Boardshorts SS17 Trend Report

Post-modern and retro-futuristic, SS17 boardshort collections are muddying the waters with a well-balanced combo of vintage and technical. Distinctly retro styles packed with functionality are on the menu next spring. Boardshorts are once again proving to be an essential article for any wardrobe and judging by the design efforts of many brands, it looks like they’ve purposefully matched them to the rest of the outfits…Carte blanche for some tremendous in-shop cross merchandising. A report by Denis Houillé.

Rip Curl

TIMELESS
In the same mould as the T-shirt in the textiles industry, boardshorts are becoming a centrepiece that transcends the seasons, seducing the masses by involving various styles and product categories. In the water and out, they remain a prized space for brands to express their creativity and showcase their technical skills.

This is definitely what has forged the unique character of branded boardshorts – the ones you find in specialist shops. Aesthetic without being athletic, original but not bereft of style, durable yet amazingly comfortable… An authentic product for a sector that is equally so. For Roland Slavik, Merchandising APP/ACC, Vans: “The boardshort market is very unique, as it is the original apparel item that helped spawn the action sports industry.”

Next season’s collections also seem to be proving to be special, with the timeless vintage look of the shorts obscuring the futuristic technical features. Even though it may look like they have already spent long hours in the sun and salt water, these new fabrics like poly-cotton, poly-suede and mesh each have their own set of innovations.

At the forefront of retro-modern, Lightning Bolt continue to feed off “this rich duality between the past and present, urban and environment, analogue and digital, the individual and the collective, manual and industrial, traditional and contemporary.” Rhythm, by mixing poly-cottons with light fades target those “who want to have technical boardshorts but above all want that vintage look,” explains Design Manager Jacob Byrne.

TONES AND FADES
The colour palette on the agenda for spring/summer 2017 has been boosted in complexity and aesthetics. Californian “good vibes” are being revisited by O’Neill who, bolstered by their American surf brand heritage, are releasing a large range of indigo, yellows, corals and above all turquoise. According to their European design manager Jan Lindeboom, this colour will be prevalent in shops as it goes with everything.

We can also see Superbrand’s Californian roots coming through in simplified looks where a subtle touch of the Western reminds us of their proximity to the southern frontier. Burton, whose summer lines just keep extending, are staying true to the natural tones of their winter range by integrating patches, ethnic prints and ikat. Brunotti are revisiting the theme of Californian origami through retro flowers, bold wave lines and explosions of palm leaves. Still in the same part of the world, this time with Reef, who are returning to “Vintage California”, to a time “when everything was simpler, people didn’t rush as much and surf spots were less saturated”.

At Vans, stripes continue to please commercially speaking and amongst the strong colours this year we can see Baltic tones (variations of turquoise) and cherry tomato (solid red/orange). The guys at Urban Beach are using pure colours that oscillate between bright pantones and stealthy black and grey codes.

Teaming up with professional bleachers, Rusty have developed highly authentic vintage finishes on their top-of-the-range models where blacks are washed with acid and combined with bright tones like Cajun Red and the typical ‘80s Zests. Protest are also going for this rustic look that accommodates faded cotton complemented with prints that celebrate the beauty of nature. At Sooruz design, 70s VHS tapes have set the tone with mixtures of faded blues and beige.

Finisterre have gone for the more rustic and industrial aspects of the sea, evoking nautical themes reinforced with semaphores and Breton stripes.

By exploring the “Scuba Libre” theme, Protest are exhibiting a Cuban inspiration which, in a mix of bright, illuminated colours, manages to recreate the island’s love for all natural forms and structures; the ocean, marine life, flowers, trees and curved lines. Quiksilver’s designers are affirming the vitality of the whole boardshort range without using too many flashy colours.

Rusty

COMFORT & ERGONOMICS
Comfort and ergonomics go hand in hand and when we look closer, each detail, each finish has a specific function. At Rhythm, around the belt area there is a poly-faux-suede liner that, as well as being extremely soft, keeps the shorts in place around your waist. Without a zipper or Velcro, the Cinch Fly patented by Volcom, seems to please users with its astonishing simplicity: a unique system composed of just three eyelets providing optimal lace fastening for a perfect fit. Rip Curl, after listening to their customers, are introducing two new materials: Tactel Nylon and a new RipSuede that make their products even lighter.

Quiksilver, by offering a double-layered boardshort, have managed to get the most demanding surfers on side using a unique process. “By putting two very thin layers of material together we have made an extremely light, highly resistant short that has reduced chafing to zero”, reveals Ronnie Reyes, Design Manager at Quiksilver.

“No blah blah blah” either at Dakine for whom “each detail has a function within the product,” assures Lifestyle Apparel Product Manager Karrie Blittersdorf. All fabrics used for boardshorts have impermeable, water repellent treatments, which absorb less water and control humidity better, all with the aim of reducing chafing and drying faster.

Once again this season, stretch fabrics will be popular. When you examine their structure closely, the mesh shows the finest of weaves for providing two, three or even four-way stretch for baffling flexibility as well as durability over time and usage. Through striving to perfect the stretch of their boardshorts for over 20 years, O’Neill have attained such a high technical level that they have decided to use it in other areas such as outerwear and activewear.

Thanks to nylon/cotton/elasthane mixtures, high performance has been attained without compromising comfort, durability and we get a “type of material that you could wear all day and that, with time, becomes more and more comfortable- like your favourite pair of jeans,” expands Ces Wilson at Rusty. Beyond comfort, at Patagonia they are guaranteeing safety with shorts that boast sun protection worthy of the strongest creams (IP 50+). But these products, with all their stretchy, lightweight, water repellent benefits, must never clash, in terms of style, with the rest of your outfit.

Picture

MERCHANDISING & CROSS-OVER
This is the new deal! These new generation shorts have to be wearable everywhere, every day and in all contexts (or just about). This has reached the point where many brands are designing boardshorts in step with the rest of their clothing, equipment or even accessory line. A graphic reference on a board, a patch on a shirt, the sole of a shoe… Some even suggest that sometimes the boardshort sets these codes in the first place.

This crossover appears to be doubly strategic, as much for brands as for retailers; exporting the boardshort out of the swimwear range and making it easy to compose the perfect outfit.

Inspired by the carbon details on their surfboards, the Californians at Lost have developed a boardshort to rival the lightness and performance of their new boards. At Superbrand, many boardshorts reuse the graphics of their award-winning boards and will suit all budgets. With their technical shorts, Dakine are working on a similar level by offering prints nodding to their baggage range, which seems to merchandise pretty well. Finisterre are matching women’s and men’s swimwear to ensure that couples’ outfits go well together. Finally, at Van’s, Roland Slavik confirms that: “We’ve made a concerted effort to infuse the entire boardshort line with a range of solids, stripes, and prints that can seamlessly merchandise with each other, as a category, or integrated along with the rest of the line.”

POSITIONING AND TARGET
Versatility remains the key word when offering garments so comfortable that you’d love to wear at any opportunity, so stylish that you can wear them with anything and so timeless that they appeal to all age brackets within the surfing population.

This season Lost are broadening their product range, as much at a style level as performance and aims to cover “the complete spectrum of creativity and individuality that surfing inspires.” In the water, the café or town centre, Brunotti want these shorts to be suitable at any given time. Versatility is equally defended at TCSS who, through their boardshort lines, target “all surfers who like to have fun on all types of surfboard.” Patagonia are also appealing to the masses through a clever mix of fun, light, and basic everyday tones to please people of all ages who appreciate the value of a well-designed product.

The Surfaris collection from Reef is clearly designed to be versatile, timeless, stylish in the water and out, and ready to travel. The adventurous surfer is also Dakine’s target, hoping to offer products that are wearable day after day to not miss a trick. Burton look to cater for customers of 25 and over living in urban environments during the week who’d rather escape into the wild on weekends.

But none of them wish to be dressed the same way. People in the 18-25 age range especially are always seeking something less mainstream than what the generalist brands offer. As Ces Wilson, Rusty Commercial Director underlines: “Some brands have put too much focus on the technical side of things and as a result it’s starting to look like mainstream sportswear.”

To get hold of stylish, technical garments that they can wear for months on end, consumers don’t hesitate to shell out. As Rhythm Design Manager Jacob Byrne rightly points out: “If a certain garment deserves a higher price point it usually doesn’t effect the sale if the detail and quality is there.”

In their first technical surf range, Picture Organic Clothing have chosen to immediately target the top of the surfing pyramid with the top-of-the-range model costing €119, testament to the level of technology and cuts that the brand are capable of producing. Down from there are the well-positioned mid-range stretch shorts as well as a highly anticipated range of women’s shorts…

For their fifth season in the boardshorts market, Dakine are targeting the crucial mid-range with options that seem to work wonders for retailers and consumers alike. Attentive to their best retailers, Vans are also concentrating on strategic pricing levels for their new generation of ERA boardshorts set for spring 2017.

Mambo are also sensitive to the affordability aspect of boardshorts with the exception of a special artist’s series that, because of its extortionate price, will be “put up for auction to raise money to stop Donald Trump getting into the White House!”

Dakine

EVEN MORE ECO-FRIENDLY
Innovations to boardshort design flood in season after season but the advances in environmental and social terms are surely the most important development in recent years. The efforts made by brands – in all shapes and forms – are considerable and deserve the warm welcome their eco-friendly products receive in the shops and within the industry as a whole.

Patagonia, continually seeking to improve their products, are unveiling a world first with confirmation that 100% of its shorts range will now be stitched in Fair Trade-certified factories. And as their Global Sportswear and Surf Product Manager reiterates: “by choosing fair trade products in your everyday purchases, you are improving the lives of entire communities.”

At the heart of oceanic conservation, Finisterre are continuing their partnership with Econyl®, which allow them to make products made from 100% regenerated polyamide mostly coming from fishing nets.

Bolstered by a partnership with Bluesign (the sustainable textile industry accreditation guaranteeing eco-friendly manufacturing at all levels), Burton maintain their 100% certification for their products and manufacturing processes.

Within their eco-friendly range Blue, O’Neill are using Bionic fibres from plastic rubbish collected on the coast and riverbeds of China, a clean-up effort that prevents it from ending up in the oceans. The Surfcraft capsule from Rip Curl declared two models of 100% eco-friendly boardshorts alongside an eco series of T-shirts, shirts and sweatshirts that now makes up 1/5 of the range. At Volcom, Repreve® recycled fibres made of recycled materials such as plastic bottles, reduce the need for oil-based raw materials and emit less greenhouse gases.

Quiksilver are also using recycled polyester in about 30% of their range. This ingenious partnership with a North Carolina recycling firm seems set to last, extending to other product categories. The folks at Sooruz only use recycled polyester in the production of their products.

Brunotti

Straight from their wetsuit programme, Naturalprene is the fabric that Picture have chosen to use around the belt and hip to maximise comfort. Picture are proud to say they didn’t turn back to PFCs for treating their boardshorts with a water repellent finish – these perfluorinated compounds are widely used for water resistance but hang around for years, even ending up in tap water. Mambo are also paying particular attention to the disposal of dyes, fading acids and inks, which are products that we often eventually find in the oceans.

To guarantee the best practices, Superbrand carefully select their collaborators; “we only work with suppliers that we are affiliated with and who, like us, do not tolerate child or forced labour.”

Lastly, Dakine insist on the strategic approach of its manufacturing that, directly linked to the market, reduces the risk of overproduction and therefore waste. This green trend launched a few years ago seems to be steadily gaining ground and even surpassing the old processes at certain brands…a rECOnversion that our industry can be proud of.