Last week at this time Dan and I were in the throes of getting ready for a big art event... a gala to be exact. I've never been to a gala, and there's nothing like getting invited to one to make you analyze your self inside and out. Here's what went down, which should also stand in as explanation of why I wasn't blogging last week (sorry!).
Monday = confirmed attendance. Dan and I received official notification that there was room for us at my brother, Richard Wright's, dinner table. The event: a gala benefit for the Society for Contemporary Art. This notification was also confirmation that we were not in any way prepared for attending a gala... Dan needed a suit and I needed a dress. Panic! Luckily Dan remembered that one of our former neighbors Jim works at a fabulous old-time tailor shop, Richard Bennett Custom Tailors, so he called him for advice.
Tuesday = my first boutique. Since this was an art gala, I wanted to avoid a standard party dress if possible. The theme was Dress: Deconstructed... which seemed to leave a lot of room for interpretation. I ventured to a boutique in my neighborhood, The Dressing Room. What a great store, with pieces from my favorite brand Neesh. I did walk out of there with an outfit, but it felt way too casual (for the benefit, but I still have the pieces... bonus!). I will definitely hit this store again, though, because the prices were in my range.
Wednesday midday = Dan's suit shopping (alone and under pressure). Jim measures Dan at lunch and sends him off to Filene's Basement where he strikes out and decides to head straight to Macy's. He too wants something a little different, not just a basic black or grey suit. Luckily he finds something that fits the bill and will be improved by a custom tailored fit, so he heads back to see Jim and drop off the suit with reassurances that it will be perfect by Saturday morning.
Wednesday afternoon = 2 more boutiques. Seeing how time was slipping by, I decided to hit two of my favorite stores but vowed that if they don't work I'd go straight to Nordstrom. My first stop was to Saffron, a store I love because it also carries Neesh, but I always think of it as having a few well-chosen dresses and fancier pieces. This was true, but the between-season is tough. There was a great lace dress that had a fierce fit, very flattering... but was it artsy and deconstructed? or just pretty? I snapped a pic and moved on down the street to Robin Richman, the store that first came to mind with the "deconstructed" theme. My biggest concern was budget... this is such a fabulous store with so many beautifully handmade pieces from here and Europe. At first glance I couldn't afford anything (but loved everything!), but I finally fessed up to my dilemma and soon I was trying on dresses in my budget that hadn't caught my eye but that Robin and her assistant knew fit my criteria.
The result? I bought a dress that I was totally in love with and could imagine myself wearing again because it was more funky than fancy. The bonus: Dan also thought it was perfect.
Thursday = a girl's shoe dilemma. Robin gave me advice for shoe shopping to stay in my budget. My first stop was to City Soles, which is part of a higher-end shoe store called Niche. I had the best helper in the whole world, but we couldn't find a shoe in my budget. The pair I fell in love with cost more than the dress... it just was not an option. I had to leave them behind and move on. Later that day I went to Lori's. Who can't go to Lori's and not try on 10 pairs of shoes? That's exactly what I did, and luckily found a great pair of black dress shoe/sandals at a fantastic price, and they were comfortable to boot. Wow! Things are coming together, until I realize I need a haircut. Ugh!! I call my hair stylist & luckily she could fit me in on Friday morning. Phew!
Friday = hair. I wanted a new look. My outfit was black, not my best color, so I wanted to add some color to my hair to lighten my look overall, but I wanted the hair to be a little conceptual as well. Kate Balsley at the new Robert Jeffrey Lincoln Park Salon has cut my hair for a little while, but she outdid herself! We did a short sculpted hair do with red and blonde streaks... I think this cut will get more fun as we fine tune it with different colors and longer bang accents, etc. This was risky to do the day before an event, but what an impact!
Saturday = the big day. The event starts at 6:30pm, but Dan and I still have a long list of errands. We head downtown at 9am (no sleeping in!)... already clean and showered in case we cut it close. We pick up the suit, which is perfect. All Dan's worries about mis-remembering the color went away. We came up with a plan and headed out shopping for shoes and a shirt. We hit Filene's Basement again in the hopes of getting lucky and strike out again, so b-lined for Macy's. The shirt selection was pretty good, so by the time Dan hit the dressing room he had about 5 shirts to choose from... we opted for a bright orange-red but no tie. Very sharp under the brownish-green (shale?) suit. Shoes were a snap after that.
Dan left me in Macy's since he had to get back to Lillstreet for screen printing. I headed for the MAC cosmetics counter and decided to splurge on having my face done in an evening look. My makeup artist was great... she did beautifully smoky eyes but left my cheeks and lips in lighter almost-natural shades so I didn't feel unnaturally made-up (I don't wear much make-up usually). I liked the look so much that I bought several of the components and have been having fun experimenting. It was fun riding the train in my fleece and jeans at 2pm in full evening make-up.
Here's the picture scoop of how everything came together:
Dan's photos looked terrible, so you'll have to imagine how sharp he was.
Now what about the event itself? My goodness, I'll have to fill you in on that fabulousness in my next post.
