Men's Sutex swimming trunks
Maker
Sutex
Date1940s
Object number00039522
NameSwimsuit
MediumLastex
Dimensions390 x 340 mm, 0.6 lb. (0.26 kg)
ClassificationsClothing and personal items
Credit LineANMM Collection
DescriptionThese American made swimming trunks follow the 1940s men's fashion for topless and high waisted swimwear. The design features a white cord trim on the side of each leg, a half skirt and a leg line on the upper thigh for modesty. A manufacturer's label is sewn onto the lower left leg reading 'Sutex'.HistoryDespite a move towards topless swimsuits for men throughout the 1930s in Australia and the United States, one piece swimsuits were usually worn on public beaches until the 1940s.
Once the topless design was accepted, elaborate belts and buckles were often featured, primarily as a way of differentiating men's swimwear from undergarments. While the actual style of trunks changed little between the 1940s and 1950s, there was a shift away from natural fibres, such as wool and cotton towards synthetics.SignificanceThese swimming trunks are representative of men's beachwear fashions in the 1940s.
