The History Of Surfwear – The 1990s
1990s – Ladies, Stitching, And The Modern Uniform
Surfing was made cool for ladies in the 1990s with their joining the surfing world tour and by movies like Blue Crush, and women’s surfwear grew on the back of new, more fashion conscious, demand. It presented a marketing dream-mix of sun good looks and action. The Roxy brand was launched by Quiksilver in 1993 with the ‘double heart’ logo to appeal to the growing number of female surfers and surf life-stylers, at the softer feminine end of the market. Reef introduced its first ladies-only shoes line, in addition to new models of sandal and closed shoes (including skate shoes and snow boots). The arrival of the Reef Girls, in skimpy bikinis, exemplified the sexy side of surfwear. There was the inaugural Sports Illustrated Swimwear TV Special in ‘95. Sponsored wave riders were no longer just surfers, but models and sports personalities, and made for great pictures showing off their surfwear and their bodies.
Technology advances in the ’90s led to a number of surf product innovations. Australian swimwear companies established standards for sun protective clothing in 1996, leading to Sun Protection Factor (SPF) fabrics built into many garments. Other swimwear innovations included less surface resistance for speed and chlorine resistance for longer fabric life. Surfwear boardshorts tested mesh lining (distinct from suspended jock lining) to provide modesty when the outer layer got wet (particularly white shorts), and for greater comfort. And in particular new stitching techniques changed the face of shorts and tops. Often triple-stitched for extra durability, modern boardshorts used ultra-light four-way stretch fabrics. Blends of polyester nylon and lycra were light, quick drying, flexible, and durable, even antibacterial.
Rash vests, or rash guards, exploited these properties and benefited from new flat-lock stitching and six-panel construction. Rash vests were athletic shirts made of spandex and nylon or polyester, strong and tight fitting yet mobile, dry or wet. In warm water they prevented chafing against sand while lying and paddling on a surfboard, and provided sun protection. In cooler water they were an option to replace more cumbersome and less flattering wetsuits, being long sleeved as well as short, and came in different thicknesses. Plus more ‘printed billboard space’ meant more branding opportunities and surfwear logos taking pride of place squarely on the chests of wave riders. Surfers now had a full ‘uniform’ in the water of long board shorts and rash vest, or bikini, wetsuit t shirt flip flops and sunglasses – complemented out of the water by branded tops, jeans, jackets, watches, caps, Hawaiian shirts and surf bags.
In the late 90s swimwear brands offered greater ranges. In 1996 Speedo released its range of low resistance swimsuits Aquablade and Fastskin, and 1999 TYR released a body suit that reduced water drag by 6%. Swim jammers and long tight fitting swim shorts, and compressions shorts, were common place in the pool. Other well known brands started, including Zoggs in ‘92 specialising in goggles, Finis and Blue Seventy in ‘93, and Konfidence in the UK in ’98 specialising in children’s swimwear.
To meet the new upper end of swim fashion, designer swimwear collections started. Vix from Brazil, Baku Australia and Ginja were launched in 1998, bringing designer fashion into beachwear. ViX, named after Brazilian beach city Vitoria, was started by Paula Hermanny after she moved to the Southern California. In its first year Vix had four swimsuits featured in the 1998 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition. With new detailing and quality, the glamour of Vix swimwear has become the first choice of celebrities on the beach.
NEXT: The 2000s – The Beach Lifestyle And Rise Of Online
Back: The 1980s – More Brands And More Sports
