How long should board shorts be

The seams are vital to the durability of your short, the seams holding them together, both the inseam and outseam are usually sewn using either double or triple needle stitching.

A stitchless seam is created with a type of welding glue, welding the seams together keeping the seam tight but non- abrasive. Some of our more technical boardshorts have pockets welded or bonded on so they are virtually invisible. The retro boardies and some of our technical boardshorts are more of a tailored fit. LENGTHS Boardshorts come in many different lengths, but you generally have got your typical standard which is about 22" putting the bottom of your short just above your knee.

THE FLY There are mutiple types of flys on boardshorts including velcro, zippered and neoprene - velcro free flys are found often. THE SEAMS The seams are vital to the durability of your short, the seams holding them together, both the inseam and outseam are usually sewn using either double or triple needle stitching. Continue shopping. Or somewhere else?

Good for: Active guys average height or taller "Long" for a swimsuit generally means an inseam longer than eight or nine inches. That's the length from groin to knee on your average just-under-six-foot man.

If you're going to go any longer, you're in "board short" territory—a cut named for surfers, and the favorite bathing suit of the '90s. Are board shorts a bad thing?

Not necessarily. If you're actually going to be hopping up into a crouch on a surfboard, you might appreciate the extra fabric. But make sure you find a tailored pair without too much excess cloth, and even then, skinny guys and guys below average height will look swamped. This is the go-to length for most of you.

Inseam somewhere between six and eight inches—pretty much like a pair of shorts you'd wear in daily life. These trunks go anywhere. You can wear them to the beach, then you can go to a friend's barbecue afterward without feeling like you're rocking anything too skimpy. If you have skinny legs, you're only showing them from just above the knee down.

And if you're over six feet, this is probably as short as you want to go to maintain the proportions of your look. Once your inseam shrinks to the four or five inch range, your suit is going to end mid-thigh. This can look pleasingly vintage, or charmingly European. On most guys, this fit will hit at about mid-thigh and featured a tabbed waistband. If you're famous for your toned legs, or are headed to some stylish European locale, you might prefer this shorter fit.

Done right, it gives off all kinds of boss Don Draper vibes. This should be most guys' go-to swimsuit length. These shorts usually sit at the midway point of your thighs so be weary that they do look more fitted and usually contour around the crotch region. The short fit itself is designed to make the wearer appear visually longer.

Side splits are also common on these shorts as a way to show off more leg action. Just be sure not to go full hot pants. Sitting at around 2 inches 5cm above the knee, mid-length swim shorts are championed by countless designer labels from Orlebar Brown to Thom Browne to Gucci. Your choices are therefore extensive. Besides the length, you should also pay attention to the detailing of how the shorts are tightened.

Some brands offer the classic draw string whilst others have intuitive side tab adjusters like formal trousers.