The 2002 film Blue Crush set a visual standard for a specific era of California fashion. In the movie, Kate Bosworth and her friends roll out of the ocean in bikinis and puka-shell necklaces, yank on board shorts and crop tops, and head straight into town. While the film is a classic rom-com, the style captured on screen feels remarkably familiar today. That early aughts surf aesthetic is back in a big way, influencing everything from city sidewalks to high-fashion runways. The trend has moved far beyond beach towns, making swimwear and board shorts staples in ready-to-wear collections across the globe.
Surf culture has always functioned as a lifestyle brand, extending its reach well beyond the water. Surfers naturally wore board shorts and rash guards in their daily lives, but the current wave of popularity is distinct. Today, the aesthetic has infiltrated city streets on the backs of people who have never touched a surfboard. Brands are leaning into this crossover, blending performance gear with high-fashion sensibilities. Marissa Martinez, a 31-year-old creative in Miami, illustrates the shift. She found a pair of men’s black and teal Speedo board shorts in a thrift store last summer, noting they felt a little wrong. She now styles them with vintage tees and little slip skirts, often sourcing these pieces from flea markets and resale sites. The trend has evolved past simple beachwear into a complex fashion statement.
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High-end fashion houses have fully adopted the shift. Dries Van Noten’s Spring 2026 menswear show featured models wearing sarongs tied over trousers, while the subsequent womenswear collection leaned heavily into tropical prints and board shorts paired with peplum tanks. Luxury labels like Chan Luu and High Sport have also released collections that merge Hawaiian floral prints with high-end construction. The result is a look that feels effortless but expensive. It is a visual language that has moved from the coast to the city, proving that the surfer aesthetic is here to stay.
Made Some, a brand founded by Madelyn Somers in 2020, captures this exact sentiment. Somers grew up in “Dogtown,” a Venice Beach strip with a rich history of surf and skate counterculture. Her dad was a surfer, and magazines like Thrasher filled their home. Despite this background, Somers does not surf herself. However, she channels that history into her designs. Her brand sells nylon board shorts in cherry red and electric blue, alongside souvenir-style T-shirts featuring vintage graphics of countries like Spain and Greece. She describes the aesthetic as “vacation style,” envisioning someone pulling these items out of a suitcase after a trip to Athens. The concept has resonated so well that she struggles to keep her surf pants in stock.
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Roxy’s global brand general manager Danielle Mckenzie notes that this cultural momentum is cyclical. “Surf culture is firmly back in the fashion conversation,” she said. The brand is capitalizing on this nostalgia with a new collaboration with the Parisian label Miao. The capsule collection features Hawaiian print bikinis and second-skin swim-inspired tanks, drawing inspiration from the 2008 book Surf Girl Roxy. Mckenzie explains that they looked back at early styling codes like bikinis worn with loafers and unexpected print clashes. “At its core, there’s a thread of girlhood running through it all—not as nostalgia, but as a mindset that never really leaves you.”
While the fashion industry continues to chase these styles, the core appeal remains a shift in consumer mindset. The founder of Miaou, Alexia Elkaim, suggests that people are gravitating toward clothing that reflects a lifestyle rather than just a trend. There is a specific appeal to the ease, freedom, and optimism associated with surf culture. In a world that often feels bleak, the “cowabunga dude” mentality offers a form of escapism. It is a reminder that clothing can be functional, expressive, and fun, bridging the gap between the ocean and the urban jungle.
