Where do you shop for a Jewish summer camp wardrobe? If you’re costume designer Ava Hama and dressing the cast of Jewish summer camp movie “The Floaters,” you’re shopping everywhere from J. Crew to the bulk bins of vintage warehouses — and you’re absolutely nailing the look.
“The Floaters,” which is out in select theaters on July 10, stars Jackie Tohn as Nomi, a struggling rock star who calls her BFF Mara for some commiseration, but is talked into taking a job at the Jewish summer camp that Mara runs. Nomi is assigned to supervise the camp misfits, aka ”the floaters.” The film is not only delightful and funny; the setting and details are so expertly crafted you’ll be convinced that your actual Jewish summer camp bunkmate played a part in creating it.
To costume a cast full of authentic Jewish summer campers, Hama, who was the assistant costume designer for the series “Love Story” and has worked on “Orange Is the New Black” and “Girls,” reached out to friends (and their friends) who have kids in Jewish summer camp. She perused photos of actual East Coast campers and picked parents’ brains about what they were buying for their kids or what they had noticed other kids wearing. She looked at camp style from older photos, too. “Summer camp is very nostalgic for most people,” Hama told Kveller. “I thought it would be great to pepper in some nods to retro camp style from various decades to signify the relationship between memory and summer camp.”
The result? Well, if you’re like me, you’ll be adding ringer tees to your online cart and begging the Floaters press team to let you talk to the movie’s costume designer. They agreed, and I asked Hama how she translated Jewish summer camp to the big screen, what it was like working with Kveller favorite Jackie Tohn and what to buy to achieve the ultimate nostalgic summer camp look.
Did you go to camp? How would you describe your camp style?
I grew up in NYC and actually attended a Jewish day camp called New Country Day Camp in Staten Island. I myself am not Jewish, but was able to attend this camp because it was an “open-tent” camp allowing children of all religious backgrounds to be campers. One of my fondest memories was the challah we would bake fresh every Friday for Shabbat! I would describe my style as sporty, I loved to swim and always wanted to be comfortable in the muggy NYC heat — I dressed for function and comfort!
How did you think about costuming a Jewish summer camp versus a regular summer camp? What touches did you add?
From my research I found that the differences were quite subtle, and it definitely wasn’t something I wanted to do in a heavy handed or unrealistic way. A couple examples include the tzitzit that Wetspot [one of the film’s teen misfits, played by Jake Ryan] always wears under his graphic tees, and Naot sandals (handcrafted in Israel). The founders of Naot actually attended the camp we shot at, and were kind enough to loan us sandals for use in the film!
The Camp Daveed ringer tee is so central to the look. What is it about a ringer tee?
It’s an iconic item that is intrinsically tied to summer camp in my mind — I think Michael Ian Black’s character McKinley in “Wet Hot American Summer” may have a lot to do with that. It was ultimately up to me to select the tee we screen printed the logo onto. The tee we ended up going with came from J. Crew!
Who was your favorite character to dress and why?
Nomi! Jackie [Tohn] was an absolute dream to collaborate with, she adores clothing and has fantastic personal style. Some of my favorite costume pieces of Nomi’s I found digging through bins at a bulk vintage warehouse in Philly!
We’ve interviewed Jackie a few times and can concur she is absolutely a dream to work with! We also loved talking to Seth Green about this film.
Jackie and Seth are so much fun to work with — they are both comedic geniuses. Jackie and I share a love of thrifting, and she was so excited to dig into the thrift shops upstate near where we were shooting. Sometimes she would even bring me thrift finds to use in the movie for other characters or background actors!
Rapidfire camp fashion questions: Chacos or tevas?
Naots!
Your favorite way to style a bandana?
As a head kerchief — Tal [another one of the misfit campers, played by Thani Brandt] wears their signature bandana kerchief this way throughout the film!
What is the appropriate amount of times to roll up a pair of Soffe cheerleading shorts?
Anything beyond two rolls will get you flagged by a counselor!
Chicest item to tie dye?
Beach towels or bedding.
Best decade for summer camp fashion?
1970s.
What are four things we can buy to get the summer camp look?
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Naot sandals
Colorblock Naots — they're comfortable and add a juicy pop of color to any look.
A classic — I had this exact kit when I was a kid! Friendship bracelets are a must and it's so much more special if you make them yourself.
J. Crew Ringer tee
The exact J. crew ringer tee we used for the Camp Daveed staff tees is no longer available, but they have a plethora of 70s inspired fitted ringers for women right now!
