Our Story

Born on the coast from Whitby to the South Gare.

This brand was built on a lifetime spent along our stretch of the North East coast. It’s for anyone who knows what it really means to live by this water all year round.

It’s the feeling of a sharp wind blowing sand against your legs, the quiet stillness of cold morning frost on the sand dunes, and the rising and falling coastal paths stretching from Whitby up to the mouth of the Tees. It’s hours spent wandering down the beach, putting the world to rights, and treating a piece of sea glass like rare treasure. And then, of course, there’s that rare, glorious day of pure coastal sunshine when there is nowhere else on earth you’d rather be.

Looking around at a lot of the coastal and outdoor clothing today, I realised I was missing a certain type of character. So much of what you see on the rails now feels a bit too polished, relying heavily on plain, digitally generated designs. I felt like we were losing that raw, hand-drawn soul of the 90s surfwear I loved growing up. I missed the bold graphics, the traditional tattoo-style artwork, and the vibrant pastels that actually felt human and told a story.

So, I started South Gare.

This brand is a nod to the past, and a massive tribute to the place we call home. We make laid-back, authentic clothing for real coastal living, with everything from sturdy tees to warm, heavy hoodies to pull on after a freezing cold plunge in the sea, a paddleboard session, or a surf.

South Gare is for salt-stained clothes sat next to beach fires, for making sandcastles with the kids, for late-night fish and chips at Majuba car park, or just for taking it easy by the water.

We aren't a massive corporate sports brand. We’re a spirited, independent, local label for people who love this coast, appreciate the simple things, and love to live life.

Thanks for being here, and thanks for supporting independent clothing.

See you out there,

Stephen

Founder, South Gare