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THREE
skaters and surfers
Hugh Holland, Sidewalk Surfer, in Huntington Beach, 1976.
Model Erin Wasson attends the Opening Ceremony Japan flagship store opening party in 2009, in Tokyo.
Cameron Diaz prepares to surf on the set of the movie Charlieās Angels 2 in 2002, in Malibu.
Kate Hudson vacations in Punta Mita, Mexico, in March 2011.
Hayden Panettiere attends Blooming-daleās Santa Monica Surfrider Foundation Celebration Benefit at Bloomingdaleās Santa Monica, April 13, 2011.
Whether weāre conscious of it or not, most of us own or regularly wear at least one item of clothing that stems from the skate or surf culture of Southern California. The lookārooted in a lifestyle evocative of freedom and fearlessnessāis accompanied by a laid-back attitude. And it translates into casual clothing worn with a rough, unfinished manner and devil-may-care attitude thatās been attractive not only to skaters and surfers, but to plenty of clothing companies who emulate the look in their own lines for its organic origins and unfussy approach to dressing.
The style has become popular all over the world, due in no small part to the influence of the tanned, bleached Southern California surfer and the gritty, carefree skater who are as synonymous with the city as the Hollywood sign or a palm treeāprinted cup from In-N-Out Burger, and who have set the pace and core aesthetic of the style.
The relaxed demeanor, mop of sun-bleached hair, languid slouch, and golden skin of California surfers is the stuff those of us living in chilly, landlocked terrain pine for. And the rebellious, somewhat aggressive, and proudly scruffy exterior of skaters appeals to anyone whoās ever enviously watched a group of kids on their skateboards careening down the streetāunaffected by traffic and clearly having the time of their lives.
The common component between the two sportsāand the aspect that is the most appealing to those who actually do itāis freedom. Freedom comes in the form of being disconnected from material things and instead being able to focus on and experience oneness with the environment and a connection to just the ocean or the streets and the sidewalk.
And though the two looks have a somewhat different aesthetic, Southern California skate-style was born out of what surfers wore and how they wore it.
āSkate-style really began with surfing,ā says retired pro skater and skate industry legend Tony Hawk. āThey were trying to emulate the waves when they were flat. But as skating got more prolific people realized the potential of the urban landscape and skate-style became a mix of surf-style and punk rock. It was a more edgy look.ā Where surf-style has the kind of beachy component expected from a sport that takes place in the ocean, skate-style has a harder feel that comes from the influence of punk as well as being a more urban activity.
Perhaps thatās the attraction of and the reason why surf- and skate-style seems to resonate with such a wide variety of people. Itās not just a look and a way of life that draws thrill seekers to try surfing but also an appealing aesthetic to fashion companies everywhere, who churn out tissue-thin T-shirts and hoodies emblazoned with Southern California surf destinations, frayed denim shorts, and colorful cotton jersey dresses that convey the simplicity and long summer days associated with surfing and skating. Itās the antithesis of the opulent clothing trotted down a high-fashion runway or assembled in a glossy magazine editorial, yet the organic and easy manner in which the look of skaters and surfers has evolved is undoubtedly influential and appealing to the fashion community and stylish people in general.
Because these are individual sports, skaters and surfers ride alone, developing not only signature athletic styles, but signature street styles as well. Itās not just the specific clothes they wear, but how they wear them that gets noticed, sets them apart, and remains interesting.
Former pro surfer and skater turned writer/director Stacy Peralta remembers the way he and fellow surfers stood out at Venice High School during the 1970s, even when what they were wearing was exactly the same as everyone else.
āWe all wore the same outfit, the Latinos, African American kids, and us surfers,ā he says. The look consisted of pinwale cords or Leviās, a white T-shirt with a Pendleton button-down shirt over it, and shoes called winosātwo-dollar black mesh shoes with a gum sole that were typically worn by bums.
āThe surfers wore everything really baggy,ā he says. āWe carried ourselves in a slouching mentality and of course our clothes had sand and salt water on them. The Latinos pressed everything to a T and their Pendletons were buttoned to the top. The other guys didnāt like us because we were surfers and looked like surfers, but it was funny because we were all wearing the same thing.ā
Today, the skate/surf clothing industry includes mainly logo-driven T-shirts, colorful and splashy board shorts, and printed cotton dresses that can be thrown over a bikini or worn with flip-flops. But like Peraltaās simple yet individually styled look of the 70s, it wasnāt always about logos and sunset-colored graphics on hooded sweatshirts.
Before the big action sports brands (think Hurley, Volcom, and RVCA) came around, the look surfers generally donned (which really started to take shape in the 1960s) was a uniform of white jeans, madras shirts, St. Christopher medallions, and huarache sandals that many of them traveled down to Mexico to get. Clothing was practical, simple, and free of logos except for a few companies like OP, Hobie, and local board shorts brands. Action sports lifestyle brands were not nearly the behemoth industry they are today. It wasnāt until the early 80s that the commercial side of the skate/surf lifestyle started to be incorporated into clothing like we see it today.
SIMON DOONAN
The California beach aesthetic has had a dominant global influence for over half a century. It has a groovy sensibility, which says, āDonāt take life too seriously. Why be unhappy and ambitious and type A when you can throw on a pair of Daisy Dukes, empty your head of all profundities, and head to Zuma?ā
One Southern California surfer who was influential in kick-starting the local action sports clothing industry was Jeff Yokoyama, who founded Maui and Sons in the early 80s and went on to create other brands as the sport and style evolved.
Yokoyama, an LA native and longtime surfer with a natural knack and appetite for design, embarked on what would be one of the first and most memorable surf lifestyleācentered brands to come out of the West Coast. After spending three years surfing Hawaii and then coming back to Orange County to get his cosmetology license, Yokoyama noticed that the kids of the women coming through the Newport Beach salon where he worked had nothing cool to wear. Their clothing didnāt reflect the beachside lifestyle they were all familiar with and definitely not the upbeat vibe of youth. He was inspired to create something for kids and teenagers that captured the lifestyle happening on the beach and made a pair of elastic waistband, madras shorts, which would be the beginning of the Maui and Sons brand.
Running the entire operation from his garage, Yokoyama created madras shorts that were a hit with teenagers because of the colorful patterns and the overall casual nature of the clothing. āI thought to myself, āI need to supply these kids with something new and groovy,ā ā says Yokoyama, who from standing in the posh salon all day witnessed women wearing Norma Kamali dresses with large shoulder pad...
