Is It Normal to Wear a Shirt at a Beach or Pool?

The decision to wear a shirt at a beach or pool can sometimes stem from a place of discomfort or concern. These feelings could range from anxiety about body image, worries about sunburn and harmful UV exposure, or even general discomfort in public swimming environments.

This issue is more common than one might think, and it’s worth exploring the reasons behind it and potential solutions to make these experiences more enjoyable for everyone. However, first, let’s find out if wearing a shirt at a beach or pool is OK.

It is okay to wear a shirt to the beach or pool. Wearing a shirt to the beach is considered to be more of a social norm than a fashion choice. Also, the majority of people wear a shirt when they go swimming, and it’s not uncommon for men to wear them even when they aren’t swimming or even at the beach.

Read on to discover more reasons why it is normal to wear a shirt to the pool.

Can You Wear a Shirt When Swimming?

You can wear a shirt when swimming, but it is not always the best option. Shirts can slow you down, make it difficult to swim laps, get wet and heavy, restrict your movement, and make you feel self-conscious. If you decide to wear a shirt when swimming, it is essential to choose a shirt that is made of a lightweight, breathable fabric and fitted rather than loose.

Is It Ok to Wear a Shirt in the Pool?

Yes, it is acceptable to wear a shirt in the pool. However, some pools may have specific rules or guidelines about what types of clothing are allowed, so it’s always a good idea to check these before swimming.

Also, it is important to wear a shirt made from a material suitable for swimming, such as lycra or polyester, as other materials like cotton can become heavy and uncomfortable when wet.

Should Men Wear a Shirt at the Beach?

The choice to wear a shirt at the beach is personal and depends on the individual’s comfort and preference. Some men may go shirtless for swimming or sunbathing, while others may prefer to wear a shirt for the above reasons. It’s also worth noting that in some cultures or places, men are expected to wear a shirt at all times in public, even at the beach.

1. Guarding against ultraviolet radiation

The primary rationale for wearing shirts at the pool or beach is to shield one’s skin from exposure to harmful ultraviolet radiation. Present in sunlight, ultraviolet radiation can inflict damage to the skin, causing sunburn, premature aging, and in severe cases, skin cancer.

Sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays can potentially cause skin cancer and accelerate the skin’s aging process. Hence, it’s crucial to ensure protection from UV exposure outdoors, whether at the beach or elsewhere.

The American Academy of Dermatology identifies ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun as the leading cause of skin cancers.

The optimal defense against these harmful rays involves avoiding direct sunlight during peak hours, i.e., from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. when the sun is at its highest. When avoiding sunlight is impossible during these hours, wearing protective gear like shirts, hats, and sunglasses is recommended.

2. Avoiding public judgment

Another factor encouraging the habit of wearing shirts at the beach is the fear of public judgment. For those who feel self-conscious about their bodies, the beach can be intimidating, and the idea of revealing too much skin can cause distress. Wearing a shirt can serve as a protective barrier against prying eyes.

Some individuals prefer to swim with a shirt on to evade potential scrutiny or judgment from others. Being seen in swimwear can be embarrassing for those who find it unflattering, and a shirt can provide a shield, offering them a sense of comfort by concealing their bodies from public view.

3. Adhering to social norms

Social norms, though unwritten, guide our behaviors and actions in our day-to-day lives. These norms can exert a strong influence, as the inherent desire to fit in and avoid social exclusion encourages us to conform to these rules.

Regarding beach attire, social norms establish what types of clothing are deemed appropriate for varying situations. For instance, sporting a bikini at a family gathering might be considered to inappropriate, whereas the same wouldn’t be an issue at a beach club. Understanding what’s acceptable in specific contexts often influences individuals’ decisions to wear a shirt while swimming.

Best Shirt to Wear on Pool or Beach

There are many men’s swim shirts you can rock to the beach. I will recommend the following because of their quality, cost, design, and the reputation of the fashion company making them.

1. Men’s Hawaiian Aloha Beach Shirt

CHECK PRICE ON AMAZON

It is made from polyester and spandex material soft fabrics. Made for quick drying and lasting colur. The shirt can be washed in a  machine. Suitable for multipurpose use such as Beach events, carnivals, vacation, theme parties and even workplaces that allow for casual wear. You will surely get some compliments rocking this attire.

2. Hawaiian Shirts For Men Holiday Beach Wear Short Sleeve

CHECK PRICE ON AMAZON

This Hawaiian shirt for men is made of high quality, bright, soft and lightweight and made wholly from polyester. The beach shirt is made to be a relaxed fit with short leaves, spread camp collard and side cut.

The design includes a matching front pocket, casual button-down, real wooden and coconut shell buttons (2 extra buttons are provided for replacement. The shirt is for both males and females and as such can be worn by anyone.

It is suitable for occasions such as beaches, cruises, pools, weddings, camps, tropical or summer holidays.

It adds cool, funny, Cuban, vintage, funny, weird, rowdy, gentleman or funky touch to your theme party, feast, custom party, birthday party, bachelor party and the Caribbean themed fiesta.

It is also a perfect thanksgiving and Christmas shirt gift for men, brothers, boyfriends, husbands, friends and family. It comes in different colours such as Black, Blue, Turquoise, Purple, pink, green, peach, yellow, Orange etc.

It is also available in parrot prints, flower print, bamboo prints, flower prints etc

3. Vatpave Men’s Front Pocket Hawaiian Shirt

CHECK PRICE ON AMAZON

Designed for purpose using reverse fabrics to have an old style, you can confidently say you have an innovatively designed shirt when you buy one.

Made with a mixture of cotton and Viscose material, it has a front pocket on the chest and a button closure. It can be machine washed, and tumble dried but not ideal for bleaching.

You can use it for your sun beach party, birthday party, summer vacation, bachelor party, camp, daily leisure etc. This is a high-quality shirt made with soft, light and thin material and makes you dazzled and unique anywhere you rock it!

4. Zoye Chen Women’s Bikini Swimsuit Cover-Up Beachwear

CHECK PRICE ON AMAZON

This swimsuit shirt for women is manufactured using soft and breathable material for maximum comfort. It will surely add some elegance to your appearance and keep you cool on hot days.

It has a button-down design at the front and is made to be worn loose. It can also be used as a casual shirt or swimsuit cover-up and is the best match for a bikini or other summer shorts.

It is ideal for a beach party, daily wear, swimming pool, and vacation. It is recommended to be hand-washed only but gentle wash mode can be used if it must be machine washed.

Conclusion

Most obviously, it depends on where you happen to be. Some people are more conservative when it comes to these kinds of things than others. Others simply don’t care or take notice.

Of course, it’s harder to say whether or not someone else agrees with you that it is normal if you happen to be around people who generally don’t wear shirts at the beach or pool than if you’re around people who do.

But hopefully, this article has shed some light on what people, in general, think about wearing shirts at beaches and pools, and given you a better understanding of why they might feel the way they do.

You may see some products here which has either been used by us or independently selected by (obsessive) editors. As an affiliate of Amazon, Anything purchased through our links may earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. 

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04-02-2011, 03:55 AM tvdxer  

Location: Duluth, Minnesota, USA

7,646 posts, read 18,043,122 times

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I was in Mexico for about 25 days and just got back. While there, I visited (with a friend from Tabasco state) various swimming spots: Las Cascadas del Chiflon, Agua Azul, Paraiso beach, etc. I would estimate about 75% of the swimmers there who looked Mexican (semi-obvious foreigners excluded) were not wearing swimwear, but rather T-shirts and shorts, sometimes providing a large amount of coverage. For girls this figure reached about 90%. I saw few girls wearing actual swimsuits - either one- or two-piece. In the U.S., virtually all swimmers and sunbathers would be in their swimsuits, of any age or complexion.

In addition, an attractive friend of mine wore jean shorts and a blue top over her swimsuit to Chiflon and only disrobed to reveal a rather modest halter-like swimsuit top when we were swimming / wading in Agua Azul (it seems like relatively few Mexicans know how to swim), almost alone, with a group of her girlfriends - none of whom stripped down beneath their tank tops and shorts, and would immediately cover up in a black robe when leaving the water. The strangest thing was only one of them had a real belly, and the rest were very attractive. Why is this?

 

04-02-2011, 08:02 AM axixic2  

Location: Axixic, Jalisco, MX

1,285 posts, read 3,326,633 times

Reputation: 779

Quote:

tvdxer

Originally Posted by

I was in Mexico for about 25 days and just got back. While there, I visited (with a friend from Tabasco state) various swimming spots: Las Cascadas del Chiflon, Agua Azul, Paraiso beach, etc. I would estimate about 75% of the swimmers there who looked Mexican (semi-obvious foreigners excluded) were not wearing swimwear, but rather T-shirts and shorts, sometimes providing a large amount of coverage. For girls this figure reached about 90%. I saw few girls wearing actual swimsuits - either one- or two-piece. In the U.S., virtually all swimmers and sunbathers would be in their swimsuits, of any age or complexion.

In addition, an attractive friend of mine wore jean shorts and a blue top over her swimsuit to Chiflon and only disrobed to reveal a rather modest halter-like swimsuit top when we were swimming / wading in Agua Azul (it seems like relatively few Mexicans know how to swim), almost alone, with a group of her girlfriends - none of whom stripped down beneath their tank tops and shorts, and would immediately cover up in a black robe when leaving the water. The strangest thing was only one of them had a real belly, and the rest were very attractive. Why is this?

I've been online trying to buy a swimsuit in the U.S. to be brought here and they are expensive, starting at $50 to over $100. Why spend that kind of money on a swimsuit when one can wear cheap shorts and T-shirts that get the same job done?

People with attractive figures can still be modest.I've been online trying to buy a swimsuit in the U.S. to be brought here and they are expensive, starting at $50 to over $100. Why spend that kind of money on a swimsuit when one can wear cheap shorts and T-shirts that get the same job done?

 

04-02-2011, 08:11 AM kingdomcome1  

Location: texas

3,135 posts, read 3,760,566 times

Reputation: 1814

Quote:

tvdxer

Originally Posted by

I was in Mexico for about 25 days and just got back. While there, I visited (with a friend from Tabasco state) various swimming spots: Las Cascadas del Chiflon, Agua Azul, Paraiso beach, etc. I would estimate about 75% of the swimmers there who looked Mexican (semi-obvious foreigners excluded) were not wearing swimwear, but rather T-shirts and shorts, sometimes providing a large amount of coverage. For girls this figure reached about 90%. I saw few girls wearing actual swimsuits - either one- or two-piece. In the U.S., virtually all swimmers and sunbathers would be in their swimsuits, of any age or complexion.

In addition, an attractive friend of mine wore jean shorts and a blue top over her swimsuit to Chiflon and only disrobed to reveal a rather modest halter-like swimsuit top when we were swimming / wading in Agua Azul (it seems like relatively few Mexicans know how to swim), almost alone, with a group of her girlfriends - none of whom stripped down beneath their tank tops and shorts, and would immediately cover up in a black robe when leaving the water. The strangest thing was only one of them had a real belly, and the rest were very attractive. Why is this?

Good questions! I too have wondered this as half of my family are Mexican(my US cousins buy bathing suits though). I also have wondered why Mexican men tend to pull their t-shirts up over their stomachs in the summer(ala "The Situation" on Jersey Shore). I've been to plenty of construction sites(uncle owns a small remodel company) and have seen most of the workers do this. I know the obvious answer is because of the heat, but some them have beer bellies the size of watermelons, I mean come on

Good questions! I too have wondered this as half of my family are Mexican(my US cousins buy bathing suits though). I also have wondered why Mexican men tend to pull their t-shirts up over their stomachs in the summer(ala "The Situation" on Jersey Shore). I've been to plenty of construction sites(uncle owns a small remodel company) and have seen most of the workers do this. I know the obvious answer is because of the heat, but some them have beer bellies the size of watermelons, I mean come on

 

04-02-2011, 10:19 AM el_inombrable  

972 posts, read 3,913,049 times

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hahha, i love it when in this forum american posters tend to generalize.

Most of men are not in good shape, they are fat, have panza, chiches, and they are just shy or want to avoid the mocks of the fellow friends.

Some women are just prude, in Mexico there's not sport education, so many girls and boys never learn to swim, not share showers as students in USA do, so many are modest about their body.

On the other hand, things change in Mexico slow and there are now nudist places in some beaches in Mexico, go figure...

 

04-02-2011, 01:09 PM tvdxer  

Location: Duluth, Minnesota, USA

7,646 posts, read 18,043,122 times

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Quote:

el_inombrable

Originally Posted by

hahha, i love it when in this forum american posters tend to generalize.

Most of men are not in good shape, they are fat, have panza, chiches, and they are just shy or want to avoid the mocks of the fellow friends.

Some women are just prude, in Mexico there's not sport education, so many girls and boys never learn to swim, not share showers as students in USA do, so many are modest about their body.

On the other hand, things change in Mexico slow and there are now nudist places in some beaches in Mexico, go figure...

"Generalizations" are sometimes necessary. When a large difference obviously exists between the percentage of American beachgoers who wear bathing suits and the percentage of Mexican beachgoers who wear the same, one wonders what the causes might be. I've never heard an adequate explanation. Actually, this question came up in "Ask a Mexican", and he said the same thing as your first point - that Mexicans have the decency to cover up their sagging panzas, chichis, and pompis, but this does not seem to fully answer the question.

 

04-02-2011, 02:49 PM malamute  

47,525 posts, read 69,421,472 times

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I think it's sometimes for the same reason you see them sitting at the beach under umbrellas or under sheets that shade the sun. They don't really go to work on an all-over tan which is the culture in the USA.

I grew up in the USA and a lot of people I grew up with preferred swimming in cutoff shorts and t-shirts also. For one it's more practical, you don't have to worry about changing before or after swimming. I know men who absolutely will not wear swimming outfits like speedos in my family, they think it looks gay but they might wear swim outfits that look like shorts or they just wear shorts.

 

04-02-2011, 03:11 PM malamute  

47,525 posts, read 69,421,472 times

Reputation: 22471

Quote:

tvdxer

Originally Posted by

"Generalizations" are sometimes necessary. When a large difference obviously exists between the percentage of American beachgoers who wear bathing suits and the percentage of Mexican beachgoers who wear the same, one wonders what the causes might be. I've never heard an adequate explanation. Actually, this question came up in "Ask a Mexican", and he said the same thing as your first point - that Mexicans have the decency to cover up their sagging panzas, chichis, and pompis, but this does not seem to fully answer the question.

It's like any cultural difference - there are reasons, but it's like a woman I knew from Panama said that her mother never let her go out in the sun without an umbrella, it's considered protecting your skin from the sun. This Panamanian woman came to the USA to study in high school and did what her American friends did - go to the beach and lay out in the sun. She said when she went home and her mom saw how very dark she had become, her mom cried.

 

04-02-2011, 05:13 PM Lebowsky  

254 posts, read 589,161 times

Reputation: 150

To cover the fatness, and to cover the fatness from the sun... it is a generalization but it is kind of true. I think I've done it myself

 

04-02-2011, 06:05 PM stevenvillatoro  

469 posts, read 1,251,918 times

Reputation: 540

Look back to U.S. swimwear of 50-100 years ago, and you'll realize that modesty is really nothing new. Besides, styles of dressing are, overall, very different in Mexico compared to the U.S. – not just limited to swimwear. For example, in most parts of Mexico, men rarely wear shorts in public. There is more formality, generally.

 

04-02-2011, 07:25 PM axixic2  

Location: Axixic, Jalisco, MX

1,285 posts, read 3,326,633 times

Reputation: 779

The "generalization" is that most people dress and act like their friends do. The Mexicans who pay to go to the private pools all wear swimsuits. The Mexicans who go to the beach wear what their friends wear. That is true in Mexico and the U.S. and everywhere else.

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