"When I was thinking about how right tonight might be" --Carly Simon

We went to the art deco style Carlyle Club Friday for an early celebration of my birthday.* We had a reasonably good dinner but the main draw was Doc Scantlin and the Imperial Palms Orchestra--big band, people! They performed great music from the 20s through the 40s. The show also included a charming chanteuse named Chou Chou** and four young ladies (Moxie, Sweatpea, Sugar and Angelpuss) who provided the Andrews Sisters-style harmonies. It was a hoot! Plus, a number of folks in the audience actually knew how to dance. Yowza!

I spent two weeks looking for the right dress for this. I could have worn a cocktail dress I had but I wanted to get into the spirit of the evening. After trying on dresses in many, many department stores and boutiques including some dresses in excess of $400, I found the dress I wanted at Lord & Taylor. The price was reduced and reduced and reduced. That plus a 15% off coupon got me the perfect dress for $48 and change. For real. It is cocktail length, teal with shutter pleats and bugle beads, looks like something out of the 30s, and it fits me like it was made for my exact dimensions. I have the right heels for it. I even have a vintage necklace that works with it beautifully.

The people at the other tables Friday were clad in everything from evening-wear all the way down to jeans. Sigh. Really? Jeans? That's the best you could do?

The Husband, who is always a fan of comfort over style, chose to be a sweetheart and suit up. He looked quite nice, indeed.

Which brings us to the questions du jour: Do you enjoy the process of dressing for a special evening and the anticipation of the impact you'll have on your date? Do you like it when your date dresses up for you? And, finally, Is anyone else completely over little black dresses?



* Speaking of being another year closer to death, I got my hair cut Saturday and am actually flaunting something "age appropriate" for the first time since I was five and decided to cut my own bangs super-short. So, yep, I, once again, have an "age appropriate" haircut. *narrows eyes* You're picturing Barbara Bush, aren't you?

** Say that three times fast.