Beyond the Waves : The Colorful New Age of Surfwear Also Takes to the Streets

The dark ages of beach fashion are over. Unlike the earthy shades of recent seasons, beachwear is alive with colorful graphics. Or takes cues from the club scene.

“People want to have fun again,” says Silas Hickey, co-owner of a new beachwear company called Clobber.

Split, another newcomer, infused its spring line with color.

“Spring and summer are bright and airy,” says company co-owner Scott Van Derripe. Split’s knit and cotton styles come in colors such as kelly-green, gold, purple or red. Should anyone miss the message, the word positive is inscribed over the plaid neckband of the company’s T-shirts.

The newcomers are following the surfwear tradition by taking beach life as their primary inspiration. But sand and surf are just departure points.

“The clothes must work as well on the street as on the beach,” says Van Derripe.

Several designers now look to rock music for ideas.

“Music is not just a common thread, it’s the best means of integrating people we have,” says Jim Ganzer, a founder of the Jimmy’Z label. He recently launched a new line, Rock U. Instead of images of waves and skates, Ganzer now uses guitars and treble clefs. One shirt has the names of legendary rockers printed on it.

A few popular lines have nothing to do with the surfer tradition. Three in particular--Fresh Jive, Anarchic Adjustment and Gypsies and Thieves--attract night owls, not water babies.

“We are influenced by and target our clothes directly to the club scene,” says Jive owner Rick Klotz. His heavy twill, three-quarter-length, pin-striped jacket, for instance, has pockets big enough to hold big bottles of liquid refreshment. His brick-red, black or moss-green jeans are baggy for comfort.

So what do beach people see in them? “The surf image is so white bread that even surfers don’t want to look like surfers anymore,” Klotz says. “At least for now, they want to look like they are from the city.”