It seems strange to me that it has been two weeks since I spent a fabulous weekend with friends in Chicago. Liana and I flew in on Thursday and spent a couple of lovely days meeting friends, chatting and knitting by the fire,
snoop shopping, window shopping, or just looking at clothes not thinking of buying them but of what inspires us, how they are made, what the designer has put together and why, comparing notes on what intrigued us and why.
This is the back of a dress by Ralph Rucci. The dress is a heavy jersey. The band at the hip is woven. Note the detailed stitching and the shaping that is incorporated into the design.
Liana was a great shopping companion as she is very detail oriented and observant about cut and technique, noticing subtleties that many others would miss. We were also both great fans of this detail at Moncler, whose coats are all too warm for Tennessee winters.
My photo is not good. But if you look carefully you will see the three rows of zipper teeth, graduated in size, with only the center zipper being functional. A similar treatment was used as a waistband treatment in a coat of the same heavy textured wool boucle.
Some fun was had as well…
trying on hats at Neiman Marcus.
As was getting our makeup done, also at Neiman's, before going out to opening night at the Lyric Opera with our friends Patti and Norm to hear Elektra.
Norm and I were the only members of our party who had not made our opera outfits, although I had intended to make mine. I have several evening things I want to make but I seriously miscalculated the demands on my time. They will still get made. I'm a firm believer in the old adage "if you make it the occasion will come".
Luckily I had this dress still in my closet left over from a few events in my heavier days in NY. It was passable, and several inches longer than the last time I wore it. I needed new shoes to carry it off. I actually look a lot like my paternal grandmother in this photo. I tried to channel a little bit of her drama but I don't think I quite pulled it off. The evening was fabulous regardless.
Comments
6 responses to “A Chicago Weekend”
You look lovely and your grandmother sounds like quite a character. Glad to hear you enjoyed the show!
Oh, both of the portraits are beautiful! And that hat–you should have one or two. I would have to say that you look marvelous in “that old thing.” for the opera.
Love your hairstyle! It’s very flattering! So glad you had a lovely weekend in the Windy City.
The hat is smashing on you (but where would you wear it)/ That’s the thing with hat depts., which I think now exist solely to amuse groups of women shoppers trying them on. Never see anyone buying.
Your evening look, romantic and vintagey- loved seeing a “new you”! What a fun getaway.
You look adorable. And so light-hearted.
So happy that you managed the time away — sounds like so much fun with friends, and you deserved the break. You look wonderful!