Waterwear 2011 Paste: Art-Driven Boardshorts
Brooklyn, N.Y.–based designer Jason Laurits was looking for a way to expand his 3-year-old graphic T-shirt collection, Paste—but, more pressingly, he was looking for a swimsuit—when he decided to launch a collection of boardshorts under the Paste brand.
“It was one of those things where all the signs just hit me all at once,” he said. “I was shopping for a suit for myself last summer and couldn’t believe the lack of options and fits. Either too long and bulky or too tight and stretchy—nothing in between.”
Laurits’ tailored boardshorts feature a classic, retro cut—and the designer’s original prints.
“I love working with graphics, designing my own,” he said. “I just thought, swimwear!There’s something I can still be bold with graphics on.And to be a swimwear line from the untraditional setting of Brooklyn, N.Y., was just icing on the cake.I just loved the whole idea.”
Laurits said the swim line is designed for the same market as Paste tees: “Laid-back, fashion-subconscious guys; often city dwellers; often bold and funny; quirky, maybe; retro-loving, definitely, who hit the beach on the weekends.”
West Hollywood, Calif.–based men’s boutique Alpha, which carries the T-shirt line, was one of the first boutiques to place an order for the swimwear.
Produced in Los Angeles, the collection includes a solid style with a roll-up hem that allows the wearer adjust the length. Printed styles are available in a classic tie-waist with side pockets and a buckle-waist style in an inside tie—“to keep it functional and adjustable during swim,” he said.
The suits in the launch collection are wholesale priced at $34. “Next season, I’ll introduce a more tiered price structure with more styles, fabric options and prints,” Laurits said.
For more information, visit www.pastetshirts.com.—Alison A. Nieder
