Now - clothes brand - mid to late 80s - anyone remember them?

[Gonnagetgoing]

Does anyone recall a brand called Now who were around in mid to late 80s/maybe early 90s and had stand alone shops? The one we went to most often was in Croydon, Whitgift Centre.

I think George Taylor (?) who went onto George or was involved in Next started this brand.

I recall a white tshirt with coloured letters saying Now, a baggy Katherine Hamnett style logo tshirt with Help A London Child on it, a pale blue polo neck, navy blue long sleeved top and matching/similar leggings/trousers with buttons up the side in sort of legging material and a blue/navy sort of cable knit jumper. And a black sailor type dress. Oh and some capri pants/three quarter length cycling shorts/leggings in jade green and fuschia pink.

It was one of the only shops DM would buy me clothes from as she disliked lots of the others - she liked French Connection. She thought some of this brand were a bit 'French' in style.

Can't find a mention of them online.

The guy who did George at Asda/Per una and Next was George Davies but I can't see any mention of a shop called 'Now' in his business career.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/GeorgeDaviess_(retailer)

That is so bizarre because I was only thinking about it last week, and I couldn’t find any mention of it online ether. It was mid 80s when they were around. I had some of the capri pants and a plastic badge shaped like a bow. White plastic with yellow dots. They were very big on the oversized t shirt as I recall. The posters etc in the shop had a bit of a Benetton vibe. I couldn’t afford much from there because Inwas only 13/14 but it was peak 80s, I agree!

I remember them! They had a branch in the Churchill Square shopping centre in Brighton. I bought a buttercup yellow V-neck long-sleeved cotton top there...used to be my favourite colour. Thanks for the nostalgia boost

@Iamthewombat

That is so bizarre because I was only thinking about it last week, and I couldn’t find any mention of it online ether. It was mid 80s when they were around. I had some of the capri pants and a plastic badge shaped like a bow. White plastic with yellow dots. They were very big on the oversized t shirt as I recall. The posters etc in the shop had a bit of a Benetton vibe. I couldn’t afford much from there because Inwas only 13/14 but it was peak 80s, I agree!

@Iamthewombat - yes very much so a Benetton vibe - in fact the Croydon shop was next to Benetton I think...

it was the only shop (apart from Top Shop) that DM bought me clothes from - but I had an allowance for other clothes.

@WoozieFloozie

The guy who did George at Asda/Per una and Next was George Davies but I can't see any mention of a shop called 'Now' in his business career.

[[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/George]]Daviess_(retailer)

@WoozieFloozie - I'm sure it was him. But if you google Now you don't get any info about them...

@TreesAtSea

I remember them! They had a branch in the Churchill Square shopping centre in Brighton. I bought a buttercup yellow V-neck long-sleeved cotton top there...used to be my favourite colour. Thanks for the nostalgia boost

@TreesAtSea - ah - that's nice! Showing our ages eh! snigger

I once went with DM to Top Shop after a trip to Now telling a white lie to DM that I needed new school uniform, came away with a turquoise long fishtail skirt, same colour baggy shirt, turq and white deck shoes and a pale light blue and white short sleeved synthetic blouse. I confessed to DM after she'd got me the TS stuff!

Now I've got a flashback of their carrier bags! Light grey with "NOW" surrounded by or in pastel coloured squares or something similar, I think. And, yes, turquoise clothes... first time posting on MN so don't know yet how to quote from your post in my reply.

I remember them I don’t know why but I thought they were part of mothercare - obvs for older people

My mum and I both had bright green knitted leggings from there, with a slim fit matching zipped polo neck jumper and a baggy chunky knit jumper in red (me) and purple (her).

We thought we were hilarious by saying we were going to go to Now now and Next next.

Yes, there was one on Princes Street in Edinburgh. I had a massively oversized grey shirt from there ... I remember it as having a quite good value, minimalist Muji-type vibe, but that was maybe just the things I went for at the time ...!

As a PP has said, I too was wondering if they were linked to Mothercare as the Brighton branch either shared a shop unit with them, or maybe the unit was just filled by Mothercare when they closed down... can't be certain which.

@TreesAtSea

Now I've got a flashback of their carrier bags! Light grey with "NOW" surrounded by or in pastel coloured squares or something similar, I think. And, yes, turquoise clothes... first time posting on MN so don't know yet how to quote from your post in my reply.

@TreesAtSea - yes those were the bags.

If I get a chance and can work out how to hide my face I'll upload pics of me as a teen in the outfits.

I think it could've been Now! (with exclamation mark at the end).

Turquoise was what I liked - sort of a dark turquoise - the shirt was a bright blue/turq combo - baggy one - from Top Shop. My DB who was with me was quite impressed I'd 'conned' DM into me getting two lots of clothes!

@SheWoreYellow

My mum and I both had bright green knitted leggings from there, with a slim fit matching zipped polo neck jumper and a baggy chunky knit jumper in red (me) and purple (her).

We thought we were hilarious by saying we were going to go to Now now and Next next.

@SheWoreYellow - that makes sense those outfits - they sound vile now or not great but honestly my DM at the time much preferred Now to Top Shop etc.

As I said she loved French Connection and other places. She took me to Stirling Cooper later on.

@Trolleedollee

I remember them I don’t know why but I thought they were part of mothercare - obvs for older people

@Trolleedollee - I don't think they were linked to Mothercare but think they were very near their store in Croydon.

I think primary colours and simple lines were the Mothercare link.

One outfit from there was navy long sleeved top and sort of leggings but not quite which my mum went on about it looking 'French' on me.... .

those outfits - they sound vile now or not great but honestly my DM at the time much preferred Now to Top Shop etc.

They were streets ahead of Topshop and Dorothy Perkins, which both sold very boring clothes in the mid 80s. DP sold the same cream jersey long-sleeved polo neck throughout the 1980s. Every time you went in, there it was. I never knew who bought it but somebody must have. Now was exciting by comparison, particularly because it sold stuff that was colourful and a bit oversized. I’d seen the Wham! Last Christmas video. I knew what fashion looked like (colourful and oversized).

And yes, upload the photos of the outfits!

I remember them! Was there one in Brent Cross?? (Question for any North Londoners in the room..!).

I was also going to say I think there was a Mothercare link. It was like the "next stage" once you'd outgrown MC's clothes.

@SheWoreYellow

My mum and I both had bright green knitted leggings from there, with a slim fit matching zipped polo neck jumper and a baggy chunky knit jumper in red (me) and purple (her).

We thought we were hilarious by saying we were going to go to Now now and Next next.

my mum and I had the same sort of joke, we'd always say "shall we go to Now next, or Next now?" And laugh every time. I agree, they were sort of like Benetton.

@Ponks - see that's the thing - I think they were on the same lines as Benetton but as I keep saying some of it appeared more 'French' (e.g. navy and black) to my DM's eyes.

@Iamthewombat - the only polo necks I can recall were those white t-shirt material long sleeved ones which I wore with red braces (or black?) and baggy jeans? I had some Pepe jeans with a plastic keyring. I did get given some tight light zipped/with straps trousers from a younger relative. I got a pale blue polo neck from Now though.

I did buy a navy and white print small scarf from Top Shop. Bay Trading had a few nice clothes. And I had a bright pink and white striped oversized t-shirt.

Will try to find and upload photos - how do you colour in the face?!

@Iamthewombat

those outfits - they sound vile now or not great but honestly my DM at the time much preferred Now to Top Shop etc.

They were streets ahead of Topshop and Dorothy Perkins, which both sold very boring clothes in the mid 80s. DP sold the same cream jersey long-sleeved polo neck throughout the 1980s. Every time you went in, there it was. I never knew who bought it but somebody must have. Now was exciting by comparison, particularly because it sold stuff that was colourful and a bit oversized. I’d seen the Wham! Last Christmas video. I knew what fashion looked like (colourful and oversized).

@Iamthewombat - definitely oversized and colourful.

I did have a Wham! Choose Life tshirt from somewhere but I distinctly recalling my mum (who used to be in advertising and in fact had her own fashion brand for a short time) really liking Now as opposed to Top Shop etc which she hated!

I had no idea about fashion then (changed now) or what suited me.

There must've been a trend for white broderie anglaise tops and capri pants as I did wear this combo along with 2 other girls to a party in 1986/7.

One girl was the Queen Bee and she looked great in hers (pink ribbons in her top etc) - we had pale blue ones in ours.

80sactual.blogspot.com/2013/07/1980s-fashions-suitable-trends-for-today.html

Bottom left Now bag!
https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/vintage-80s-clock-house-chelsea-girl-287078696