This Is How I Wear My Mom's Favorite Brand 33 Years Later

When I first heard that Urban Outfitters was launching a new collaboration with Laura Ashley, I knew the name sounded familiar. "Didn't you wear a lot of Laura Ashley in the '80s?" I texted my mom. As it turns out, not only did she own several of the brand's signature floral dresses, but I had totally forgotten that she even got married in a Laura Ashley dress (a purple velvet one, to be exact).
Now that the brand is back with some very cute 2018 items, I decided to test out the collab for myself—with a little inspiration from my mom's chicest '80s looks, of course. One of the collection's blouses has a floral print that reminded me of my mom's puffy-sleeved dress, so I immediately zeroed in on that piece. My mom also layered a cute red striped Laura Ashley dress over a white blouse, so I decided to style another dress from the collab over a white tee. (Do I get bonus points for also wearing the same Nike Cortez sneakers that my dad is wearing in the photo?) Scroll down to see how my mom and I style Laura Ashley dresses over 30 years apart.
On me: Laura Ashley & UO Launa Button-Down Shirt ($59); AG jeans; Gimaguas bag; Sam Edelman shoes
On me: Laura Ashley & UO Lace-Up Midi Dress ($79) and Bow Scrunchie ($8, available in blue); Casa Chiqui bag; Nike Cortez Basic Leather OG Sneakers ($75)
Shop the Full Collab

Erin got her start as a Who What Wear intern in 2011—back when the site only published a single story per day. (We have since increased that number twentyfold.) She graduated magna cum laude from USC and lives in Los Angeles. In college, she also interned at Refinery29, where she was promoted to editorial assistant and then assistant editor. After nearly three years at R29, she came back to WWW in 2015, where she is now the Associate Director of Fashion News. From the Oscars to the Met Gala, she leads the site's entire red carpet coverage strategy. She specializes in celebrity and fashion news but also enjoys writing travel features and runway reports. She frequently contributes to WWW's social accounts and has a sizable following on her personal TikTok.
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