Olympic archive: looking the part (1960)
Britain’s 1960 Olympic uniform showcased a “blue hopsack” centre-vent blazer, pinpoint trousers and blue suede shoes with cooling airholes. Eat your heart out, Stella McCartney.
With preparations in full swing for the 1960 Rome Olympics, ITN did not confine itself to interviewing athletes, assessing the Italian facilities, and pondering Britain’s medal chances, writes Ian Searcey.
At the end of June, the all-important team uniform was launched, and Tim Brinton was dispatched to cast his eye over it for the British public.
Models seem to have been assembled on a London balcony for the benefit of the press, with spokesmen eager to brief viewers on the benefits of the new uniforms.
For the men, a well-spoken but unidentified chap – perhaps part of the design team or just a sportsman with an informed interest in haute couture – points out the stylish nature of the three-button blazer in “blue hopsack” with its centre vent round the back, before extolling the virtues of a move away from the grey flannel walking-out trouser to a brighter “pinpoint material”.
In a bravado show of perfect balance, he lifts a leg to highlight the blue suede shoes with their cooling air-holes.
Veteran fencer Mary Glen-Haig – nowadays a dame and an ambassador for London 2012, but then on her way to a fourth Olympics – goes on to introduces the new ladies’ uniform.
Mary expresses her delight at the move away from the traditional blazer and skirt combo to a “delightful pale blue suit”, suitable for “the very slim or the well-built figure”.
Although the model looks alarmingly like an airline stewardess, this cool three-piece is topped off with a “stylish” red hat decorated with the Olympic rings. A shame colour had not yet made it to ITV.
