A work of (t)art: London’s 90s Tart Cards

We Brits may be considered the stiff upper lip of the Western world, but we do have our kinky side that often comes out of the woodwork in surprisingly public mediums. During the 90s one of the icons of London, the red phone booth, also became synonymous with forbidden pleasures due to the tart cards plastered inside.

Tart cards were a form of advertising used by call girls, prostitutes, dominatrix and all manner of naughty ladies of the night. These cards touted all sorts of forbidden pleasures, from spanking to transsexuals, and ended up becoming an accidental art, which reflected the social state of London at the time.

Up until 1984, advertising in telephone boxes was illegal, as the boxes belonged to the Post Office and thus the Government. However, when British Telecom was privatised, a loophole was created, and prostitutes moved their cards from news agents to phone boxes, where their clients could immediately make contact.

The early cards were surprisingly modest, only suggesting the type of pleasure provided, with the occasional sketch of a female form/face. This began to change in the early 90s when colour was introduced, and there seemed to be a fad for day-glo cards. Saucy humour was much in evidence, yet the cards seemed to have an unspoken rule that nipples and genitalia should be concealed (which is still often the case today).

The charm of these early cards was the poor printing and artwork, showing how little money was invested in the advertising. Not to mention that many printers would not have accepted these jobs, which allowed small back-street print-shops the chance to rake in cash.

It was rare that the women would put up their own cards, and they often hired “carders” to do so. Placing 600 cards a day could earn you up to £200, big bucks for someone with enough stamina!

In September 2001 it was made a criminal offence to display tart cards in phone boxes, which could see you convicted for up to six months in jail or a £5000 fine. Of course, this only proved to slow the rate of cards, and cause the carders to become stealthier in their business. Today, Councils strive to remove the cards often within half an hour of them being placed, and with the age of the internet, this is proving vastly uneconomical for the women. 

Most of today’s cards also lack the wordplay and humour of their predecessors. They are usually glamorously tacky, featuring garish photoshopped women and eye-catching fonts.

While we do not condone prostitution we feel that this period of time was key in London’s sexual history, showing that typical British humour. Many feel the same, as there are many private collections as well as those of museums and libraries. Apparently the Wellcome Library includes one of the world’s largest collections of tart cards, which can be viewed upon request!

The stark graphics of the early tart cards was the inspiration behind our Oh You Tease retro set, which features a black and red print of bound women, whips, high heels and thigh high boots!

Oh You Tease

Christmas gift review: One Thousand and One Nights

The Morgana line from Playful Promises Autumn Winter Damascan Dreams collection really does promise one thousand and one nights of boudoir play. A black lacey and racey retro collection, including; underwired bra, brief, thong, suspender belt and garter dress, which I strongly recommend.

Initially I didn't feel the line was as strong as Etti or Jasmine, however the quiet subtlety of the line soon made it's name within magazines, blogs and photo shoots. The Morgana garter dress was an incredibly popular piece to be called in by stylists, often queuing up to borrow it for their shoots.

It wasn't until I got my hands on the Morgana bra did I realise just how wondrous this line was to be. The bra is surprisingly comfortable, I can honestly say I've never had such a comfortable bra. With lace panelled cups and two inch thick elastic, the Morgana bra is a femme fatale bra like no other.

It has a very thin, almost transparent lining between the lacey exterior making it a soft bra to wear. But more than soft-to-touch comfort, the bra offers perfect sleek support which was surprising for such a lacy piece. In particular I like the shallow dip this bra offers, making it a uniquely shaped bra ideal under t-shirts, the LBD or for playful excursions.

The chunky ribbed elastic band, the signature of this line, is really what makes the collection. Such an original trim, comfortable and yet there is something quite racy about this oversized, two inch thick, elastic finish. The attention to detail is sumptuous, this elastic is finished with a small scalloped edge, therefore the elastic isn't cutting into the skin, rolling or other temperamental activity elastic can usually offer.

The brief, also finished with this chunky trim, features a rather saucy triangle cut-out on the back displaying glimpses of unmentionable regions. The lace fabric offers a racy glimpse and the mesh shows off further flesh, making this a real temptress of the night. And I have to say comfortable and sexy to wear, a match made in heaven (or by Playful Promises).

The garter skirt, or suspender belt, is very desirable. Just like the brief, the back of the garter skirt is as detailed as the front. The chunky elastic is crossed over on the back cropping the skirt high showing off your peachy cheeks, welcoming glimpses of your best assets. I really like the cut of this retro-inspired garter skirt. It includes adjustable straps for your stockings finished with a rubber tip to grip your nylons.

The jewel of the collection, steaming the mirror in your boudoir, is the Morgana garter dress. A real show stopper, the garter dress could almost be a little black dress. Perhaps a little risqué, it's definetly something to show off. The underwired bra offers support and comfort whilst the dress shapes your curves. Again a criss-cross cut-away effect with the chunky elastic offers promising glimpses of what lies beneath.

The garter dress is a real must-have for fun in the bedroom and ideal to be worn under dresses and more. But I strongly recommend the entire line for everyday-wear, boudoir shenanigans and shaping your curves.