A local incarnation of ‘surfer style’ tempted Sydney sportsware consumers from the early 1960s, with swell summer shirts like these featuring south seas ‘tiki’ imagery, assorted aztec-cum-mexican motifs and nautical references splashed on boxy cuts and easy wearing, easy washing woven fabrics.
Look out for duds, bikinis and beachwares by Platts, Speedo, Sutex along with rarer imports by Hang Ten, Catalina, Katin, Birdwell and Jantzen.
Unlike pre 70s California, where board maker t-shirts, jackets, pendelton checks, sporty windcheaters, striped jersey knits, ponchos and raybans leapt from surf shop shelves, the equivalent Sydney surfware scene was less self aware, less poppy, less drip-dry , less uniform. That’d come later.
Will be hoping to borrow these classic shirts and other beachware treasures from vintage fashion collector Naomi Barwick.