SALON 51 AD - 1984

Don't know if Eddie went here to be shorn, but this is Salon 51 in the Murraygate - going for it!

Ad is dated 1984.

EDDIE'S STYLE CHANGE - 80'S

This is the same Eddie as seen in yesterdays items, only this time modelling a totally different hairstyle, where he seems to have gone for a John Lydon kind of look.

I just put this image up to subtly flow from fashion to hair, and to kick-start a few days worth of retro salon action!

Photo by The Bear.

PERTH ROAD'S CANADIAN SHOP - 80'S

Those of you who frequented places like the Centre Bar, Club Feet and other youthful dens in town in the 70's & 80's will probably remember (Fast) Eddie Donnelly.

Well after his first trade went bust, he opened up this fashion shop in the Perth Road, the clothing on the racks being stuff he imported from North America.

The shop may have been called Dan Rivers, not 100% sure, although that's a name that crops up on the funky interior design.

Eddies co-owner was George Craigie, and Billy Shaw helped out in the shop - this was sometime around the mid/late 80's period.

Photos by The Bear.

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.

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!!

SUMMER SANDALS IN THE SIXTIES

Every kid in the 60's knew when summer had arrived - when your parents told you it was time to put on your sandals. As you can see, they were as common as muck! I think I wore a pair the same style every summer up till I was about 10.
The photo was taken in June 1962 when I was 4. That's me (GG) on the right with my wee brother on the opposite side. The star of the picture though is the little cutie-pie in the middle, Susan, looking dead Scottish in her tartan troosers. She also had ginger hair, completing the - dolly from a tartan souvenir shop in the Royal Mile look!
We are sitting on the kerb in the culdee of Kemnay Gardens by the way.
Another amusing aspect is - see the togs I've got on, well if you forward-wind 20 years to the early 80's, I was wearing similar shirts fastened at the neck without a tie along with similar shabby breeks, when it was a post-punk kind of fad. Then I'd be sitting on the pavie outside the Tayside Bar 10 o'clock at night, lighting up a joint!!
A case of fashion going full-circle!
Changing the subject for a moment, an additional observation in the photo is that the 2 doors in shot are their original dark brown colour they'd have been when Craigie was first built. However, later on in the 60's, a team of council decorators came along to repaint the entire scheme. Some of the lucky ones had their doors painted pale blue, but we were one of the unfortunate ones who got theirs done in pink!
Anyway, got lots of Dundee related fashion items to pop up over the next few days. Some toppers in fact!

WHAT'S ON THE TELLY? - XMAS 1973

The photo was taken at our house in Kemnay Gardens in December 1973. I'd be 15 at the time so still at Craigie High.

I can at least tell you what was physically on the telly anyway.

The Xmas decoration is a red reindeer with a wicker sleigh filled with baubles. It used to belong to my gran. We still have it in our family to this day, and it gets put out on display each Xmas.

Our groovy fibre-optic light wasn't part of the Xmas decor, it was just one of the everyday house items. It was very modern at the time of course, but now it looks quite kitsch!

We were on our 2nd colour tv by '73 but I haven't got a clue what programme is on in the picture. Wouldn't mind knowing after all these decades. Anybody think they know what it could be?

To help you drag your mind back to that era, underneath the photo is the tv listing for Sunday 16th December 1973. It's from the Sunday Post. You may need to click onto the image to read the larger version.

No 24 hour tv back then, BBC 2 not starting till middle of the afternoon!

There are quite a few of these shows on Youtube. For example you can relive the intro to Elephant Boy...(KALAAAA!!)... or catch Barbara Streisand singing a song from her show.

One programme which would be of interest to many Dundonians that day was Scotsport. This hour & a half edition featured highlights from the Scottish League Cup final - Dundee winning the trophy beating Celtic 1-0.

Not only was I at this game, I now have some footage from that very edition of Scotsport in my own personal collection!

ROLLER SKATE ADS - 1982

The top item is a reminder of how the Rollerama looked.

It opened on 1st April 1982 and the building was in North Lindsay Street.

The photo, however, is from 1986 after it had closed down.

Underneath it is a 1982 ad for the roller rink (Rollerama) which was part of the Aristocrat Leisure Centre.

I didn't visit it very often, just the odd occasion for a drink in between pubs or when there was a band on, and I never found time to venture onto the roller rink itself unfortunately.

I do recall one time when I was passing the building on the other side of the street and I heard them blasting out a D-Train disco track through the PA, so I couldn't resist crossing the road to find out what was going on! I was on my way to the Sands at the time so couldn't stay, but the dance music they were playing did put me right in the mood!

I have some old footage (below) of a roller disco (USA not Dundee) when it was "craze of the year" in 1979.

So in my cheapskate bid to recreate that very visit to the Rollerama, I have stuck a snippet of the same D-Train track on to accompany the clip - and hey presto - my Dundee Rollerama simulation is complete!!

Well apart from one thing - I don't quite remember seeing fashion in Dundee like the skaters in the film are wearing!! 

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Since posting the Rollerama item at the top, I have managed to find a roller skate advert to accompany it.
The reason I've decided to include it here is because, in the "comments", the subject of roller blade skates cropped up, which lead to the opinion that they didn't appear on the scene until the late 80's.
Well here's the reminder that they were indeed available in the UK the same time as the Rollerama ad, as the "new concept" TRISKATE ad is dated November 1982.

1985 FASHION PHOTOSHOOT

This is a rather unusual Dundee fashion photoshoot.

The location is quite unusual because it took place indoors on the stairs of the Museum and Art Galleries in Albert Square.

The choice of garments is also quite unusual because 5 of the 7 dresses were from the local Oxfam shop.

They somehow managed to make the 2nd hand gear look pretty classy.

Dated 1985.

DESIGN BIAS - WESTPORT 1980's

The Design Bias shop & studio in Westport was part of the textile department of Duncan Of Jordanstone Art College.

Each year, different students were given the chance to test their designs out in the commercial world.

So they would design their fabrics and garments in the studio area, then display and sell them in the shop area.

Design Bias started up in 1985, and the first students to use the premises were Elizabeth Byrne & Anne Kelly.

The photos show some of their colourful funky ethnic-styled designs being put to good use in the shop, with the duo at work in the studio.

In 1988, it was the turn of Susan Allan & Helen Colville to take over Design Bias for a year which is the date of the advert and the B&W photo.

THE PENCIL PENCIL CASE

Around the late 60's/early 70's, this novelty pencil case hit the shops and proved popular with school kids.
The big, rounded, soft plastic, pencil shaped pencil case had a zip near the top for access and you'd usually just end up tipping the contents out onto your desk, a common sight in class first thing in the morning. You'd also be considered quite cool if you had one, like a lot of fads.
I couldn't find an image of an original from this era on the net, so I knocked out this computer image of one, just as a reminder.
Before that, the normal kind of pencil case was like a big floppy purse, and before that it was the traditional wooden box with sliding lid, a creation which seemed to be on the go since the 18th century! That's probably why the big pencil design looked ultra modern when it first cropped up on the scene.
The late 60's/early 70's was also the era when school kids started putting gonks and rubbery monsters on the top of their pencils!

DENIM POCKET PICTURES - EARLY 70'S

I forgot all about this fad until being reminded of it when I saw this feature in an old 1973 Popswop magazine I have.
Embroidered pockets on jeans.
I have a vague memory of it being a trend the older teens indulged in as I can't recall anyone from my age group (14/15) going about in these back then.
Anyway, some of the embroidered images shown are - a Monte Carlo scene, Camel Cigarettes, flowers and a Miami scene.
Click item to enlarge.

WEARING IT INSIDE OUT IN THE 80'S

There was a fad started up in the early 80's amongst UK's fashion conscious youth - wearing your gear inside out!

Fleecy t-shirts in particular were popular during the craze, showing off the chunky seams that would normally be hidden away on the inside.

They were also deliberately cut rough around the neck, giving them a homemade look, although chopping up t-shirts was something I used to do anyway!

This tag above comes from a fleecy t-shirt I bought in Edinburgh back in the early 80's. I kept it because it had a cartoon character on it I wasn't familiar with! The garment was made by the "Naughty Clothing Co" of London. The flip side of the tag is designed like a postcard and mentions "wearing the fluffy side out".

I also remember Dexy's Midnight Runners wearing their trousers inside out... well I didn't go as far as that!

MUSIC AT DE STIHL'S - 1988 - ACID HOUSE

An ad from October 1988 inviting you along to De Stihl's acid night.

This was at the height of the rave scene, with acid house being a particularly intoxicating brew of dance beats & synth patterns.

It wasn't just great music to dance to, it was also great to cycle to.

I remember being out on my bike regularly during this era and would be plugged into my Walkman with acid house pounding in my ears. It could be so mesmerizing, I often ended up going much further than I had planned without realising because I was so immersed in it.

I just kept going and going and going.

I could have won the Tour De France on that stuff!!

I'm still a bit like that today with Chicago Footwork tracks!

OUTPOST ADVERT - 1974

The place to go for all your hippy knick-knacks in the 70's was, Outpost, in Princes Street. They did have a shop in Exchange Street too, but I'm not sure if they moved there after Princes St or if this was an additional 2nd shop.
Along with the gear they have listed in the ad, I'd like to add joss-sticks to it!

DUNDEE MODS IN THE 60'S

One of the places Dundee mods used to gather at was The Hap cafe in Arbroath Road.
This short clip of film below captured some of the original 60's mod culture, hanging out at The Hap and whizzing about on their scooters.
I remember in the late 60's there being a customised scooter parked in Craigie. Dozens of mirrors & lights with a raccoon tail on the back! Dead smart actually.
The mod scene has been going on ever since of course with it's fashion, style and music still appealing to each subsequent generation.

THE FOUNTAIN - BROWN STREET - 1980'S

The Fountain Disco opened in November 1983, not long before rivals Fat Sams opened in fact.
It was a bit of a trendy place playing new wave, pop and disco.
This was the first club in Dundee to have lasers as part of the lightshow, and together with over-active dry-ice and bubble machines, made the dancefloor area a real visual treat when in full flow.
One of the DJ's was, Quincey McAdam, who used to DJ down at Londons Camden Palace.
Large video screens were up around the place, and with this being the era of over-the-top pop promo vids, they would show the likes of Duran Duran, Michael Jackson and Frankie Goes To Hollywood.
There were 2 lounges and 3 bars which meant there were areas other than the dancefloor to indulge in.
It put on the odd live act too. I remember seeing the brilliant Bristol reggae band Black Roots play here in 1984.

The ad under the photo is for when The Fall were also due to play here in '84, but the gig venue was changed to rivals Fat Sams!

The other ad is just a general one showing their extended weekend action and is from summer 1984.
It had a "No Jeans" rule on certain nights, and I recall on one unplanned visit, I was the only one in my crowd who was wearing jeans and so wasn't expecting to get in. I queued up anyway, and when the time came for me to step through the door the bouncer did his "Sorry, no jeans" routine. Improvising off the top of my head, I found myself saying "They're not denim, they're blue canvas". He stood staring at them bamboozled for a couple of seconds and said "Aye OK, in ye go!".
And that's how to outsmart the smart dress code..!!

GEAR BOUTIQUES - 1967

 

It's 1967 and there's 2 new fashion boutiques in town - both called Gear.

The main one was in the Wellgate and claimed to be Scotland's largest.

This particular store catered for the gals.

Meanwhile, the guys had their own Gear shop located up in Albert Street.

They specialised in Mod gear.

You'd think they'd be very popular but both shops lasted just over a year, and then they were gone.

GG

SPRINGERS AND SEGS

In 1969 when I was aged 11, I got to buy a pair of shoes called Springers. What made them different to the shoes I had worn up to that point was the fact they had leather soles. There was a mad rush with most boys to get Springers because one of the things that made them popular were the segs that went with them. Segs were metal clips that were hammered into the soles to protect the leather. Adults would usually put in about 4 segs on their brogues, but kids being kids, we ended up buying 2 packets worth and putting the whole lot on, resembling the photo above. You could always tell when someone was wearing Springers because of the clickety-clack racket they made walking along the pavement...again another aspect that made them appealing to kids!
Style-wise the upper had a wider than normal brim where the stitching was connected to the sole, so they were quite distinctive visually too.  
However, one of the dangers of going out in these shoes was when we used to jump off the back of a bus when it was still in motion. I think you can guess the outcome...skitin' all over the pavement out of control, sparks flying and ending up smacking into a lampie..!!

THE CRYPT DOOR - 1982

"Doors, lead to other doors" ... so sang Billy Mackenzie ... and in the case of the Crypt (Billy's fashion shop in Princes Street) it's quite literally true.

For although this is obviously a photo of Billy at the door of the Crypt...all is not what it seems!

You see, when this photo was taken in May 1982, the shop had changed it's name to "Plan 2" and was now being run by his brother John.

Therefore the image here is of the retained Crypt wrought iron outer door, leading to Plan 2's inner shop door...!!