I met Briana Foster at Animal Rescue Foundation where I volunteer once a week visiting the cats and she works as the Events Coordinator. I noticed that Briana always looks stylish and put together sporting skirts and dresses. One summer day she was wearing an unexpected combination of an ARF t-shirt with a pretty floral print skirt. It was then that I thought a Q&A was in order and Briana kindly agreed to participate.So here we go …
You have great style, Briana and you always look nice at work. What inspires you when you’re planning a work outfit?
Thank you! I love dressing up and I try to do so no matter the occasion. Work is no exception. I usually have one item that is more casual and the other is on the dressier side. For example, I’ll pair a t-shirt from my work with a patterned midi skirt. However, if I’m feeling a little more casual, I like to pair some jeans with a nice blouse. Everything pretty much depends on my mood in the morning – I ask myself, “how am I feeling?”
Good idea to pair something dressy with something casual. That creates a unique look.
How would you describe your style?
If you ask my friends, they would say I’m a mix of Taylor Swift and a 50’s housewife which is true to a point. I would say my style is more of a European twist on the 50’s.
Yes, I see a 50s vintage influence for sure and it suits you.
Have you always been interested in clothes and fashion?
Yes and no. During high school, I tended to only wear jeans because I was scared and insecure when it came to clothes. However, I was always interested in fashion but I didn’t really get into it until my junior year of college when I studied abroad in London. I was really inspired by their street style and I started experimenting (with the help of my flat mates) trying to figure out what I liked vs. what I disliked. I love clothes because it’s one of the ways I express myself. The other is makeup.
What an opportunity you had in London – a wonderful place to find style inspiration.
Do you have favorite brands or places to shop?
My favorite stores are H&M and ModCloth.com. However, if I’m looking for a nice coat or jacket, I tend to gravitate more towards Zara as their quality and pieces are more in line with my style.
What’s your go-to accessory?
Lipstick. I love playing around with different shades and brands trying to figure out what will work, what won’t work, and building my collection. My go-to shade is NYX Matte Perfect Red. It lasts all day and doesn’t fade. My favorite brand is Fenty by Rihanna. The shades in her collection are amazing. Each one applies smoothly and is long lasting.
Thank you, Briana. I look forward to seeing your next great outfit at ARF!
Posted in Fashion, Uncategorized, Vintage | Tagged Animal Rescue Foundation, Briana Foster, dressing well at work, Q&A, work place style | Leave a Comment »
It’s not cool to look fashionable in my gang. I think it’s important not to be ‘fashiony.’ We try to send the message that we’re against consumerism, and that’s our kind of revolution. We don’t throw bricks; we stop buying. We don’t look at magazines, they make you feel insecure and they’re too authoritarian … Instead, in my group, we create our own thing. Someone will pick up a mood from an old record cover or an old film and we will play with it and interpret it … fashion just isn’t important anymore in the conflicted times that we live in.
Othilia – French teenager and fictional character in Widlchilds by Engenia Melian.
Book review coming soon.
Posted in Fashion, Uncategorized | Tagged Engenia Melian, fashion in fiction, fashionable quotes, Wildchilds | Leave a Comment »
Got the post-holiday blahs? I’ve got a remedy for that! Coming up in 2019 there are fashionable events to enjoy so let’s look at the year ahead and start planning.
Dr. Kim with models donning traditional hanbok dress.
Saturday, January 19, 2019, 10AM at the de Young Museun in San Francisco dress historian and lecturer Dr. Minjee Kim, will give a presentation called Is Traditional Dress Modern? Hanbok in a Broader Cultural Context. Sponsored by the Textile Arts Council, Dr. Kim’s presentation will focus on traditional Korean dress and its importance in fashion historically and today. I attended this lecture at another venue in December and I highly recommend it! Click here for more information.
If you’re down in LA on Saturday January 19th the Getty is hosting an interesting event called Artist-At-Work: French Fashion. Costume historian Maxwell Barr will dress a live model in the garb worn by the likes of Marie Antoinette and other 18th century elites. Click here for more information,
Learn about bojagi, traditional Korean wrapping cloth. On February 2 the Textile Arts Council is hosting a workshop with Korean textile artist Youngmin Lee. Here’s what they say:
Using the traditional Korean techniques Gamchimjil, Settam Sangchim and Ssamsol, Youngmin will teach basic jogakbo construction in this workshop. Jogakbo, patchwork bojagi, is made with many different colors of remnants of fabric left over from other projects. She will show how to use many small pieces of ramie fabrics, silk organza and Korean silk gauze to create a colorful, free style, geometric patterned bojagi. The finished project will have a unique composition of different shapes, lines and texture.
Open to TAC members only. Click here for more information.
Coming up on Saturday February 9th is the Twelfth Annual McCoy Lecture: Knots, Art and History: Shifting Perspectives and Perceptions Within the Berlin Carpet Collection. Anna Beselin, Head of Textile Conservation and Curator for Carpets at the Museum für Islamische Kunst Berlin will discuss the importance of the Berlin Carpet Collection. (Not a fashion lecture but for those with a general interest in textiles.) Click here for more information.
Are you thinking about summer travel? Consider an educational vacation to the UK. June 17-28, Costume Connection: A Study Tour Abroad is offering a behind-the-scenes peek at British costumes for films. Here’s what they say:
This two week program led by Mandy Barrington will provide participants with a unique insight into British Costume for Screen. 2019 celebrates the 200th anniversary of Queen Victoria’s birth; using Queen Victoria as the main theme for this specialist program, participants will be given an insight into the screening of the successful British television series ‘Victoria’. This will include talks from industry professionals, specialist workshops in millinery, where participants will have the opportunity to design and make an individual Victorian Bonnet. Plus, a series of visits to see costume collections across the country.
Sounds great to me! Click here for more information.
Blow those blahs away while looking forward to a fashionable times ahead. I’ll keep you up to date on events throughout the year, so check back. Better yet, subscribe to OverDressedforLife (upper right hand box).
Posted in Arts, Events, Fashion, Uncategorized, Vintage | Tagged bojagi, de Young Museum, fashionable events 2019, Getty Center, hanbok, historical costume, Mandy Barrington, Maxwell Barr, Mingee Lee, Textile Arts Council, travel, Youngmin Lee | Leave a Comment »
Fashion is what hangs on a rack. But what’s in your closet, that’s your style.
Manuel Cuevas – American fashion designer.
Mr. Cuevas immigrated to Los Angles from Mexico in the early 1950s when he got a job making slacks. One day he was lucky enough to meet costumer Edith Head and began costuming Hollywood films and television shows, including Gunsmoke, Bonanza, and The Big Valley. He has also worked with celebrities such as Michael Jackson, Bob Dylan, Prince, David Bowie. and Lady Gaga.
What’s hanging in your closet? Do you feel your clothes reflect who you are? The start of a new year is a good time to consider a new look.
Posted in Fashion, Uncategorized, Vintage | Tagged Edith Head, fashionable quotes, Manuel Cuevas, style, television costuming | 1 Comment »
On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me … Epiphany!
My epiphany is that you cannot force an epiphany.
Today is the last post of The Twelve Days of Fashionable Holiday Cards. Thank you to all readers who followed along. I hope you enjoyed the images and keeping the holiday alive a bit longer.
Now on to more fashionable stories in 2019. Stay tuned.
Posted in Events, Fashion, Uncategorized | Tagged Epiphany, fashionable holiday cards, holiday cards, the twelve days of Christmas | 4 Comments »
On the eleventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me … a reindeer?
This charming card was sent to me one year from my friend Lica. I like the little girl’s outfit. Red and gray are a nice alternative to red and green and what a treat to see her in a skirt (rather than jeans or leggings or sweat pants) paired with cute boots and striped tights. I’m pretty sure this little girl hails from somewhere in Europe. The outfit feels very European.
Posted in Fashion, Uncategorized | Tagged European style, fashionable holiday cards, holiday style, style, twelve days of Christmas | Leave a Comment »
On the tenth day of Christmas my true love gave to me … sugar plum fairies.
I have had this card for so many years. It’s a print of an old photo of sugar plum fairies, circa 1915. So sweet are their crowns and pretty white dresses. This card was from my sis-in-law (thanks Lori!) and I enjoy seeing and displaying it again every holiday season.
Posted in Arts, Events, Fashion, Uncategorized, Vintage | Tagged fashionable holiday cards, holiday cards, sugar plum fairies, twelve days of Christmas | Leave a Comment »
