When Did Surf Clothing Become Popular?

Surf clothing is everywhere these days, with people across the world wearing tees, hoodies, board shorts and more. We take a look at the history behind surf clothing and see how it's developed over the years.

Surfing as a recognised ‘culture’ came around in the 1950s and 1960s, with the USA really embracing it and pushing the lifestyle that everyone wanted - sunshine, golden beaches and fun.

In the 1950’s, surfers had a typical dressed-down look, with board shorts or ‘surf trunks’ featuring drawstrings and white t-shirts.

Along with the influences of surf music including the Beach Boys and films such as “Gidget” or Elvis Presley’s “Blue Hawaii”, 1960s surf style reflected this with clothing now including items such as Hawaiian shirts, Pendleton jackets, plaid shirts and trucker hats.

The 70’s saw the real launch of the surf brand, including Billabong, Quiksilver, Ocean Pacific and Hang Ten.

This decade saw an explosion of bright patterns and accessorising with bandanas, headbands and of course flared jeans.

Also surfers started travelling further afield to places such as Indonesia, which ended up influencing brands such as Kuta Lines to be formed.

The 1980s surf fashion is typically thought of as being two ends of the spectrum, with some people favouring more muted tones and others going full-on with bright neons.

Brands emerged including Gotcha, Maui and Sons, Hang Ten and Rusty. Wetsuits were typically full-on neon, surfboards were coloured and sunglasses big and reflective.

By the 1990s, surf clothing had started to crossover more with other board sports, such as skateboarding. The look became more ‘street style’ with brands like Stussy being worn and hoodies became more popular than ever before..

This general look extended into the 2000s and is arguably still around today for many surfers, especially those who surf, skate and snowboard.

The past couple of decades has seen a bit more of a focus on sustainability, with many brands trying to all do their bit to offset environmental impacts - this includes clothing made from recycled textiles and materials, such as board shorts made with recycled plastic bottles.

Also fabric technology has seen clothing that’s now warmer, lighter and faster drying.

With fashion often going in cycles, surf clothing in 2024 isn’t too far removed from previous decades - whether that’s plaid (check) shirts from the 1960s or even classic board shorts from brands like Katin, who first produced surf trunks in California in 1954.

So whether you’re a lover of bright colours or want a more understated look, you’ll find a surf brand or style of clothing to suit.

We stock a great range of surf clothing for men and women, featuring brands such as Vissla, Katin, Oxbow, Lightning Bolt, Captain Fin Co, Rip Curl, Sisstrevolution and OLAS.

Photo courtesy of Wavelength Surf Magazine