1980s Laura Ashley White Embossed Print Wedding Dress

Laura Ashley was the most famous name on the British High Street from the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. The textile-founded company made some fantastically playful and excellent quality clothing which often took inspiration from bygone eras. The company made some of the most aspirational wedding dresses of the 1980s. 

We believe this dress is from the 1988 bridal collection and we have attached the campaign shot which shows the dress with the outer skirt tied up at the sides. The ties hang discreetly when not in use. We have also added a very similar editorial portrait shot from 1991, with a very young Kate Moss modelling a similar style. The dress is tailored from white cotton with an embossed print in pale ivory with a slight sheen that catches the light. The print is detailed and shows swirling ribbons and bows, twisting around delicate flowers and leaves. The romantic silhouette features a nipped-in waist and full, circular skirt. The bodice is tailored in Laura Ashley's signature romantic style and the neckline is adorned with decadent ruffles that sweep around the bust and ripple around over the lowered back. The bust is boned the whole way around and is crowned with a frothy bow in coordinating cloth. The puff-sleeves are finished with bows. This dress is lined with a removable underskirt composed of matching printed cotton at the top, making it a comfortable wear. It ties with a drawstring at the waist. The underskirt is layered with two stiff layers of tulle and a final bottom layer of cotton. When worn, this underskirt means it holds its voluminous shape on the wearer. The dress fastens at the rear with a hidden tonal zip.

This piece is in truly excellent vintage condition with no flaws of any note and has been professionally cleaned. The composition label reads 100% Cotton. It’s labelled a UK size 14 but Laura Ashley vintage sizing is tiny by today's standards and we recommend no bigger than a UK size 8-10 or US 4-6 as the fabric has no stretch. 

MEASUREMENTS DRESS
BUST - 32 in. (81 cm) 
WAIST - 26 in. (66 cm) 
HIP - 74 in. (188 cm) 
LENGTH - 54 in. (137 cm) 

MEASUREMENTS UNDERSKIRT
WAIST - 36 in. (91 cm) 
HIP - 50 in. (127 cm)