There’s something about 70s surf fashion that never quite leaves you. Maybe it’s the sun-bleached colors, the way a pair of high-waisted boardshorts looks effortlessly cool, or the feeling that whoever wore these clothes genuinely didn’t care what anyone thought — and somehow that’s exactly why everyone wanted to look like them. The 1970s were the golden era of surf culture, and the clothes that came out of that decade are having one of the longest, most unapologetic revivals in fashion history.
Whether you’re hunting for 70s surf fashion men’s looks — think faded surf logos, wide-brimmed hats, and short boardshorts — or piecing together a 70s surf fashion women’s wardrobe built on boho layers, crochet and wrap skirts, this guide covers everything. Not as two separate stories, but as one complete picture of a decade that shaped coastal style for good.
Where It All Started: The 70s Surf Scene
Before we get into the clothes, it helps to understand what was happening on the beaches. By the early 1970s, surfing had already been popularised by films like The Endless Summer (1966), and the culture was spreading fast from Hawaii and California outward. Surfers weren’t just athletes — they were counterculture figures. They were the ones who turned their backs on nine-to-five life and chose the ocean instead.
That attitude bled directly into how they dressed. The clothes weren’t styled — they were lived in. Brands like Ocean Pacific (OP), Hang Ten, and the early days of Quiksilver (founded in 1969) were building what would become the visual language of surf fashion. Bold graphics, earthy tones cut through with bursts of sunset orange and sea green, and silhouettes that said I’ve just come off the water and I have absolutely nowhere to be.
For women, the surf scene merged with the wider boho movement of the era. Stevie Nicks energy met beach culture. Wrap skirts over swimsuits, crocheted halter tops, and macramé accessories weren’t just fashion — they were a whole philosophy about living close to nature.
70s Surf Fashion Women’s: The Looks That Defined an Era
High-Waisted Everything
If there’s one silhouette that defines 70s surf fashion for women, it’s the high waist. High-waisted bikini bottoms, high-waisted shorts in denim or cotton, and high-waisted flared trousers — all worn with cropped or tied-up tops to show just a sliver of skin. It was a look that felt simultaneously modest and incredibly confident.
The key was in the proportion. A high-waisted bottom always got paired with something fitted or tied on top. Not because that was a rule anyone wrote down, but because it just worked. If you’ve ever tried on a pair of vintage high-waist shorts and felt a strange sense of rightness, you understand.
Bell-Bottoms and Boho Layers
Bell-bottoms weren’t just a hippie thing — they were a surf girl thing too. Wide-leg denim worn over a bikini bottom, sandy and salt-stiff from a day in the water, rolled up to the knee or worn long, dragging slightly on the boardwalk. Paired with a simple crocheted or macramé halter top, this was the quintessential after-surf look.
Boho layering was also huge. Lightweight kimono cover-ups over one-piece swimsuits, gauzy cotton over-shirts worn open, fringed vests thrown over bandeau tops. The idea was always effortless stacking — like you’d just grabbed whatever was closest and it happened to look incredible.
Wrap Skirts and Swimsuit Cover-Ups
The wrap skirt is possibly the most underrated piece of 70s women’s surf fashion. Easy to pull on over a wet swimsuit, available in every batik and tie-dye print imaginable, and wearable from the beach straight into a beachside café without any effort. Today’s version of this is the sarong, but the 70s originals had more structure — usually a mid-length hem, a knotted or buttoned closure, and prints that were genuinely bold.
Swimsuit cover-ups in the 70s were also more creative than what we see now. Macramé cover-ups were popular, as were loose crochet dresses worn over simple bikinis. The whole vibe was artisanal — like someone’s cool older sister had made it by hand.
Tie-Dye and Earth Tones
Tie-dye is the piece of 70s surf fashion that people think they understand and then underestimate. Done well — with earthy terracotta, ocean blue, and sandy cream rather than neon — it looks genuinely beautiful. The 70s surfer girl palette was warm and natural: burnt orange, mustard yellow, forest green, rust, ochre, and the occasional burst of turquoise.
T-shirts, tank tops, wrap skirts, and even swimsuits came in these colourways, often hand-dyed or printed with abstract patterns inspired by the water and the landscape. If you’re building this look today, stick to the earth tones. The neon tie-dye is 80s, not 70s.
Accessories: The Details That Made It
70s surf fashion women’s accessories were never afterthoughts. Round wire-framed sunglasses (think John Lennon, but on a beach), wide-brimmed floppy hats in natural straw, wooden bead necklaces, shell anklets, and leather thong sandals. Hair was mostly undone — loose waves, braids, or air-dried curls that had been in the sea all day.
One piece worth calling out: the bandana. Worn as a headband, tied around the wrist, or knotted into a tube top, the bandana was everywhere in 70s beach style. It’s one of those small things that completely pulls a look together when you use it right.
70s Surf Fashion Men’s: Logos, Boardshorts, and That Specific Kind of Cool
The Short Boardshort
Here’s something people get wrong about 70s men’s surf fashion: the shorts were short. Not swim trunks short — but genuinely mid-thigh, sometimes above the knee, with a relatively slim cut compared to the baggy cargo-length shorts that came later. Quiksilver’s early boardshorts, built with a Velcro fly and a comfortable waistband, were actually quite fitted by modern standards.
The prints were bold — primary colours, geometric shapes, abstract surf graphics — but the shape was streamlined. If you’re trying to recreate authentic 70s surf fashion men’s looks, this is the detail most people miss. Go shorter. It changes everything.
Surf Logo Tees and Graphic Shirts
The early 70s saw surf brands start to brand themselves in a serious way, and their graphics were genuinely excellent. Ocean Pacific’s OP logo, Hang Ten’s double footprint, and the early Quiksilver mountain-and-wave were all doing something visually interesting — bold, simple, and immediately recognisable.
Wearing a surf brand tee in the 70s was a statement. It meant you were part of the scene, or at least that you wanted to be. Today, hunting down original vintage surf tees from this era is practically a sport in itself, with collectors paying serious money for clean examples of OP and Hang Ten graphics.
If you can’t find originals, a few brands are doing faithful reproductions. Look for high-contrast prints on a slightly boxy, lightweight tee — not a modern slim-fit.
Hawaiian Shirts — But Make It Surf
The Hawaiian shirt had been around since the 30s, but in the 70s it took on a specific surf-culture identity. Open-collar, short-sleeve, worn untucked over boardshorts or jeans. The prints were louder than the shirts that came before — bigger florals, more abstract patterns, deeper colours. Worn half-unbuttoned with a string necklace or a simple pendant, this was the 70s surf man off-duty look.
The move today is to find one with a genuine retro print and wear it with confidence. One shirt, simple boardshorts or relaxed denim cut-offs, and you’ve got the whole energy.
Vintage Sunglasses: The Face of the Look
No piece of 70s surf fashion men’s is more immediately recognisable than the sunglasses. Aviators were massive — the large-lens, thin metal-frame style that felt equal parts military pilot and Malibu local. Wayfarers were also present, as were wrap-around styles in brown or amber tint that felt practical for bright days on the water.
The key is size and frame material. Thin metal or acetate frames, slightly oversized lenses, and always a warm tint — brown, amber, or green. Black lenses and thick plastic frames are more 80s. Get this right and the whole look lands.
Snapback Caps and Wide-Brimmed Hats
Headwear in the 70s surf world was split. On the water, practical. Off the water, stylish. Snapback caps with surf brand logos were worn backwards or pulled low, often salt-faded and beaten up from regular use. Corduroy caps — five-panel or six-panel — were also everywhere, in earthy tones that matched the rest of the palette.
For longer days on the beach, wide-brimmed hats in straw or canvas did the work. Less fashionable in the self-conscious sense, more just genuinely useful for someone who spent eight hours in the sun every day.
The Rest of the Wardrobe
Beyond shorts and tees, 70s men’s surf style included: corduroy flares in brown, tan, or rust worn post-surf; zip-up hoodies in fleece or terry cloth for evening; simple leather thong sandals or well-worn canvas sneakers; and the occasional short wetsuit jacket for colder mornings. It was a wardrobe built for function that somehow ended up defining an era of fashion.
How to Wear 70s Surf Style Now (Without Looking Like a Costume)
This is where a lot of people go wrong with retro fashion. They go too literal — every single piece is period-accurate, nothing is modern, and the result reads as costume rather than style. The way to wear 70s surf fashion today is to anchor one or two genuine retro pieces in a contemporary way.
For women: A tie-dye crop top in earth tones with modern high-waisted wide-leg trousers and simple leather slides. Or vintage-style high-waisted shorts with a simple white tee and a shell necklace. Keep the makeup minimal — sun-kissed skin and a little mascara, nothing overdone.
For men: A genuine surf logo tee (vintage or reproduction) with clean white boardshorts at the right length, and a pair of amber-tint aviators. Or corduroy flares in tan with a simple open-collar Hawaiian shirt and leather sandals. One retro piece, styled clean.
The modern revival of 70s surf fashion has also made it much more gender-fluid than it was at the time. Wide-leg trousers, shell jewellery, crochet details, and earth-tone palettes all work across gender. If something appeals to you from either column above, try it. The 70s surf ethos was never about rules.
Brands That Are Doing 70s Surf Style Right Today
A handful of brands are doing genuine justice to the 70s aesthetic right now. Roxy and Quiksilver have both revisited their archival graphics for recent collections. Billabong regularly pulls from 70s colour palettes for summer drops. For women specifically, Free People and Spell & the Gypsy Collective consistently nail the boho-surf crossover.
For vintage originals, Depop, ASOS Marketplace, and dedicated vintage surf shops are worth bookmarking. One example is Low Tide Thrift, which specializes in vintage surfwear and regularly stocks older Roxy, Quiksilver, Billabong, and O’Neill pieces alongside its own surf-inspired collections. Original OP and Hang Ten pieces from the 70s show up there regularly — sizes tend to run small, so always check measurements.
Quick-Reference Style Tables
70s Surf Fashion Women’s: Key Pieces
| Piece | What to Look For | Modern Pairing |
|---|---|---|
| High-waisted shorts | Denim or cotton, wide waistband | Tied-up crop tee, simple sandals |
| Wrap skirt | Batik or tie-dye print, mid-length | Bikini top, leather thong sandals |
| Crochet halter | Open-weave, earthy tones | High-waist flares, shell jewellery |
| Bell-bottom jeans | Flared below the knee | Tube top or bikini, knotted shirt |
| Tie-dye tee | Earth tones (not neon) | Cut-off shorts, flat sandals |
| Wide-brim hat | Natural straw, floppy brim | Any beach look |
70s Surf Fashion Men’s: Key Pieces
| Piece | What to Look For | Modern Pairing |
|---|---|---|
| Boardshorts | Short cut, bold print, Velcro fly | Surf logo tee, leather sandals |
| Surf logo tee | Vintage graphic, boxy fit | Shorts or corduroy flares |
| Hawaiian shirt | Big print, open collar | Boardshorts or relaxed denim |
| Aviator sunglasses | Thin metal frame, amber or brown tint | Any outfit |
| Snapback cap | Surf brand logo, faded look | Tee and shorts combination |
| Corduroy flares | Tan, rust, or brown | Simple tee, canvas sneakers |
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the key differences between 70s surf fashion for men and women?
Men’s 70s surf fashion centred on short boardshorts, surf brand logo tees, aviator sunglasses, and snapback caps — practical pieces with bold graphics rooted in surf culture branding. Women’s style leaned into the boho-surf crossover: high-waisted silhouettes, wrap skirts, crochet and macramé details, tie-dye in earth tones, and layered accessories like shell jewellery and floppy hats. Both looks shared the same laid-back, sun-soaked attitude — they just expressed it differently.
What colors are most authentic to 70s surf fashion?
The 70s surf palette was warm and earthy — burnt orange, mustard yellow, terracotta, rust, forest green, sandy cream, and ocean blue. For men, boardshort prints often added primary colours and bold geometric shapes. Neon belongs to the 80s; if your colour is bright and electric rather than warm and natural, it’s probably not 70s.
Can you mix men’s and women’s 70s surf pieces today?
Absolutely, and honestly this is one of the best things about the modern revival of the style. Wide-leg corduroy trousers, shell jewellery, crochet details, and floppy straw hats all work regardless of gender. The 70s surf ethos was fundamentally about freedom — taking that into how you dress is completely in the spirit of the era.
Where can I find authentic 70s surf fashion pieces?
Vintage platforms like Depop, ASOS Marketplace, eBay, and specialist vintage surf shops are your best starting points. Look for original pieces from Ocean Pacific (OP), Hang Ten, early Quiksilver, and Roxy. Sizing runs small compared to modern cuts, so always check measurements. For brand-new pieces that nail the aesthetic, Billabong, Roxy, and Free People regularly produce 70s-inspired collections.
How do I style 70s surf fashion without it looking like a costume?
The rule is one or two strong retro pieces, styled simply. A vintage surf tee with clean modern shorts and good sunglasses reads as stylish, not fancy dress. Avoid the urge to go head-to-toe period-accurate — let one piece do the talking and keep everything else clean and contemporary.
The Bottom Line
The reason 70s surf fashion keeps coming back isn’t nostalgia for the sake of it — it’s because the aesthetic is genuinely good. The silhouettes are flattering, the colour palette ages beautifully, and the whole thing is built around the idea that the best outfit is one you feel completely comfortable in. That’s not a bad philosophy for getting dressed in 2025 either.
Whether you’re after the women’s boho-beach look or the men’s logo-and-boardshorts energy, the 70s gave both enough to work with for a very long time. Start with one piece you love, let it lead the rest, and don’t overthink it. The surfers who built this style certainly didn’t.
Want to explore more retro coastal style? Check out our guides to 70s boho accessories and how to build a vintage-inspired beach wardrobe from scratch.
