Boardshorts S/S 2025 Retail Buyer’s Guide
Not a swimwear, not a clothing item, the boardshort is a pure extension of the surfer’s identity, as much as their surfboard or wetsuit. It conveys a message of performance over form, though style is ever present. If anything, Spring Summer 2025 will only reinforce this message. By David Bianic
Both technical gear and apparel item, the surfing boardshort ticks all the boxes for a sell through hit, attracting the core and non-core audience. Yet it is not immune to the ficklest enemy of the retailer during the spring-summer season. You know it: shitty weather. While we keep seeing record temperatures on a year basis, spring tends to be quite bleak, stalling those early sales. “The first half of 2024 was difficult due to poor weather and excess levels of inventory in the market still”, reports Freddie Sipowicz and Jonathan Gilbert (President and CEO Europe) at Lost, but “once the clear skies in summer kicked in, we saw a dramatic rise in business”.
Before we even asked for comment, brands spontaneously pointed out as one voice, the main reason driving good sell through: “Sustainability is still a major trend, focusing on eco-friendly materials and production processes. Performance and versatility are also critical, with innovations in quick-drying fabrics, stretchability and ergonomic designs being highlighted”, says Paulina Benitez, Brand Manager Apparel, Goggles & Helmets at Oakley. This really reflects an ongoing trend – not exclusive to boardshorts – where sustainability meets technical performance. As we will see later, there is more to come in this area, highlighting an optimistic future for the category.
OFFERING & STRATEGY
The once defensive strategy of carryovers has turned into a staple move. What was used as a response to uncertain COVID times is viewed nowadays as a more sustainable way of doing business. It’s sustainable for the planet and sustainable for the retailer, who is not compelled to deploy aggressive discounts on the past year’s inventory to accommodate the fresh collection. “For SS25, we strategically balanced our collection with 40% fresh pieces and 60% carryover styles. This approach allows us to introduce innovative designs and new styles that reflect current trends and consumer demands while retaining popular, proven items from previous designs that our customers love”, explains Sandra Gonçalves, Business Director for Lightning Bolt Europe. Others meet halfway, with carryovers updated with refreshed colorways, as shown at Lost. It’s a similar move for Oakley as only 50% of the collection is either entirely new or has been updated “with modifications to enhance quality, add important features, and incorporate more attractive prints that speak to the Oakley consumer”, details Paulina.
Price wise, figures are going up, confesses Nick Crook, CEO of Boardies, “If anything shy people are prepared to pay a premium for quality and authenticity”. As reminded by Oakley, there must be a compelling reason to justify higher prices. While surfers prioritise performance and durability, opting for premium boardshorts with advanced features, “the market is saturated with high-quality options at fair prices that offer comfort and functionality, making it challenging to justify significant price increases”.
SS25 BOARDSHORTS TRENDS: INSEAMS
Size matters, or more precisely length matters. From the ever-shrinking silhouettes (down to 12’’ inseams) of the mid 2000’s, designs slowly backpedalled to the baggier fits of the 90’s, with more over-the-knee designs. What about 2025? In a non-binary environment, it is no surprise we would see the best of both worlds within most ranges. “Alongside regular (40″) and performance-focused options (46″), we introduce the super short (12″) as a homage to our 70s roots”, comments Sandra from Lightning Bolt. As a testimony to its debut, Hurley brings back the 21 inch offer, “bringing a retro look to our collection”. The above-the-knee options are becoming increasingly popular among younger surfers. History repeats itself as younger generations tend to be fond of styles they never knew, arriving into the world post 90’s and 2000’s.
SS25 BOARDSHORTS TRENDS: MATERIALS & CONSTRUCTIONS
“Eco-conception is the biggest trend”, insists Aurélien Silvestre, Product Manager at Oxbow, which uses post-consumer recycled polyester – Repreve – on all their boardshorts, some styles being produced in Portugal and France to minimise impact. Their Stoked boardshort uses upcycled fabrics, “46% less fabric offcuts during production, entirely made in France: the result is -93% CO2 emissions compared to a conventional boardshort”. Afends goes weedy on their Surf Related and Webhead boardshorts, made of an eco-friendly hemp, recycled polyester and cotton blend.
Whether it is a proprietary fabric as Repreve or other forms of recycled polyester, the 4-way stretch is the second most sought out criteria in this category. For example, the new Oakley Tidal 19’’ boardshort is crafted from a recycled nylon and spandex blend. It also features a UPF 30 sun protection, a spec that has made its way in the boardshort offering these past seasons. Hurley gets in line with the consumer demand, now offering the Phantom-eco Block Party, “made with our renowned 4-way stretch phantom fabric now using recycled ocean bound plastics”. These true technical fabrics are so light on the skin, you forget you’re wearing them. A statement made all the more true when you add a PFC-free durable water repellent finish, like Protest’s SS25 collection.
Boardshorts take a battering due to the constant friction with the board/wax and the intensive damp/dry off cycle in summer. The heavy-duty program is at the heart of the new OTG (Out There Gear) range of Katin’s trunks. The welded zipped pockets, durable micro ripstop tech stretch fabric and a performance fly closure with silicone dipped drawcords will endure almost any abuse. In a similar spirit, Rip Curl has added more stretch Cordura in its Mirage range, a fabric known for its unmatched protection against tears, scuffs and abrasion. So does Roark on the Boatman model, offering a lifetime warranty for good measure.
Among the innovative tech features seen in the SS25 collection, we should mention the Menakoz boardshort at Oxbow, easily packable in its back pocket as well as their Wipeout design featuring a 360-degree lace at the waistband providing a custom fit for optimal comfort. Similar details feature on Oakley’s Tidal 19’’, with matte bonded eyelets with branded tips, bonded back pocket with waterproof zip and elastic loop inside the pocket.
SS25 BOARDSHORTS TRENDS: COLOURS & PRINTS
The trend is… there is no trend. Diversity is the vibe, says Aurélien Silvestre at Oxbow. They even considered the collection with seasonal transitions in mind: “We will start the season with some earth colours to have a smooth transition from winter to spring” and then “the second part of the collection will have many bright and fresh colours for the summer season”. Lightning Bolt caters for both sides of the colour divide with “Bold, eye-catching colours such as electric blue, sunset orange, and deep sea green, alongside classic hues like navy and black for a versatile appeal”. At Rhythm, the Aussie-born label stays true to its image with a distinctive blend of neo-retro/low-key/classy colours and prints. Amongst the new colorways for SS25, you will find some sage and Merlot. Cheers to that!
‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!’ The golden rule applies to prints and patterns in the boardshort category as you will find the timeless combo of floral/leaves/tropical/polka dots. Interestingly to note, the changing silhouettes also affect the graphics, comments the Lost managing duo, as “with larger garment patterns, there is a bigger canvas which forces the approach for all over prints to change”. This may be the reason behind Protest incorporating large-scale graphics with inspiration from the beautiful patterns of Portuguese tiles. Don’t worry, if you are more into organic patterns, Protest still offers the good ol’ leaves/beach/wave prints! The ever so colourful Boardies has opted for a toned-down approach, as the “Print on men’s is going more understated so we are giving our 80’s graphics a rest for a bit”, says Nick Crook. Pierre from Katin confirms there is a trend towards “Vintage-inspired prints and subtle, minimalist designs for those who prefer a more understated look”.
SS25 ORDER FORMS
Now that you have the big picture, we can reasonably say there is very little chance of barking up the wrong tree when it comes to your SS25 purchase. With roughly 50% of carryovers planned for next season, this means you already know which SKU’s went well. The fresh pieces in the rest of the collection lean on tried and tested designs for most part, with updated colours/prints. This mirrors the consumer’s purchase pattern: choose wisely and put your money in a durable product that will outlast the wear and tear as well as the short-lived fashions. Long gone are the days of the one-summer boardshort. Sure, you’ve known better days saleswise, but what is for the greater good?
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