Paisley, a Turkish cucumber, can be safely called one of the most ancient and at the same time very popular ornaments in our days!
Etro Paisley is one of those oriental ornaments that do not seem too elaborate or exotic, easily adapt to any color scheme and never go out of style. It is not bound by seasonal conventions and looks organically in both summer clothes and warmer, but, admittedly, the paisley looks especially impressive in the delicate spring palette of our new collection “Signs of Spring”!
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We offer you a closer look at the history of a long-familiar ornament, and most importantly, with the intricacies of its use in creating an image.
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Oriental cucumbers and where they grow
The ornament, which later adorned itself with psychedelic dresses of the 60s, Beatles shirts, Russian shawls, British wallpaper and couture dresses, has an incredibly ancient history: it was common in Persia and Iran in the 3rd-7th centuries. ad! At the same time, he began the gradual conquest of many other eastern countries, so today you can find such names as "Turkish cucumbers" or "Indian cucumbers", although it was originally called "buta" (with emphasis on the last vowel).
Persian rug with paisley pattern A curious fact: the Indian cucumber plant, momordica, really exists and even remotely resembles a paisley pattern in its color and shape, but in reality the pattern was not inspired by cucumbers in ancient times. What exactly is a big question, but there are several versions: an Egyptian wheat ear, cotton buds, a tear of Allah, palm leaves, and in addition, in Sanskrit, "buta" means "fire."
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As for the name "paisley", it appeared much later: in the XVII century. demand for Indian fabrics, including those with this ornament, was in incredible demand, but their high cost forced merchants to look for ways to refuse foreign purchases and establish production of popular goods at home. Paisley, a small Scottish city, has completely turned into one huge Indian-style fabric factory, and thus has earned its place in history.
Dress of the 18th century, Russia, shawl of the 19th century, England Until the beginning of the 19th century, paisley was associated with something status, in particular, because of the expensive Indian cashmere shawls decorated with this pattern. During the nineteenth century, the pattern became increasingly widespread, especially when it began to be stuffed on cheap cotton fabrics, which ultimately led to the decline of its popularity.
Collection of wooden heels Paisley gained a second life in the second half of the last century, when he suddenly became an important cultural symbol of the hippie movement! In those years, there was literally nowhere to go from the "cucumbers": prams, belts, bandanas, ties, trousers and even John Lennon's Rolls-Royce. Well, in the 1980s, the Italian fashion house Etro made the “cucumber” its trademark, opening the way for him to the catwalks.
Pierre balmain How to wear a paisley ornament today?
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Paisley can be very different: sweeping, rough and bright, delicate and detailed, active and background. Therefore, a lot will depend on what effect you want to achieve. However, it should be borne in mind that women of large physique are more suitable for small or medium "cucumbers" in a calm color scheme, otherwise the figure may seem heavier than it really is. Fragile and slender can safely experiment with complex and detailed motifs, and with bright colors.
Anthropologie Even in a relatively soft palette, the paisley remains quite catchy ornamentation, which, as a rule, makes it difficult to combine it with other prints. If you do not want to overload the image, then, of course, it is better to supplement it with plain fabrics, but in the framework of the style of boho and ethnic motifs in general, you can go in the direction of complication! Paisley can be combined with floral patterns, geometric elements, for example, with peas or a strip.
Etro, Mango In the coming year, paisley appears both in the spring-summer'2020 collections and in the autumn-winter collections, not only Etro, for which paisley remains iconic, but also, for example, with Max Mara in the most gentle pastel design or in the Isabel Marant cruise collection in a cold and strict monochrome.
Max Mara, Isabel Marant An interesting interpretation of paisley is found in the autumn Tory Burch collection, and Alice + Olivia in the fall offers a real boho classic of this pattern.
Tory Burch, Alice + Olivia There can be no doubt, this year paisley is really on the wave! Finally, we offer you to admire the most delicate openwork dress from Zimmerman, which is literally mesmerizing, singing the beauty of this ancient pattern.
Zimmerman Stylish tricks: how to combine several prints in one look
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