I'd heard about Laura Ashley, growing up on Prince Edward Island, but didn't experience her clothes until I'd reached university in Ottawa, and discovered her store on Bank Street. I was immediately obsessed with the romantic vibe of her dresses, which were either made for wafting around a moor or for having a nautical adventure (many of her designs were sailor inspired).
That first year of university, when I should have been studying, I bought clothes. From Laura Ashley I bought a light-blue sailor dress with a drop waist, a knife-pleat skirt in white cotton canvas to complement a white double-breasted boxy sailor jacket with navy trim, and a soft dusky blue corduroy dress with the signature square neck and puff sleeves, with subtly colored pinstripes.I don't believe I wore any of these to class, but I certainly wore them somewhere.
I got on the catalogue mailing list, and the following summer I memorized the 1984 catalogue. I knew every drape, tuck, and pleat within that catalogue. I even brought it to the salon and had my hair cut and permed(!) to match the cover model.But then I grew out of those styles (emotionally, that is) and sold them at a consignment shop a few years later.
Justine Tabak's dresses take me back to that happy place, and I wonder whether it's time to update my once-loved 1980s look.
I'd wear these dresses (below) with my chunky platform Chelsea boots (instead of my 1983 Granny boots). I'd have tousled hair or a messy topknot, and dark nail polish (remember Chanel's Vamp?).
In fact, I'm quite taken Tabak.
3 comments:
I do love JT's dresses, I can't bring myself to say how many I have , but they do get worn a lot. She definitely has a preference for a 1970s style (I was a bit worried about about wearing these styles again at my age - I think I must be a similar age to you from the University dates you've given. But no one has fallen over laughing. Yet.).
I scored a secondhand Laura Ashley dress at a Ladies' Auxiliary Bazaar or some such in the mid 70s (I'd completely forgotten until your post but this moment I can feel the elasticated smocking, the way it finally lost elasticity and had to be surrendered to the Sally Ann bag). And then I bought a delicatel printed navy pin-wale cord (the finest pinwale, such a good weight) in England the early 80s. Buttoned to the waist, which was dropped slightly, and loose, and there were pockets. It worked for early pregnancy and then post and for nursing and always looked smart enough to please my mother but with just enough whiff of hippy still to please me. And then I made two or three from brushed cotton (either challis or chambray) percale prints, similar pattern but short sleeve. . . Realizing now how brilliant they really were for living in. . . Might have to consider these JT dresses seriously. .. .
And glad to see that pun. Did you ever watch Buffy, and if so, do you remember "If I were at full strength I'd be punning right now"? You've obviously surfaced from the teaching term (marking is probably still exacting its toll) "at full strength." Brava!
Mater, I so wish I didn't sell my Laura Ashley clothes :-(. And Buffy is a pop culture gap! But I do love a pun, as you know . . .
Sue, I'm sure there's no reason to laugh! These days I do like to have a defined waist in a dress, but I am so very tempted to relive the 80s in these dresses.
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