By
Erin Schwartz,
a Strategist writer covering décor, furniture, and garment care.
They previously worked as an editor at Garage magazine.
I don’t know who made the rule that swim trunks have to either be solid color or covered in neon pineapples, but it holds sway in much of the swim-trunk-retail universe. The last time I shopped for trunks, I hurriedly bought a black seersucker pair from the Gap on my way to the beach. They’ve performed ably, but this year, I decided that I need an alternative to basic black: a pair of trunks with enough visual interest to hold frame on one of New York City’s many unswimmable yet hypersocial beaches. I want some character from my trunks, and as a former emo kid, I couldn’t do Golden Girls–esque palm fronds or the preppy maximalism of plaid patchwork and lobster print. Was there any middle ground between basic and zany?
