How To Nail California Skater Girl Style (Without Touching A Board)

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON LYST - JUNE 2016

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The mythology of the California skater girl has captured the imagination since the late 60s—synonymous with an era of free love, cut-off shorts and female skate icon Patti McGee, who appeared on a 1965 cover of Time Magazine. But what makes the skater lifestyle so appealing, and why do we see skater girls as the epitome of So-Cal cool? Here we break down why you need to get to know your ollie from your Peggy Oki this season.

Runway > Skatepark

Many of this season's collections were saturated with the colours and iconography of 70s, sepia-saturated California. Hedi Slimane's penultimate men's SS16 collection for Saint Laurent was showcased by beachy blond models (girls and guys) decked out in So-Cal inspired skate shoes, faded plaid or Hawaiian shirts The look was completed with Kurt Cobain's iconic white sunglasses.

On the East Coast, New York designer Sandy Liang—known for her Instagram-worthy furs and shredded denim—also paid homage to skater boys—this time riding though the Lower East Side of New York. "I really appreciated how these skater boys wear the same things that they've been wearing for years,' Liang explains, 'I found this book by Ari Marcopolou called Stoopz—it's all early skater photos from the '90s—and you would not know the difference of a skater today and a skater from the early years."

Borrow From The Boys

Whether you've found yourself Googling Thrasher after seeing Rhianna sporting the brand/magazine's now ubiquitous T-shirts or re-considering your beat-up Middle School Vans, it's fairly likely that this season has forced you to take another look at skate style. If you are going for borrowed-from-the-boys nonchalance, we vote pairing an over-sized skate T-shirt with jeans and sneakers. Russian streetwear maverick Gosha Rubchinskiy seeds inspiration from 90s Soviet skaters, while designer collective Vetements' hoodies and baggy long-sleeved tops wouldn't look out of place on a half-pipe.

When upping your skate credentials, (and no, just watch Lords of Dogtown doesn't count), it's worth seeking out indie brands. Of course you can opt for NYC-based Supreme, whose collections will sell out in seconds and Palace, the London skate brand beloved of the city's teenagers, but you'll get extra points for hunting out something a little more niche. Try Frog Skateboards for child-like graphics and Alltimers for their selection of pins.

Need some more inspiration? Google-stalk Peggy Oki—the only girl in the now infamous 1970s Zephyr crew skate crew (The Z-Boys). Her style both on and off the board was gritty, gutsy and borrowed from the boys.

Dig Out Your Vans

In 1966 brothers Paul and Jim Van Doren sold their first pair of rubber-soled sneakers in their Anaheim, California store. In the 50 years that have followed, Vans have become synonymous with skate culture and the California skate scene. So it's fitting that as the shoe celebrates its 50th year, it is also experiencing a mini-resurgence of popularity within the fashion industry.

Whether you opt for a classic pair of Sk8-Hi sneakers like blogger Lucy Williams, or you favour the iconic checkerboard slip-on styles, there is no denying the feeling of effortless Cali-cool that comes with throwing on a pair of Vans. Pair with 90s-style floral slip dresses or an off-the-shoulder top and cut-offs to nod to the trend. No board required.

Get On The ‘Gram

So, dressing like a skater girl might not be your style. But whether you are ready to embrace baggy tees and skate shoes or not, you'll still want to check out the ladies doing it best. Whether, like Alexa Chung, you follow the new Instagram account @SkateDollies (an account started by Sif Agustsdottir, a London-based Icelandic model who wants to celebrate female skaters around the globe) or want to get lost in a feed of California dreamin' courtesy of @findyourcalifornia, we encourage you to jump on the skate girl bandwagon stat.

Other notable mentions include: @lizziearmanto, the Vans-sponsored skate World Champion; @SierraPrescot, the So-Cal photographer-skater with enviable 70s inspired style; and @WeAreBrujas, the feminist skate crew from The Bronx who celebrate female skate culture among minority groups. Get following. Your feed will thank you.