This summer, it’s all about Blue Crush style, with its distinctive surfwear-inspired fashion making a comeback. The 2002 rom-com, starring Kate Bosworth as a surfer, has had a lasting impact on fashion, and its influence can be seen in today’s city streets.
The film’s surf style, characterized by bikinis, puka-shell necklaces, and board shorts, was not just limited to the beach. It has now expanded beyond beach towns, with swimwear becoming practically synonymous with ready-to-wear.
Surf Style Takes Over City Streets
Board shorts are now worn on and off the beach, often paired with high heels and trendy bags. Puka shell necklaces have even made their way into the boardroom, and surfer style has become a staple in city fashion.
Marissa Martinez, a 31-year-old Miami-based creative, has been at the forefront of this trend. She found a pair of men’s Speedo board shorts in a thrift store last summer and immediately started imagining different ways to wear them.
Surfer Style on the Runways
Surfer style has also made its way onto the runways, with designers like Dries Van Noten incorporating beachy sarongs and tropical printed board shorts into their collections. Chan Luu has released a two-tone techno taffeta board short, and High Sport has reimagined their beloved pull-on knit pant in a Hawaiian floral print.
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Madelyn Somers, founder of Made Some, has also been inspired by surf culture. Her brand sells nylon board shorts and vintage-inspired souvenir T-shirts, and she describes her style as “vacation style” – perfect for a trip to Athens or any other destination.
The Surf Culture Revival
The lifestyle was in Somers‘ blood, growing up in a surfing household in “Dogtown,” a strip of Venice beach with a rich history of surf- and skate-induced counterculture. Her dad was a surfer, and she was exposed to surf competitions and magazines from a young age.
Surf style was once just functional clothes for surfers in Hawaii and the broader Polynesian region. However, as the sport became more popular, the image of the surfing lifestyle reached a global stage, and brands like Rip Curl, Billabong, and Quiksilver got in on it.
Today, with a new collaboration with Miao, the brand is courting a more fashion-oriented consumer. The capsule features Hawaiian print bikinis and second-skin, swim-inspired tanks, shorts, and skirts.
Surf culture is a modern phenomenon that has become a staple in city fashion.
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