Americans Aren’t Always in the Swim

Re “Silent Longing” (July 17) about men’s swimsuits: More than 25 years ago, I participated in a press familiarization tour of French Polynesia. Our headquarters was a new and posh French hotel on Tahiti. It was filled with airline crews and tourists from Europe, Australia and North and South America.

Lounging around the hotel’s pool, one could easily identify which men were American. They were the ones wearing dumpy, baggy, boxer-style trunks.

All the others wore streamlined, competition-type suits. Some of them looked good, and some of them didn’t. However, in all cases, the Americans looked pretty silly and out of place.

GLEN W. REDMAN

Los Angeles