Sungas verses Square cuts
 

A couple of years ago on the board we were introduced to the Sunga swim suit that was becoming all the rage in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

I thought it looked like a square cut swim suit at first, but later I realized I was wrong as the Sunga doesn't have legs. To complicate matters the international brands were getting into Rio and selling actual square cuts as were some of the sunga brands.

Swim briefs (speedos), men's swim bikinis and men's swim thongs all evolved from various loin cloths that were worn as outer wear in the tropics. Similar loin cloths were adapted as underwear in colder northern climes where leggings, breeches and various trousers and long pants became the norm for men's outerwear.

Cutting down breeches produced shorts and the shortest of all shorts were the square cut swimsuits that adopted Lycra stretch fabrics in the 1980's.

The sunga isn't a square cut swimsuit as it doesn't have legs instead it is a very long brief that used to be called a swimming trunk. Current fashion demands that we have everything low cut so it is a low cut long brief swimming trunk.

In the days of very high waists in the 1940's and 1950's swimming trunks were quite popular, In the movie From Here to Eternity, 1953, Burt Lancaster playing Sgt. Milton Warden had a famous kiss scene on a beach in Hawaii, in this scene he was wearing black swimming trunks ( check they don't have legs and the package is supported below the level of the leg hole seam). Burt Lancaster was big enough to influence the swimwear of a generation and his style but low cut was adopted in Rio as the sunga.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHYd9DRhh-c

Aussibum in Australia started copying sunga styles:
https://www.aussiebum.com/swimwear/handlebar-manly/3673
and the Chinese copy everything that Aussibum make so the style that will soon sweep the world's swim scene is variations on the sunga.

I bought these:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-Fashi....c100012.m1985

for Purple and Pink Month realising that they were styled on sungas and wondering how they feel to wear. I've worndering how they would feel to wear and swim in. They were delivered very quickly and seem comfortable to wear as underwear, more so than square cuts. I found square cuts uncomfortable to swim in as the leg elastic cut into my thighs, I expect these to be more comfortable in the water.

Since sunga styles are more comfortable than square cuts and Lycra jammers but look much the same as square cuts I suspect that they will become the in thing for those that don't want to swim in shorts and aren't ready for speedos.

I've tried to be consistent in nomenclature throughout this piece although swim wear companies use different and confusing names for things.
Feel free to comment.



As a reward for reading the above article please enjoy this Bollywood attempt at a Tarzan movie, note the little man in the chimp suit and the Indian elephants.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCb9W_DydSk

I lived in Rio for years; there is currently a (quite unfortunate) American-copying trend amongst the statua-conscience rich people in neighborhoods by the beach like Leblon and Ipanema. Most of the rest of Brazil still wear the sunga style though. Most of the sungas I acquired were made of less stretchy fabrics and seemed to be optimized for sports on the beach (volei, futbol etc. Etc.) moreso than swimming. The cut is a little higher on the leg than most square cuts; those with very meaty thighs might find the leg holes dig in a bit. The tight fit on the leg holes makes them great for running though

some photos from an evening workout last year on Praia de Copacabana. (can confirm I was the least impressive body at these outdoor gyms.) The one I went to had a lot of Senegalese guys frequenting it, who were even more buff than the native Brazilians, if such things can be believed.

So where can you buy a sunga? I have looked online but I think that there is an issue since these are not a thing in US. Hell, it's hard enough to find square cut suits. But I have liked the look of sungas and would like to snag a couple pair.

They are hard to find online... I've been increasingly concerned as all my sungas are beginning to get a bit worn...

If money is no object you can find a stylish selection at https://cariocawear.com/collections/swimwear-sunga

I haven't bought any there because of the price