Nostalgia for the 1980's part 1

 Ever since I was about 10 I have collected pictures from- at first my mum's Good Housekeeping or Telegraph- and later Vogue or other fashion magazines and kept them as inspiration for my sewing efferts of the time. Now 3 decades later I still have them - filed by category: blouses, jackets, coats, evening wear etc
They have been in the garage but alas I found out today that many have gone mouldy so they have to be disposed of. Here's my photos of what I aspired to once upon a time. A classic preppy type look.
Alas I never grew the cheekbones or the long legs to carry some of this off.

 And yet there's much that HAS happened, maybe the pictures were lodged in my subconscious? Like these pyamas, I have had a white cotton pair with navy piping in the past.

 And I am wearing such a striped classic blue/white linen shirt as I take the photos today....

 Have always adored white blouses and a little antique lace: so romantic!

 Or combining denim , leather and lace: wow.

 I never did have a coffee/tea meeting with a man like this, though...Perhaps there is still time?
Wouldn't it be nice? In real life 2013 my partner would be on his i-phone, not quite so nice.

 Who is she talking to? And phones just don;t look like this anymore...

 Lucky lady.

 Tracings and drawings I must have considered important in 1983?

 This may explain the embroidered waistcoat from Monsoon I just HAD to have in London circa 1990?
Not as Edwardian looking but kind of similar.

 So funny! I DO have this in reverse these days: navy cabled cotton with a double white stripe, Ralph Lauren from Bicester Village.

 Fascination with embroidery details.

 Nice velvet quilted jacket with saw tooth edge and fun loving fringed silk skirt.

 Dreamy Ralph Lauren. Suede and linen.

 The glory of fine white blouses

 Chunky chains were the attraction in this one.

 Lovely lattice work

Must have been longing for romance in those days?

 And such exceptional lace but I'd prefer it in white.

 I have a blouse similar to this one below, still with a ticket on, I somehow never wore it? Tucks and lace and a large floppy collar, Laura Ashley I think.

 And this I copied by sewing strips of lace bought at Liberty onto a white grandad collar blouse and I wore it so much in 1986-1989 that it wore out completely.

 Lace as raglan insets

 Or lace and organza at the shoulder

 Next would you believe, in the early days with George.

 Always loved to follow the catwalks by photo coverage of course.

The navy cashmere-mix  coat and Hermes scarf I took on, not so the white trousers and jumper, not on little 5'1'' moi.

Now for some illustrations I used to love:

 So groomed, very American.

 Quirky Lady Dandy

 Glorious knitwear inspiration.