The Standard Hotel and Quiksilver Boardshorts

I think it's so cool when two companies, that seemingly have nothing to do with each other, team up to release an innovative product. Such is the case with The Standard Hotels, a chain of chic, upscale hotels and Quiksilver, and internationally recognized surf brand. What do a hotel and a surf company have in common? Well, they have come together to celebrate the golden age of the boardshort by developing a line that hearkens back to the Quiksilver shorts of the 70s and 80s but made with today's materials and more modern fit.

The Standard Boardshorts by Quiksilver have patterns that were inspired by each of the Standard Hotels in downtown LA, Miami, New York and Hollywood. And what I think is so cool, they each have a list of addresses that correspond to that city of five unique destinations that are based on a theme. So, for example, Downtown LA's theme is Art Undercover, so on the waist band there are five different locations around the hotel to check out artsy stuff. All of the locations were scouted by Natas Kaupas (Skateboarding legend and Quiksilver Creative Director), so more than likely there will be something worth checking out at each stop. It's like having a concierge in your pants!

The shorts have a double snap at the waist, have a scalloped leg, which is a feature from the older boardshorts that allows for better flexibility and mobility for surfing, are made of Diamond Dobby Material, a high performance material that has stretch, is lightweight, won't cause a rash, dry super quickly and each pair comes in a specially designed odor resistant waterproof travel bag. How amazing do these sound? But don't feel left out ladies, there is also a Standard Issue Bikini that's based on one of the first designs released by Quiksilver women. All of these products are limited edition, only 250 of each product is available, and they can be purchased online at www.shopthestandard.com, or at each of the Standard Hotels' boutiques, or get this, in a vending machine poolside at each of the hotels. These are the first ever swimwear vending machines, and can be found in Miami, Downtown LA, Hollywood (soon after in NY) which have touch-screens, take credit cards and you can preview what you're buying on screen before you get it - so very convenient.

This is such an innovative collaboration, and the designs for the shorts are so awesome, I couldn't help but blog about it. If you're lucky enough to be in LA from Aug 8-16, The Standard Downtown LA will be hosting the ECHO BEACH RETROSPECTIVE, 1978-1982: Surf Culture Art Exhibition show, full of art, photography, paintings, film, vintage beachwear, and surfboards curated by Will Pennartz of The Surf Gallery. Admission to the art show is free.