Fed up with florals? This season's paisleys pack a print punch
Paisley prints might evoke a wanderlust for far-off climes, but the town itself is rather closer to home, some 10 miles from Glasgow along the M8. Those recognisable teardrops, though, go back much further - and from much further east. The Iranian buta motif made it’s way to Britain via India, when Kashmiri shawls began to be imported and adopted as outerwear in British dress as early as the 17th century. They were unable to meet the growing demand - which is where the town of Paisley, a hub of weaving, came in. For the first half of the 19th century, weavers were kept busy making versions of these shawls to meet public appetite, which is when the print was renamed paisley.
Alexachung jacket, ￡545, Selfridges; Etro trousers, ￡405, Matches Fashion; Kenzo shoes, ￡335, MyTheresa
Trends might have been less fickle then than they are now - half a century versus a few months - but in the end, the life cycle is the same: scarcity leads to desirability leads to mass-production leads to availability leads to undesirability. And so paisleys were packed away, to be rediscovered in the middle of the 20th century. But by then, fashion had shifted seismically. The 1950s reincarnation of paisleys came courtesy of french fashion houses Balenciaga and Givenchy, who scattered them, respectively, across organza ball gowns with matching dress coats and silk headscarves knotted neatly under the chin.
Bangle, ￡185, Liberty London; Blouse, ￡29.50, Marks & Spencer; Scarf, ￡5.99, Bershka
Fast forward to the late 1960s, and paisleys were less ladylike, more bohemian, thanks in no small part to finding rock’n’roll fans in the thriving British music scene; a paisley bandana is still a rocker staple. In 1985, it became the emblem of Prince’s utopia with the song Paisley Park, later the name of his studio complex in Minnesota. And in menswear, the print has persisted, becoming something of a constant especially on ties and pocket squares - no comment on whether the symbolism of fertility plays and part in that. In womenswear, though, paisley has flickered in and out of fashion. Italian fashion house Etro, founded in 1968 during the print’s golden era, showed a vivid orange iteration on their Spring/Summer catwalk. If that’s not your colour, there are plenty more colourways in the shops now, and with more to come - for AW18, Isabel Marant showed purple paisleys, proving that, for now at least, paisley’s here to stay.
Handkerchief-hem dress, ￡380, Joie; Shirt dress, ￡39.99, Zara
If you wore paisley in its heyday, you might be relcutant to put it back on. But while fluid silhouettes appeal to those with an inner hippie, more tailored options - like AlexaChung’s boxy jacket - offer a fresh alternative. Luxurious fabrics like silk and brocade will also help to elevate the fabric. For an easy-to-wear summer cover-up, Hampstead based Madeleine Trehearne and Harpal Brar (trehearneandbrar.com) offer embroidered shawls in all sizes and colours that would look lovely layered over a party dress. Strip away the connotations, and paisley is a lovely, feminine print - a lesser-seen substitute to florals. If you want to update a paisley dress already hanging in your wardrobe, a pair of black leather loafers and waist belt will give structure and modernity. Though if you’d rather go barefoot, I can’t say that I’d blame you.
TRACKING THE TREND
In Art… 1868
English painter William Holman Hunt was one of the founders of the pre-raphaelite brotherhood, known for the symbolism he instilled into each painting. Portrait of Fanny Holman Hunt shows the rich paisley shawls that were so popular at the time.
In Music… 1964
Paisley prints became something of a uniform for musicians in the mid- to late-sixties. Marianne Faithfull was in good company - her boyfriend at the time, Mick Jagger, was a fan, as were the Beatles and David Bowie. A few years on, Bowie chose a skintight paisley jumpsuit and guitar for a now iconic image of Ziggy Stardust.
In Fashion… 2018
While paisley might seem a print more associated with summer, Isabel Marant’s darker palette renders the print winter-appropriate, too. Just add knee-high boots and a trench coat to transition between the seasons.
