Puffy you say?! I am hearing a siren call... Do the vests have flowers? If they do, I'm a goner

Yes to Ralph but I never liked Ashley and still do not.

No flowers! Just solid colors. Perhaps I should do a K/T post to be sure?

If they're puffy, I'm sure they're keepers, lol I am Queen Puffy! But it's very interesting they were Laura Ashley and solids.

I used to work at Laura Ashley while I was in uni. At one point, she and her husband paid a surprise visit to our shop. She was quiet and gracious. He was wearing a rumpled shirt with a huge chocolate stain. Apparently he fell asleep on his hotel pillow mint. They were on their way to a function and he asked us to cut a tie out of one of the bolts of fabric because he'd forgotten to wear one.

Ralph Lauren clothes 'get' me. I've wondered if he works with a fit model with my proportions. He advertises during Masterpiece Theatre/Downton Abbey.

Never owned LA clothing, but I did used to drool over the home interiors catalogues.

Ohmigosh, Aliona. That is awful funny. Must have been exciting to have them in.

That's fascinating, Carla, that RL sponsored Downtom Abbey. That makes sense.

I had never heard of Laura Ashley until i was shoe shopping for my 5yo, so i had assumed it was a kids brand, like Osh Kosh or Carters. Were these dresses you owned and wore as an adult?

I am a YAY for Ralph Lauren...and Tommy Hilfiger, too!

My favourite sunglasses are Ralph Lauren and his polo shirts are popular here, especially on men.

I had a whole room in Laura Ashley, beige with chocolate flowers. With a reverse duvet cover, chocolate with beige flowers. I also had a border at the top of the wall. I had a beige valance on the bed. I was so cool in 1978.

Very nice, Sally!

I wore Laura Ashley as a teen until my mid 20s...

I am a fan of Ralph Lauren. I don't own any of his pieces, but I do tend to stop by that section in the department stores to browse.

Laura Ashley => NO. NEVER.

I like the RL turquoise jewellery that he uses in his ads. I did own a Laura Ashley skirt and underskirt. I bought it in London England in the 1970s. Not too flouncy. I was never into florals so she was never one of my favourites.

Ralph Lauren? Definitely

Laura Ashley? Heavens no!

Ralph Lauren is too preppy for my taste, but looks good on others.

Laura Ashley is for the most part the antithesis of cool style, but I have to confess that my high school grad dress was a Laura Ashley and it was fabulous. It still would be if you took off the puffy 1980s sleeves. Instead of the usual ditsy floral, it was a solid emerald green, but with a floral print that was only visible when the light hit it from an angle.

Gunne Sax! That was the one I was trying to remember yesterday. Those were more 70s/boho iirc.

Yes to Ralph Lauren. No to Laura Ashley style..I was never a fan of floral cotton frocks with frills.

@Lisap...Laura Ashley passed away at the too early age of 60 (in 1985) after a fall down stairs caused a brain haemorrhage.

Laura -- me too, was trying to remember Gunne Sax! That would have bothered me no end. Thankful to the OP who mentioned it. Oh how I longed for a Gunne Sax dress.

That was me... I forget the name all the time, and then it will randomly come to me! But a look that could not be more wrong for me in every way.

Heh, I remember Gunne Sax.

Laura Ashley is not the Antichrist by any means. It's just a sensibility that is probably okay (for me, anyway) in extremely small doses. Like a dress. And yes, a little girl in a LA dress would be adorable. But as an interior design scheme, oh no.........

I sadly still love a room all done in the same floral...

Also, ok, can I say half my relatives switched to Tommy Hilfiger at some point and his stuff has never done it for me - although I like him and his ads. I have one pair of TH pants and I feel like a hobbit in them...but I keep them because my mother says nice things to me when I wear them, haha!

I love the Ralph Lauren polo line for little boys. My son wears them. Well, until the under armors take over in upper elementary school, I guess.

Bad memories from Laura Ashley... a girl in my class showing up in the whole 1900 get up, bib/apron and fabric lace adorned limp hat included. Major cringe. Ugh.
But still love RL! I guess I'm preppy somewhere in my heart...

I think the takeaway from this is that Laura Ashley's designs didn't have the staying power that Ralph Lauren's have had. The RL brand has stood the test of time.

That makes me so laugh, krish. Lol.

That's something to think about, Betty! The test of time...hmm.

In college in the mid- to late-80s, we used to wear Laura Ashley dresses to steeplechase races on weekends. And we wore them with HAIR BOWS.

By the mid 90's, though, I cringed when my best friend chose LA for us as bridesmaids dresses. Tea length, green velvet, sweetheart neckline, and covered buttons down the front.

I believe the label was sold after Laura Ashley's death.

But Ralph Lauren? He's a true American classic.

Omg, Beth: I forgot about the bows!!

This thread really brings me back in time...
Gunne Sax! Didn't they make prom dresses?

Yes! I remember girls choosing Gunne Sax for prom.

I love Ralph Lauren. His designs are timeless. Laura Ashley, not so much. I do remember Gunne sax. Another 80's thing: Belle France dresses, little prints on rayon crepe. I loved them, wanted one, could afford it, but they always looked like a housedress on me. I look better in tailored things.