Bathing suits are generally used to cover the genitalia of females and males. Men's bathing suits are called shorts, trunks, board shorts, jammers, speedo briefs and thongs. Sometimes, mean swim in cut-off jeans. Women's bathing suits are one-pice swimsuits, bikinis or thongs.

Women also wear bathing suits that are called monokinis. These bathing suits are a type of bathing suit that has just bikini bottom without the top. They leave the woman's breasts uncovered. South Americans and Europeans are the ones who generally wear monokinis. You generally will never see Americans wearing them on their beaches. They might be on American beaches where there is a strong European tourist influence. It is okay usually for pre-pubescent girls to go uncovered.

The type of bathing suits that they wear in competitive swimming is unitards. At some competitive swimming and diving events, they wear bodysuits that are called diveskins. These diveskins are made from spandex and provide little thermal protection. They are able to protect the swimmer or diver from stings and abrasions. Other competitive swimmers may also wear full bodysuits, jammers and racing briefs to assist their glide as to swim faster.

Sometimes, people rebel against bathing suits and decide not to wear them at all. There are special beaches for them where they can sunbath and swim in the way they want to: nude. The slang term for swimming nude is skinny-dipping.

Some people don't like swimming in the nude or wearing bathing suits. They wear trousers, underpants or T-shirts. These people will have no problem with wearing these things. The policy of a particular swimming poll might prohibit one of these forms of clothing.