Just got our first snow day of the year here in snowy Minneapolis, class cancelled if it's before noon (last class is at 11:50, holler?). But that of course got me thinking of things like spring break and summer and beaches and surfing. Now, don't get me wrong, I have about as much knowledge on surfing and surf culture as any kid growing up on Rocket Power and Lilo and Stitch... so, none. This is me admitting that I'm a shoobie. While I do wish I knew how to surf, one thing that I can at least attempt to imitate is surfer style... they have a whole kind of careless vibe that every guy wants to look like. This means things like Vans or any low top sneaker, board shorts (cut above the knee, please, unless you are a guido), simple tees, etc. in cool colors and of course nothing too matchy-matchy. There's lots of great brands out there with accessible surfer swag. One of my favorites, that's much talked about on the blogosphere, is
Saturdays. Based out of NYC, these are the kind of guys that everyone wants to be, and they have great products made by both themselves and outside suppliers that speak to that inner Kelly Slater in all of us.
Quick word on the tank tops- don't wear these if you're not jacked. I myself prefer t-shirts, and really hate seeing emo skinny boys wearing their little tank tops with arms smaller than their girlfriends. Another very cool (a little more pricey) store to get "beachwear" is
Olasul. Their board shorts and tees come in very bright colors that just scream summer (which, if you couldn't tell, I NEED right now). They're a little on the pricey side, but as our mom always says, you have to remember that with price come quality- do you think you would keep this for a couple of years? I especially like the "
Ceviche":
Another very cool (and super authentic) shop is
Mollusk, which carries great board shorts, tees, hoodies, etc. that you know you can trust- real surfers uses these. I like the simple Birdwell shorts they have, as well as some of the cool posters from local artists in their area. I also like these simple
Katin (another heritage surf brand, similar to Birdwell I think) and Apolis Activism from
Context Clothing. Especially the chambray. Chambray FTW:
Be sure to check out
Warriors of Radness too- nominated for GQ's Menswear Designer of America this year, they get that surfer cool vibe of the 80s and 90s just right and fun without being too kitschy. I got a swimsuit from them last year for spring break and really like it- warning though, it is pretty short so make sure you have confidence to show your man thighs.
You can get cool surfer style with out going to the beach too which is something I want to "work on" this summer. Here are some random things you might want to deck yourself out in to look less shoobie-ish come summer.
Casio G-Shock watch (no clue where to get this color way, if you happen to find out, let me know!),
Vans Authentics (must-haves for anyone), colored laces (2 pairs for $4 at
J. Crew), and Serengeti glasses that our dad used to have in the 80s, also available at
Key Vintage.
