What I wore to my first night at the opera

Towards the end of October my husband chanced up a wonderful programme (called Opera for a New Age) that’s in place from the Canadian Opera Company and The Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto, which allows patrons under the age of thirty to purchase opera tickets at a deeply discounted rate. The idea behind this marvelous programme being that it helps to open up (more costly) events like attending an opera to Toronto’s youth. (They only release a select number of seats per show though, so you have to snap up these bargain rate tickets quickly.)

Having long dreamed of attending an opera, we both jumped at this fantastic opportunity and purchased a pair of tickets to a newly opened performance called “The Nightingale and Other Short Fables” by Igor Stravinsky. The show, which was delightfully experimental, proved to be a very unique foray into the world of opera.

Set against a backdrop of orchestral music and Russian songs, this two act, three part performance veered away from what many would think of as “traditional opera”. The two scenes composing the first act employed highly skilled shadow work (one used hand puppets, the other human silhouettes behind a curtain) and acted out various (short) Russian folk stories. The second act saw a portion of the orchestra pit flooded with water so that puppeteers along with intricately designed puppets could to turn the viscous black surface of the water into an almost transcendent stage upon which to tell the a fairytale-like story about a Chinese Emperor and a nightingale.

I am however, jumping ahead of myself here though! As soon as I knew I would be attending an opera, my first question was: what’s the dress code? After a bit of online sleuthing (the Centre’s site didn’t seem to talk about this point),for better or worse (depending on your personal feelings surrounding formal evening gowns and tuxedos – I love them dearly myself), we determined that the dress code seemed to be what I’d describe as "casual formal". While that might sound like an oxymoron, it in fact encompasses a certain style of dress that allows for everything from suits (for the gents) to cocktail dresses, business suits, skirts of varying lengths and other evening appropriate wear for ladies.

Having never dressed for the opera before, I debated my choice of outfit carefully before the big night arrived. I sidestepped an overtly vintage look, though not intentionally per se. I don’t own many “opera worthy” pieces and so turned to a classic black jersey frock that I felt would ensure I looked neither under or over dressed. In the mood for a smoky eye, I draped my lids in shades of grey and black, which I paired with a red lip (I wear red lips a good 75% of the time, it’s by far the lipstick shade I feel most comfortable in). I wore my hair (which is now at least three inches shorter than it appears in the photos below since I got it cut last week) down, pulling the centre front part back, but leaving the sides free to flow over my shoulders naturally.

My choice of garb for the evening proved to be spot on. Though the majority of the crowd at this particular event was older than my husband and I, I felt instantly at ease with what I was wearing and blended well into the crowd of elegantly dressed, often distinguished looking women and men who shared in the performance with us that night.

Before we headed out to catch the subway downtown, I asked my husband to take a few photographs of my outfit, knowing that many years down the road – and hopefully having scores of operas under my belt by that point – I would want to recall with absolute clarity what I wore to my first opera. Spurred on by the incredibly kind and encouraging feedback I received regarding my Halloween outfit photos, I wanted to share these snaps with you all.







Outfit details:

-Silver tone and pale sky blue plastic crystal earrings: bought from a mall in Dublin when I lived in Ireland, honestly not sure what store they came from (other little stud earrings worn in holes above bottom hoop earrings, also from Claire's)
-Light blue lace camisole: FashionMax
-Black jersey dress: FashionMax
-Black double brass buckle belt: Forever 21
-Black nylons with tiny white polka dots: From eBay a couple of years ago, no label
-Black round toed, faux suede pumps: Wal-Mart
-Lip colour: CoverGirl Outlast Lipstain in #440, over Annabelle lip liner in #205 “cherry”


Attending my inaugural opera was a truly wonderful experience – however the week got even more amazing, for on the Friday (of that same week), we attended a second performance (as my husband just happened to log onto the Canadian Opera Company’s site shortly after they released a new batch of seats to a different opera later in the week). What show was on the bill you may ask? Why none other than the romantic, though (in true opera form) tragic, tale of Madame Butterfly. But the story of that night, my dears, and the photos of what I wore (hint, think more of a 50s style look) to my second opera, are for another post... :)

Ten fantastic summer party dresses

Today just happens to be my brother’s birthday (Happiest 22nd, little bro!), and though we live on opposite sides of the country and won’t get to spend it together, I can’t help but feel in a festive mood as I woke up this morning. Which got me to thinking about birthday parties – and for that matter, parties in general – and of the sorts of sophisticated, feminine dresses that women so often wore to celebrations, dinner parties, and fêtes of all kinds during the 30s, 40s and 50s.

For as long as I can recall being able to dress myself, I’ve adored wearing frocks, and I must confess, the more elegant, structured and eye catching they are, the better! Though I don’t have a fancy party to attend today, that doesn’t stop me from daydreaming that I do, and in turn scouring the web for some of the prettiest vintage (and vintage inspired) party dresses out there.

The following ten frocks are presented in a rainbow-like fashion to help highlight the diverse array of hues in which one can find a lovely vintage party dress. While the fabric they’re constructed from varies, each one is in a cut that I think is well suited to summer soirees, be they indoor or outdoor celebrations.

♥ ♥ ♥


{Glamorous enough to have graced a 1930s red carpet, this deeply gorgeous vintage inspired cream and mocha hued lace dress would be sure to turn heads anywhere you wore it! $198.00US from Unique Vintage.}



{Sweet as a cotton candy and just as yummy, this pink cotton swing dress (with its adorable bow on the back of the neck) would make anyone feel like a princess! $88.00US from Unique Vintage.}



{My heart fluttered the moment I saw this immensely stunning pink floral print vintage dress. While the price tag is a little steep, if you had a special occasion to go to and were looking to splash out on your outfit, you’d hard pressed to find a more incredible dress anywhere! $275.00US from etsy seller Timeless Vixen Vintage.}



{To say this burgundy silk wrap dress is staggeringly beautiful, would be a gross understatement. It’s powers go beyond beauty into a realm as timeless as silver screen starlets, great jazz music and the act of falling in love. Though a pricey piece, I feel it would be worth every penny. $385.00 from etsy seller Timeless Vixen Vintage.}



{Sweetly lovely like a bouquet of spring flowers, this 1950s dress features a cute bow and Lucite buttons down the front. $79.00US from esty seller Flashbax.}



{Shimmering like an emerald in the sun, this beautiful sweet-heart neck dress instantly made me of something Marilyn would have loved to have worn. £55.00 (UK pounds) from Oli.}



{Charming as a bouquet of freshly picked blooms, this vintage dress (which the seller lists as being from the 1950s or 60s) would look amazing on. I love the rouched lilac hued sash and full skirt, and could easily imagine myself wearing this to an garden party. $75.00US from etsy seller Goodeye.}



{The colour of this halter neck dress reminds me of a summer sky as it teeters between dusk and night, inky blue and sweetly mysterious. £59.00 (UK pounds) from Vivien Holloway.}



{Though somewhat understated compared to the other dresses on this list, this navy blue silk-satin brocade sheath frock (featuring an adorable white butterfly print) strikes me as the type of dress that would look like a million dollars when paired with some d’orsay heels and a sleek little clutch. $65.00US from etsy seller Pintuck Style.}



{Resplendently timeless, this short sleeved black silk dress would be perfect for any party, from cocktails with friends to New Year’s Eve! $138.00US from etsy seller Thirteen Bees Vintage.}


I think that just as every gal should have a LBD in her closet, so too should she have at least one amazing party dress that can carry her through a myriad of special occasions. From weddings (just be sure your gown doesn’t upstage the bride’s ;D) to formal dinner parties, getting onto the guest list of a charity gala event or just deciding that you really want to look drop-dead gorgeous for a loved one’s – or your own! – birthday party, it never hurts to have a stunning dress like the examples above on hand!