Dave Hewitson, Merseyside casual
The early 80s, riots, the Falklands war, 2 million unemployed. Not very encouraging to say the least, but to one 18 year old on Merseyside the outlook was rather more pleasant with European cups, adidas trainers, Fila tennis gear and strangely enough Wimbledon to while away the hours.
Britain may have been at war with Argentina but here on Merseyside there was a war taking place on the terraces, a ‘style’ war. One-upmanship was the new word in our vocabulary. To me this meant only one thing ‘adidas and Fila’.
The 1981 and ’82 years were to be the pinnacle for the culture we now know as ‘casual’. The fashions had developed over the previous 3 to 4 years before reaching a climax [well here in Liverpool anyway] in the 1981/82 season.
Liverpools European success in the May of 1981 had opened many eyes and given many a young teenager the taste for continental adventure. Trips to Munich, Paris and the pre-season in Switzerland became an escape from the mundanity of unemployment back home. Plus there was the added bonus of trainers left out in pairs, clothes without security tags and an array of designer sportswear unavailable in Liverpool.
The reason these fantastic labels weren’t available at home was mainly due to there being no agents set up in the UK. Therefore the independent shops would need to travel to France or Italy to make purchases and with times being so hard and money so tight, it was gamble not worth taking. We therefore became the importers. Bringing back designer wear knowing that back home the demand far out-weighed the supply.
In the summer of 1980 we had seen probably the greatest Wimbledon final in its history with the Fila of Borg over-coming the Tacchini of McEnroe to capture a fifth consecutive title. In 1981 McEnroe turned the tables and by the following year Borg had retired. But these two memorable games were to be etched in our minds forever. It wasn’t to be the tennis but the sportswear that was to be our inspiration. Taking a lead from Borgs sartorial elegance meant 1981/82 became a season of top European sports brands.
My paid job enabled me to take in a few jaunts around Europe. In the spring of ’81 a visit to Munich saw the acquisition of adidas Grand Prix trainers, which were a must. Paris in the spring and a new pair of Kickers before acquiring more adidas, this time Grand Slam from Switzerland. By the winter of ’81 the sportswear clothing was at the top of everyones list. In October Liverpool were in Amsterdam to take on the might of ŠŠ A.Z.Alkmaar. On our final and obviously penniless day in the dam we entered heaven. Heaven being the third floor of some department store overflowing with every sportswear label known to the chosen few. Take your pick, Fila, Tacchini, Ellesse, L’Alpina, adidas etc, etc. they were all here. But Fila was Borgs choice and it would be ours. So a Fila ski jumper went on and the coat went on over it. There were just no assistants about to pay. Once outside a few scousers were advised of this wondrous place and when seeing them later that day it became clear that Fila ski jumpers were to be very much ‘IN’ this winter. The lads had cleared the rails.
This is how one label could gain prestige and a following in our city. Lads bringing back top brands could create a demand overnight. Friends would await their arrival home to take their pick from a hoard of goodies and then their mates would want something similar from the next excursion.
Once it was known that the continent didn’t think security was worth the effort and a Transalpino ticket could be forged to get you anywhere in Europe for about £20, more would make the journey across the channel to bring back designer gear.
In Liverpool Robert Wade Smith had seen the demand steadily rise for the adidas trainers being sold in his adidas concession store in Topman. He had an idea, one that would make him a millionaire and would give the Liverpool public the chance to stay one step ahead in the style stakes.
In November of 1982, Robert opened his own store. Wade Smith on Slater Street would be a mecca for the youth of the day who wanted the latest trainers. He had taken his full overdraft to Germany and purchased anything unavailable in the UK. With Robert now selling the trainers, it was now only worth the Liverpool lads bringing back sports clothes. Those now going abroad on a regular basis began to offer Robert the tracksuits and tennis gear from their haul. The shop became a resounding success and the first in Europe to sell just designer sportswear. It became an inspiration for others around the country to follow.
The impact from a few pioneering scousers reverberated around the UK as many cities followed Wade Smiths lead, opening up designer sportswear shops. This in turn led to foreign labels setting up agencies in the UK to feed the growing demand for their goods.
The big Italian names were at the forefront but for many Fila and its BJ range of tracksuits and tennis gear epitomised the period. Ownership ensured instant kudos. I indeed had the shorts and polo t-shirts and also cherished a blue jacket with a towelling inner which i didn’t see absolutely no one else in. and that was the idea behind this whole phenomenon, to be the first, to have a self pride in your appearance and to have an innate sense of cool.
Fashion conventions had been challenged, before this period sportswear had been used for just thatŠ.sport. My book ‘The Liverpool boys are in town 1978-82’ ‘where d’ya get yer trainees from?’ covers the said period in greater detail, looking at why and how the fashions evolved in Liverpool before being devoured by the rest of the UK.
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