Beach and Surf Fashions

(UPDATED: October 22, 2013)

Bring the beach lifestyle to your wardrobe for when warm weather times arrive. Beach and surf fashions are fashionable even if you don't live in a coastal or tropical locale. Such fashions are fun for both males and females. From beachy tops to shorts and sandals, there are many ways to embrace or exude beach style. Even if you don't go to the beach or even if you don't do any surfing, this blog post is all about beach and surf inspired fashions to incorporate into your wardrobe for then the weather heats up around your way.

This is a long and detailed blog post. It is detailed because I want to cover as many bases as possible discussing this style. I'll try to share as much as I can regarding this topic for your enjoyment and reading pleasure.

LATEST UPDATE(S)/REVISION(S):

OCT 22 2013 - added more content to the Resources area of this post

--- Beach and Surf Fashions at a Glance ---

Not everybody lives along coastal portions of Southern California. Not everyone is near locales such as the Santa Monica Pier, Copacabana Beach, Bondi Beach, Manly Beach, or any other popular coastal or tropical locales. Not everybody lives the beach or surf lifestyle. So what is the point of trying to infuse such inspirations into your wardrobe? Simple- comfort and fun for warm/hot days. Such clothes are fun fashion pieces to wear when weather gets hot or warm. Being here in southeast Texas, the sun can be pretty brutal. You will see a lots of flip-flop/thong sandals and shorts (long ones for guys and short ones for females) around here. You may even see straw hats and floppy hats used to shield damaging sun rays while also looking cool. Some may even just wear baseball caps rather than certain chic hats.

Beach culture and surf culture is about being rebellious and fearless. Being at the beach or in such coastal locations give you that sort of freedom. Think about surfing from an sensual standpoint. Lots of females love seeing hunky guys at the beach who are good riding the waves. What single girl WOULDN'T want a strong and hunky male at the beach? Imagine the hunky fellow who has a ripped body while wearing some cool boardshorts and some sandals. There are surely sexy qualities about a girl who surfs. Think about it- think about a girl who lovingly lies down on her surfboard or even standing up gyrating on her surfboard as she rides the waves. Sometimes, fashion involves looking at certain activities from sensual and appealing standpoints. These values alone add to the fashion appeal of certain looks and style.

I could mostly recall the middle 2000s to try to make beach and surfing trendy and fashionable for both males and females. Television influences of the beach/surf lifestyle could be seen from shows such as "The O.C." on FOX, MTV's "Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County," and MTV's "Newport Harbor: The Real Orange County."

Regardless of what influences offer this view into beach and surf lifestyles, at least you have an idea of things that have either featured or tried to capitalize on these lifestyles.

Beach and Surf Chic: Males.

How do guys show some beach style? Most do so by sporting Hawaiian shirts, long shorts, and sandals. Males wear flip-flop/thong sandals as much as almost any female. Some males even sport a pair of boat shoes (also called deck shoes).

Beach and Surf Chic: Females.

The options of beachy chic for females is vast and expansive. The norm for tops usually involves T-shirts or tank tops. Cropped tops are also common in warm weather- though not like the midriff baring styles popular in the mid and late '90s. Bottoms are usually short-shorts usually of the denim or linen variety, though there are also some females who wear long shorts. Also common are mini skirts. Footwear usually involves flip-flop/thong sandals, various other kinds of sandals, sneakers, ballet flats, espadrilles, boat shoes, and sometimes booties. Besides these usual items, short dresses and maxi dresses are also popular for warm weather times.

Beach and Surf Chic: Popular Brands.

The two most prominent brands in the style of beachy style are rivals- Hollister and Abercrombie and Fitch. Both companies offer beachy and beach inspired fashions for guys and girls- or in the case of Hollister, I should say dudes and bettys. There are certain beach and surf specific brands and retailers such as PacSun, Roxy, Volcom, Ocean Pacific, Hurley, Quiksilver, and Billabong among others. Many of these offer fashions meant to provide the sort of California beach lifestyle even if you don't live along coastal California.

IN CASE YOU'RE INTERESTED...
Hollister prides itself as being this all surfing company. Here's a fact- Hollister, California is close to water... but it is landlocked! The "Surf City, USA" images are live shots of Huntington Beach, California, USA. The "Surf City, USA" of Hollister is not to be confused with Surf City, North Carolina, USA.


No matter what, there is a reason why such beachy clothes are worn in these warm weather times. These are comfortable and fun clothes to wear. Light colors and fun designs help provide loads of expression.

--- Beach and Surf Fashions: Pictures ---

Time to bring the beach and surf lifestyle to your wardrobe. Here are a few different fashion pieces to set the mood:


^ from: www.amazon.com - Guys head out to the beach in style with boardshorts.


^ from: www.amazon.com - Girls can even head out to the beach with their own boardshorts.


^ from: www.amazon.com - Boardshorts for girls can even be... well, short.


^ from: www.amazon.com - Nothing says warm weather and the beach quite like short shorts.


^ from: www.amazon.com - Hawaiian shirts are lightweight button-down shirts that are stylish to wear.


^ from: www.zappos.com - If you have a cap or a hat, feel free to wear these on your head for those hot days out. Fedoras have been trendy as of late if you prefer something other than the straw hat above.


^ from: www.amazon.com - Try wearing rompers/playsuits to look cute and feel good out and about. They also make great coverups if heading to the beach. Go for jumpsuits (rompers/playsuits are technically jumpsuits) if you prefer wearing one-piece pants rather than one-piece shorts.


^ from: www.amazon.com - Some dresses are not only stylish to wear out and about, they can also be great coverups.


Last, but not least...


^ from: www.zappos.com - Flip-flop/Thong sandals- a lot of people think these sandals are ONLY meant for the beach and not for outfits. A lot of flip-flop/thong sandals are actually unisex, though you'll see females wear these more commonly than males.


These are among many different ways to enjoy and embrace warm weather while also showing some beach chic. Beachy style is not only enjoyable for females, but for males as well. These are fun styles for the most part for when it is warm weather time.

--- Beach and Surf Fashion: Video Insight ---

Here are video samples to demonstrate beach fashion. Click on the links below each video if you can not view Flash media right away.


Here is a video sample of some beachy fashions, especially from the feminine side. See if this gets you into the mood for beach and surf inspired fashion:


^ "CALIFORNIA BEACH FASHION"


^ "ROXY Beach Style at The Quiksilver Pro 2011!"


This video features not only fashion insight, but also some beauty insight on beachy chic:


^ "ROXY Waikiki Classic 2012: Beach Style Behind the Scenes "


If you have about five minutes to spare, here is a detailed video about California beach culture and the fashion impact of California beach culture:


^ 100 years california beach culture - fashion


These videos hopefully have given you some video insight in addition to the picture insight from the previous section. Some content from the material in this blog post may be featured in future posts.

--- Beach and Surf Fashion: Blogging Insight ---

Even if not at the beach or some sort of tropical location, beachy fashion chic can still be had and still be enjoyed. Each preview point to each blog post indicates some sort of element to the outfit that makes it fun for a beach or surf inspired look. These are looks from bloggers befitting of what I've tried to express and describe in this blog post. In the context of this blog post, these are beach day looks or looks befitting of a hot Summer day. No swimwear is involved- just looks that are meant either for the beach or for hot Summer days. Here are a few blogging examples to prove the point:

• "summa lovin." (tiny sailor) « high-waist denim shorts and a hat.
• "California Girl." (tiny sailor) « sheer white shirt with bralet/bralette and denim shorts.
• "Terranea Resort - Two Toned" (She Said He Said) « a resort-type look focused on her wedge sandals.
• "Before and After the Beach!" (Nany's Klozet) « tank top and cut-off denim shorts.
• "Beach Bum" (Deconstruction) « tank top and cuffed denim shorts.
• "TROPICAL FLORAL DRESS - New at www.hauteandrebellious.com" (HAUTE AND REBELLIOUS) « a floral dress.
• "Trina Turk for Banana Republic Sonya Patio Maxi Dress" (Sydney's Fashion Diary) « a tropical maxi dress.

And there you go. Have any looks worthy of a hot Summer day or going along the beach? Contact me via E-Mail or through my Facebook fan page. If I like what I see, I may edit this post to include your outfit!

--- Beach and Surf Fashions: Final Thoughts ---

When heading to the beach or wanting to enjoy some beach/surf fashion on warm or hot days, going with beachy and surf-style fashions is a fun way to beat the heat while also looking and feeling great. For males, being decked out in interesting and comfortable Summery fashions make us guys look and feel cool while beating the heat. For females, such warm weather fashions is a great way to bare your legs as well as show off some ankles or some feet. What is fun about such beach and surf fashions are the tropical and beach-style designs and styles. The styles can range from bright colors to various tropical accents. These fashions are mostly meant for beach fashion and the surfing lifestyle. However, many of these fashions are more than enough to get through a very hot day. You need not be along a beach or be deeply entrenched in beach or surf culture to enjoy beach and surf lifestyle and fashion.

Cross-Promotion/Other Reading.

Want more? Get more!

"Beach and Surf Fashions" (John's Blog Space)
^ my original post on beach and surf fashion in my main blog.

"Swimsuits" (StyleSpace by JBM)
^ Are you REALLY into the beach culture? This post is all about swimsuits. A link to my same post on "John's Blog Space" is included with this StyleSpace version of my swimsuit discussion.

"Exposing Midriff" (StyleSpace by JBM)
^ One way to stay cool on a hot day is by exposing your midriff. This blog post here on SS discusses showing off your midriff.

--- Beach and Surf Fashions Online ---

Allow me to do something different here. What you will see here are various retailers of beach and surf inspired clothing. These are among many different retailers of beach/surf fashions. Click on the link to each retailer's/designer's heading to visit their official website.


PLEASE NOTE: I am not paid anything by anyone to discuss these companies the way that I am in this section.

Hollister Surf Company.

Hollister is perhaps the most popular beach/surf-inspired clothing company in the United States (and perhaps the world as well). They make fashions for young men and young women (or Dudes and Bettys as they call them). The familiar seagull is almost unmistakable in knowing just who makes the clothing.

Abercrombie and Fitch.

The principal rivals of Hollister are that of Abercrombie and Fitch. Unlike Hollister, Abercrombie and Fitch offer fashions for kids, in addition to adult males and adult females.

ROXY.

ROXY is a feminine-exclusive clothing line for Girls, Juniors, and Women. Their fashions are fun even for when the beach doesn't come calling. They've been providing quality fashions since 1990.

Billabong.

Billabong provides surf fashions for males and females in addition to fashions for skating and snow fashion. They are also very involved in sponsoring events on the ASP (Association of Surfing Professionals) World Tour, as they sponsor a number of events on the Billabong Pro Tour.

Hurley.

Hurley features fashions for both males and females, and even includes a line just for boys.

Volcom.

Volcom (Alternative Link)

Since March 1991, Volcom has been providing quality fashions for snowboarders and skateboarders. Their concept is "Youth Against Establishment." Their fashions are as unique as the philosophies and principles they fall on.

Rip Curl.

Rip Curl calls themselves as "The Ultimate Surfing Company." Their clothing line pertains to a broad spectrum for kids and adults. They even have accessories and wetsuits for the hardcore surfers.

O'Neill.

If you visit the O'Neill website, you'll know that they are celebrating over 60 years of innovation. Their lineup includes various swimwear as well as Winter wear (for you snowboarders). Items offered by this company are for both adults as well as kids.

QUIKSILVER.

QUIKSILVER has everything from surf and snow fashions for adults and kids. They even have a lot of accessories for people and for home. It's all about the surf and snow lifestyle with QUIKSILVER.

Ocean Pacific.

The Wal-Mart exclusive Ocean Pacific brand has been around since 1972. Based in Irvine, California, USA; OP Apparel Corporation makes stylish casual clothes for young males, and they make fun and cute fashions for Juniors. These fashions range from everyday wear to beachwear. So there's something for everyone for teenagers on up. You can find these affordable OP fashions at Wal-Mart stores and online.

Pacsun.

A retailer of surfing fashion, Pacsun provides comfortable and fun fashions for males and females. If Pacsun interests you, you may even want to check out teenscreen.org for PacSun coupons on TeenScreen.org.


More brands may be featured in future edits.





I would like to thank all of you for reading my posts. Not just this one, but my posts here and in my other blogs. What are your thoughts about beach and surf fashions? What about beach and surf inspired fashions? Share your thoughts here on "StyleSpace by JBM" and thank you for reading!

"Like" me on Facebook, Follow StyleSpace, and/or Contact Me via E-Mail!
Subscribe to John's Blog Space (JBS)	Subscribe to John's Shop Space (JSS)	Subscribe to John's Gran Turismo Space (JGTS)	Subscribe to StyleSpace (SS)