'Happy to let it hang out': Budgie smugglers are back on Australian beaches
In the budgie smuggler's hometown, men are increasingly freeing their thighs, adopting a style so daring it even led to arrests in 1961.
Style's return to center stage has seen traditional brands shift millions of dollars off of togs, while a new wave of independent designers are redefining the classic look.
>Through the 20th century, parakeets went from being almost illegal to being a symbol of daggy dads. They are now reappearing in the mainstream, says Maritime Museum assistant curator Inger Sheil. type="model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement" class="dcr-11ra563"/>
“In terms of popularity, there are ebbs and flows.
"People like ironically and without irony to wear them... there is still a lot of humor around them."
This humor can only be seen in name. The term "parakeet smuggler" refers to a small Australian parrot, the budgerigar, which wearers seem to hide in their swimsuits.
But the aquatic loincloth is delivered with other handles: togs, sluggos, the rudest "dick stickers", and of course, the original nickname: Speedos. This brand name is so synonymous with style that it has become generic in Australia, the "hoover" or "Post-it" of the beach.
In 1959, the budgie smugglers were born when the artist and surfer Peter Travis created the casual style for Speedo. They immediately caused a stir.
"[Surf lifeguard and beach inspector] Aub Laidlaw was infamous for measuring women's swimsuits and arresting women or their asking to leave the beach," Sheil said. .
"But less is known that in 1961 he also had men arrested wearing these Speedo briefs."
The charges were later dropped because the bathing suits hid pubic hair, making the level of modesty legal, but "you had this tension between morality and fashion," Sheil says.
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On the eve of the 70s, showing your skin on the sand was no longer a question. "The controversy over this has perished."
An egalitarian view of tight clothing eventually prevailed, so much so that prime ministers wanted to be seen in it. In 1974, Gough Whitlam was photographed shopping for a bright orange and pink pair; In 1986, Bob Hawke was captured watching cricket while he was tanned...
In the budgie smuggler's hometown, men are increasingly freeing their thighs, adopting a style so daring it even led to arrests in 1961.
Style's return to center stage has seen traditional brands shift millions of dollars off of togs, while a new wave of independent designers are redefining the classic look.
>Through the 20th century, parakeets went from being almost illegal to being a symbol of daggy dads. They are now reappearing in the mainstream, says Maritime Museum assistant curator Inger Sheil. type="model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement" class="dcr-11ra563"/>
“In terms of popularity, there are ebbs and flows.
"People like ironically and without irony to wear them... there is still a lot of humor around them."
This humor can only be seen in name. The term "parakeet smuggler" refers to a small Australian parrot, the budgerigar, which wearers seem to hide in their swimsuits.
But the aquatic loincloth is delivered with other handles: togs, sluggos, the rudest "dick stickers", and of course, the original nickname: Speedos. This brand name is so synonymous with style that it has become generic in Australia, the "hoover" or "Post-it" of the beach.
In 1959, the budgie smugglers were born when the artist and surfer Peter Travis created the casual style for Speedo. They immediately caused a stir.
"[Surf lifeguard and beach inspector] Aub Laidlaw was infamous for measuring women's swimsuits and arresting women or their asking to leave the beach," Sheil said. .
"But less is known that in 1961 he also had men arrested wearing these Speedo briefs."
The charges were later dropped because the bathing suits hid pubic hair, making the level of modesty legal, but "you had this tension between morality and fashion," Sheil says.
Sign up for the fun stuff with our roundup of must reads, pop culture and weekend tips, every Saturday morning
On the eve of the 70s, showing your skin on the sand was no longer a question. "The controversy over this has perished."
An egalitarian view of tight clothing eventually prevailed, so much so that prime ministers wanted to be seen in it. In 1974, Gough Whitlam was photographed shopping for a bright orange and pink pair; In 1986, Bob Hawke was captured watching cricket while he was tanned...
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