Who actually wears Cabbagees & Roses?

[PaeoniaPlease]

*please excuse the typo in the title!

Newbie here. I'm from the US but love British style and follow British fashion and culture. There's one question to which I can't seem to find the answer - who is actually wearing Cabbages & Roses clothing?

I've really loved Cabbages & Roses lately, but few in the US seems to even be aware of this brand. I know it's a very small brand. I'm also aware that it is not "in style" or even very practical. It would be considered really "out-there" in the US.

My question is - is this brand something that is actually worn by British women? If so, who is actually wearing this brand? Is it 25 year old "Fashionistas", "Cottage Core" girls, the so-called "Turnip Toffs?"
Rich middle aged women? Younger girls with good jobs and large available balances on their credit cards? Mom types?

Have you ever seen someone wearing one of their signature flowy/billowy dresses in public? What type of person were they? How would you describe them?

Thank you for any insight!

I had an amazing stone coloured linen jacket - it was kind of swingy but a bit smocky. The detailing was beautiful - but had to accept eventually that it did nothing for me!

I mean, they're kind of timeless - in that Edwardian Railway Children grown-up way (I can imagine Helena Bonham Carter wearing nothing but...)

Hello, I wear Cabbages and Roses.

I’m 53 (so old enough not to care what people think of the way I dress) and live with my husband on a sheep farm in the Scottish Highlands. I’m short and dumpy and live quite a traditional working class country life, no children.

I loved C&R from 2000 when they started up but couldn’t afford it. I sew so I tried making dupes but it never worked because the fabrics they use are really what makes C&R what it is.

In 2020 the pandemic made me think ‘fuck it, life’s too short to only own clothes I hate (jeans and t shirts) so I sold an absolute ton of my old stuff during the eBay boom that was happening at the time and spent the money (about £10,000) on C&R over the next three years or so.

I’ve calmed down now but don’t regret a thing. They’re beautiful and I’m glad I got them when I did because since the founder (and head designer) of the company died last year the styles have become too extreme for me. I love a big tiered dress with a pie crust collar but even I can’t bring myself to wear a yoke seam above the bustline.

I mostly wear the knitwear and wool wideleg trousers, then the tiered dresses and coats. I have a few very special pieces that are pretty unwearable, so I just go and stroke them.

Being a dressmaker I’m back to trying to make my own stuff now as the prices have gone out of my range this season. If all goes well though I’m planning on still buying the odd piece once a year or so.

For those wondering, every garment I have that is sewn is made in England, with the plain knitwear made in China and the fairisle knitwear made here in Scotland by JC Rennie. They haven’t done it this year though.

Heavens, @OooScotland!

Please tell me they fly the entire collection up to you at least once a year for a personal trunk show?

You see I wouldn't care / don't care about that. The clothes are just so beautiful in their own right and the material is fantastic to wear (and they are not made in China)

My black and white dress is a soft cotton flannel, fully lined. The coat is a heavy cotton drill, also fully lined. There's yards and yards of material in its skirt. The other dress is a very fine cotton lawn. Everything comes with a wooden coat hanger and a cotton clothes cover.

I'm oddly pleased that Cabbages and Roses has been dismissed as "frumpy". I wouldn't give much credence to frumpy as a critique. In real life they get loads of compliments- not just friends but work colleagues and random strangers.

I'm totally in awe.

Sadly not. I know of much bigger fish than me who I suspect do get that kind of treatment though. I’m not photogenic or social media-y enough to get any perks!

The black and white flannel - is that the Vanessa from last winter? (Peach lining with little people on it)? If so that’s my absolute favourite dress atm.

It's called Hope I think, but yes it has that lining. I can't get over going to so much effort on a lining

That’s a lovely one too. I’ll be honest, being a dressmaker myself I took the lining out as it was like wearing a plastic bag and I need my dresses to be machine washable.

I'd never heard of them so just had a look - is this where Kirsty Alsop gets her dresses from?

I'm not normally a dress person but I think that black and white one is lovely - I love the contrast between the extravagant design and the quite austere print. I remember there was a skirt in that fabric in the same sales where I bought my jacket but I could only afford one thing.

I'm sorry to hear the founder died. Has it changed since then?

I really don’t think so. I’ve never recognised anything of theirs on her and I’ve been obsessed for 20 odd years.

Yes! the Piper skirt was made in the black and white flannel that season. I bought it in the red tartan, its gorgeous.

Christina Strutt died last year and the Creative Director job went to Violet Dent, who is the daughter of the other founder of the company, Bridget Buchanan.

The styles have become very extreme since then, some classics remain but the dresses are bigger and pouffier - if that’s possible, with as I said before, yokes gathered above the bust (why???) and a lot more polyester. The prices have also risen a shocking amount, but then so has everything.

Same 😻

10/10, amazing post. I do not even know this brand but am blown away by your visionary S&B leadership and unparalleled ability to execute 😍

Me too. I honestly think it's the best post ever.

I’m sorry, I don’t understand… what is S&B leadership and ability to execute? Genuine question.

Jesus Christ does anyone look good in that? I'd think you have to be tall and slim. I'd look awful. Those prices too!

Aw, thank you lovely. I do know its mad, but I hit 50 and..well, decided I was just going to go for it. Now I’ve done it I’m happy to follow the company and make my own clothes again.

I'm 5'4" or so and a 14 on a good day (thank you Cabbages and Roses sizing) a 16 on a bad.

I don't really care if I "look good" in them. I love wearing them. Other people seem to think the clothes look good.

@IHaveNeverLivedintheCastle they look so thick and sweaty though!

I agree. I’m 5’2”, size 12 in cabbages and don’t have a pretty face. Dressing as though I live in a fairytale makes me feel good. That’s what matters to me.

Having said that I’ve had nothing but compliments when I’ve been into town in them so they can’t look that bad.

As in, you were inspired by the clothes, you had a vision of what you wanted to do, and you went ahead and made it happen in a seriously impressive way by raising all that money on eBay. An example to us all

Like others, I was in slight awe of your post and was just being light-hearted by expressing it in corporate leadership terms, as if the S&B board was a big organisation.

Blimey.