From tank tops to briefs! How men's swimwear has transformed in the last 100 years from modest pieces to Speedos that leave little to the imagination  

  • The early 1900s were all about modesty as it was illegal for men to go shirtless on the beach 
  • But as the laws lifted in the 1930s, so did the hemlines of men's suits 
  • By the free love era of the seventies men fully embraced the Speedo briefs
  • Board shorts became the rage in the last decade of the twentieth century 
  • Today's suits are once again embracing short-shorts and bold prints 

By Dailymail.com Reporter

Published: 16:51 EST, 8 June 2016 | Updated: 18:03 EST, 8 June 2016

The trunks versus briefs debate may never be solved, but men's swimwear has gone through more variations then just how much - or little - is left to the imagination.

A new video, made by Mode, is showing just how drastically bathing suits for men have changed in the last 100 years. 

From the modest two pieces of the 1920s to the skimpy patterned briefs of the wild seventies, the range in men's swimwear fashion is displayed by model Matt Watts - who is more than happy to strip down. 

A new video, made by Mode, is showing just how drastically bathing suits for men have changed in the last 100 years. Pictured here is the modest suit of the early 1900s
Suits lost their sleeves in 1925, becoming an early version of the bro tank on top as shorter and looser shorts provided a little more freedom below the waist

A new video, made by Mode, is showing just how drastically bathing suits for men have changed in the last 100 years - especially from these modest looks that were popular in the early 1900s 

The swimwear got much skimpier in the 1930s and 40s as tops went entirely out of style
Itty bitty shorts became all the rage as it was now legal for men to go shirtless at the beach and pool

The swimwear got much skimpier in the 1930s and 40s as tops went entirely out of style and were replaced with itty bitty shorts as it became legal for men to go shirtless at the beach and pool

In 1915 swimwear went from your shoulder to yourknees, looking more like long underwear as it covered both men's arms and their thighs.

Suits lost their sleeves in 1925, becoming an early version of the bro tank on top as shorter and looser shorts provided a little more freedom below the waist. 

The swimwear got much skimpier in the 1930s as tops went entirely out of style and were replaced with itty bitty shorts as it became legal for men to go shirtless at the beach and pool.

Suits only got shorter and tighter in the fifties and sixties
They were made with a quicker-drying rayon fabric that incorporated spandex

Suits only got shorter and tighter in the fifties and sixties, now utilizing a quicker-drying rayon fabric that incorporated spandex

The prints became funky as men fully-embraced the briefs suit in the seventie
But they were quickly replaced by a roomier pair of boxers in the following decade

The prints became funky as men fully-embraced the briefs suit in the seventies, only to be replaced by a roomier pair of boxers in the following decade

Suits only got shorter and tighter in the forties and fifties, now utilizing a quicker-drying rayon fabric that incorporated spandex, according to Fashion Encyclopedia. 

The prints became funky as men fully-embraced the briefs suit in the seventies, only to be replaced by a roomier pair of boxers in the following decade. 

Pookah shell necklaces became a notorious nineties staple and the Hawaiian print trunks that defined men's swimwear in that decade weren't far behind.

Simple solid-colored board shorts came into style in the recession-ravaged era of the early aughts, but funkier prints, bolder colors and shorter hems have recently became the rage once more.   

Pookah shell necklaces became a notorious nineties staple and the Hawaiian print trunks that defined men's swimwear in that decade weren't far behind
Simple solid-colored board shorts came into style in the recession-ravaged era of the early aughts

Pookah shell necklaces became a notorious nineties staple and the Hawaiian print trunks that defined men's swimwear in that decade weren't far behind, while the aughts opted for a more classic solid-color style

Men's swimwear is currently getting more funky, colorful and shorter once again 

Men's swimwear is currently getting more funky, colorful and shorter once again 

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