Mens Surf Apparel S/S 2025 Retail Buyer’s Guide
Old school mixed with some contemporary technologies is the new bread and butter for the apparel category in the surf industry. Take a walk down memory lane with some explicit nostalgia and fast forward to the latest dressmaking fabrics for a winning duo. By David Bianic
Times have changed. There used to be an era when asked about their assessment of the past year, surf brands would answer with figures. Good or bad, sales and percentages were the only criteria on which success or failure were measured. In 2024, we hear a different speech, more profound, which echoes the concerns of the whole world. “2024 is a time of reflection for us. How can we be better, smarter and more efficient in our own business? Focus on us and the rest will fall into place. Building a more compelling product supported by great imagery and brand storytelling is how we are looking at 2024 and beyond”, comments Seth Mckinney, cofounder of IPD Surf. We believe this is no corporate verbiage, he means it.
Lightning Bolt are on the same page. “In 2024, Lightning Bolt embraced ethical marketing practices as both a choice and a necessity. We truly believe we built a stronger connection with our customers and positioned ourselves as a brand that cares about more than just profit.” Did we miss the Dalai Lama workshop?
The connection with consumers and a solid brand marketing story are the two main goals for the brands. While bridges were made with the streetwear and outdoor styles a few years ago, this all led to a blurry identity for the surf apparel. Brands backpedalled and called upon so-called ‘heritage’: “This return to roots involves reintroducing classic designs, traditional prints, and a focus on the core values of surfing—freedom, adventure, and a connection to nature”, sums up Pierre Saint-Mieux, Europe Manager for Katin, a brand whose origin ties in with the mid 1950’s. Another example is Oxbow, which has dug extensively into their library of catalogues to bring back iconic designs twisted with the contemporary cuts and fabrics.
For younger brands, heritage isn’t necessarily their roots. Let’s take Rhythm, launched in 2003, who seems to distance itself from the “made by surfers for surfers” mantra and “want to address trends and lifestyles outside of surfing”, says the Men’s Design Team. While Rusty (founded in 1985) notes there is “a notable shift back to heritage surf roots in the industry”, they would rather embrace a “hybrid approach” and continue to produce authentic surf apparel while also blending elements from streetwear and outdoor influences.
Hurley takes several directions : among others a workwear style with its fresh Built Collection, “designed for the craftsman, the shaper and the skater. Our built collection focuses on both form and function. Lasting durability, comfy as hell, made for work, made to last.” The retro surf will be addressed with the Naturals theme, whereas a couple others stories explore the 90’s, its music, tatoo inspiration and street vibe. Plenty to choose from.
STRATEGY & COLLECTION BREAKDOWN
In line with the back to the roots strategy, carrying over iconic designs has proven durable, as summarised by Sandra Goncalves, Business Director at Lightning Bolt: “Our strategy’s cornerstone is leveraging the success of proven staple products, or diamond pieces, the #never out of stock# that goes from the classic pieces full of history, to the ones that are the brand’s identity.” A lot of the fresh products aren’t totally new, but rather existing items revamped with new prints and colours, “especially on our graphics tees”, reports Pierre at Katin.
Let’s focus on what we don’t know: the fresh designs. While reconducting its iconic The Search campaign, Rip Curl offers a capsule collection named Raw Energy, “a grunge vibe with mauve/blue colours for the first delivery window and very summery, washed-out colours for the second delivery window”, details Pierre-Alexandre Merlet, Men Division Product Manager. In the same spirit, Gotcha submits a Cosmic Vision, “A more urban and radical story, inspired by rock, with prints and a street vibe in black and white, accentuated by flashy pink, offering a surrealistic vision”. Note that 2025 will be the official start of the relaunch of the brand, so that should be exciting.
Oxbow has been proposing a very consistent marketing approach in recent years, blending ambassadors’ ventures and collections in the same story. SS25 will be no exception. The Zebu Surf Collective narrates the history around the trip to Madagascar of their team rider Kepa Acero in a give back to the community spirit, with graphics inspired by the native art of this region. Their second story, Pacific Sanctuary, is built around Tahitian surfers Gilbert Teave and Tahurai Henri, and the graphic inspiration will focus on ‘what’s happening under water, all the corals and underwater life’.
Collaborations come from beyond just athlete input. Afends teases strong artist collaborations from their Create Not Destroy program, such as Nirvana Selwood, designing unique motifs with inspiration taken from the natural world around us; expressed in the use of popping vibrant colour, abstract elements, and fun prints. Cobranding is another way of conveying a message, like Roark’s collaboration with fellow Australian First Nation’s label, House of Darwin, whose purpose is reinvesting profits into social programs in remote indigenous communities. The embodiment of the brand ethos is key, whether it is a human being, natural elements or culture/art endorsement.
FABRICS & SUSTAINABILITY
To further distance themselves from the fast fashion bad practices, surf brands have embraced responsible materials. Gotcha claims that over 80% of their collection consists of sustainable materials, such as organic cotton and recycled polyester. Simon Whittington, Head of Marketing for Brakeburn expects the use of recycled polyester to double by 2030 whereas the cost for organic cotton is increasing.
Alternative innovative eco-friendly materials like Tencel and hemp bring a fresh approach, at Lightning Bolt “These fabrics align with our commitment to sustainability and offer high performance while minimising environmental impact”, adds Sandra Concalves. She emphasised the decline of the traditional use of more than 2 mixed fibres, “which makes the recycling process very hard, almost impossible, and expensive”. Among the other options, linen and viscose can be found in Lost’s offering. Oxbow says they have replaced all the viscose fabric by ECOVERO, an eco-responsible viscose fibre: “Derived from sustainable wood and certified with EU Ecolabel, its production reduces CO2 emissions & water use by up to 50%”, reports Manon Jouanine, Men’s Product Manager.
SS25 KEY PIECES: Tees/Shirts/Shorts
What else would you need? Spend your summer days in a pair of shorts, ditch the t-shirt by the evening in favour of a shirt when happy hour rolls around! The plain white t-shirt with chest logo has gone through a slight change for a couple seasons. A simple twist, but which really translates the ‘post-modern vintage’: an off-white colour. See Katin’s Mirage Tee: “This graphic t-shirt is one of Katin’s best-sellers. The colour they call ‘vintage white’ makes for a light-coloured t-shirt with the design standing out very harmoniously.” Many colorways embrace this faded, washed-out nuance, like Rip Curl’s salmon-pink tee in the Raw Energy Capsule, very reminiscent of the early 80’s, as well as Brakeburn’s faded pink and yellow.
The long-sleeved t-shirt also made a strong comeback, again for a vintage look, as shown on Rusty’s Cascade with the iconic R Dot print/pattern of the sleeves. The Aloha shirt with v-neck style will remain a staple of the spring-summer ranges, but the original rayon fabric has been replaced by more performance material, like the Vintage Floral Surf Shirt of Lightning Bolt, crafted from lightweight, quick-drying fabric, it provides UV protection and breathability. To add some vintage hand feel, Oxbow opted for a reverse print, for a faded colour effect on the Tropics Shirt with floral allover print.
Two trends stick out when it comes to shorts. First, hybrid styles mixing walkshorts and beachshorts are still a thing, for their ability to “seamlessly transition from beach to after-sun beer sessions”, explains Sandra from Lightning Bolt. Lost also reports hybrid shorts category continues to grow, and Oxbow joins the party with their Weekend Shorts, designed to be worn in or out of the water: versatile, comfortable and quick drying.
Still in the hybrid style, Hurley’s boardshorts technologies have trickled down into their walkshorts, with a wide range of pieces for each and every use : Phantom Flow volley (ultimate breathability), Phantom Flow (functional Style), Phantom slub (comfort + performance), H2-0 Dri coastal (“a classic walkshort done better”), H20-Dri Slub Drive (technical style on and off the course), H20 Dri Trek (made to move).
The second ongoing trend in the shorts category is what we would call the “cord short”, an elastic waist walkshort plus cord, made in natural fibre. Comfier than the fixed walkshort with a belt, they took over the category. The Cord Local Short from Katin or the Classic Cord Jam from Rhythm, both in cotton corduroy, are two summer hits.
RETAILER SUPPORT
While retailers are keen on working with brands to refresh their shelves, they need some signs of confidence waved in their direction. Some like IPD Surf stress their belief in a limited distribution strategy, as they believe this “Makes your brand and product more desirable as it’s not sold everywhere”, points out Seth Mckinney. The support can also be more direct, such as the “risk-free pre-orders” or free shipping with no minimum purchase offered by Lightning Bolt. In addition to the POS and POP programs, Rhythm and Rusty highlight sell-out incentives through gift with purchase. There is no love, only lovemarks, said the French poet.
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