NME FASHION ADS - 70's/80's

On the occasions when you couldn't always find what you were looking for in Dundee shops (which was quite often) and you couldn't always afford to go to London to indulge, then the mail order pages in music papers were a good alternative.

The ones above are all from old NME's I have, so let's tuck in...!!

The top ad is dated 1978 and features gear with a distinctly early 70's look - rugby shirt, cheesecloth shirt, embroidered kurta, loons and smock top.

The next 4 ads are all from 1981 and include a mish-mash of punk, new romantic, rock, new wave and soul boy gear, items such as - PVC breeks, denim jacket, bomber jacket, patch jeans, hardcore punk vest, jack boots (with the ad saying that they make Dr Martens look like ballet shoes!), stud belt & wristband, deck shirt, colonial shirt, Syrian scarf, cavalry shirt, regency shirt, leopard print trousers, stripy jeans, Bowie suit, pirate shirt, boating trousers, army surplus, Hawaiian shirt, tukker boots, and plenty more examples in amongst them.

The last one is dated 1985 and already there seems to be a bit of a retro thing going on in their ad with their mohair jumper, bondage trousers, gas cape, ski goggles, buckle boots, creepers and such like.

I'm sure some of you will have spotted your particular look!

I used to send for the odd item using this mail order route. One from around the 1981/82 period being a "Dread At The Controls" T-shirt. It was pertaining to Mikey Dread's radio show - and I wore that for years!!!

I remember Joe Strummer used to wear one too.

So anyway, it seems quite appropriate to include it here.

Click onto the ads to have a closer inspection.

OZZIE BOUTIQUES AD - 1977

 

I must admit, this is a shop I never even knew existed until I saw this ad.
Ozzie Boutiques in Exchange Street.
The ad is dated March 1977, so that should help jog your memory if you're struggling to recall it.
The latest fashions from London in '77 would have been either punk bondage clobber or shimmering disco gear, but their logo & typeface seems to hark back to the hippie 60's!
Well, if any of you have any memory of this boutique, feel free to pass on the info in the comments.

ALEX SMITHS AD - 1972

It was sale time at Alex Smith's in Commercial Street when this ad appeared in 1972.

For the gals there were things like skinny rib jumpers, mini skirts, mini jumpers and a clearance sale of satin & velvet hot pants (I didn't realise Smiths indulged!)

Amongst the guys stuff were car coats (remember them?), stretch nylon track suits, and it being '72 - good old Crombies!

Click on ad to enlarge.

CARHARTT'S AD - 1986

Carhartt's appear to have ditched the Hamilton part of their name when this advert was published in 1986.

It's basically an invite to their factory shop in North Isla Street wanting you to go try out their range of jeans, casual gear and workwear.

Wonder how many people took them up on the offer?

LEVI'S DUNDEE AD - 1984

This ad dates from 1984 and is for the Levi factory up at Dunsinane, even although the address doesn't crop up in it....tele-communication only it seems!

A reminder that there is a photo of the factory interior in the October 2009 archives.

As you can see, Levi denim was so tough, even attaching them to 2 mules heading in the opposite direction couldn't rip them apart!

Staying with denim in the 80's - I remember in 1982 I visited the town in the South of France from which denim gets its name. Nimes - as in (from Nimes "de Nimes") - then shortened to denim.

The thing about it is though, being on the Mediterranean coast - it was far too hot to wear jeans, everyone just wore shorts!!

WHITFIELD'S AD - 1966

This ad from 1966 is for Whitfields' in Crichton Street, who were navy specialists.

Is that the only colour they had then - navy?!!

C&A FASHION - OVERGATE

 

The photo at the top is a wee reminder of how C&A appeared back in the mid 70's - this being the upper level of the Overgate.

In the early 70's, C&A was not exactly a cool shop to go shopping compared to what they had in trendy boutiques. The gents clothing dept for instance sold rather standard stuff - safe, sensible and somewhat boring.

They then came up with a concept in the mid 70's to make them be more hip - "Man At C&A" was their slogan - but the look was still the same corny style stuff in the main.

In the 80's, they did manage to become a bit trendier, the guys had "Avante" and the gals had "Clockhouse", and these ideas did at least catch onto what was going on in street-style fashion.

The first advert is an example of the Man At C&A gear which dates from 1973.

The second is for Clockhouse and is dated 1984.

The third is for younger teenage lassies called Girls In Style, and is dated 1986.

Definitely an improvement on their 70's dreary-wear!

PRIDE AD - 1984

I didn't go to the Market Hall area of Wellgate very often and certainly don't recall this fashion shop called Pride.

The ad is dated 1984 and their slogan was "Clothes That Stand Out Proud" - which may very well have been the case but I'm going to have to get one of you out there to give the lowdown on this place on my behalf - I know nothing about it.

If you do remember it - feel free to pass on the details in the comments.

AD FOR THE WARDROBE - 1986

An ad from 1986 for Whitehall Crescent fashion shop, The Wardrobe.

For the record - there was no truth in the story that they specialised in Winter clothing to cater for those who stepped into The Wardrobe on their way to Narnia!

TAKE ME TO GOLDBERGS - 1970's

Staying in the Murraygate a little bit longer, here's a couple of adverts for Goldbergs dating from the early/mid 70's.
Goldbergs were quite trendy for a department store, especially for school kids, but unfortunately they haven't got a particularly inspirational selection to choose from in this ad.
I mean, boring old grey trousers (yawn).
Mind you, they do have cat-suits on offer which were pretty hip... but 75p... not likely to be like Suzi Quatro's then!
That advert is dated 1972.
The King Kong ad is dated 1974, and looks a bit like a Terry Gilliam illustration.
Their slogan was "Take Me To Goldbergs" which made it seem like everyone was chauffeured there!

DUDLEYS AD - 1966

Time to close the wardrobe door on another delve into Dundee's past fashions.
So one final aspect of the fashion trade was the essential Dry Cleaners, and here's an advert from 1966 for Dudleys, who not only supplied a same day dry cleaning service but would do your alterations for you too.
There were quite a few Dudleys in town back then - as well as the 3 listed in the ad - Whitehall Crescent, Overgate & Reform Street, they also had premises in Roseangle, Castle Street, Wellgate, Princes Street and up the Cleppie.
I like the Mod girl in the ad with the square earring, but the square with her gives me the creeps!

BEAUJANGLES ADS

I used to think that when Mr Beaujangles opened in the Wellgate in the late 70's, they vacated their shop in the Overgate. 

However, as the above ads prove, both stores were on the go at the same time. Not only that, but they had introduced a 3rd shop in Commercial Street by this time too.

Mr Beaujangles had a good run in the 70's, being the fashionable young stud in town, but by 1980 he got himself a lass and they became an item - "Beaujangles" - they done away with the word "Mr" in the title as a consequence of adding a female clothing range to their stores.

Wonder if it's Beau Derek in the ad?!

The 2 ads are dated 1980 & 81.

Going back to the 70's though when Mr B was still unattached, the shop also advertised on screen, and below is one such ad - featuring a caged go-go dancer!

CAIRDS AD - 1971

Here's Cairds in Reform Street giving us their sales pitch, emphasising being "up-to-the-minute" with their fashions.
I don't recall them being particularly trendy, but on offer for the gals was a department called "Honey", which according to the ad was "packed with swinging fashions"!!
The guys had a place called "05ive". It looks like a misprint to me, but if that's what it was called then it sounds like a shop you'd go for hip-hop gear nowadays!
An international range of menswear is what they really had though.

MILLARS AD - 1971

I don't know anything about Millars, who were based at 115 Nethergate on the corner of South Tay Street in 1971.

I'd have been 13 in '71 and so didn't venture as far along as this when shopping in the city centre.

Judging by the ad, they seem to have been a typical gents tailors rather than a place for teenagers anyway.

Meanwhile, their shop in Gray Street in the Ferry also catered for the ladies.

2 DRAFFENS ADS - 1971 & 1966

As you can see in the top item, by 1971 the store had technically become known as Draffens & Smiths, but everyone, as far as I know, still continued to refer to it as good old Draffens.

Although the store retained it's old traditional feel, it also tried to keep pace with what was happening in the world of fashion, and so on the first floor there was a department called "Best Of Both Worlds" which catered for the fashion-conscious female. Then on the 2nd floor they had a place called the "Style 71 Boutique", a shop for young trendy teenage girls.

Meanwhile, back in 1966, the date of the other ad, as well as supplying more general info about Draffens, they also feature a couple of dress designs as examples of what their fashion departments had on offer.

I forgot all about Guinea's until I saw their prices - the Hardy Amies cocktail dress on the left cost 24 Gns, and the blue lace chiffon gown was 23 Gns.

Click on the ads to read the large version.

CATCHHAND ADS - 1970's



The top ad is dated 1973 and the one below it is from 1977.

Catchhand and 1973 went together well. Their shop in Kirk Style was doing a roaring trade with certain urban types who liked to be seen wearing Ben Sherman shirts, Sta-Prest trousers and Harrington jackets. A young teen street-wise crowd in fact.

I think they were struggling a bit with their slogan mind you!

If you were "With It", it meant you were trendy, up to date with the latest fashions - but the way they've worded it does seem rather clumsy.

Anyway, you get the gist of it.

1977 next and time to grab a bargain in the sales with their £3 reduction offer on Brutus and Jet jeans.

SLIC CHIC BOUTIQUE AD - 1978

So then, who shopped in this wee kinky corner of town back in 1978?
It's the Slic Chic Boutique advertising their rather specialized stock - exotic underwear.
Here's me thinking the Albert Street area was more of a string vest type of neighbourhood too!

CITIZEN KANE AD - 1988

An ad from 1988 for Citizen Kane in Bell Street.
I remember seeing this shop just shortly before leaving Dundee, so it must have been around the end of 1986 when they cropped up on the scene.
A couple of doors along fae Thamson's I recall.
I was on the dole at the time however, so I would have only been able to window shop!

STABLE BOUTIQUE - 1970'S



Here's a fashion shop you may have forgotten all about - The Stable boutique in Commercial Street.
The photo was taken in the mid 70's.
Top ad is dated 1973 - so this was the era when guys were wearing their long shirt collars on the outside of their jacket lapels - the chosen image of countless clubby bands!
The Stable was where, in 1975, I bought myself a smart blue velvet formal jacket, then proceeded to wear it along with ripped jeans!
The other ad dates from 1977, although judging by the attire in the image, they appear to have chosen an illustration from 1973 to accompany it.
Crazy maaan, crazy!!

SCHOOL CLOTHES ADS - 1965 TO 1970

1st ad is from 1968 and is for Cairds in Reform Street.

I actually remember these school caps being worn by a couple of kids at Balerno Primary in the mid 60's, but thought they had disappeared by the late 60's. Here they are though, still on sale in '68.

The McGills ad is dated 1970.

The school gear they had on offer were uniforms and sportswear, so that would have included both of their department stores in Victoria Road.

Next up is the GL Wilson ad from 1965.

Their store was well known for being located on "the corner" - that was on the corner of Murraygate & Commercial Street.

They appear to have specialised in school underwear and sportswear. However, in the 60's there really wasn't that much of a difference. I recall when the chaps didn't have shorts to put on they just run around in their undies and vest. The girls always wore navy blue pants to gym and don't think they wore shorts at all in primary.

The last ad is also from 1965 and is for Menzies.

They had 3 shops on the go at the time - the Wellgate, Princes Street and Kirk Style.

The mention of sportswear reminded me that when at primary in the 60's, gym was referred to as PT (Physical Training), but when we went to secondary in 1970 it had become known as PE (Physical Education). I know not why!