Why Was The Settanta Mk1 So Special To The Casuals?

It's easy to talk about Swedish tennis champions & centre court rivalries but from a "Casual" perspective what really was so special about the Settanta Mk1 from Fila?

If you asked the original wearers of Trimm Trabs & OG tennis track tops what their very first item of "casual sportswear" was back in the day, the chances are the Settanta would poll pretty high. Launched in an era where sportswear became every-day thanks to a melting pot of flamboyant Italian designs & celebrity appeal courtesy of Hollywood actors like Lee Majors & Farah Fawcett, fitness became all the rage & track tops became cool. Following the whole Beckenbauer endorsement with adidas and a new found love for sportswear, the 1970s saw the track top become big business. As trainer technology really started to evolve during the mid to late 1970s, thanks to the whole running boom of the era, the lines between traditional "sports" gear and clothes worn-for-leisure really started to blur. The thing is before the first Casuals were seen peacocking around in rare PUMA trainers & Patrick cagoules, "Casual" was really already a thing. Whether the subculture started in the North or the South of the UK, there is no denying the importance of original track top styles like the Fila Settanta Mk1 to the scene.

As fast as the fashion changed for Casuals, with new styles coming and going pretty quick in a relatively short period between the late 1970s & mid 1980s, it was the Settanta Mk1 from Fila that was one of the very first track tops the Casuals would take in as their own. First released in 1976 as part of the legendary Italian designer, Pierluigi Rolando's White Line, which stuck two fingers up at Wimbledon's 'all white' traditions, the Settanta had a rebellious streak and was even worn by John McEnroe during his very first Wimbledon appearance at the mere age of 17 in 1977. Thanks to the Bjorn Borg connection, a premium 'Made in Italy' price tag and OG colours like Kelly Green, the Settanta would make the perfect accompaniment to a pair of Lois cords & Borg Elite's on feet for that classic Casual look. As Rolanda released numerous other track top designs throughout the period as other sportswear brands came on the radar, the Settanta's legacy was cemented in the Casual scene.

So what was so special about the Settanta Mk1 specifically to the Casuals? Well you've you've also got to factor in this was before the days of PPC cars, Klarna & Clearpay. Back in the late 1970s a bus driver certainly wasn't driving around in a brand new beemer or wearing a £1000 Stone Island jacket, unless they were selling some bits on the side. Fila's prestigious White Line was expensive, and even though you can bag a brand new Settanta nowadays for less than a ton, back then they were out of reach for your average working class lad. A combination of elitist appeal, style-driven designs & the birth of the Casual subculture made the Settanta Mk1 from Fila one of the most desirable track tops of the late 1970s. Whether yours was of the 5 finger discount type, a Xmas pressie from your parents, or taxed from a rival firm, the Settanta was worn with utmost pride, with the Fila BJ branding becoming like a badge of honour for those whole took their sportswear seriously.