Marine Layer’s New Collection Was Inspired by Vintage Surfing Photos

Is this the ultimate beach-bonfire wardrobe?

May 24, 2018 9:00 am

The ‘70s get a bad rap, especially from a design perspective.

True, they brought us bell-bottom jeans and Lurex jumpsuits.

But California summers — and the faded, comfy ensembles they birthed — were golden like none since.

You’ll find that vibe in Marine Layer’s new Lost & Found collection, a trove of muted casual garb inspired by vintage surfing photos.

The namesake of the line? Lost & Found, an archive of ‘70s surfing photos that was rescued from the Pasadena Flea Market. (They also released a coffee table book last year.)

Marine Layer’s capsule collection distills the spirit of those photos into a few dozen tees, polos, boardies and cord shorts. And if you’ve got a barbecue, beach date, coastal hike or surf trip scheduled over the next three months, you’d do well to gear up accordingly.

The Mauna Loa Popover
True, this is officially a Hawaiian shirt — but the lived-in colors in soft blue and pink keep things on this side of refined.

The Westlake Short
Who killed off the corduroy short? Whoever it was, shame on you. But here it is revived, with patch pockets and a flattering above-the-knee cut.

The Arcadia Polo
Finally, a new, slightly fuzzy way to wear a polo, which gives up its golf-club stuffiness in favor of a slouchier style. Thank the fabric, a mix of micromodal, Supima cotton, and polyester.

Ocean Beach Sweatshirt
This is just great, whether you live out in the Avenues or not.

Lost & Found
While you’re at it, this is a book well worth buying: the unbelievable fruits of a flea market find. A way of life was preserved when Doug Walker found what’s now known as the Lost & Found collection; these images represent it best. If you’re looking for something for a wall, rather than a bookshelf, try a print.

The InsideHook Newsletter.

News, advice and insights for the most interesting person in the room.