Our Story
In 1961 Carrie Birdwell Mann transformed her small southern California home into a sewing room and store, launching Birdwell Beach Britches. It was one of the first businesses specializing in surf wear, making her living room one of the first surf shops. Her first employees were her husband and son. Her first customers were lifeguards in Newport Beach.
Mrs. Birdwell’s first product? Two-ply nylon beach britches built for surfing, her own invention. When Mrs. Birdwell got her first order of 100 pairs of beach britches from a shop in Huntington Beach, she hired one seamstress and put the rest of her family to work. Over the years, all seven Birdwell children worked for the company, sweeping floors, making coffee, and running errands.