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Posts Tagged ‘pandemic fashion’

My dresses usually have pockets. I’m taking into consideration the realities women face today.

Meryll Rogge, Belgian fashion designer.

Ms. Rogge started her own fashion house in 2020, after working for fashion icons Marc Jacobs and Dries Van Noten.

Pockets in women’s clothing is such an issue. Ask any woman and she will confirm that YES! we want pockets. Particularly these days when certain things need to be accessible as we navigate our mask covered pandemic world. But designers say – pockets add bulk and can ruin a silhouette.

Well, there is an answer and I call it the Pocket Bag. Last year, I noticed that there were things I needed to consistently get to quickly and so I started carrying, in addition to a regular handbag or tote, a little pocket of sorts. Over my head or around my waist, this pocket holds keys, hand sanitizer, lip balm, and a pen. (Everyone should use their own pen!) I made a couple of these bags, but I also have one from Great Bags (pictured). Pocket Bags are handy as well if you’re carrying a backpack and/or you’re traveling and need to access your passport, etc. Plus, I think you can have fun with the look.

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Everyone wants to wear a dress right now. They want to be pretty.

Camille Wright, owner of Style Consortium – an apparel showroom.

Simple, comfortable, and cute. Change into a kitten heel shoe or a sandal and go from running errands to Sunday brunch. Photo by Nugroho Wahyu on Pexels.com

Ms. Wright is speaking about what we’re wearing as we ease out of our houses and back into the world. I think what we want is to be comfortable while still looking good. Dresses are one answer to that. They’re an instant upgrade and they can be easy to wear. Plus they are the cool choice for hot temps.

Perfect for an afternoon stroll in the park, a museum visit, birthday party. Photo by Hu1ea3i Nguyu1ec5n on Pexels.com

Also, dresses offer a lot a variety in silhouette and fabric. Just slip it on and the dress does all the style work. Add accessories or not, it’s that simple.

A nice choice for the job. Photo by cottonbro on Pexels.com

Dresses for weekends = easy. Dresses for work? Tricky. Tailored separates seem to be more appropriate for professional situations. But here is where fabric, color, and pattern choice make the difference. Light fabrics and floral prints are better for weekends, while solid colors and jersey fabrics are good choices for work. Top with a tailored jacket and become instantly office ready.

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Photo by Ksenia Chernaya on Pexels.com

We had this vast archive of fabrics from the past decade, and we really tapped into that – and in a strange way it forced us to be more creative.

Lazaro Hernandez, American fashion designer and co-founder of the womenswear brand Proenza Schouler.

Pandemic Year 2020 was challenging for fashion designers as they faced disruptions in the industry’s supply chain – mills were shut, materials were moving slowly or not at all, and manufacturing of just about everything across the globe was at a standstill. So for new collections, designers got creative and sorted through stacks of unused fabrics from past years.

According to a 2017 report by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation less than one percent of the fabric produced by the fashion industry was recycled into new garments. But in 2020, out of necessity, there was a shift. Fingers crossed this shift will stick.

Milliner Behida Dolic once told me that she was grateful for having to be thrifty because it made her more creative and resourceful. Spoons became tools and every bit of fabric was put to use, including extra bits of leftover felt which she used as decoration on her fabulous one-of-a-kind hats.

What’s in your fabric collection? Make it your next project.

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Jerry Lorenzo. Photo: Texas Isaiah for Harper’s Bazaar.

So many times, though, when someone dresses up for an occasion, they step into a silhouette that’s a lot different from how they look the rest of the week. They don’t feel comfortable, and it shows. So with Fear of God, we’re trying to blend all these life moments together in one wardrobe that offers comfort and functionality at the same time as elegance and sophistication.

Jerry Lorenzo, head designer at Fear of God.

This quote is from an interview in Harper’s Bazaar, Dec. 2020/Jan.2021.

Mr. Lorenzo started his menswear label, Fear of God, in 2012. Based in LA, his athletic inspired street-style brand had a cult following at first but with his recent winter 2020 line, something shifted.

For one thing, women are paying attention and for another he’s now crossing tailoring with soft more athletic fabrics and in our new pandemic world, that has struck a cord. Not that the idea is new but the timing is spot on. One year into Covid Hell and people are craving an alternative to sweats and joggers but they’re too stressed for challenging structured clothing. Enter tailored duds in forgiving fabrics.

The new line looks to be comfortable but still presentable. A step in the right direction.

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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.

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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:

  1. They’re pretty!
  2. They come in sizes. The “one size fits all” doesn’t work for all.
  3. The the ear loops are adjustable.
  4. Very comfortable.
  5. Breathable cotton/poly blend fabric.
  6. Made in California.

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.

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quoteBecause 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.

 

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Matching tie, pocket square, and mask by Theresa LaQuey. Image courtesy of Theresa LaQuey.

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.

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outfitaday.2

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.

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thumbnail (4)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.

 

 

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