Rahul Khanna: Swim season ready

What’s the ideal swimwear you need in your wardrobe for the next time you go to the beach or take a dip in the pool?

Swim ready

What’s the ideal swimwear for Indian beaches and hotels with common pools here?

—Vishnu, Mumbai

Our culture is a conservative one, so, if you have a thong collection, I would recommend saving it for a European vacation. On the other hand, long, baggy surfer shorts are sloppy. I find well-fitted shorts—that end no lower than a few inches above the knee—to be the most flattering on us men. If you want to flaunt your gym gains, there’s no shame in going for a much shorter, snugger trunk or even speedo-style briefs for that olympian look. But the one thing I urge you to resist is the unfortunate, yet all too common, practice of guys wearing underwear with swimwear! Not only is it unsightly, it’s also unhygienic. Proceed commando, confident in the knowledge that most men’s swimwear has a built in mesh-lining that’s designed to keep your family jewels contained and your modesty, intact.

A few tips:

• I pack a small amount of detergent so, I can hand-wash my swimsuit in my hotel room.

• A boy-scout trick I swear by—roll wet shorts in a towel and then wring, to dry them quicker.

• I carry at least two shorts so, I always have a fresh pair while the other is drying (is there any worse feeling than putting on a cold, wet swimsuit)?

• And, lastly, I always bring a ziplock plastic bag to pack still-damp shorts after that last swim before my flight home.

Rahul Khanna is a “boutique actor”, whose sartorial statements and good looks often send hearts aflutter. He goes by @mrkhanna on Instagram

From HT Brunch, January 30, 2022

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