Nothing influences the way beach people dress more than the sport of surfing, which helps explain why our readers named Spyder Surf the Best of the Beach men’s clothing store. This year’s hottest fashion item, Spyder co-owner Richard O’Reilly said, is the amphibian board short. Which begs the question, why did it take so long. O’Reilly explained that shorts designed for surfing and walking have been around for a decade. But only this year did manufactures come out with a material that “breathes,” making the shorts comfortable to wear on land.
Wetsuit manufacturers have also made design advancements this year, O’Reilly said. Body Glove’s new Prime has drain holes to prevent flooding while Rip Curl lines the inside of its suits with a fleece-like material that wicks away moisture.
Spyder Surf: 65 Pier Avenue 310-374-2494 and 2461 Pacific Coast Hwy. 310-374-8276, Hermosa Beach
Runner-up: ET Surf, 904 Aviation Blvd., Hermosa Beach. 310-379-7666.
