Olympians Reveal Their True Colours
Sydney Morning Herald
Tuesday May 7, 1996
With all the nationalistic razzamatazz that any Olympic announcement seems to warrant, the new Australian Olympic uniform was unveiled yesterday at the Museum of Contemporary Art.
It is what designer Julie Turmaine of Sportcraft describes as a "wardrobe capsule", a whole corporate wardrobe for travelling, for attending formal functions and for just lazing around the Olympic village.
The outfits of many interchangeable pieces range from a formal gold-buttoned navy blazer with gold embroidered pocket to casual sand-coloured shorts worn with a striped navy polo shirt and boating shoes, for both men and women.
The ceremonial uniform will not be revealed until the athletes walk out into the stadium in Atlanta.
There are panama hats, blazers and flannel trousers for both sexes but the women have an additional piece - a print sarong skirt that is the most adventurous fashion statement in the wardrobe.
Not that this uniform is particularly adventurous, looking more like a cross between Country Road styling and an upmarket corporate bank uniform. However, judging by some of the previous Olympic design debacles replete with green and gold, kangaroos and gumnuts, this can only be a good thing.
The wardrobe, which will be worn at the Atlanta Games and has to do service up until the new uniform for the Sydney 2000 Games, was designed in extensive consultation with the athletes.
Unlike the green blazer edged with gold worn at the launch by 81-year-old Basil Dickinson, an athlete at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, our 1996 team have rejected green and gold - it will be retained only in the sporting uniforms.
"They wanted to look like professionals," Ms Turmaine said, "like this was their job for their country." And that is just what the wardrobe achieves, in tones of navy, sand, burgundy and eucalyptus green, a serviceable, functional, tailored wardrobe made from Australian lightweight wool from Macquarie textiles, and cotton and the new cotton and wool from Rocklea Spinning Mills.
The outfits are comfortable and easy to look after. As 400-metre relay competitor Kylie Hanigan said: "It's all really nice: good quality, comfortable and wrinkle-free - us athletes don't like to iron."
© 1996 Sydney Morning Herald
Share This