Flower crowns are to Coachella as rhinestone cowboy boots are to Stagecoach as ... mercuriality is to Sea.Hear.Now? The homegrown music festival’s signature style channels Asbury Park’s punk rock roots—checkered Vans and American traditional-style ink abound every year—but the clothes covering those vivid pin-up girl and tall ship tattoos change with the tides. Or rather, with the major acts headlining the festival each year. In fact, Sea.Hear.Now’s fashion nonconformity might be the most punk rock thing about it.
Noah Kahan, a 2024 headliner with his pop-folk hit “Stick Season”—a song that evokes small-batch whiskey by a bonfire in piney Vermont—brought out babes in crochet vests and strawberry-print bucket hats. But the next day, when Bruce Springsteen made a triumphant homecoming to a crowd that stretched down the beach from Eighth Avenue’s Surf Stage to Convention Hall, everyone from the young crowd to your dad’s best buddy rocked denim-on-denim. An homage to the legend’s iconic Born in the U.S.A. album cover?
This year’s headliners are quite the juxtaposition: Hozier on Saturday and Blink-182 on Sunday. (You can also catch Alabama Shakes, ZZ Top, Remi Wolf, Gigi Perez, Sublime, Lenny Kravitz, 4 Non Blondes, and more in one weekend—plus world-class surfing and first-rate local eats.) Expect attendees to double down on Vans and boxy band tees—sensible shoes required to tear up the pit during “All the Small Things.”
Hozier, the Irish crooner known for bluesy folk ballads, is a bit tougher to peg. He has the energy of an impish wood elf—think lacy frocks and curly hair tucked beneath a bandana.
If you’re wondering what to wear, we’ve compiled a short list of our favorite local vintage and boutique stores in Monmouth County to shop for this year’s festival (Sept. 13–14 in Asbury Park), no matter your vibe.
Peppy Deb’s
Avon-by-the-Sea, N.J.
The tiniest of small businesses, just off Main Street and around the corner from beloved brunch spot Maeberrie Market. Owner Jules Cataldo, who named the business after her mother, reworks every piece by hand. No need to worry about someone showing up in the same outfit—each item is one-of-a-kind, made from secondhand materials. Once it’s gone, it’s gone.
📍 @peppycollective
Vintage on Ninth
Belmar, N.J.
Fans were bummed when Nostalgic Nonsense Vintage closed after 35 years, but Vintage on Ninth—relocated from Hoboken—now carries the torch. With a robust inventory, it’s one of the best places around for vintage tees. Bet you can score an original ZZ Top or Sublime tour shirt just in time for the show.
📍 @vintageonninth
Sample Finds:
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1980s Harley-Davidson T-shirt – $98
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Y2K Roxy Hat – $36
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1990s Long Denim Shorts – $58
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1980s Laird’s Applejack Promo Hat – $28
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1990s Women’s Bathing Suit – $78
Rebel Supply Co.
Asbury Park, N.J.
You can’t talk Asbury Park style without talking about Rebel Supply Co. Known for cheeky shirts, hats, and gear that make being from New Jersey look really good. (Tillie, Action Park, The Sopranos, and Springsteen merch is everywhere.) The back half of the shop is filled with racks of local consignment from actual Asbury Park residents—emphasis on the “rebel.”
📍 @rebelsupplyap