Remember when we still had Laura Ashley shops in the U.S.? I worked for the Seattle location, on University Street, for awhile. It was one of the best jobs I ever had.
I was young, newly married, saw the world in a romantic light and hadn't a care in the world.
I lived close to the shop, on Capital Hill. I would dress in a flowing floral dress (made in Wales), cotton canvas espadrilles (made in Spain) and straw hat (made in Great Britain) and float down the hill to work every day. Things really changed when the company was sold to an Asian buyer. Suddenly all the beautiful fabrics were gone - fine wools and polished cottons - and the European craftsmanship was replaced by Asian sweatshop cheapness.
I was so sad to see it's North American demise and have never forgotten it. I still have a large box full of dresses and hats and scarves I wore all the time. I still cherish them.
Laura Ashley was not just about flowery dresses. There were wonderful softly tailored suits and silk scarves and sweaters knit in Scotland. And let's not forget the parfum...
If I lost a few pounds, I'd probably wear those stored dresses again! My friend Pippa had emailed me the other day, talking about wearing classic navy and white and how it never seemed to go out of style and one always feels fresh and put together in that color combination. I whole-heartedly agree!
I have been wanting to post some Laura Ashley clothing images for some time now so that gave me a theme - vintage L.A. in navy. Still classic, still fresh and still on my mind!
No comments:
Post a Comment