Remember that time when “Orange is the New Black” star Beth Dover was covered in puke as she began adjusting to her new life — and wardrobe — in Litchfield prison? Well, so does she. It’s a scene that’s hard to forget and one that Dover counts as the worst outfit she ever had to wear while filming season five, as would be expected when the key accessory is vomit.
“The outfit was an extra extra large and falling off of me intentionally and I had to keep pulling my pants up. It’s not appealing with puke all over it,” the actress recalled in a phone interview with FN.
The slummy inmate clothes were a stark contrast to her character, Linda Ferguson, the director of purchasing for MCC (a private company that took control over the management of Litchfield Penitentiary), who mistakenly ends up in lockdown with the criminals. Linda’s “more corporate” attire hails from the likes of places like “Ann Taylor” and “DSW” where she “buys, like, discount shoes and passes them off as something ultra-fancy,” explained Dover.
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But neither end of the spectrum — the corporate boardroom versus the prison — quite sums up the 39-year-old’s off-screen uniform. “Funky,” “androgynous,” and “casual,” however, do her more justice (pun intended).
Oh, and a keen taking to Stuart Weitzman boots.
The actress spoke to FN about all things fashion including why she votes yes to gender-neutral dressing, how she once stanned Gwen Stefani (perhaps, still does?) and whose red carpet style she wants to steal (hint: she’s in the new “Ocean’s 8” film).
Read more in the full interview below.
Footwear News: How would you describe your personal shoe style off-screen?
Beth Dover: “Lately, in shoes I love boots. Boots of all kind like Stuart Weitzman’s 5050 and Dr Martens from the ’90s that I still wear. Even if wear something super feminine I like to add boots to make it more hardcore. I really love boots. I’m not into girly footwear but I do have some great high-heels for the more glamorous style. The first purchase I made when I got my first commercial was a pair of Marc Jacobs peep-toe heels with a little bow on the front.”
Did you gain any surprising new style tips that you didn’t expect from your on-set prison wardrobe?
BD: “I looked terrible the whole time. I can’t say I found something I’d continue to use, although I do like a jumpsuit.”
What shoes did you want most as a kid?
BD: “Whatever my mom bought me basically. A lot of boots and Doc Martens — for me I still have a soft spot for 90s shoe. I wore Keds but I would take the label off the back because I didn’t like labels so I would rip the Keds tag off.”
FN: How would you describe your style at that age?
BD: “You know the Delia’s catalog? I wore that kind of stuff, like chokers — I tried to look like Gwen Stefani as much as humanly possible.”
FN: If you could have any pair of shoes right now, which would it be?
BD: “I did just get those Stuart Weitzman boots, which I really love, and I just bought a pair of velour flats. They’re pink velour but have more of a masculine vibe with zips up the side. They make so happy. Also, these pink funky weird Nico wedge sneakers where the tongue is hanging out. It’s big and kind of ridiculous.”
FN: Are there any shoes that you can’t get rid of?
BD: “Those pink Nico sneakers, which got gross. I looked everywhere and finally found one pair in a random size and they were a size too big for me and I got them anyway. I bought them on sale five years ago at Anthropologie, then wore them all the time and was like, ‘I need these for the rest of my life.’”
Where do you shop for shoes today?
BD: “I’ve been into more cool and androgynous style lately so there’s this place called Otherwild in L.A. and a website called Wildfang. Lately, I’m kind of into that look. I also like boutique-y stores that I don’t know the name of. And Nordstrom, I go there if I don’t know anywhere else to go.”
So, being into androgyny, do you have thoughts on the fashion industry’s movement toward gender-less dressing?
BD: “Personally, I’m super into it. I have friends who are into girly and those who are into masculine but there’s a large swath of the consumer population that’s right in the middle. If I go to Topshop, I always go in the guys’ department because I like their shirts better. There’s a large group of people into the idea of finding a more gender-neutral look, which is why I like Wildfang.”
What’s your perfect date night outfit?
BD: “Joe [Lo Truglio] and I went and saw Michael McDonald and Christopher Cross and Kenny Loggins — it was like a trifecta at the Hollywood Bowl. I wore jeans and a cute Jason Kidd button-down shirt that’s brown and white and my zip-up black boots that I got at Steve Madden. So I like to be funky cool, casual but still have style.”
Are there any upcoming surprises or details that you can share about season 6?
BD: “I can tell you that the pickup takes place one week after we see them last, so we will see these characters after they all got off buses. There will be more maximum security prisons, and then power struggles like it always has been. Linda has gone through quite a bit so you will see her deal with that.”
Who you are inspired by right now in terms of fashion?
BD: “You know who I always think looks amazing? Cate Blanchett. I love her clothes. She takes interesting risks. I always feel like I want to wear it.”
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