Whenever planning an outfit for a period costume event I start by shopping my closet. For me creating something out of what I already have is the most fun.
The theme the 2016 Art Deco Society of California Preservation Ball this year was Forbidden City: Chinese Nightclubs of the 1930s. I started with a lovely silk sheath dress by Kiss of the Wolf in a deep gold. This is really a 1920s silhouette but hey, that’s my best era so I went with it. The shoes are from my small collection, 20s copper leather and I chose my grandmother’s Whiting & Davis gold mesh evening bag. (It seemed my personal theme was colors of metal.)
I took the black sash from the dress and wrapped it around my head and … here’s the fun part, as a subtle nod to the Chinese theme I wove into the folds a pair of chopsticks. On top of the chopsticks I glued two small monkeys.
I was really excited about the jewelry – a necklace of lace silver and smokey quartz disks with a matching ring. My grandmother bought this set when she and my grandfather, an officer in the Navy, were living in China in the 1930s. So the set is the real deal!
I was very pleased with my sartorial creation, particularly because I was able to include family pieces.
The evening itself at Bimbos in San Francisco was as always a great time with lots of music, dancing, cocktails, and visiting. Congratulations to all the 2016 Preservation Award Winners, including Heather Ripley for her outstanding contribution to the Art Deco Society of California and Stookey’s Club Moderne, my new favorite SF place to stop for a drink.
Next up – Gatsby Summer Afternoon set for Sunday September 11, 2016.
OverDressed for Life 
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