Gianneli Colours Men's Quick-Dry Swim Trunks

Printed swim trunks with a mesh liner and a water-repellent finish. The specification worth reading twice is UPF 50+, because it is the only genuinely protective feature on any garment in this range: a UPF 50 rating means the fabric admits about one fiftieth of the ultraviolet reaching it, which an ordinary cotton t-shirt does not come close to.

Three Things The Fabric Is Doing

• Blocking UV. UPF 50+ is a tested rating rather than a claim about being sun-friendly, and it applies wherever the fabric covers.
• Repelling water. The finish makes water bead and run rather than soak in, which is what lets a light fabric dry in minutes instead of an hour.
• Stretching in every direction. Four-way stretch microfiber moves with the leg swimming and walking, so nothing binds at the thigh.

Light Is The Point

The shell runs 5.13 oz per square yard, 174 gsm. That is a genuinely light cloth, less than two thirds the weight of the t-shirts in this range, and lightness is what makes quick-dry quick: there is simply less fabric to hold water.

The Liner Is A Separate Garment

An anti-chafe mesh liner in 92% polyester with 8% spandex sits inside. Mesh rather than solid fabric is deliberate: it lets water out and air through, so the inside of the trunks does not stay wet after the outside has dried. Elastic waistband with a drawcord above it.

Pockets That Drain

The main pockets are mesh, which means they empty rather than holding a litre of seawater when you stand up. There is also a small interior pocket for a key or a card. None of them close, so nothing valuable should go in them while swimming.

Before You Order

What does UPF 50+ actually mean? The fabric admits roughly one fiftieth of the ultraviolet light hitting it. It protects where it covers and does nothing for skin left bare.

Will a phone be safe in the pocket? No. The pockets are mesh and none of them fasten, so they are for a key or a card while you are on the sand rather than for anything you would mind losing in the water.

Is the liner removable? No. The mesh liner is sewn in, which is what keeps it from bunching the way a loose liner does.