Throwback Thursday: Clever Hat

This Throwback Thursday was sent to us by Diane Leah and was taken in the early 1980s.

She is pictured here in the dressing room before her band took the stage.  The outfit is casual and simple, but well put together.  I love the tie at the bottom left hand side of the sweater.  We also see reliance on only black and white to make up the outfit.  This power point 1980s look has come back once again and you can see lots of sleek black and white clothing, be it casual or formal, out on the street.  I especially love the hat! It makes the entire outfit and is a great shape for her face.  As we have mentioned before hats are back!

Many thanks to Diane for sharing this vintage fashion moment with SLV! We'll see you back here next Thursday!

A Vintage Dress with a Secret Message

This dress was recently listed and it's a bit of a mystery to me. I love novelty dresses but this vintage early to mid 1980s dress has more of a message. Possibly political, certainly social. There are the words "Franks Rous", "T85" and "World" written on the skirt along with peoples faces and buildings. 

I get a retro communist propaganda vibe to this, and considering it was made by Hsu Mei, I could be on the right track with communist China. It's fun trying to figure this out! 

What does it say to you?

Preppy at Heart

 I'm a preppy girl at heart. My formative high school years were the early eighties and watching movies like Pretty in Pink and The Breakfast Club. I always aspired to be that East Coast, upper-class preparatory kid and embrace my inner snob.

Well I wasn't, but I could look like it!

That's why I love when dresses come in to the store that remind me of my high school formal dances - like this cornflower gown by Richilene. Perfect floral blue cornflowers over rayon with sartouche ribbon treatment chiffon bodice. Sold in Miss Baker's store, Providence, Rhode Island no less! It's provenance is even East Coast prep!

Manners 101 in the Office

Husband has lamented for ages about his office dress code.  He has always felt that it was more enforced on the men than the women of his company.  He is in the technology industry, so that means that golf shirts are the uniform.  That may seem casual enough, but the harsh eyes of Human Resources are always poised and ready to attack the men.  A boring industry name can be embroidered or ironed onto the front of his shirt, but no other fashion label or statement can be seen.  Even on casual Fridays, when denim pants are enthusiastically worn, shirts must still have collars.

The women on the other hand seem to have given up completely.  Let's start with the beachy flip flops which are not just against dress code, but against health and safely rules at a company where industrial accidents can happen everyday.  Some of the women always seem to have on trendy, stretchy yoga wear.  When did workout clothing become office attire?!  Other women also push the envelope by wearing extremely short skirts, plunging necklines and peek-a-boo crop tops.

Looking nice for each other is a good thought for the party or bar or girls' night out.  But in a corporate setting, the adjectives 'short' and 'stretchy' should not describe your work outfits.

What happened to the "working girl" power suit?!  Did that go out with Melanie Griffith and the 1980's?!

Carol