A Brief History Of The Loud Shirt

 

Hitting production in 1994 the Mambo Loud Shirt range quickly became a crowd favourite amongst the surf shop and pub locals. Featuring loud and anti-mainstream prints by local artists, that the Karens off today would faint at, the Loud Shirt became a best seller and today are prized by collectors and OG fans.

 

Heavily influenced by the Hawaiian “Aloha” shirts, Mambo's first ever Loud Shirt - the "Blue Hawaii" was born. Designed by Mental As Anything band member Martin Plaza, the "Blue Hawaii" gave birth to the now iconic Mambo Loud shirt range that has graced the hands & bodies of celebrities, a-d grade musicians, politicians, artists, surf rats and local pot heads.

 

 
Today only a few "Blue Hawaii" Loud Shirts still exist in the wild, held closely by collectors, and living unknowingly in obscure rural op shops, or asking for a small fortune on Ebay or the decade old Loud Shirts Facebook group. 

Throughout the 90's the Loud Shirt ranges became a statement, a calling card for the troublemakers and misfits of society. The shirts have famously been worn by the likes of Robin Williams, Sex Pistol Jonny Rotten, Brian May, Billy Connolly, and most likely the most iconic of all - Your Dad. 
 
The Loud designs often made comment on society, and frequently made jabs at politicians, consumerism (oh the irony!). Nothing was off limits, not even religion; particularly through the eyes of Mambo Godfather, Reg Mombassa. Reg was responsible for Mambo designs such as “Australian Jesus”, “Australian Beer Tree” and “Large Economic Nationalism” all of which satirised ongoing societal issues.

 

 

In the year 2000, the Mambo Loud Shirt made one of it’s biggest achievements, with Mambo being asked to design the official Australian team uniforms for the Sydney Olympic Games. ⁠
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The jacket lining featured the Reg Mombassa "Lost Weekend" design, which was subsequently used on a rush order of Loud shirts, when it was discovered the athletes intended to wear their jackets inside out during the closing ceremony.⁠

 

For years the shirts took pride of place in the closet of many Aussies and Mambassadors as heritage collectible items.

 

But we're here to bring back by and large by boomer demand - The Loud Shirts.