Borat has pretty much immortalized the mankini as the premiere standard in “courageous” men’s swimwear. How else would you describe a man who has the guts to don something this inane? Unlikely to hit the runways of Milan, London and Paris anytime soon, the mankini might prove one of those threads you buy but never wear – unless you’re alone and it’s late at night.

I’ve actually seen mankinis before Borat but they were never called that. In fact, I’ve seen them worn on some artistic photos of Japanese models. Yes, artistic. For real.

Either way, much of the fanfare for mankinis is for its novelty not its actual fashion sense so there’s little chance I’ll head down the beach and see a bunch of muscled guys wearing them, thank God. Borat’s mankini scenes in the movie were just, for lack of a more exultant term, too memorable.

There is an official line of mankinis licensed by 20th Century Fox as cinematic merchandise so you may want to check that out to make sure you’re buying something that’s at least moderately durable if you ever decide to wear this during a weak moment or a drunken stupor. The official ones should have a Borat label emblazoned somewhere with adequate packaging.

On another note, I’d love to see the mankini strapped on some girls’ bodies. I’m sure they’d look really good. Perhaps it’s a new adult niche I can go into. Knowing the adult market, however, there’s probably already a website offering that right now!