“Paisley print is an easily recognized pattern that resembles a crooked tear drop or half of a yin-yang. A very popular print on all sorts of clothing and fashion accessories during the 1960s, paisley print is commonly found today on men’s ties and handkerchiefs. It has also recently resurfaced on women’s skirts and handbags. Though paisley print became popular when it appeared in the shops of London’s Carnaby Street during the mod fashion frenzy, its origin can be traced back to India.”
Courtesy WiseGeek.com
Somewhat inexplicably, I’ve lately been drawn to all things paisley. I’ve never been a big fan of paisley in the past, at least not more so than any other prints out there. But then Mr. Magnolia and I began the registry process, and everything changed.
When we were picking out china, we knew that wanted something simple yet distinctive, something that will be complementary to a lot of colors, but not boring. Ultimately, we decided on Kate Spade’s Bonnabel Place.
And so, the obsession with paisley began.
I’ve downloaded paisley dingbats (is that not the funniest name for an electronic picture, by the way?), I’ve purchased paisley stamps and ribbons, I’ve researched paisley-accented stationery…you name it, I’ve looked it up. I know that it’s easy to go over the top with a theme/motif, so I’m definitely trying to avoid doing just that.
But look! KenzieKate does a fabulous invitation with paisley…so I must not be the only one who appreciates the design.
And, Abby Jean from Style Me Pretty featured a gorgeous paisley invitation from Demby & Solomon just last week.
I was a bit bothered by the new fascination at first, because even though the above reference calls paisley “mod,” it always seemed very preppy to me…but then I realized that Mr. Magnolia and I are kind of preppy, so I guess it works.
Are you planning to incorporate a motif throughout your wedding? Does it suit your personality as a couple, or is it just something you like? At what point does a motif become overkill?
We’re incorporating paisley! I can’t explain my fascination with it either…but I’m drawn to it. We first found a tie for my fiancee that was an ivory/very light gold paisley and then later found bronze/gold/tan paisley ties for the groomsmen (the bridesmaids will be in bronze dresses). My invite designer worked with my fiancees tie as inspiration for our invites and she’s going to create menus, programs and placecards to match!
So I couldn’t agree more!!!
Elum makesa gorgeous letterpressed paisley invitation that I love. Check it out!
Hee! I just blogged about paisley last week ;o) I don’t think mod when I think paisely (especially considering its origins) … it just went through a revival at the time, but it has a very preppy feel to me.
Paisley always seemed more bohemian than preppy to me… go figure.
I’m using a big paisley stamp to accent my escort cards. woo hoo for paisley!
I’m incorporating some paisley in my decor because of it’s Indian feel. Yay for paisley!
Hi Miss Magnolia! I was wondering - where did you download your paisley dingbat from??? Thanks!
Quynh, I found some great paisley dings at houseoflime.com
They’re free, but she does ask that you give credit.
Melina at Studio April designed our gorgeous paisley invitations! My fiance is Indian, and paisleys are considered auspicious so we knew we wanted them on the invite. I found two beautiful paisley-based designs on her sites:
http://www.studioapril.com/d65.htm (vivid colors)
http://www.papelvivo.com/a142.html (elegant letterpress)
But when Melina sent us samples of her work, my fiance fell in love with a colorful floral invitation set:
http://www.studioapril.com/d84.htm
Melina custom-designed an invite set that combined both of these motifs into an amazing, flowered paisley pattern. She even subtly altered the colors based on a photo I had sent her of some tilework at our wedding site. Our invites were beautiful, colorful and elegant and everyone has been raving about them. I can’t recommend her enough!
[...] her pictures of inviations that I liked, and I told her all about my obsession with all things paisley, and she ultimately presented me with two different options - a modified pocketfold, and a [...]
If paisleys are considered Indian then nothing beats wedding invites available on http://www.indianweddingcard.com. My wedding is set to be on 09/06 this year and since I’m Indian (my fiance is not) I wanted to incorporate things Indian-ish here & there and this was the best site I could find for invites. They have a huge variety, all possible colors, designs, patterns and paper textures! Every single person who has received the invite has had nothing but great compliments and praises and I couldn’t have imagined that kind of a response. I was pleasantly surprised. Beats the price especially if you know someone in India you can ship the cards to and then they can bring with them here to the US! The card I selected is: D-1505. I went for the color since yellow & orange are my wedding colors. The paisley worked itself in! BTW I’ve read paisleys are Persian in origin. In India we think they resemble mangoes!
Miss Magnolia, Atlanta
Age and Occupation: 28, Public Affairs and Government Relations
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Lobbyist
Engagement Date: December 1, 2006
Wedding Date: January, 2008
Blogging Since: September 6, 2007
Venue: catherdral ceremony/private club reception
About Me: Mr. Magnolia and I are thrilled to be planning an evening, winter wedding for 200 people in Atlanta. We both work in politics and share a love of University of Georgia football, pop culture, and good food! I'm a runner who adores wedding magazines, bad reality television, and a
good glass of wine. Most of the time I like to think I'm pretty organized, but between wedding planning, house hunting, and a full-time job, I'm being put to the test!
I have this recent love for paisley (I think it’s from looking at ties for Mr. Kiwi), everything paisley just looks so… crisp. Don’t know why, but I loooove it!