Ahhhh. The August issue of Seventeen magazine. When I was a teenager I waited and waited for the giant back-to-school issue to arrive at the drug store. It usually came out when we were on our family vacation in Cannon Beach, Oregon, then a sleepy little coast town with one store that sold magazines. My sister and I would walk into town each day to see if the coveted issue had come in—we never thought to ask the storekeeper what the delivery schedule was. Eventually we would spy the 430+ pages on the shelf! I would pour over the pages again and again; advertisements and editorial pages were of equal interest.
But what really pulled me in were the models. You see, the back-to-school issue had real girls photographed at their colleges. I dreamed of wearing kilts and sweaters and tweedy jackets and corduroy pants and button-down shirts (not all at once, of course) on an East Coast campus just like they did; I could smell the autumn air and just see myself kicking leaves as I walked from one old brick building to another. I was a Seattle girl who had never been east of the Cascade mountain range, but I was hooked on the crisp romance of it all.
In retrospect, though, I think I was just in love with the clothes.
And that early imprinting is probably why I'm so in love with the Ralph Lauren Fall 2012 Collection. Tweeds! Trenches! Plaids! And Fair Isles!!!
Look closely at that last vest.
Do you see that the OXO is intentionally uncentered? Love it. Check out the Ralph Lauren website to see Fair Isle done modern, done exciting: Fair Isle paired with animal prints, Fair Isle in unexpected colors. Classic yet exciting.
I'm totally drawn in. Again. How predictable....
Can't beat RL, classic tweeds, blazers, and ferals. Modernization always seems to work better when it's on the subtle side. Then again, maybe it's just my age and what I "grew up on". In Denver, wool was cool :). My sewing pride and joy just before college was a camel colored, soft wool, shawl collared, calf-length, wrap-arouund coat, properly tailored. I know this is about the ferals, but loved the excuse for a bit of nostalgia, especially since I now live half way between Seattle and Portland. Oh - I did Seventeen also and still have the same romantic ideas about the Northeast!
Posted by: Deb Tanner | September 20, 2012 at 08:06 PM
Oh, yeah, baby! That's what I mean! I'll throw on my argyle socks and meet you on campus for a coffee.
Posted by: Carol | September 21, 2012 at 08:42 AM
Wow - what a great photo shoot. Thanks for that wonderful trip down memory lane. The fall fashions are simply marvelous and so inspiring. I might have to run out and get a copy myself.
Posted by: Jennifer | September 23, 2012 at 04:09 AM
LOL! I went to an east coast college....we wore jeans and tshirts ;-)
Posted by: Colleen | September 23, 2012 at 10:20 AM
I remember that 1968 cover! It made a huge impression on me. Loved that velvet jacket with the lacy blouse look. Although I never achieved any of the "looks' in Seventeen.
Like Jennifer, when I finally got to an east coast college four years later, I had lost interest in clothes and just wore whatever. But some girls did dress up in fair isle sweaters and tweed skirts. They weren't my crowd exactly.
Eventually I was given a fair isle sweater from LL Bean and I've been a fan ever since, but I learned to make them.
Posted by: shannon | September 23, 2012 at 02:03 PM
Hello! Just wanted to let you know that Eileen and I were at Sandy DeMaster and Mary Germain's class up on the Island, and several of us there had been at your WONDERFUL fair isle color class last summer, and had beautiful, thoughtfully colored samples and projects in the works (Eileen is making great progress on her sweater, me, not so much.... yet!). Once again, there were raves and squeels about how really great that class was. Just thought you should know we were all re-appreciating it. c-
Posted by: Nrthwoodsknitter - aka Cindy B | September 24, 2012 at 07:53 AM
Is that Cheryl Tiegs on the top cover?
Really, all that RalphLauren/preppy/faux-British-tweed-n-sweater style looks very appropriate for Northwest weather. We even wore a version of it at my SF Bay Area high school, alternating of course with the London Look, jeans and hippie gear. You should have gone for it!
Posted by: Gretchen | September 25, 2012 at 09:00 AM
This post brought back some great memories! I like the Ralph Lauren vest, but the uncentered XOX pattern would drive my mathematical mind crazy! :-)
Posted by: kristieinbc | September 27, 2012 at 06:53 AM
I simply adored Seventeen magazine, specially the back to school issue! I often copied their looks by asking my mother to sew the clothes I wanted and by knitting the hats, scarves and sweaters myself.
Now, when I look at the price of those Ralph Lauren sweaters, I'm still so very happy to be a knitter! :-)
Posted by: Raymonde | September 27, 2012 at 01:39 PM
Cheryl Tiegs. Scary how I recognized her right away. My grey roots are showing. Must dig out my fair isle vest.
Posted by: Lynn | October 04, 2012 at 09:14 PM