Trendlet Alert: Oversized Paisley

By Heather Summerville
June 11, 2010

Clockwise from top left: January Jones in a paisley wrap dress in Malibu (Photo courtesy of Flynet/Matrix Photos), Paisley reef runner (available at Anthropologie), A look from Etro’s Spring 2010 collection (Photo courtesy of Etro), Paisley tablecloth (available at Pacific & Rose), Paisley bedding set (Photo courtesy of Anthropologie), Paisley scarf (available at Madewell), Lockheart paisley tote (available at Anthropologie), Cathy Waterman blackened scalloped paisley earrings (available at Ylang 23), Nicole Richie and a paisley dress at the beach (Photo courtesy of NicoleRichie.org), Beyond Vintage paisley blouse (available at Revolve).

The Look: Indian in origin, but named for a town in central Scotland, paisley—defined by its decorative teardrop shape—stood as a symbol of wealth and social stature in the 17th-century, when it was first introduced in Europe via the East India Company. But my how a few centuries can change everything. Today the colorfully swirling print is better equated with the youth rebellion of the late ‘60s: The Beatles after their pilgrimage to India, the British design house, Biba, and the free-spirited inhabitants of Laurel Canyon and Haight Ashbury. In its modern day incarnation, the now bohemian print has gotten bigger and bolder, with giant paisley drops suddenly popping up on everything from bedding to floor-skimming evening gowns.

Seen In: This month’s Anthropologie catalog boasts the print in both bag and bedding form. The Italian fashion brand Etro’s spring 2010 collection is a carousel of whisper-thin, paisley-printed dresses and tops. And both Madewell and the Pacific & Rose textile company dedicated pieces in their summer collection to the traditional woodblock motif.

Loved By: January Jones and Nicole Richie were both recently spotted donning beach-perfect paisley dresses. Elizabeth Klein, designer of the New York-based label Beyond Vintage, used paisley in her last collection because she was drawn to its timelessness: “It’s like polka dots or stripes, you’ll keep it in your closet for years to come.” Lockheart bag designer, Jennifer Tash, picked an oversized, curvy paisley to cover one of her canvas totes, because she felt “playing with size and color modernized the classic design.” San Francisco-based interior designer, Melanie Coddington of Coddington Design, loves the print so much she decked-out her own bed in the repeating teardrop pattern. “For my own ‘girly modern’ home, I designed bedding that incorporates a tone-on-tone paisley that feels subtle and fresh,” says Coddington. “But we’re such a global design community now—and paisley is popular around the world in so many different forms—that you can mix it in with classic American or more Eastern styles like Indian or Moroccan, and it works. It’s far more versatile this time around.”

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