Pop! Fizz! Clink!

On Valentine's Day we had a swanky cocktail party.

 We decided that no where in town would they do something as fancy as we would like so we decided a dress-up, black-tie optional party it would need to be.

I mean, who just wants to sort of get dressed, up go eat a prix-fixe meal with a ton of other people (probably not having a great time) and then come back home.

So we cleaned up the house and planned a bunch of food and a great bar and invited a bunch of friends - couples and not!

The husband looked dashing in his tux. 

And I wore a Sonia Rykiel sequined dress with sheer collar and cuffs paired with the Manolo Blahnik Fiocam black patent mary janes.

I'm glad our friend got a few action shots during the party.  We were having so much fun we didn't get any during the event.  I think this needs to be an annual thing… or at least more often than we've had them, which is like several years apart!

Channeling Coco

About once a year or so I toy with the idea of streamlining my closet and wardrobe palette. But then I end up wearing some flouncy pink, purple and blue outfit and it all goes out the window. It must be a winter thing because here I am again wanting to go through all of my clothes and shoes and accessories and edit out the color for, what I consider, a Chanel-esque tone.

I had been toying with this idea a few weeks ago but watching Coco avant Chanel on the plane back from Ireland made we even more inspired to do it. The thing is, I love the classic tailoring and elegant femininity of the Chanel look. I love the black, whites, greys, sages and pinks. The restrained lines with immaculate detailing. It all appeals to me strongly.



The movie was some, but not enough, of what I hoped for. I expected it to be about the elements that influenced Coco's aesthetic but I wanted even more. The few brief moments were not enough and didn't tie it back to her later creations. Less romance, more fashion!



As I cast a new eye over some recent purchases, I saw details were already creeping in.



I love the off-white pajamas with the black piping.



And I just purchased a few of the new Rosalind Keep trompe l'oeil Trench Dresses from Oasis (UK) -

Trench Dress:

Prom Dress:

In Black:

In Pink:

And of course there are the classic wool suits embellished or combined with pearls and crystals.

Of course these aren't as detailed, but Forever 21 had some cute options to wear to work and with jeans:

I'm wearing this jacket today with a beaded top, black pencil skirt, black tights and black patent heels.

But I especially adore the very restrained schoolgirl-ish looks with the tidy collars.

Crisp white against a dark background.

Those scenes influenced this new Sonia Rykiel dress purchase to be sure.

I'm going to at least write up my wardrobe parameters leaving room for patterns like damask, toile and, of course stripes!