Style File: Time to join the jet set

If you’re lucky enough to be heading to warmer shores soon, a tailored pair of trunks will hide all manner of festive indulgence, says Lee Holmes

Let’s pretend for a moment that you’re jetting off to spend Christmas lazing about on a beach. With cocktail in hand and the sand between your toes, it goes without saying that you’ll doubtless want to be looking your best for your fellow beach combers. But what to actually sport in this state of undress has unfortunately become a rather muddled affair; there’s possibly nothing more unnerving than the sight of another man in a swimsuit he isn’t cut out to wear.

From the teeny budgie smugglers that cut unattractively into those winter fat reserves, to oversized baggy board shorts, the likelihood of opting for the wrong style runs from moderately high to dangerously so. If you are, say, going to be frolicking around in the winter sun, perhaps the safest swimwear style to protect your modesty is of the tailored variety. Like a suit, a similarly cut swim short makes the most of what nature has given you, with the general consensus being that they look the bee’s knees on practically any man.

The beach wear label Frescobol Carioca certainly thinks so. Launched in 2009, it takes as its inspiration the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro, so much so that the brand is actually named after the local beach sport Frescobol – essentially a bat-and-ball game which is meant to be played in the surf. The collection itself is made from high-quality fabrics, with the brand’s take on the tailored short doing exactly what this style should – making you look both classy and fabulous. Of course, this being South America, there’s a healthy dollop of flamboyance which comes through in the vibrant patterns and colours.

Available online, and with a new shop recently opened in Marylebone, London, there’s little excuse to not buy into this jazzy brand. And fear not if you can’t afford a holiday this Christmas; throw on a pair of these shorts, turn up the central heating and mix yourself a Caipirinha – a staycation has never looked so appealing.