"Speedo" is a brand, not a style. If you want the look of a swim brief without a training suit, here's how lap briefs and lifestyle briefs differ, who makes what, and how to size up from Speedo waist sizes.

Italy, France, Greece, Spain, Portugal, Turkey, plus Brazil, Mexico and Australia: where swim briefs are normal, where they're rare, and the French pool rule every American should know before packing.

Sunga, square-cut, lifeguard brief, rise, contoured pouch: swimwear has its own vocabulary. Here's every term defined in one sentence, so you know exactly what you're buying.

Chlorine, salt and sunscreen wear out swimwear faster than swimming ever will. Here's the two-minute routine that keeps a brief looking sharp, and the things you should never do to it.

Most men who "can't wear briefs" have never worn one that fits. Here's exactly how a swim brief should fit, point by point, plus the 30-second test that settles it.