Some guys just have all the luck. JP Collett grew up in Newport Beach, California and spent 90% of his time in the ocean or at the beach surfing, lifeguarding, swimming, you name it. “We cruised with our crew on bicycles from May to September and just indulged in our surroundings,” JP explained. His crew included his twin brother Morgan Collett, one of the founders of Saturdays Surf Shop.
They happened to be in the hotbed of the 90s’ exploding surf industry with Quick Silver and Volcom launching in their back yard. “Unbeknownst to us it was a big part of our daily life and it was pretty special to be a part of it,” JP told us. When it was time for college he wanted to experience the polar opposite landscape, so JP headed to Colorado to live in the mountains; but after graduation he headed right back to the land of coastal living where he landed a job with Smith Optics. He travelled 45 weeks a year around the US and Canada managing their marketing and promotions. As he recalls, “I went from the Olympics in Vancouver to The Triple Crown in Oahu and I got to promote the lifestyle Smith stood for, so it was a real dream job. I got to party as hard as I could as well as learn how to create a marketing budget!”
He then landed a job at Skull Candy where he spent a third of the year in China, Japan, Korea and South East Asia to scout what was cool, sexy and what makes those markets tick. But Collett missed home so he recently settled back down on the West Coast with the premium eyewear brand Salt.Optics. The whole idea behind the brand is that many high end eyewear lines lack customer service and lack a timeless aesthetic. “We don’t do rhinestones,” JP laughed. They pay attention to materials like Japanese and Italian acetates, metal framing and for sun, the best quality polarized lenses with prism free vision.
Working with such a classic company makes sense for JP; “I am a pretty clean shaven guy and I keep my hair in a classic high and tight cut. Grease is always a part of the repertoire!”
We chatted with JP about his personal style and here is what he had to say:
Shirts- Saturdays tees and oxfords and some J. Crew thrown in here and there.
Jeans- APC and Acne are top of my list.
Khakis- APC and J. Crew both make great ones.
Accessories- Makr, Porter and Filson are who I stick with and I am trying to build a collection with those. Most of my clothes are pretty reserved so these pieces help me stand out a little more.
Watches- I have a vintage Rolex and vintage Cartier I love.
Frames- Salt of course. Oscar is a very clean and simple option.
Shoes- I wear a Vans classic in navy, khaki or black or a Red Wing boot. That’s my rotation.
Jacket- A jean jacket or a one button bomber jacket from APC and of course more Saturdays since Morgan keeps me stocked with them! I have some good ones from Pendleton and Filson too so that I don’t have to re up every year. They are classic season after season. When I go up North I fall back on my Patagonia piece.
Hats- I wear a lot of beanies from Patagonia, North Face and Saturdays and full brim hats from Japan.
Favorite tech-My Mac Book Air– it is the best mix of laptop and tablet.
Favorite app-Instagram hands down.
Next purchase- Probably a new point and shoot. I want a Leica!
