Palm Springs is a desert town, so there's no ocean here. The pool is the beach, and for a lot of visitors it's the center of the whole trip. That makes packing simple: bring great swimwear, a few easy shirts and shorts, and one or two outfits for the evening. This guide covers what to wear by the pool, around town, on a hike and at night, plus a checklist for a winter trip.
When people visit Palm Springs
According to Visit Palm Springs, the official tourism site, "fall, winter, and spring are popular for outdoor activities and major events," while "summer brings intense desert heat" (checked October 21, 2026). That's why so many people plan a Palm Springs trip for the cooler months, when spending all day outdoors is part of the appeal.
We won't guess at the weather for your dates. Check a forecast the week you travel and adjust your layers. The swimwear part of this list stays the same whatever the season.
What to wear at the pool
Pool days are the heart of a Palm Springs trip, and this is where your swimwear really matters. You might spend most of the day on a lounger, in and out of the water, with lunch and a drink somewhere in between.
A swim brief is the easiest choice. It's compact, it looks deliberate, and it's the most comfortable thing to wear for hours by the water. A well-fitting low-rise brief also looks sharp in the photos you'll take poolside.
Bring more than one. On a pool-centered trip, you'll want to change during the day. Pack two for a long weekend and three for a week. The Swim Brief Duo gives you red and black for $69.98, and the Swim Brief Trio gives you three for $99.97.
Pick your colors. Black is the classic, and it pairs with everything. Red stands out against the blue of the pool. If you want help choosing, read our guide to black swim briefs or red vs black swim briefs.
Add the basics. Slides, sunglasses, a hat and sunscreen. A lightweight open shirt makes it easy to walk to the bar or the lunch table.
Check your hotel's rules. Every hotel and resort sets its own pool policies. We can't speak for any particular property, so check with yours before you go.
Where you'll spend time, and what to wear there
Arenas Road and the Arenas District
Visit Palm Springs describes the Arenas District, "centered around Arenas Road near downtown," as the city's "best-known LGBTQ+ nightlife area" and a "compact, walkable district" (source, checked October 21, 2026). Its LGBTQ+ guide (dated June 2, 2026) says Arenas Road "serves as the center of LGBTQ+ nightlife," often compared to Castro Street in San Francisco.
What to wear: For a night out, think polished but easy: a short-sleeve button-up or a fitted T-shirt, tailored shorts or slim trousers, and clean sneakers or loafers. Because it's walkable, choose shoes you can wear all evening.
Warm Sands
The same official guide notes that many gay men's resorts "are concentrated in the Warm Sands neighborhood, often called the heart of gay Palm Springs." If you're staying in the area, expect to spend a lot of time in your swim brief, so pack accordingly.
What to wear: Swim briefs, an open shirt and slides for the day; a change of shirt and shorts for heading out.
Downtown and Palm Canyon Drive
Downtown and Palm Canyon Drive are where many visitors browse, eat and walk. Visit Palm Springs lists boutiques, galleries and midcentury modern architecture among the city's attractions (source).
What to wear: Shorts, a short-sleeve shirt or polo, sunglasses and comfortable shoes for walking. Keep a light layer for air-conditioned shops and restaurants.
The Uptown Design District
The official LGBTQ+ guide also points visitors to the Uptown Design District. It's a good place for a slower afternoon.
What to wear: A slightly smarter daytime look: tailored shorts, a knit polo or crisp shirt, loafers or clean sneakers.
A desert hike
Hiking is on the official list of things to do. Whatever trail you choose, dress for the terrain, not the pool.
What to wear: Proper hiking shoes or trail sneakers, hiking socks, shorts or hiking trousers, a T-shirt you can move in, a hat and sunglasses. Bring plenty of water and sunscreen, and check trail guidance and conditions before you set out.
Greater Palm Springs Pride
According to Visit Palm Springs, the annual Greater Palm Springs Pride festivities take place in November and feature "a lively parade, a large festival, and performances across multiple stages in the Arenas District and downtown on Palm Canyon Drive" (source, checked October 21, 2026). Check the official Pride and tourism sites for this year's dates.
What to wear: Comfortable shoes for a day on your feet, sunglasses, a hat, and something colorful. Many people plan a pool day around the weekend, so pack a brief or two.
Palm Springs outfit formulas for men
Six easy outfits to build your packing list around:
- Pool day: swim brief, open short-sleeve shirt, slides, sunglasses, hat.
- Pool to lunch: swim brief under short shorts, a polo, slides.
- Downtown stroll: tailored shorts, a printed short-sleeve shirt, clean sneakers.
- Design district afternoon: chinos or tailored shorts, a knit polo, loafers.
- Arenas Road night: slim trousers or smart shorts, a fitted shirt, loafers or sneakers.
- Morning hike: trail shoes, hiking shorts, a T-shirt you can move in, hat, water.
Under shorts and trousers, a dark, close-fitting boxer brief gives the cleanest line. Our Signature Boxer Brief is $29.99 in black, in sizes S to XL, with the same flat logo waistband as the swim brief. It's everyday underwear, not swimwear.
Palm Springs packing checklist for men
Pool
- 2–3 swim briefs (red and black)
- 1 pair of short shorts to wear over them
- Slides, sunglasses, a hat and sunscreen
- A small bag for damp swimwear
Day
- 3–4 short-sleeve shirts or polos
- 2–3 pairs of shorts
- Comfortable walking shoes
- Hiking shoes, if you plan to hike
Evening
- 1–2 pairs of slim trousers or smart shorts
- 2 fitted shirts
- Loafers or clean sneakers
Extras
- Underwear for each day plus spares
- A light layer for air-conditioned spaces and flights
- A refillable water bottle
For a longer list that works for any warm-weather trip, see our winter beach vacation packing list. Heading to a pool party while you're there? Read our swim brief pool party guide.
New to swim briefs?
A pool-centered trip is a great time to try a brief for the first time. Start with black, get the fit right at home, and bring shorts to wear over it while you get comfortable. Our guides on how men's swim briefs should fit and wearing swim briefs confidently will help. Wondering about even smaller cuts? Our bikini vs brief guide explains the difference.
Planning a trip for someone else?
A swim brief with "Palm Springs?" written on the card is a gift and an invitation. For more ideas, read our best gifts for gay men guide.
Mandate ships from California. Without a discount code, orders over $99 ship free, and orders to Israel ship free over $60.
The short version
- Palm Springs is a pool town: swimwear is the most important thing you'll pack.
- Bring two swim briefs for a weekend and three for a week, plus slides, sunglasses and a hat.
- Dress polished but easy for Arenas Road nights, smart-casual for the design district, and properly for a hike.
- Check your own hotel's pool rules and the forecast for your dates.
- Shop the Mandate Swim Brief, the Duo or the Trio, or see every option on our men's swim briefs page.
Shop the brief
Mandate Swim Brief
$39.99
A low-rise brief with a contoured pouch and a flat logo waistband, in red or black, sizes S to L.
Shop the swim brief
Swim Brief Duo
$69.98 for 2
$10 less than two singles. Red and black, or two of one color, in one size.
Shop the Duo
Swim Brief Trio
$99.97 for 3
$20 less than three singles, and over $99, so it ships free without a discount code.
Shop the TrioShips from California. Without a discount code, orders over $99 ship free, and orders to Israel ship free over $60.
FAQ
What should men wear in Palm Springs in winter?
Pack swimwear for pool days, short-sleeve shirts and shorts for the daytime, slim trousers or smart shorts for the evening, and a light layer. Check the forecast for your dates before you travel.
What swimwear should I pack for Palm Springs?
Two to three swim briefs, depending on the length of your trip, plus a pair of shorts to wear over them, slides, sunglasses and a hat. A red and black Duo covers a long weekend.
When is the best time to visit Palm Springs?
Visit Palm Springs, the official tourism site, says fall, winter and spring are popular for outdoor activities and major events, while summer brings intense desert heat.
Where is the gay area of Palm Springs?
According to Visit Palm Springs, the Arenas District around Arenas Road near downtown is the city's best-known LGBTQ+ nightlife area, and many gay men's resorts are in the Warm Sands neighborhood.
What should I wear to Greater Palm Springs Pride?
Comfortable shoes, sunglasses, a hat and something colorful. Visit Palm Springs says Pride takes place in November, with events in the Arenas District and downtown on Palm Canyon Drive.