The Birth of Budgie Smugglers
A brief [ahem!], first-hand account of the development of "the Speedo" by its designer, Gloria Smythe tells us that the course of fashion does not always flow smoothly or quickly.
I did my first Olympic Games collection in 1964, but no one would have known. When I did the 1976 Australian map print it became so spectacular, then I first got a mention. Maybe if I was a man I would have been mentioned earlier, but the directors seemed keen to be named.
That 1976 collection for the Montreal Olympic Games was definitely the most sensational. I did a map of Australia and had the word Australia stencilled across it. It caused quite a stir. It was on the front page of the Daily Mirror instead of just being mentioned on the back sports page.
Even my friend Maggie Tabberer said in the article that the design was bastardising Australia. The garments were sold after the Games and they sold all over the world.
I think it is quite funny all the fuss that has been created over those two inch (5cm) trunks. All the different names, like "budgie smugglers", and the furore over Peter Debnam wearing them makes me laugh. It took quite a while before I was allowed to do anything that skimpy. It wasn’t until 1972 that they were allowed.
Before I started at Speedo, the men at the 1960 Rome Olympics swam in trunks with an eight inch (20cm) side and full front skirt. The 1964 Olympics in Tokyo was the first time men were allowed to go skirtless. After that I continued to take half an inch (1.3cm) off the top and half an inch off the leg at every games until we got it down to two inches in 1972.
Up until the Tokyo Games all the trunks had been one solid colour, but that year my designs for the Australian team had green and gold vertical stripes. Then I was asked to do the American swim team’s garments as well.
These were the first panel suits with red, white and blue panels. These suits won Speedo the first ever export award from the Department of Trade and Industry. After that, colours and panels were all the rage and started to flow through into sportswear and slacks and tops.
I worked at Speedo for 29 years. Now the designs I created are held in the Powerhouse Museum, The Maritime Museum and the Manly Art Gallery and Museum. I am proud my two inch trunks have become an Australian icon.
[excerpt from Jay Hanna, "Queen of the design pool", The Sunday Times [Perth, Australia], 9 April 2007.]