. Think Versatile

Whether it’s a day trip in the car or a stay in a luxury resort, you might not get a chance to completely change into a second, more formal outfit during your day so it’s important to pick pieces that can work for both the beach and any evening endeavours.