There's a moment, usually around the second week of June, when you pull last year's swim trunks out of the drawer, look at them, and think: yeah, no. The drawstring is shot. The print is dated. The fit isn't doing you any favors. It's time.
Good news, the men's swim category has quietly gotten much, much better. Inseams are landing in the smart 5–8" range (no more knee-grazing skater shorts, no more racing briefs). Earthy neutrals like caramel and sand are sharing the rack with deep navies and one really excellent tropical print. Recycled fabrics and quick-dry tech are now table stakes, not premium features.
Here are five swim trunks from across the shop that we'd happily pack for the entire summer.
The Versatile Workhorse
Greyson 8" Indian Wells Board Short in Maltese Blue
If you're only going to own one pair of swim trunks this summer, this is the one. The 8" Indian Wells is built from a technical nylon-elastane blend (85/15) with four-way stretch, a durable water-repellent finish, and quick-dry construction. Translation: it works as actual swimwear, but it also works as a short you can wear off the beach for lunch without looking like you just walked out of the surf.
The 8" inseam is the sweet spot, long enough to feel grown-up, short enough to feel modern. Drawcord waist, rear zip pocket for your key and a folded twenty. Maltese Blue is the smart color: a deep, grounded blue that reads classic but doesn't disappear into the navy crowd.
This is the pair you grab without thinking, six mornings a week, all summer.
Shop the Greyson 8" Indian Wells in Maltese Blue →
The Statement Print
Greyson Night Lurk Torch Swim Short
Every guy needs one swim short with a little personality, the pair you reach for when you're hosting at the pool, hitting a beach club, or just want a little visual interest at the resort bar. The Night Lurk delivers.
The print itself is the move: oversized tropical blooms, ferns, and hanging moss on a deep navy ground, with teal, white, and burgundy accents, and a hidden crane tucked into the artwork (a Greyson easter egg). It's bold without being loud, and the dark ground keeps it tasteful instead of theme-park.
Underneath the print, it's a true performance short, 100% polyester, quick-dry, breathable liner, elastic drawcord waist, and a rear zip pocket. The 5½" inseam is the on-trend cut for 2026: shorter, easier, a little more European.
Pair with a white linen shirt and you have your whole vacation dinner outfit.
Shop the Greyson Night Lurk Torch Swim Short →
The Classic Resort Pair
NN.07 Holiday Drawstring Swim Short — Deep Navy & Red
NN.07 (No Nationality 07) is the Copenhagen-based brand that quietly nails the European resort aesthetic, refined, easy, never trying too hard. The Holiday is their hero swim short, and it comes in two colors you'll genuinely use.
Both are cut from recycled polyester with a touch of elastane, giving them a light, drapey hand that moves with you instead of standing stiff. Elasticated waist with drawstring closure, a practical back zip pocket, and a small NN.07 embroidery at the front, that's it. Nothing else. The whole appeal is the restraint.
Deep Navy is the everyday hero. The kind of short that works at the country club pool, on a Greek island, and at a Saturday cookout in the backyard. It's the pair you'll wear most.
Red is the upgrade. Not a screaming neon, a confident, considered red that channels late-70s Saint-Tropez, James Bond in Thunderball, the dad-on-the-Riviera energy that's quietly back in style. Wear with a white tee or unbuttoned linen camp shirt and you're done thinking.
Together, they're the perfect navy-and-red duo for the guy who wants two swim shorts that actually go with everything.
Shop the NN.07 Holiday in Deep Navy →
Shop the NN.07 Holiday in Red →
The Earth-Tone Sleeper Pick
NN.07 Jules Swim Shorts in Caramel
If you've been paying attention to menswear trends in 2026, you've noticed the slow takeover of warm, earthy neutrals caramel, sand, taupe, terracotta. The Jules in Caramel is your way into the trend without committing to a whole wardrobe rebuild.
The Jules is constructed from a crisp 120 g/m² recycled polyester with a subtle stretch, finished with an elastic waist and drawstring, slanted side pockets, and a mesh lining for breathability. The cut is mid-length and clean. The fabric has a structured-but-soft hand that holds its shape wet or dry.
Caramel is the unexpected swim color that ends up working with more than you'd think white, navy, olive, denim, cream linen. It's the pair that looks deliberate on Instagram and even better in person.
If you want something a little different from everyone else's navy-and-white, this is it.
Shop the NN.07 Jules in Caramel →
How to Build Your 2026 Swim Rotation
If we were building a complete summer swim rotation from these five, here's how we'd do it:
A workhorse navy or navy-adjacent pair (Indian Wells in Maltese Blue or NN.07 Holiday in Deep Navy), one statement print (Night Lurk Torch), and one wildcard color either the NN.07 Holiday in Red for classic resort energy or the Jules in Caramel for current-trend earth-tone.
That's three pairs, total. Enough variety to never wear the same thing twice on a long weekend, and clean enough that every pair will still look right next summer.
