Sporting Strips

They weren’t pretty and they weren’t practical, but long before Warney was engaged in sexting, slimming and Liz Hurley, sporting strips were just plain awesome.

No bodylength swimsuits, no quick-dry garb, and no overt advertising. The cricketers had a smoko between ends and the footballers re-hydrated with beer. However, the best get-ups were left to the tennis players and the public who hoped to emulate them. Flashy, form-fitting, and at all times embracing fluro. Match? What match? In my mind it played second fiddle to the world of headbands, bucket hats, high waisted shorts and mesmerising hair.

It's a stare off but the one shoulder wins every time.

Just your normal change of ends in the 80's

When high pants led to better shots

A big thanks to Jens from 80s-tennis.com for letting me use these images!

Diesel’s glory days

In 2011 Diesel is supposedly an island that is, quote ‘The least fucked country in the world’, but back in 2003 their mantra was ‘we WORK HARD’. And work hard they did. They worked hard to produce a brilliant calendar that mocked the mundane tasks that fill up our every day, and then placed another level of ‘mock’ upon them because, of course, no-one looks as amazing as models doing mundane tasks.

Shot in black and white, the Diesel promo seems anything but, thus making it the perfect selling tool. Some words of advice for the brand; forget about Diesel Island (the tribe has spoken) and make another calendar. 

Photography by Finlay MacKay

Photo- Graph

Cameras of yore not only looked amazing, they also served the vital purpose of discriminating between those with training and a talent for photography, and those whose ability was the downloading of the Hipstermatic app. Considering I took these photographs on a digital camera have I just named and shamed myself in the second category?!?

Asahi Pentax- amazing shots, amazing looking!

Just a wee tipple..

From a time before booze advertising was all '5 Cougars thanks' and XXXX girls performing in a transportable truck/ bar, comes print ads that are quite simply, beautiful.

I love the colour, I love the vibrancy, and I love the toucan. I am unsure how it's related to the wine in the background but toucans and wine do seem like they could be a natural fit (both are based above ground?!?) Oh, to hark back to the days when this advertising was 'de rigeur', yes, I would've based my drinking on which posters I liked best, and yes, alcoholism was probably to follow, but what treats my eyes would've seen!

Hey Universe, give me a Sign!

Back in the day signage was awesome. It was clean, it was clear, and it was fun (I’m basing this ‘fun index’ finding on the happiness and awe I felt when I saw these examples).  Less informative, yes, but also big, bold, and gosh darn it, in the new world of black and white signage, it was all types of colourful.

These days it’s all typography, graphics and wayfinding experts, but back then (period undefined) it was, “Gentlemen, I do believe an illustrated hand would adequately point the commuter in the right direction?…jolly well done, now we’re off for a lar-ger.” 

Flinders St Station

Digits, digits, digits

The advertising's up, but nobodies home. Cool sign though!