Surfer Style in Men’s Fashion Trends for 2023
Surfer Style in Men’s Fashion Trends for 2023
Surfer style is laidback, comfortable, and bright, the perfect complement to the latest fashion trends in the Spring Summer collections of esteemed designers for 2023.
Although subtle, many designers sneak in some surfing culture-inspired details for their summer drops. After all, what screams summertime more than pieces made to wear for a trip to the beach, where surfing culture thrives.
But, of course, fast fashion, couture, and nature do not play well together at all times. An average of 16 million tons of textile end up in the trash—an evident sign of how fast trends come and go.
Here we have curated pieces from the latest men’s fashion trends for 2022 that you can recreate at home:
2023 Men’s Style
Designers have a more positive and daring outlook for 2022 as the world slowly recovers from the perils of the coronavirus. Fashion pieces are reenvisioned with expressive artistic energy and hopefulness.
Men’s fashion in 2022 is an illusion towards gender fluidity, introducing traditionally feminine ensembles as staples for the gentlemen. Some favorites are crop tops, heels, skirts, skorts (shorts disguised as skirts), and Rick Owen’s body-reshaping blazers and oversized jeans.
Meanwhile, next year’s spring summer color palette is vibrant, glittery, and fun. It is an exciting homage to our ever-missed social lives amidst the pandemic.
Pink, to be exact, is the color of the season. Fashion influencer/expert Giorgio Sanzio advises those, who even hate the rosy hue, to look for the perfect pink that suits their style because “pink remains to be at the top of the list of spring summer 2022 colors.”
When it comes to hair and accessories, surfer’s will feel in vogue all season. Natural hair, long hair, and low-maintenance do’s are all the rage for men’s mane in 2022, while miniature bags get out of the limelight as oversized totes make a comeback.
Surfer style lookbook
Men’s spring summer style rarely dons surfing culture, and surfers’ fashion was not at all celebrated by many—except for those who are, of course, into the sport.
It was so under-recognized that surfing style was deemed as “cottage industry,” which only a few local brands dominate. But when pop culture broke into the surfing culture, many brands under the surfing niche popped up.
Today, people appreciate surfing culture worldwide, even from places without amiable surfing conditions. Hence, surfer style is sprinkled here and there in the fashion industry's biggest and most mainstream names.
The problem is not every fashion piece plays fair with the environment. And you cannot keep the stoke when typical productions harness and harm too many natural resources. So, we curated a surfer-style lookbook that you can recreate easily at home.
The basics
Here are the essentials of surfer style from top to bottom—if you decide to keep your top on.
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Sleeveless
Sleeveless tops flooded the runways for the 2022 spring summer fashion shows. Sleeveless, knitted shirts, tanks, coats, and blouses are mainstayers for next year.
It is not hard to cop one or two pieces in line with this, and you do not even need to buy a new one. Raid your closet, and you will find a shirt or two that will match this style.
This trend has been around for years. Hence, we recommend going through vintage shops or supporting a local garage sale and DIY your creative cutout.
Take these examples from Courreges’s Spring Summer Collection:
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The Bermuda
The Bermuda is the shorts equivalent of dress pants. These are square short pants that you can cuff if you like a more neat look, but they are not beach-friendly. You can instead get yourself Bermuda-inspired board shorts like the one below and change into a classic Bermuda after your surfing session.
Buy something similar here.
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Skorts and Skirts
Skorts and skirts will be making an impressive comeback next year, dominating menswear, especially in street style. Because of their fluidity and undoubtedly great offerings for comfort, skorts and skirts are lovely additions to your surfing style. There is no fuss in putting them on then walking on the beach in them.
Topless looks are also hot for summer, so we recommend wearing your man-skirt while baring your surfing bod just like this guy from the new collection of shots by David Sims.
Buy something similar here.
Hair and accessories
If the clothes don a more avant-garde look, hair and accessories go back to more easy-to-follow trends. Here are the 2022 fashion trends that will seamlessly blend in with the surfing culture:
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Bags, extra-large, please?
You have probably seen those crazy tiny bags that dominated social media and the fashion scene this year. They are cute for the ladies, but for surfing mates, not so much. Good thing its oversized counterpart reigns supreme this season! Now, you have more reason to bring an extra-large tote bag to the beach!
However, remember that tote bags can be too resource-intensive in production. And to be honest, you already have one or two at home since totes were once the star of eco-lifestyle. We recommend using old shirts and creating your own unique rendition of a 2XL tote bag to follow this trend.
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Flipflops
Is there anything more basic other than flip-flops when it comes to surfer style essentials? Do not worry about being underdressed. Wearing flip-flops under a pair of wide pants or your beach trousers are some of the fiery looks for menswear 2022.
Check out some of these looks from Ludovic de Saint Sernin.
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Hair: Shaggy and Natural
Because of the pandemic, getting a pro-haircut from the barbers became a luxury. Many have grown out their hair to lengths they would never have imagined having.
If you have already fallen in love with your untamed long locks, do not fret. Natural and shaggy hair are all the rage for hairdos for bros in 2022.
The Cost of Surfer Style
Wave Tribe's primary goals is to make surfing fun while still taking good care of the ocean.
The apparel or fashion industry is the second leading cause of pollution, with one of the largest carbon footprints in the world. Not only is textile and clothing production resource-intensive, but it also exploits human resources, taking advantage of needy people desperate for work despite unfavorable and hostile conditions.
But what makes the industry so treacherous against nature is the plastic woven within the clothes. According to this report by The Guardian based on the statistics from research by the Changing Markets Foundation, 69% of all materials used in the textile are from synthetic fibers, which are plastics like elastane, nylon, acrylic, and polyester.
Recycled does not always mean sustainable
What is worse is, even clothes made out of recycled fibers are simply bandaid solutions to the real problem. In the same article, George Harding-Rolls, campaign adviser at Changing Markets Foundation, overseeing corporate practices, said, “If you are recycling synthetics, that doesn’t get rid of the microplastics problem.”
There are three reasons why:
- Production demands remain the same as fashion brands continue to put out dozens of new collections every year.
- It can fast-track the plastic’s journey towards landfills, mainly if brands use these recycled synthetics to create low-quality material and clothes that would otherwise end up in the trash.
- It does not reduce the natural resource exploitation in textile mills that affects water and oil production.
Until the fashion industry resorts to grassroots inspirations and more biodegradable materials for their garments, its environmental toll will continue to stay.
How much does fashion cost?
According to Vogue, taking into account the latest figures from the United Nations, “it takes 8,000 gallons of water [...] to make one pair of jeans.” Meanwhile, making one T-shirt accounts for 700 gallons of water.
Not only that, but Vogue also adds that 200 million trees fall each year to supply the global demand for fabric. And not all of these materials end up in the final product, 15% of it goes to waste during production.
Back to the data from Changing Markets, the company states in their first Fossil Fashion report that the fashion industry is also responsible for 1.5% of global oil consumption, which is more than what Spain, a whole country, consumes.
So, if you are wondering how much fashion costs naturally, it costs thousands of gallons of water, millions of trees, and a whole lot of environmental impacts, like microplastics in the oceans and the rain!
Hence, the true essence of surfer style is all about making ecologically forward fashion choices. Next year's menswear fashion trends are unique, but you can easily recreate them at home by up-cycling your old clothes.
And when it comes to stylish ensembles that can protect your boards, opt for Wave Tribe’s line of sustainable and eco-friendly surfboard socks and hemp surfboard travel bags. These are made with repurposed plastic trash and hemp fibers, which are more sustainable to grow and source over cotton.
All Wave Tribe’s surfing gear are made to last, with the surfer and the environment in mind. Shop them below.
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