Paradise In A T-shirt

Surfing Magazines

Robert Forster of the Go-Betweens best summed up the 'coolness from afar' attitude to surfers by a landbound suburbanite in 'Surfing Magazines' from the band's 2000 comeback lp 'The Friends Of Rachel Worth'. Trust Robert to capture the yearning for that free-spirited and nomadic lifestyler even if it was actually lived by the local fitter and turner from the next street across. We lived vicariously through the pages of Tracks magazine and t-shirts like this.

Ok, so Surfers' was hardly the breaks of Bali or the Northshore in those days (and probably even less so these days) but wearing a beauty like this back then might just have captured the sought after look ('though more likely a swift beating and 'royal flush' for your troubles). But maybe Surfers Paradise of years past was some kind of Shangri-la...certainly if you could find golden delights just like this.

No tag on this fella but it does look and feel like a classic Bonds Gotcha. Definitely polyester/cotton and most likely a super tight size 14. The image is actually an iron-on - not a big favourite of mine although to its credit it has lasted pretty well with just a little crackling and super bright colours (and smirking dolphins). A little piling all over but just what you'd expect. Golden sunsets!