
OverDressedforLife wishes readers a Merry Christmas.
Take a break from the festivities tomorrow and tune in for the first day of The Twelve Days of Vintage Handbags.
Stay safe.
Posted in Events, Fashion, Uncategorized, Vintage, tagged fashion history, Happy Holidays, history of fashion, holiday fashion at home, holiday style, pandemic fashion, pandemic holidays on December 24, 2020| 4 Comments »
Posted in Fashion, Uncategorized, Vintage, tagged fashionable holiday gifts, fashionable masks, givelovevenice, lace masks, pandemic 2020, pandemic fashion, stylish masks on December 9, 2020| Leave a Comment »
Pandemic or not, masks are here to stay and just like hats, gloves, scarves, and other accessories we can’t have enough. So, what better a holiday gift than a mask?
One of my favorite finds this pandemic year is lace masks from givelovevenice.com. There is so much I like about these face coverings:
The one I’m wearing in this photo is black with a beige lining. Other colors include white and pink and lining colors come in beige, black, or white. A contrasting lining color can really change the look. Plus, there is a variety of lace patterns available. I like the added texture these masks offer and lace steps it up – good for special (distancing!) occasions or just because.
This holiday season give your BF, sister, mother, daughter, niece, auntie the gift of fashionable protection. https://givelovevenice.com/collections/lace-face-masks.
Posted in Fashion, Uncategorized, tagged fashion designers, fashion during the pandemic, fashion inspiration, fashionable quotes, pandemic 2020, pandemic fashion, Pierpaolo Piccioli, Valentino on October 19, 2020| Leave a Comment »
Because for me – always, but now more than ever – the human has to be at the center of the process. In these past decades, we’ve talked a lot about numbers – the first, the best. And in a way, this has created a kind of competition that I don’t think you really need. You can forget about creativity and the humanity because it’s all about money and marketing. And that’s not what fashion is for. Fashion is about dreaming, inspiring.
Pierpaolo Piccioli, Creative Director at Valentino.
This quote is from a discussion in Harper’s Bazaar with designers about what’s important to them right now during these challenging times. (Summer, 2020)
The reason fashion has become more about numbers than people is because many of the houses are now owned by big corporations. It’s not a designer running his own house anymore, it’s a celebrity designer paid a lot of money to produce and produced and produced … until he’s used up and another one is put in place and so on. (Think Alexander McQueen, John Galliano, Alber Albaz).
Fashion cannot thrive without imagination and imagination needs time and space to develop.
Posted in Arts, Events, Fashion, Uncategorized, Vintage, tagged Art Deco Society of California, Art Deco Style, custom made, fashionable masks, matching masks, pandemic fashion, Theresa LaQuey, vintage fabric, vintage fashion, vintage style, vintage ties, wearing masks on October 7, 2020| Leave a Comment »
I called it an upcoming trend and Theresa LaQuey Couture is doing it! What might that be? Why, matching masks of course.
Theresa has just announced that she is creating matching tie and mask and pocket square sets for our dashing gentlemen friends. She is also designing a blouse and mask set for the ladies.
An experienced seamstress with an eye for vintage silhouettes, Theresa has created patterns for Simplicity Patterns and run her own business making vintage inspired custom clothing since 1989. A longtime Art Deco Society of California board member, she designs and makes all the fabulous fashions she wears for both day and evening ADSC events.
I am lucky to have quite a few Theresa LaQuey creations in my wardrobe, including a beautiful suit with a 20s style coat.
Theresa says she has been making tie and pocket square sets for her husband since before they were married. Adding a mask during the current pandemic seemed a natural next step. “I am mostly using vintage inspired quilting cotton as that is what is recommended for the masks,” she explains. “However, I have figured out how to use other fabrics with the same mask protection.” Each set is largely sewn by hand and will be made on a custom basis from a selection of fabrics from Theresa’s collection or the client can provide their own fabric.
It’s the same deal for the blouse/mask set.
Holiday gifts! Social distance gatherings! Just dressing up for a change! Matching masks for all occasions is The Thing.
Visit Theresa LaQuey Couture on Facebook for more information.
Posted in Fashion, Uncategorized, tagged at home attire, fashion news, jewelry, layering, pandemic 2020, pandemic fashion, skirts, wearing jewelry at home, what to wear to a pandemic on September 23, 2020| Leave a Comment »
I’m a big fan of skirts. Worn with a t-shirt or light cotton blouse, a skirt is easy and comfortable yet still a nice look.
Skirts are a go-to option for my At Home Attire ensembles. I made the one in this photo from a novelty print (ferns) cotton fabric. I’ve paired it with a cotton t-shirt in gray and added a cropped cardigan in light green, which picks up the lighter green shade in the skirt. The shoes are patent leather ballet flats, which are as comfortable as slippers!
Notice I’m wearing jewelry. Just because I’m hanging at home, doesn’t mean I’m not putting on some bling. Rings are my favorite and I enjoy looking at them while pausing at my writing desk, searching for just the right word or taking a break to stretch.
Tune in again for another installment of At Home Attire.
Posted in Fashion, Uncategorized, Vintage, tagged at home attire, Britex Fabrics, Kiss of the Wolf, Molly B, pandemic 2020, pandemic fashion, turbans, vintage fashion, vintage style, what to wear to a pandemic on September 9, 2020| Leave a Comment »
Since staying put at home, I started pulling out some of my vintage pieces that I would only wear to an event. Because they are delicate or not as easy to move around in on pubic transport or walking to and from destinations, much of my vintage wardrobe gets only the occasional outing. But earlier in the pandemic I was showing up once a week to my fashion history class in front of my laptop – no BART rides, no long walks – so why not sport some vintage?
This pictured outfit includes a linen skirt that is easy to wear staying in place at my desk, but not running around. The Oxford shoes are not vintage, but they look very 1930s and are fine for the few steps to my desk at home, however, they would be horribly uncomfortable walking eight city blocks from BART to class.
On the shoulder of the lightweight cotton sweater, I’m wearing a silk flower from Britex Fabrics. The silk turban style hat is a favorite from Kiss of the Wolf.
Now the socks are their own story. I’ve always had a thing for interesting socks and I found these two-tone bobby socks at Molly B in Berkeley. Made in Japan, they were ridiculously expensive, but they are high quality and unique. I like the stripe and the odd color combination.
Check back for more At Home Attire.
Posted in Fashion, Uncategorized, Vintage, tagged at home attire, dressing at home, Isaac Mizrahi, long dresses, pandemic 2020, pandemic fashion, what to wear to a pandemic on September 2, 2020| Leave a Comment »
What I call At Home Attire is clothing that I wear at home that is comfortable, but not sloppy. Something that I wouldn’t mind an unexpected visitor seeing.
Long dresses are the perfect at-home attire because they’re easy, cool in the summer, and fall somewhere between the restrictions of street wear and the casualness of athleisure.
This long cotton dress by Isaac Mizrahi is comfortable, yet presentable. I wouldn’t wear it out, but add heels and an up-do with perhaps a flower and it’s just the thing for casual summer entertaining (in pre-pandemic days).
I like combining various shades of green, so on this day I paired the dress with a green cotton cardigan from Boden. The dress is sleeveless and sometimes I wear a white t-shirt underneath; the pop of white works well with the dark green.
Stay tuned for more At Home Attire.
Posted in Events, Fashion, Uncategorized, Vintage, tagged at home attire, caftans, fashion news, fashion trends, pandemic, pandemic 2020, pandemic fashion, Stella McCartney caftans, what to wear at home, what to wear to a pandemic on August 26, 2020| 2 Comments »
That’s me and my grandmother, she looking lovely in her caftan.
I recently attended a Webinar discussion on the future of fashion during the pandemic with a panel of women who work in the business; one panelist mentioned that she thought entertaining at home was going to be a trend. She predicted that by next year designers will have a dedicated line of at home wear.
I think she’s on to something and I’m reminded of my stylish grandmother. When she was elderly and could no longer go out, at home every day she donned colorful caftans and leather mules. (She also still dyed her short pixie-cut hair and had regular manicures – up until she died at age 84.)
Caftans by Stella McCartney, Fall 2020 as seen in Harper’s Bazaar.
My wardrobe includes items that are what I call, At Home Attire. In pre-pandemic days, I would change out of street clothes when I got home and slip into “something more comfortable,” which might be a pair of silky pajamas or a long cotton dress. Now that I’m spending more time at home, I’m inspired by my grandmother and I try to make an effort to look presentable every day.
Over the next few weeks, I’ll share some of my newly created outfits. Stay tuned.
Posted in Events, Fashion, Uncategorized, tagged Covid-19, fall 2020 trends, fashionable masks, must-have accessory of 2020, pandemic 2020, pandemic fashion, wearing masks, what to wear to a pandemic on August 18, 2020| 1 Comment »
Spotted in a local neighborhood window. It’s not a great photo, but it is a great message.
Everyone looks great in a mask because wearing a mask says: I respect myself and my community. I’m doing what I need to do to stay safe and keep those around me safe, too.
It’s as simple as that.