Sunday 16 December 2012

BENETTON T-SHIRT RE-PRINT.



Every now and again we re-visit the archives for one of our favourite designs.
The Benetton Rugby top had a massive following in the early 80s. A couple of years ago we produced it on a T-Shirt with the tagline 'Those were the Days My Friend'.
We have now re-printed the Iconic Rugby Top just for the stores, so just like the old days you'll have to  search for it throughout a few Shops websites.
Check Distant Echo, 80s CasualClassics and Square Menswear.

Saturday 15 December 2012

EIGHTIES VINYL RECORDS NEW RELEASE


The latest single in our attempt at a xmas number 1 is a Red 7" vinyl by The Troubadours. Limited to 250. The band have toured with Paul Weller in the past and have had a top 10 in Japan, yet their label would not release their tracks here. Anyway for those interested its available from here;
along with our first release on White vinyl by The Sand Band.
You can follow the label here;
We are thinking of doing something for 80s Casuals 10 Anni next Summer. Details to follow.

Monday 3 December 2012

HARRIS TWEED 'FIELD' SCARVES




There's only one way to stay warm this Winter and that's with a bit of layering. One item that's essential  every time we venture out is a Scarf. It's an item that can be worn loose if too warm or wrapped tightly around the neck and chin if on a bleak terrace one bitterly cold evening.
The Harris Tweed 'Field' Scarf has been specifically manufactured to our own spec. Standing over 5 foot long and handwoven in the Outer Hebrides, we have two designs of reassuring tradition and provenance. Each carries the iconic Harris Tweed Orb Label and has been woven using traditional techniques by an award winning designer.
The Scarves are available now online http://www.80scasuals.co.uk/shop10.html
and should be in Stores before this weekend.
It's great to see 80s Casuals clothing endorsed by others. The Reference Council again highlight the quality and care that we take in the production of our clothing. http://www.thereferencecouncil.com/

Thursday 15 November 2012

10 ANNI LOGO and 'POACHER' POLO





We have previewed our 10 Anniversary Logo before but now it is about to debut in our Winter Collection.
The Long Sleeve 'Poacher' Polo in Tobacco and Midnight Blue has the Fila BJ inspired Eighties branding which we shall be introducing more regularly in the coming year. The intention is to replace the 80s embroidery upon the T-Shirts and continue with this embroidered style emblem on the Summer Polos.
The Long Sleeve 'Poacher' should hopefully be despatched in the next week and in Stores by next weekend.

Saturday 10 November 2012

EIGHTIES VINYL RELEASED



Who would have thought that when we embarked upon this amazing journey of designing T-Shirts, 10 years ago, that we would end up also as the founders of a new Vinyl only Record Label.
We have kept it 80s inspired by only releasing Limited Edition 7" Vinyl singles, no downloads or CD's. Vinyl is on the up with sales increasing year on year and it sounds so much better than the general compressed music on CD's and downloads..
The 'Not for Profit' label has had a magnificent response with a mention in the local evening paper plus Merseyside music magazine Bido Lito http://www.bidolito.co.uk/ and airplay on Radio Merseyside and the Bido Lito Podcast. We now have at least 7 singles lined up for the next 6 months. Each one carries a significant letter at the centre of the vinyl which is a working on-going piece of Art as it spells out EIGHTIES VINYL RECORDS in the next 20 releases.
The first single 'When We Kiss' by The Sand Band is now available from www.eightiesvinylrecords.co.uk
The Sand Band album 'Through The Night' from last year was in Mojo magazines Top 50 albums of the year ahead of The Arctic Monkeys and Noel Gallagher. So its a bit of an amazing start for us that we only hope we can keep building upon.
A big Thanks to those who have bought and support this Project that is used as a showcase for the bands, graphic artists and videographers. We want to give you more than just a single and have Limited Edition Eighties T-Shirts at £15 plus a signed Poster and other band related items available with each release.

Friday 9 November 2012

NEW MILLE MIGLIA RACE T-SHIRT



We are in the process of sorting the final T-Shirt designs for 2012. One of those designs is the iconic Mille Miglia Jacket named after the race of the same name which travels across 1000 miles of Italy.
The route map is incorporated into the image as we pay homage to the greatest endurance car race.
The T-Shirt should be in Stores at the start of December.

Sunday 4 November 2012

CONEY HAT RELEASED





The Winter 'Coney Hat' has been released on the website and should be in Stores this week.
The new leather badge adorns the front while the distinctive red pinch tag is positioned discreetly on the back.
The ribbed beanie is 100% lambswool.
Colours available include Sand, Navy and Moss Green.

Friday 2 November 2012

NEW TRANSALPINO T-SHIRT





As you may have realised with this being our 10th year we have been re-visiting some classic 80s designs. The original Transalpino design dates back to early 2005 and this is our third interpretation. 
The image depicts that classic European Awayday look of Head Bag, adidas trainers and warm jacket, in this case a Berghaus Trango.
The T-Shirt should be with Stockists next week and on-line in our Store in the next couple of days.

Sunday 28 October 2012

EIGHTIES VINYL ARTICLE




The guys from Liverpool Music Magazine Bido Lito have an article on our Vinyl label in the latest issue published this week.
The Monthly publication features everything you need to know about Music and Gigs in the Merseyside area. Besides producing 5000 free magazines each month for distribution as far as London and New York, Bido Lito is also available to view on-line. There is also a Podcast available to listen to each month. 
Check here for Issue 28 in the Definitive Guide section.

Saturday 27 October 2012

10 ANNI IPHONE COVER



Available in our Store now and from usual outlets in the coming week is our 10th Anniversary IPhone Cover. Offering protection from those bumps that may occur during or after the game, the cover depicts an image from one of our most recognizable T-Shirts 'It's Grim Up North'.
£19.95 here;

Wednesday 24 October 2012

Tuesday 23 October 2012

EIGHTIES TRAPPERS PARKA




The Reference Council have taken a liking to our Winter Gentry Collection. After a small plug for the Deerstalker, the lifestyle blog gives our Trappers Parka a nice mention as the fashion item of the day.
The Parka goes live on our website tonight at 8.00pm whilst Stores should be receiving their allocation in the coming week. Priced at a recession busting £105 the Trappers Parka will be one of those Jackets that can be pulled out of the wardrobe year after year.
The Reference Council also asked for an interview about the Eighties Vinyl Records side project. If you were wondering the hows and whys of setting up the label, check out the link;

Monday 22 October 2012

Saturday 20 October 2012

EIGHTIES VINYL RECORDS LAUNCH



This coming Saturday we are having a Launch for our side project Eighties Vinyl Records.
We already have Three Limited Edition 7" Vinyl Singles scheduled before Christmas and to kick off the venture we are having a few drinks at The Epstein Theatre in Liverpool between 1.00 and 5.00pm.
Guests include Mark Frith [The Troubadours], Edgar Summertyme [ex Stairs and Free Peace] and Sankofa plus Freakbeat Films will be showing the 1979 classic 'The Warriors' in the Theatre.
Everyone is invited.
As part of the day we have commissioned some locally sourced Craft Ale which are limited to 45 bottles and named '45RPM'.
Back in the late 70s/ early 80s Joy Division's Factory Records had an eccentric way of cataloguing each release on its label. Besides vinyl releases, promotional graphics and film were also catalogued in chronological order.
As the 80s have been a massive influence on not only the 80s Casuals brand but also our Vinyl only label, we thought we would use a similar process.
Therefore the '45RPM' Craft Ale will be Cat Number EVR004 whilst a Poster for the Launch Event will have the number EVR004A.
EVR001 to EVR003 are the first three Limited Edition Vinyls which can be ordered here; 
keep up to date at the facebook page http://www.facebook.com/EightiesVinylRecords 

Thursday 18 October 2012

THE 80S CASUALS FORUM



Due to our passion for football we are often approached to sponsor teams around the country at grass roots level. Now we are only a small company and have already helped many teams with a kit and have committed ourselves this season to a local junior football club, a boxing club and the setting up of a vinyl record label to help local bands. So when asked by a group of young lads who were trying to set up their own Sunday team, we turned to our 80s Casuals Forum members to help out in return for a marathon run from one half of our team Jay Montessori. 
The lads did us proud and the money came in, which meant we could purchase the young team a kit and have it printed.
Therefore a huge Thanks goes out to the 80s Casuals Forum Members who kindly contributed and welcome to the Eighties family....Sutton Casuals F.C.

Monday 15 October 2012

EIGHTIES AT L.F.C.s BOOT ROOM.





It was nice to see one of our sponsored young teams make an appearance on the Liverpool F.C. website and T.V. Channel this weekend.
They were invited down to Cheshire Oaks to try out a new penalty shoot-out simulator at the new Liverpool Boot Room Restaurant.
Amongst the guests were John Aldridge and impersonator Darren Farley.
The lads enjoyed a few spot kicks before sitting down to a meal with the ex Liverpool and Tranmere legend.

THE REFERENCE COUNCIL

There was a nice little mention on The Reference Council blog site today for the Eighties Deerstalker.
If you haven't seen the site before, it gets up-dated daily with news on Fashion, Music and Design.
I recently answered a few questions about the Eighties Vinyl Records label and the reason for starting the label plus our plans. The interview should be up in the coming week.
The Reference Council is amongst our favourite blogs we like to keep up to date with.

Friday 12 October 2012

GENTRY DEERSTALKER






We begin our 'Gentry' Collection with some headwear stolen from the Hunting Gentry of this land.
The Deerstalker uses a check design which works as camouflage whilst deer stalking. It became an iconic stand out piece of Terrace Wear during the mid Eighties and has inspired us to re-produce one for the second year running.
This season we have two check styles. The Balmoral and the Moorland.
These are a website exclusive and both are available while stocks last in store;

Sunday 7 October 2012

SPIKE ISLAND - THE FILM




Spike Island premieres this week at the London Film Festival. The film follows a rising indie band as they travel to Spike Island in Widnes to witness the Stone Roses gig that will go down in folklore.
As well as licensing the Stone Roses music, the film also uses original footage from the actual gig in 1990. 
Check the BFI website for screenings this week.
The film is not due a general release until 2013.

Saturday 6 October 2012

FREE UMBRELLA MAG - ISSUE 7



It's free, it's on-line and it's a good read. Umbrella Magazine has been in our favourites since Issue 1 and now the 7th Edition is on-line to read or download for future viewing.
It's also possible to pick up a hard copy via a link on the site.
Iconic Albums, Architecture and the Stone Island legacy are just some of the topics covered.

Wednesday 3 October 2012

EIGHTIES T-SHIRTS - OCTOBER




In the run up to Christmas we shall be bringing you just a few new designs. We start this month with a Transalpino design that is in its third reincarnation. Our simple original logo design dates back to around 2005 but as times have progressed so has the intricacy of the designs.
The image depicts a typical figure heading to the train station.
Large Head Bag flung over the shoulder with the Transalpino logo highlighted in Gold.
Orders are being taken at present with Stores expecting delivery at the end of October.
Also this month the popular 'Against Modern Football' design is translated back into English as an exclusive to Stockists. The Spanish and French versions are still available here; http://www.80scasuals.co.uk/shop1.html

Sunday 30 September 2012

EIGHTIES VINYL



The Troubadours video of the forthcoming vinyl 'Con Edison' has been put together by Freakbeat Films. The single is available for Pre-Order now from www.eightiesvinylrecords.co.uk with a Limited Edition Eighties T-Shirt also available. The 7" vinyl should be ready to post in November.
Eighties Vinyl is a 'Non Profit' business where all monies are re-invested for future singles. We hope to highlight up and coming bands and artists [video, designer etc] and make a positive contribution back to the music industry whilst also hopefully giving those that support us and the artists some nice incentives.  

EIGHTIES/TRANMERE TRUST T-SHIRT




We recently mentioned our close links with The Tranmere Trust producing a leaflet for their Away Travel Coaches. Now the 80s Casuals Trust T-Shirt is ready and i'm sure it will be seen soon at Prenton Park. 
The T-Shirt follows on from the recent Fussball one we produced last spring. This time the characters take on the guise of three former Tranmere greats, John Aldridge, Ian Muir and Pat Nevin.
The Trust one day hopes to take control of the club and has our backing in its fight 'Against Modern Football' and its hope, one day, for Fan and Community Ownership. 

Monday 24 September 2012

EIGHTIES VINYL NEWS






The first release on the Eighties Vinyl Records label is being sent to the vinyl manufacturers tomorrow. The Sand Band 7" single 'When We Kiss' should be ready to post in approx 3 weeks. The 80s Casuals Limited Edition Sand Band T-Shirt for the vinyl label sold out in the first two days and has been sent to those who purchased.
Almost immediately we are onto EVR002 with The Troubadours 'Con Edison' next up. The Troubadours had a Top 10 album in Japan a few years back but due to label difficulties were unable to release it here. As Eighties Vinyl does not hold anyone to contract and is Non Profit, we are able to release the Limited Edition 7" coloured vinyl with the aim of publicising the fact that the band are back together hoping to secure a deal to release the aforementioned album.
A Limited Edition 80s Casuals T-Shirt with a signed Postcard is being produced to co-incide with the release of the single.
All details are here for the Singles and T-Shirt.

Sunday 23 September 2012

WINTER 'GENTRY' COLLECTION



It's been a bit quiet this week but thats only because one of us was on a European 'Awaydays' trip to Switzerland. Anyway now it's back to work and first news is that the Eighties 'Coney' Hat will be the first of our Winter 'Gentry' Collection to hit these shores from our suppliers. 
It will be available in three colours; Moss, Sand and Navy.
This Seasons 'Beanie' style of headwear has a large 80s leather badge as well as the prominent red pinch tag on the reverse [see pic].
More pics and details to follow on their arrival.

Sunday 16 September 2012

80s CASUALS BOOK





We have now SOLD OUT of the 80s Casuals A5 size book. We will not be producing any more for the foreseeable future and so your last chance to pick up a copy is via Distant Echo http://www.distantecho.co.uk/t/type/magazines   or 80s CasualClassics http://www.80scasualclassics.co.uk/gift-ideas/80s-casuals-book-new-a5-size-2104538-393995-699846.php 
Distant Echo have a dozen left and 80s CasualClassics are down to their last 25, so if you require one please contact them asap. 
There was only 2000 of the A5 version produced after the initial 2000 A4 version sold out in its first 3 months of publication.
A massive Thanks to all of those who supported the brand in purchasing what we hope is an enjoyable retrospective look at the original Brands and Clothing from the late 70s through to the early 90s.

Saturday 15 September 2012

TRAINERS ON T-SHIRTS





When 80s Casuals started the idea of putting a pair of trainers onto the front of a T-Shirt was incomprehensible. We continued though unabated and the idea took off as the retrospective idea brought back many memories of the 80s Casual era.
Here's a short 80s Casuals video from a few years back when it was possible to put trainers on T-Shirts.  
Nowadays there's a few brands doing it but adidas themselves seem to have cornered the market which we suppose as the saying goes means 'Imitation is the best form flattery'.

Friday 14 September 2012

10 ANNI EMBLEM

NEW EIGHTIES 'TENNIS BALL' EMBLEM


ORIGINAL 80s CASUALS/FILA COLLABORATION LOGO




As we enter our 10th year of existence, we feel compelled to keep moving forward, not only in the detailing of our clothing but also in some design features.
The 80s logo has featured a Tennis Ball since the 80s Casuals/Fila collaboration a few years ago. This was a nod towards the classic Bjorn Borg/Fila badge that so encapsulated the Casual era of the early 80s.
As from this Winters Collection the Eighties badge that will appear on all Polo T-Shirts will be a simple but distinctive Tennis Ball. The designs colours of red and black are characteristic of the 80s Casuals logos during the last decade and the Tennis Ball is just our appreciation of the Tennis brands that were so eminent during our youth.
The logo makes it's debut on the 'Poacher' Polo this coming Winter.

Thursday 13 September 2012

ONCE UPON A TIME IN FLIMBY - NEW BALANCE



For a good while now we have been championing New Balance footwear as a chic alternative to some of the poorly thought-out re-issued trainers aimed at terrace goers of late. In light of that we have made some good friends there and recently Jay was invited up to the factory for the day to see what makes these guys tick.
Here's his account of the day.
Flimby is the tiniest of places just outside of Workington on the Cumbrian coast line.  I won’t try to give you a history lesson about the brand as they do that so much better on their own website. Too many brands focus on origins and former glories but at NB I was blown away by what happens in there UK production factory right now. 




Upon arrival there was no airs and graces to this set up, just a ‘what you see is what you get attitude’ which I quite frankly found very refreshing. Similar to our own ethos, NB don’t try to be something they are not, but they do focus on what they are passionate about and do it very well. After a good old natter with Jon and Mark I was introduced to factory legend Jim Fox who has been with the company for over 26 years and has another 15’s worth of experience under his belt before that! He explained that currently the Flimby site employs over 200 staff, but as the demand for rare British manufactured goods grows they are struggling to keep up with demand and are currently training new highly skilled ‘cutters’ and ‘stitchers’ which is an art that takes 12 months or more to master, if you are up to the grade. 




NB are famous for their lasts which cater for a wide range of sizes and more uniquely a generous variety of widths. Every shoe starts with one of these many lasts with the current front runners (see what I did there) being the 576 and 577 (although I must say I was hugely excited by a sneak peak at the resurrected 620 for next season). 



The leather room was our next stop and being a fan of all things colourful this was a place of wonder for me. Here the correct fabric is matched to the sample and then inspected for imperfections before the cutting can begin.








Once cut the leather can then have any finer detail added, such as the embroidery, heel cap, tongue label and famous ‘N’.  








From here on in the shoe was moulded and took shape through some mind boggling processes that were made to look like putting a burger in a bun by these talented crafts folk.  Now most of my friends work in factories and I consider myself a very lucky man that I don’t have to, as to be quite frank it would bore me senseless. However this workforce can’t afford to lose concentration for a second as every unit requires the utmost attention for perfection and these people seemed to love what they do with very few returned as substandard upon final inspection. 










Now the icing on the cake was a little treat Jim had saved for me knowing our passion for football. Tucked away in his desk was the original lasts made to fit the golden feet of Man U and England legend Bryan Robson, who was the brand ambassador for their football boots at the peak of his career. Since then NB have sadly stopped football boot production, due to the next generation wanting the latest rainbow boots from those with no history in the beautiful game and as mentioned earlier NB don’t pamper to fads.  





So a big thanks to all our friends at NB and especially the big Man Jim, we hope to have the honour of working with you in the not too distant future!

Jay.