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puka-shell
Hello nineties!

Fashion: Puka shells are back!

And Teva-like sandals!

You are, no doubt, a student of surf culture and all its various intricacies. You know the ebbs and the flows. That sometimes quads are very in and sometimes thrusters are very in and every once in a while twinnies are kind of in. But did you know the ebbs and flows apply to surf fashion as well? Did you know that late-1990s surf trends like puka shell necklaces and canvas sandals, which washed out to sea more than a decade ago, are back in?

It’s true!

The famed French fashion house Louis Vuitton is pouring its resources into a surf-themed  roadshow and let’s read a little from Condé Nast.

For Louis Vuitton’s Spring/Summer 2018 collection, menswear artistic director Kim Jones looked to the beach for inspiration, putting together a tropical surf- and skate-culture-inspired line of gauzy floral print shirts, denim bucket hats, pukka shell necklaces, and Teva-esque sandals. What better way to celebrate the launch, then, than to pack it all into a VW van—the ultimate symbol  of a life spent chasing the next set of waves—and hit the road?

The retro-style van, complete with a floral paint job and an array of custom bumper stickers, will be popping up in front of Louis Vuitton locations in the Miami Design District from January 10th-22nd, on Los Angeles’s Rodeo Drive from January 26th-February 5th, and at the Ala Moana shopping complex in Honolulu from February 15th-22nd. In addition to a selection of runway favorites, the van is stocked with technicolor Hawaiian shirts, special editions of the brand’s signature monogram totes half-dipped in cobalt blue, and surfboards emblazoned with an all-over interlocking palm tree print—all of it exclusive to the van.

Is the VW van really the ultimate symbol of a life spent chasing the next set of waves? I always thought pterygiums were to be honest but no matter and why are you still reading? Why aren’t you out in your garage digging through old clothing boxes and getting cool again?

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Captain Clark

Are these chicks, or dudes? Im so confused by the puka.

Neal Kearney

ultra-cringe!

Nadsy

Those three girls look like the Scrappy Doo version of Chas

Robinhood

HAH! The timing I just noted that “Blue Lagoon” was on this week and I have seen them advertising for it.
The young male actor in it has a striking resemblance to Julian Wilson.. Pukka necklace and all.

capn birdseye

Hey Derek / Chas – what about the story I hear is unfolding about a certain accessory brand once the darling of the industry that is about to go chapter 11 and is laying crew off in one of Americas favourite surf towns? Scoop?

Greebnurt Hurkurmurgurt

Oy Captain, just say thee name of thine foundering company. I’m three sheets to the wind today and can’t be bothered to think this through. Yo ho ho and 2 bottles of rum!

Dirk Diggler

Stance?

capn birdseye

Nixon apparently

Otto

Zach Weisberg rocks puka shells cause it substantiates the poka as too legit to quit.

Ami Lost

Pop up surf shop to go with your pop up surf spot

LongRichard

Do you think Derek has spent much time drooling over the boys with the puka shells?

brye

does this mean the hyper-coloured t-shirts will be next? Chas, arent you a Louis Vuitton ambassador? I am the very unofficial ambassador for dick-togs & ugg boots.

turts

Fashion. Turn to the left.

Wake me when cargo pants are cool again.

?uzzled

Cargo pants aren’t cool? Impossible. I wear them every day.

Jen See

This seems all well and good until the vw van catches fire on the 405 on the way to Rodeo.

Mariano Landa

I thought that made it even better and more well?!?!?! #vanlife

Jen See

It’ll be EPIC!!!!

But I’m worried about the pukka shells.

Abscessed Llama

Im not stalking with up votes you have been quite cheeky lately!

Jen See

(courtseys daintily)

channelbottom

I wear proper aloha shirts occasionally and own it. Fashion is pretty toxic. To be honest I’d love my old VW back. It was barely held together with chewing gum but it purred like the proverbial.

Chazz Michael Michaels

Like the proverbial what?

Ami Lost

I was guessing CMM, term often used to describe one that hides surfboards.

channelbottom

Kitten

Tomas' silky smooth arms

It seems that three quarter length shorts are back in fashion too. Does this mean that baggy jeans are cool again now?

James Bickerton

Totally unfair is fashion . During the baggy jean era I was reed thin and then owing to major lifestyle change ,stopping smoking and not being able to surf everyday the buggers brought back the coke roadie slim jean . After 5 years of running to fit into slims they will probably bring back the kaftan with or without matching puka shell accessories.

Sha-wing!

I work with I guy that covers himself with it. Even a hanging thing off his rear view mirror. I’ll send him this article so he can feel super cool until he reads the comments section.

Abhijit Ganguli

This website is doing a pooka shell story and STAB is doing a story from an exclusive interview of the Deputy Commissioner from the WSL on Cloudbreak, Trestles, and PPV issues. Clearly, the better journalism is flourishing on this site. Too bad this example did not exist for the Stab vs. Beachgrit podcast.

Bleach'd Git

Great point, but the STAB story is basically regurgitating the video passed onto them from Moist (what a name!). So not quite exclusive or good journalism.

James Bickerton

Swellnet ran the same interview with the very tanned Renato H as well

Sha-wing!

How tan though? Please, we need details!

pubes
Mariano Landa

Let’s be real. Though Chas disagrees, this IS a one-stop site for surf news.

We can all guess what’s in any Renato interview or Prodan press release before even reading it, regardless of topic or who puts lipstick on it. Any Mickey Cialis or AshyGogs piece is so rife with hyperbole that I’m forced to expel the words “most”, “such”, “so much”, and “ever” from my vocabulary for weeks after reading. I don’t know or care if SURFER exists. And they link to most of the goods from Warshaw here or pre-print Derek’s Surfer’s Journal contributions, even if only for 24 hours.

The definition of one-stop shop, veritably a drive through liquor store that sells fireworks, takes bets, works on credit, and doesn’t chase off the opportunistic addict offering her services at the exit.

Jen See

That last sentence is gold, my dude, gold.

Mariano Landa

Yeah, we were talking about Florida the other day, so I just described my last visit.

GiGi

Hahahahahaha…..

?uzzled

Add in mini golf and seafood buffets and you are describing Myrtle Beach.

Mariano Landa

I’d need to see reading test scores and get dental records to differentiate between a South Carolinian and a Floridian.

Captain Clark

The difference is dip or chew. Very popular, even with the new found popularity of blowing fake smoke out ones nose. I should take offence to your Floridian comments, but truth is i don’t, cause they’re true.

Mariano Landa

I can do California too! I just figured Chas’ podcast appearances check all the boxes of ugly stigma for those seeking them out.

Mariano Landa

And I’ve much regard for my esteemed fellow NCAA Football follower. As I’ve returned from my sabbatical, comments on the semis or final?

Captain Clark

Shear balls is my take. Putting the 2nd QB from bama was the game changer. Bama fans even critized the call, but man did it pay off. Shear balls and speaks to the confidence they carry, and rightly so, even as much as I detest bama, they carry the torch.

Greebnurt Hurkurmurgurt

You spelled puka wrong. You so haole, you don’t even know you’re haole.

Eddie Haiku

As Kelly wallows in a KookPond and turns his back on the beach, the French embrace it. I’m moving to Anglet!

Bleach'd Git

When are Speedos coming back into fashion? The wait’s killing me.

Audit In Progress

They are out of fashion? My tanned thighs disagree!

Bleach'd Git

The council has my number on speed dial for when there’s a problem at the lighthouse. I spend the night turning around slowly with my pants around my ankles. And the pay’s shit.

Audit In Progress

Take pride in your service!

Eddie Haiku

They went out of fashion?

Bleach'd Git

See Exhibit A: Chas’ Yemen swimwear. That’s when I realised I was faux.

Tom

You tellin me you haven’t been speedo surfing – c’mon man

Bleach'd Git

I bet it’s dreamy!

PacificNorthPest

It would make an amusing documentary if someone walked into an ABC Store naked and existed on only their products for 40 days, would be a lot of pukka shells and shitty flip flops and crappy boogie boards and macadamia nuts for dinner.

?uzzled

I wish we had abc stores where I live. I know I would thrive if given the abc store 40 day challenge.

PacificNorthPest

Awesome! If I made the film I’d call it ABC Me. You could star. I think the rules would be that you truly only get what’s in the store – no apartment or hotel; you’d need to build your shelter out of pool toys and low-grade beach towels. They do stock plenty of mumu’s and alcohol, so you could definitely live the dream life of a Hawaiian bag lady for 6 weeks 🙂

Otto

On the 20 day, send in Eddie Rothman with a boombox on his shoulder blasting ABC by the Jackson 5. It plays over and over. For the next 2 hours Eddie repeatedly yells “where the shells at?!? where the shells?!?”. If Pest doesn’t tell Eddie where the puka shells are at, and instead hoards that shit for himself, Pest gets some sort of prize. Not sure what but he deserves something.

Tomas' silky smooth arms

I’m definitely in the market for a t-shirt design that matches the spray on my board. Fuck I’ll match both designs to my car. Preferably frangipanis. Sick!

Ami Lost

and then matching full sleeve tattoos for those silky smooth arms

Tomas' silky smooth arms

Domke is my mentor

Return of the Samsung Board

Ive been working towards a set of pterygiums for a while now, am I wasting my time?

James Bickerton

Not at all as long as they are obtained from your participation in the art of surfing which has always been a wonderful way to waste ones life away.


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