Why Hammajang?
Hammajang started with a question: Why are there no cool swim trunks or boardshorts for boys?! I spent two years of my son's life searching for a pair that didn't make me cringe. I found plenty of options out there for girls, but sadly the toddler and little boy market returned zero results.
The vast majority of boys swim trunks are baggy, too long and are printed with lobsters or sailboats. As an LA native and someone who was immersed in surf and skate culture for most of my life, I couldn't bear the sight of those kind of shorts on my son, lol. Even the big surf brands like Hurley, Billabong and Quiksilver had trash to offer until you hit pre-teen sizes.
So after my two year long search of frustration, I decided to do something about it. I had a very clear vision in my head for what I wanted in a boys board short, so I decided to make them myself. Not to mention I had a passion for boys clothing and I was excited to take a stab at designing my own. When I was a little girl I pretty much exclusively dressed myself in the boys department until I hit middle school. And then I took up dressing my younger brother and eventually my husband and now my two boys.
I own a book called Locals Only: California Skateboarding 1975-1978, and it was a huge inspiration for shorts. There are just these ragged kids skating around LA without shirts and without parents.
Images from: Locals Only: California Skateboarding 1975-1978
Now, I don't endorse leaving your 9 year old alone down at Venice Beach, but there was something about the freedom these kids had to express themselves and engage in a sub-culture they felt identity in that I loved. Also, the cut and look of their boardshorts were fire. It was a more tailored short, not baggy, and hit higher on the thigh.
It took two years and an obsession with the fit, prints and function of these shorts, but I finally came up with a boardshort I was stoked to put on my son and that he was pumped on as well. I hope you enjoy them just as much as we do.
-Embrace Hammajang