California Apparel News

Boardshorts and bikinis are constant sellers in the town known as Surf City USA.

This summer might be remembered as one of the chilliest for sunbathers and surfers gathering in Huntington Beach, Calif.

According to AccuWeather.com, the temperature in this surf mecca has barely inched above the mid-70s. A normal high gravitates toward the mid-80s during the city’s crucial summer season.

However, brisk weather might as well be bikini weather to Huntington Beach’s swimwear boutique owners. Despite a flailing national economy and a weather forecast that might call for wearing a windbreaker instead of a bathing suit, swimwear retailers reported a pretty good season for selling bikinis and boardshorts.

Chalk it up to Huntington Beach’s location, said Krystal Perry, general manager of Diane’s Beachwear, located a block away from the beach at 118 Main St.

“Even though it’s cool for us, Huntington Beach is such a tourist destination, [the cool weather] doesn’t deter them,” said Perry, who estimates 50 percent of her customers are out-of-town visitors.

Beach fun is serious business in Hunt-ington Beach, located 37 miles south of downtown Los Angeles. It’s so serious that in 2006, the city trademarked the moniker Surf City USA. It hosts the U.S. Open of Surfing and the AVP Pro Beach Volleyball competition. According to a city Web site, 11 million tourists visit the city’s beaches every summer.

Bob Abdel, a partner and buyer at Jack’s Surfboards, did not see any reason to disappoint people making a pilgrimage to the beach this summer.

“We decided not to cut our buying,” said Abdel, whose store is located at 101 Main St. “We took a chance, and it worked in our favor.”

However, men might be accused of being a tad predictable in their swimwear choices this summer, Abdel said. They remained loyal to big surfwear labels. For Abdel, top-selling swimwear styles included Hurley International’s “Phantom” boardshort. The company, based in Costa Mesa, Calif., won a Surf Industry Manufacturer’s Association honor this year for “Men’s Boardshort of the Year.” The “Phantom” retailed at Jack’s for $75.

Another favorite was Irvine, Calif.–based O’Neill’s performance boardshort, the “Superfreak.” Retail price points ranged from $50 to $65 for the boardshort’s different styles. Irvine-based Billabong piqued the interest of surfers with its neon-colored boardshorts. Retail price points ranged from $44 to $54, Abdel said.

Costa Mesa–based Volcom’s “Andy Irons” boardshorts were popular, and Huntington Beach–based Quiksilver’s reintroduction ofthigh-length boardshorts from the 1970s sold well. Currently, most boardshorts end just above the knee. Price points for Quiksilver’s retro boardshorts ranged from $45 to $55.

For women, Billabong was one of the most popular labels at Jack’s, said Nicole Stratton, a women’s buyer at the surf shop. Price points for Billabong’s animal-skin prints ranged from $38 to $42 for tops and bottoms.

Santa Ana, Calif.–based L*Space was another highly popular brand. Retail price points ranged from $50 to $70. One of L*Space’s most successful styles was the bandeau top.

Sex appeal must have been an inspiration for one hot style at Diane’s Beachwear. The revealing monokini bathing suit was one of the most popular suits at the boutique, Perry said. The catalyst for this style was Tila Tequila, the host of MTV’s bisexual dating show, “A Shot of Love With Tila Tequila.”

“They really gained popularity because of Tila Tequila,” Perry said. Sales shot up after Tequila was photographed wearing the monokini, a one-piece suit with the side panels cut out, on programs such as MTV’s “Spring Break 2008.”

B.Swim, a division of Torrance, Calif.–based Sunsets Inc., has been a top seller in the monokini game. The L*Space and Red Carter labels also have been producing monokinis. B.Swim has been one of the most in-demand labels this year, Perry said. “It’s like a juniors line,” she said. “But they’re cut for bigger-busted women.”

Until recently, many busty women had to make do with matronly bathing suits, the store manager said. Retail price points ranged from $48 to $50 for B.Swim’s tops and bottoms.

Another popular label was La Blanca by Rod Beattie, which was a hit with the misses customer at Diane’s. Perry said it came in a wide range of prints and in sizes 4 to 16. Its price points ranged from $70 to $80 for tops.

Billabong sold well at Diane’s. Retail price points ranged from $46 to $48. San Diego–based Vix also remained a favorite. A top cost $78. Sought-after Vix styles included “Faith,” which featured two gold-colored square metal pieces sewn on the hip area and a triangle top.