Before we get too deep, let’s remember anyone using Men’s Journal as a resource for fashion advice, or anything outside of Creatine dosage, probably doesn’t skate our ramp. But, they spoke about surfing. And style. And fashion. So we must acknowledge. (And talk shit.)

So let’s begin. Here’s a sentence in the article, next to a photo of Luke Davis.

“It’s hard to deny that The Endless Summer idea of running out of the surf perfectly bronzed and turning on your leather-bound radio while combing your hair back isn’t appealing…”

And if that doesn’t make you feel weird, this might:

“It’s a club that anyone can join, too. Any guy can go surf, and it’s easy to fit in because it’s more than just a sport — it’s about getting with your boys and finding a place to hang.”

I think this is where we are supposed to get territorial. But we’ll probably just roll our eyes.

But they continue:

“If the “SurfCore” style is for you, there’s a trick to pulling it off. The trick to making it look as good on the sidewalk as it does on the sand means distinguishing the fine line between gimmicky and genuine.”

More commentary here. Can’t stop won’t stop!

“The guys who nail it do so because their floral shirt is fitted correctly. Surf wear and beach-inspired pieces cannot be worn loose because a relaxed fit translates into a sloppy tourist vibe. The fit can mess it all up. If the shirt is looser then you need to pair it with a much more fitted pant, or vice versa. The look needs to balance.”

“The floral shirt is the centerpiece of the look — and also the easiest part of surfcore to befoul.”

So everyone: we’ve made it! We’re a category. The forward thinking men with pens think so and have recognized the surf culture as the new “core” in the fashion community. “SurfCore.” Breathe that in. SurfCore. One word…ah, fuck me. The so called “West Coast-cool look” is the fashion for the year.

These high-ups are calling this the first day in 2015 fashion. It’s giving a ray of light to those who attempt to fit in season to season, with earfuls of information on ways to blend in without messing up “the look.” We think that’s bad advice. Go mess up everything about this look. Wear baggy clothes. Wear whatever you want. But do it and feel good about it. Burn Men’s Journal articles in the mosh pit somewhere tonight. Fuck! (Sorry, heating up). But, OK, this reminds me, we have a light of our own, and it has a name: The name is Lee Clow. And you’re probably saying to yourself who the fuck is Lee Clow? And you shouldn’t, because he’s a marketing genius and creator of Think Different campaign by Apple, founder of Chiat Dai, a real man with a mind, but Lee banged the hammer down in What Youth Issue Two on people who were looking to dabble in surf culture (hint: never dabble!):

I always tell people who say, ‘I want to learn surfing’ don’t. I believe surfing is a sport that if you don’t start when you’re 12 years old and have every summer of your teenage years to surf, you’re not going to pick it up when you’re 35 years old and learn how to surf. You might have the experience of paddling out in the water and getting pummeled by a wave or two, and good athletes maybe can get up, but I think to actually have surfed, you have to learn it when you’re a kid. You have to be fearless, you have to do it all summer and stay out in the water until you’re… What do you call it? Pruney? Yeah. But I think that’s how special the sport is. It’s not one of those things you can just dabble in. 

We like that. We like that a lot. But the undying sting of being out of fashion is too large for some to bare. So the fashionable will go running sideways this year, cash in hand, buying up chinos and florals and God damn sports coats. Blurring the sidewalks with the sand while giving way too much aloha, with the vague idea of making an impression. Chasing false beauty that not everyone sees in the first place. But we’ll listen to Lee and remember that those who don’t surf, don’t surf. And we’re OK with that. But don’t dress to make us impressed. We’d rather you be you.—Brady Field