dailynewsnblog
It is no secret that I love to dress up. Growing up, I didn’t realize how unusual and cool it was that fashion felt like such an integral part of our household. Don’t even get me started on my grandmother’s closet.
What is even more unusual is that neither of my parents worked in the fashion industry, but they both treated clothing the way some people treat art or architecture. They appreciated the craft, the silhouettes, the feeling wearing a special piece could create. To this day, both of my parents keep up with all of the latest runway shows and they are often playing them on their TV as background noise.
Despite my dad’s appreciation for design and fashion, his motto has always been, “invest in a few amazing pieces that will last you a lifetime.” My brother and I grew up always dressed to the nines, wearing linens and wool sets. I was often found picking out my outfits head-to-toe every night before elementary school, and playing dress up in my mom’s closet.
Years later I inherited many of these pieces, and I still can’t believe the condition of these items. They are decades old and still feel substantial, the fabrics have weight to them, the tailoring is precise, and the styles feel timeless but fresh at the same time. Back then, there was such an emphasis on construction and the materials used that these designs have quite literally stood the test of time. To me, a lot of these pieces feel more interesting now than much of what is currently on the market.
There are a few designers that appear again and again in my parents’ closet. One of the most prevalent is Claude Montana. My mom wore a lot of his pieces, and they instantly transport me to that era of bold power dressing. Montana was known for extreme silhouettes, dramatic shoulders, and a sense of architecture in his designs.
If you are getting into vintage fashion and appreciate designers like Azzedine Alaïa or Mugler, especially the ones known for strong sculptural shapes, you would absolutely love Claude Montana. The materials are thick and structured in a way that feels almost impossible to find now.
To this day, I still turn to my mom and dad for fashion advice. They taught me early on that great style is not about chasing what is new. It is about recognizing design, quality, and pieces that will still feel relevant decades later. Looking at their closet now and having the pieces they gave me, they were right all along.
Below are some of my favorite pieces from my parent’s wardrobe and how I wear them.
(Image credit: Courtesy of Claudia Li)
(Image credit: Courtesy of Claudia Li)
One of my favorite pieces is this baby blue Claude Montana ruffle set my mom wore years ago, that I actually wore on my honeymoon in Lake Como.
(Image credit: Courtesy of Claudia Li)
(Image credit: Courtesy of Claudia Li)
Then we have my dad’s iconic vintage Barney’s NY leather jacket that as you can see has distressed beautifully over time. I can’t believe how solid the color was back then.
(Image credit: Courtesy of Claudia Li)
(Image credit: Courtesy of Claudia Li)
One of the first pieces I borrowed from my mom is this Blue Cutout cinched Claude Montana blazer. Styled here with my mom’s first ever patent leather Chanel bag that I also have! Even the quality of this Chanel bag was so different back then.
(Image credit: Courtesy of Claudia Li)
(Image credit: Courtesy of Claudia Li)
This vintage embellished dress is unlike anything I’m seeing designers do right now, and the gold fish details make it feel even more special given my own Fishy bag from my brand Vin.
(Image credit: Courtesy of Claudia Li)
(Image credit: Courtesy of Claudia Li)
A Vintage Valentino moment- love playing with colors at the moment and I have not seen anything like this on the market.
(Image credit: Claudia Li)
(Image credit: Courtesy of Claudia Li)
Another Claude Montana masterpiece. Seen on my mom as a set with the matching skirt, but I prefer wearing it with trousers, shorts, jeans- it honestly works with any and everything.
