Are you ready to welcome paisley back into your wardrobe this year? The paisley fashion trend is making a bold return this year with a modern twist. Read on for a heads-up on its history and its gradual ascend to contemporary fashion.
The first time I stumbled across paisley prints was in the form of a silky formal shirt loaded with intricate swirly earthy toned tapestry worn by my dad only on extremely rare formal occasions.
To find out that a usually serious and practically pattern-free person fashion-wise in my life would slip into something so visual naturally made me do a double take. But paisley in the 1990s where I came from (a small sleepy town in Malaysia) was only and only for a certain aged group; most preferably already with children too self-conscious for paisley.
Paisley in History:
Design-wise, the paisley is famous for its signature twisted teardrop shapes which are Persian and Indian in origin. However, the western term ‘paisley’ originates from a town of Paisley, in central Scotland. The design is called Mankolam (in Tamil) as it resembles a mango and in Iran, the Persians call it Boteh Jegheh a term that dates back to the Sassanid Dynasty.
So, how did paisley become contemporary?
The Beatles – after their pilgrimage to India where they met Maharishi Mahesh Yogi – made paisley counter-culture rebel’s best trend in the swirling sixties where the patterns were then highlighted during the hippie experience called the Summer of Love. Even Mick Jagger was spotted wearing a paisley jacket at a press conference in Germany in 1967.
The psychedelic proneness of the sixties was reflected through fashion where paisley prints became a coveted trend to the point that it became mainstream. So mainstream that people started to see them everywhere that fashion rebels then made a point to stay away from the trend. I guess that explained the 90s paisley-less fashion scene where only our parents decided to wear them out to our sheer embarrassment.
In 2012, the pattern is back with a bang as seen on the runway at a London fashion week showcasing Jonathan Saunders’ Spring/Summer collection with an updated no-fuss modern appeal which the paisley prints were not previously known for. Expect the prints to come in soft pastel-y hues instead of the traditional rich psychedelic tones.
Here in Malaysia, one can spot the colorful paisley patterns stamped on shawls and scarves worn by women. And to join in this year’s frenzy of bold prints and patterns, the paisley trend is making a seasonal come back that will hopefully be celebrated by the young generation.
Being that paisley’s a favorite of mine now (that I’m old..) mostly because of the bohemian and retro-like appeal that it gives off, I’ve no choice but to spoil you with a selection of paisley-clad fashionistas in hopes that they will inspire you. Enjoy!
So, what are your thoughts on paisley prints’ return to the fashion scene this year? Are you loving the iconic trend of the psychedelic era or is it taking you down the memory lane to the sight of a parent/grandparent clad in their ready-to-party paisley getups where the trend should remain? Share below!
“Like poetry, fashion does not state anything. It merely suggests.” -Karl Lagerfeld
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Here on Fashionista NOW, our one and very own Miss Reverie showcases the latest in fashion trends and its various social implications in our everyday lives. You may read more of her at REVERIE SANCTUARY.
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