Australian Swimwear Beyond the Surf Aisle Picking togs for a morning lap session is a different job than picking them for a summer of beach days — and the Australian swimwear brands built for those two uses are not the same ones that dominate surf-retailer shelves. The Rip Curls and Seafollys of the market get the most …

In Auckland the togs go in the beach bag, and the labels are mostly local New Zealand is a small market with an outsized swimwear habit. A coastline that is never more than a couple of hours away, a strong surf-life-saving culture, and a climate that rewards a good pair of togs from Northland to Otago have all …

Two iconic Aussie surf brands — and they no longer share an owner Here is the fact that quietly explains most of this comparison: Rip Curl and Billabong, the two surf labels that grew up together on Australia's coast and once looked like natural rivals from the same world, are now owned by entirely different companies …

Timing the purchase is how you stop overpaying for togs The single biggest lever on what you pay for swimwear in Australia is not the brand or the store — it is the week of the year you buy. Togs follow a predictable retail rhythm: full price when the season turns warm and demand peaks, then steep, reliable markdowns …

What should you actually look for in a pair of girls togs? In New Zealand, "togs" simply means swimwear — and for a girl, that single word covers everything from a school-lesson one-piece to a beach two-piece to a full sun-suit for a long day at the lake. The word is so embedded that Kiwi kids grow up with "don't …

Kitting a boy out for an Australian summer Buying boys togs in Australia usually starts with a specific job to do: a new school swimming term, a club nipper season, a beach holiday, or simply replacing a pair that no longer fits a fast-growing kid. Each of those jobs points to a slightly different garment, which is why …

Two Sydney labels at opposite ends of the rack Seafolly and Zimmermann both grew out of Sydney, both built their reputations on Australian beach culture, and both sell swimwear most of the country recognises on sight — yet a Seafolly one-piece and a Zimmermann one-piece can be separated by several hundred dollars. That …

Buying at City Beach: the sale rack versus the new-season wall The same pair of togs at City Beach can carry two very different price tags depending on when you walk in. A current-season Billabong or Roxy bikini at full price sits at one number; the same style, a few months later on the sale rack, can be a third off or …