Posted in Arts, Events, Fashion, Uncategorized, tagged 2023 Oscars, Best Costume Design Oscar, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever costumes, costume designers, Ruth E. Carter on March 14, 2023| Leave a Comment »
Costume designer Ruth E. Carter took home the 2023 Oscar for Best Costume Design for her work on Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Carter is the first African American to win two Oscars, her first in 2018 for Black Panther.
The array of costumes in this film is amazing. Not to mention the detail. (Click here to see a short video on the costumes.)
Congratulations to Ms. Carter!!
Posted in Arts, Events, Fashion, Uncategorized, Vintage, tagged brooches, consignment shops, Divine Consign, Fashionable Favorite Things, jewelry designers, Lamorinda Weekly, silver jewelry, vintage brooches, vintage fashion, vintage jewelry, vintage shopping, vintage style, Volmer Bahner on March 13, 2023| 4 Comments »
Welcome to something new – Fashionable Favorite Things, which will alternate every other week with the ODFL traditional Fashionable Quote of the Week.
OK, so I don’t need another brooch. But need had nothing to do with this purchase.
Last fall I popped into a new-to-me consignment shop with the idea of mentioning it in one of my future fashion columns (for the Lamorinda Weekly). I was excited to see that Divine Consign in Lafayette carried quite a lot of vintage clothing and jewelry.
As I perused the jewelry (Bakelite, cameos, rhinestone necklaces, and more) this brooch caught my eye. I knew what it was immediately – a mid-century Danish enamel calla lily by Volmer Bahner.
Sure enough the brooch is marked on the back VB Sterling Silver. Bahner (1912-1995) was a Danish artist known for sculptures and modernist jewelry. After WWII he opened his own silver workshop where he created nature-inspired jewelry in silver and enamel.
This brooch is in pristine condition and when I saw the very reasonable price tag it was was mine. Since then I have worn it on sweaters, jacket lapels, a hat, and my fondness for it has only increased. Like a small piece of art, I enjoy just looking at it. The sleek design and the beautiful dark red enamel speak to me. The craftsmanship is excellent and there’s no wonder why VB brooches are very collectible.
It’s a good choice for fall and winter, so I will put it away pretty soon in favor of spring colors. I look forward to wearing it again in the fall.
It has definitely been a favorite thing!
(For local readers interested in vintage I encourage you to check out Divine Consign at 1014 Oak Hill Road, Lafayette – right off highway 24.)
Posted in Arts, Events, Fashion, Uncategorized, Vintage, tagged fashion history, fashion news, Fashionable Favorite Things, fashionable quotes, handbags, jewelry, sewing, vintage fashion, vintage handbags, vintage style, writing tools on March 8, 2023| Leave a Comment »
It’s been years now that every Monday ODFL has posted a fashionable quote. Perhaps it’s time for a change.
Not that Fashionable Quote of the Week is going away. It’s not. But to mix things up a bit there will be something new called Fashionable Favorite Things. Every other week or so I will discuss what I’m currently liking and using. Such as: what pen am I reaching for; what handbag is my go-to; what beauty product has me hooked and so on. Whatever I’m excited about and want to share with ODFL readers.
(This is not going to be a paid promotion. The Favorite Things I feature will be items that I have found on my own.)
Something new is always a good thing!
Posted in Arts, Events, Fashion, Uncategorized, Vintage, tagged Cherie Balch, fashion, fashion designers, fashion icons, fashionable quotes, Patrick Kelly, red carpet gowns, Shrimpton Couture, vintage fashion, vintage gowns on the red carpet, vintage style on March 6, 2023| Leave a Comment »
More and more people are aware that what we see on the red carpet is paid for – a branding opportunity. So, when someone chooses to wear vintage, they’re kind of saying: ‘I’m an individual here. I really love how it looks on me. I don’t care that it’s not sponsored by some brand!’ That feels more authentic to a lot of people in a very branded world.
Cherie Balch – Canadian founder of the well-known online vintage store, Shrimpton Couture.
This quote is from an article in the Style Section of the New York Times, January 6th, 2022.
Demi Moore was the first to wear a vintage gown to the Oscars in 1992 (Versace) and since then there has been a parade of celebrities following suit – Julia Roberts, Margot Robbie, and Emma Watson to name a few.
The Academy Awards is coming up next Sunday. Who will wear what on the red carpet?
Posted in Arts, Events, Fashion, Mom's Closet, Uncategorized, Vintage, tagged funny Valentine's, jewelry sales, Mom's Closet, mother daughter, Valentine's Day, vintage fashion, vintage style, Zales Jewelry Store on February 14, 2023| Leave a Comment »
What’s the story behind this Valentine’s Day sketch? Take a peek inside Mom’s Closet (click on the tab at the top – link to post will be at the bottom of the list) and read all about it.
Posted in Arts, Events, Fashion, Uncategorized, Vintage, tagged Alice Sedgwick Wohl, Andy Warhol, As It Turns Out, Edie Sedgwick, fashion history, fashion icons, fashionable quotes, Kenneth Jay Lane, vintage fashion, vintage style on February 13, 2023| Leave a Comment »
One day early that fall of 1964, I was going to visit my grandmother, who was drifting further and further into dementia, and I was wearing a nice sweater and skirt and my Gucci loafers and, as usual, no makeup. The elevator door opened, and out stepped Edie in a black body stocking, high heeled boots, and a little fox-fur vest; not only that, she was wearing false eyelashes and the most enormous earrings I had ever seen, made of peacock feathers. I was so shocked. I remember saying, “Is that the way you want to go around?” Edie just giggled and said she thought it was fun. Those enormous earrings became her trademark, and guess who designed them? Ken Lane. He had been saying for a while that he wanted to make really big, really lightweight costume jewelry, and now all at once he became a hugely successful designer and sought-after member of the jet set. Ken told me he owed it all to Edie wearing his earrings.
Alice Sedgwick Wohl – scholar/translator and author of the book As It Turns Out: Thinking About Edie and Andy (FS&G).
We’re talking American pop icons Edie Sedgwick and Andy Warhol. As Edie’s older sister, Alice gives readers a unique perspective on the Sedgwick family, Edie and her partnership with Andy, and just what the heck her appeal was (and still is).
Both sisters knew jewelry designer Kenneth Jay Lane, who was also a buddy of Warhol’s.
Posted in Arts, Events, Fashion, Vintage, tagged creativity inspiration, fashion designers, fashion history, fashion icons, fashion inspiration, fashionable quotes, Flint J McDonald, vintage fashion, vintage style, Vivienne Westwood on February 6, 2023| 1 Comment »
It’s the appreciation of the past for me, how she translates that to the now. I’ve always been into history and historical garments – the construction and cut of those clothes is so interesting to dissect and play with. Westwood triumphs at that. Playing with British heritage as she and Andres do is a real turn-on for me. And their appreciation of quality – I’m a sucker for luscious fabric.
Flint J McDonald – British fashion designer.
McDonald is speaking of British fashion designer Vivienne Westwood and her husband Andres (creative director of the Westwood brand) about how the couple influenced his work. I found this quote in the magazine AnOther, Autumn/Winter, 2021.
I was shocked and saddened to hear of the death of Vivienne Westwood on December 29, 2022.
Although she had no formal fashion design training, she had learned to sew at a young age and made all her own clothes. I was greatly impressed with her talent for construction and the ability to turn classic silhouettes and patterns into the unexpected.
Her skill and unique voice in the world will be missed.
Posted in Arts, Events, Fashion, Uncategorized, Vintage, tagged book review, crafting, crafting books, Friendship Bracelets, friendship presents, Galentine's Day, handmade gifts, holiday gifts, Maria Makarova, Masha Knots, Rocky Nook, unique Valentine's Day gift, Valentine's Day on February 2, 2023| 1 Comment »
I received my first Friendship Bracelet many years ago from a college friend. It was a chevron design of navy blue and green thread and I wore it every day. Even though I don’t have the bracelet anymore, I remember it fondly.
Recently, with the rise in the maker’s movement, the craft of making Friendship Bracelets has become a focus and London-based crafter Maria Makarova (AKA Masha Knots) is on it! After more than ten years of making the colorful bracelets herself and offering YouTube tutorials, she has written a book – The Beginner’s Guide to Friendship Bracelets: Essential Lessons for Creating Designs to Wear and Give (Rocky Nook).
The popularity of Friendship Bracelets has ebbed and flowed over the years, but as an endearing sign of friendship they never really go away. New generations of teenagers, young adults, and now even older folks can’t resist the charm of a handmade symbol of connection.
In her book, Makarova explains in detail how to make simple and more complex bracelet designs. She covers tools of the trade, basic loops, embellishments, fixing common mistakes, and she even offers “tricks and tips.” The instructions are user friendly with lots of diagrams and step-by-step photos. In Chapter 12 Makarova provides photos of her original designs.
I’m thinking Valentine’s Day (or Galentine’s Day, the celebration of female friendships, on February 13th). Get the book for the crafter in your life or for yourself and start a new hobby. What better a gift for the people you love than a handmade bracelet? And when it comes to making gifts, it’s never too early to think about the holidays, as well as birthdays and graduations coming up this year.
(ODFL would like to thank Rocky Nook for providing a review copy of this book.)
Posted in Arts, Events, Fashion, Uncategorized, Vintage, tagged Alamo Women's Club, Debbie Ferman, jewelry, jewelry sales, knitted hats, vintage jewelry, volunteering on January 31, 2023| Leave a Comment »
I met Debbie Ferman last July at the Shadelands Vintage Market, where I was among the vendors selling vintage jewelry and other goodies. Debbie came up to my booth and made a beeline for the basket of buttons I had sitting on the table. We got talking and she mentioned that she makes hats for newborn babies, and she uses buttons as decoration. I was taken with her enthusiasm for what she does and asked if she’d be willing to do a Q&A with ODFL. “That sounds like fun,” she said.
Debbie retired as an RN just before the pandemic. She was a nurse for 43 years, the last 30 of those years at John Muir Medical Center. When she joined the Alamo Women’s Club in 2021, she started making hats and never looked back. She now averages about 40 hats a month.
And here we go with the Q&A:
Did you knit/sew before you started making hats for the Alamo Women’s Club?
I have been knitting for more than 15 years mostly doing simple sweaters and scarfs. Now that I’m retired, I’m happy to knit/loom and donate the items.
What inspired you to get involved with making the hats?
I wanted to do something to give back to the community and was so pleased to find I could do so with making hats!
Tell us about the hats themselves, what are they like?
The hats I make are done on a round loom which comes in multiple sizes, and I think it’s easier than knitting. I also do know how to crochet and my curls and flowers on the hats are done with crochet.
When we met and you mentioned your volunteer work, I could see how excited you are about it – what is it about the work that brings you such joy?
It’s very relaxing to loom and gives me a chance to be creative which I love to do. I’ve always collected antique items including buttons, which I use to decorate the hats.
What are the rewards of volunteer work?
Recently I made over 30 hats that were sent to Ukraine. In this case I made mostly adults and a few child size hats. I used warm wool yarns as they are so cold there and in such need of these items. I also collected warm clothing for the Ukraine people. The person that sends the hats to Ukraine attaches a note to each shipment which says “Sending love from your friends in California.” How wonderful I felt knowing I could do something to help these people.
The Alamo Women’s Club has lots of interesting events and I hear there’s a jewelry show coming up. Can you tell us more about that?
We have a huge jewelry sale multiple times each year. There are thousands of items so you can always find something. All of it is donated and proceeds go to needy Bay Area College students and support the other Alamo Women’s club philanthropies. We have vintage, collectible, new, fine and costume items. Many antique dealers frequent the sales. Our next sale is February 1st, 10-5 and February 2nd, 10-4, at our clubhouse 1401 Danville Blvd., Alamo.
I can’t wait for that sale!
Thank you, Debbie for taking time with ODFL and for all the knitting and volunteering you do. What an inspiration you are!
Posted in Arts, Events, Uncategorized, Vintage, tagged Art Deco movie theaters, Art Deco preservation, Art Deco Society of California, Art Deco Style, grand movie palaces, petitions, San Fransico movie theaters, save the castro theater, the castro theater, Timothy Pfueger on January 25, 2023| 2 Comments »
Growing up in San Fransico I remember my father and I going to the movies together. On Saturday afternoons we’d head over to one of the city’s grand movie theaters – The Alhambra on Polk Street or the Metro on Union Street, just to name a couple. Later when I was in high school, my friends and I hit those theaters and others.
I have fond memories of that unique movie theater experience – the buttery popcorn smell swirling around the vast theater space, the rough texture on the wide cushy seats, the pinch of excitement I felt as the lights dimmed and the curtains raised. Those grand (single screen) theaters in SF and across the country have since either been sliced up into multiple shoebox size mini-theaters or (worse) turned into fitness centers. The movie theater experience is not the same.
Now the last grand movie theater in SF – the beloved Castro Theater – has a new partner and the plans are to replace the plush seating with tiers without seats to add standing room for concerts.
Here’s a more detailed explanation from the Art Deco Society of California:
New management (Another Planet Entertainment) has plans to remove the seats on the main floor and replace them with staggered tiers without seats or temporary seats which will not be conducive to movie going or for film festivals in the future. This would be a terrible loss as the Castro is the last remaining historic “Movie Palace” in San Francisco in which to have the magical experience of watching a film with a sloped floor and plush theater seating. Designed by Timothy Pflueger in 1922, it is an Architectural Treasure, inside and out.
The Castro Theatre, famous around the world, is the sole surviving single-screen movie palace in the city of San Francisco. The seats on the main ground floor are from the second period of significance in the landmark amendment, which covers the important LGBTQ history and programming period, from the 1976 to 2004 time frame. The balcony still has some original seats from 1922 and many others from the 1937 remodel. All the seats together in the theatre, the aisles and the sloped auditorium floor are among key character-defining features of this historic theatre.
The Castro Theater is known and loved for its many film festivals, including the annual Film Noir Festival.
Currently The Castro has landmark status for the just the outside of the building. Please consider signing the petition to “Save Our Seats” and expand the landmark status of The Castro to include the inside of the building.
Enough of the destruction of all that is stylish and good in the Bay Area! Please spread the word. Thank you.
There is more we can do – click here for information about other ways to help.
OverDressed for Life 