“A good cheetah print is an elusive find,” stated Shane Jones with a touch of melancholy. He knew all too well the challenges that could arise when creating the perfect print for his couture-level surf suits. The size and colors had to be just right, and the spacing had to strike the delicate balance between symmetry and artistic flair. This was especially true for the specialty materials he used, such as the neoprene sheets measuring 6 by 4½ feet.
At 42 years old, Mr. Jones could be considered the Willy Wonka of wetsuits. As a self-taught designer and tailor, he had crafted wetsuits for surfing legends like Gerry Lopez, Mickey Muñoz, Skip Frye, and L.J. Richards, as well as customers from around the world. Operating under the label Jonesea, he created suits in vibrant hues like goldenrod and merlot, adorned with unique prints including cheetah and tie-dye. He had even fashioned suits inspired by iconic characters like The Joker, Evel Knievel, Minnie Mouse, and Beetlejuice. One particularly noteworthy creation was a wetsuit replicating Freddy Krueger’s chilling attire from “A Nightmare on Elm Street,” while designer Thom Browne had commissioned a trompe l’oeil-effect wetsuit for a Paris runway show, priced at $3,900.
Based out of Costa Mesa, California, Mr. Jones ran his one-man shop, serving as the epitome of the passionate artisan. During his visit to Brooklyn, he exuded an optimistic spirit with his cherry-red Vans, tube socks, and shorts, despite the temperamental spring weather. Having just finished a invigorating surf session in New Jersey, he gleefully shared that the waves were shoulder-high with offshore winds. However, he couldn’t help but notice a monotonous trend among East Coast surfers – black wetsuits dominated the ocean. In a world of somber hues, Mr. Jones and his clients reveled in embracing expressive and bold color palettes. Skateboarding pioneer Tony Alva raved about the cheetah and purple suits Mr. Jones had created for him, praising their quality and wearing them every chance he got.
Crafting specialty garments in America from high-quality materials was not a lucrative endeavor for Mr. Jones. In fact, in 2016, he lived out of his 1968 Chevy van and operated his business from a storage unit measuring just 10 by 30 feet. However, his tireless work ethic, which often included 100-hour workweeks and combining entrepreneurial pursuits with day labor gigs, propelled him forward. Within nine months, he had upgraded to a proper workshop with 12 sewing machines and ample storage space for the neoprene sheets.
A typical day in Mr. Jones’s life began at 5 a.m. He prided himself on minimizing waste by crafting made-to-order wetsuits. Building a single suit from start to finish took roughly eight hours, during which he not only designed and sewed but also managed inventory, wrote product descriptions, handled customer service, and packed orders. Despite occasional misconceptions, he tackled every task alone, marveling at how people assumed he had a team. He shrugged off the potential for larger companies to imitate his designs, recognizing their slow-moving nature compared to his own ability to swiftly adapt and innovate.
The threat of copycats only fueled Mr. Jones’s desire to push the boundaries even further with his designs. He understood that surfing, both in its aesthetics and ethics, tended to be conservative. However, he viewed an eye-catching suit as a means of audacious self-expression, subtly suggesting exceptional surfing skills or at least an individual’s belief in their own abilities. With his deep-rooted love for surfing since the age of 5, Mr. Jones comfortably belonged to the group of individuals who could justify their eccentric wetsuit choices. For him, a wetsuit was not merely a fashion statement but a way to bring smiles to people’s faces in the lineup, even if the meticulous process of creating each suit occasionally drove him close to madness.
In this respect, Mr. Jones exhibited similarities to Reynolds Woodcock, the fastidious dressmaker portrayed in Paul Thomas Anderson’s film “Phantom Thread.” The meticulous attention to detail and pursuit of perfection were evident in both their crafts. However, Mr. Jones surpassed even Woodcock in precision, taking 22 measurements from each client’s body before embarking on the construction process.
In essence, Shane Jones encompassed the spirit of a true artist, infusing his passion and creativity into every stitch of his unique and captivating wetsuits. His dedication to his craft and refusal to conform to the status quo ensured that both he and his designs would leave an indelible mark on the world of surfing fashion.
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