'80s Dress

About six weeks ago I came across an amazing dress from the '80s in one of our local vintage stores, Petrune. The combination of cornflower blue and coral was so striking and the silk fabric so luxurious, that I just couldn't leave it there...particularly after I tried it on with one of the handmade felt belts they are now carrying.

I've been so excited to wear this ensemble so I could share it with you, but haven't had any opportunity that felt special enough to warrant such a spectacular dress--until last Friday night. I thought Anthony Bourdain and dinner at Good Luck were definitely worth dressing up for! Sadly, we didn't take a photo until after dinner and apparently the Negroni I had completely went to my head, because in every photo, I'm making a wonky face and my belt is all disheveled (the hubby needs to learn to be a better stylist!).

Believe it or not, this is the best picture we got, but you can still get the idea. I mean, isn't that an amazing color combo? To tone it down a bit, I paired the dress with all black--an ancient velvet blazer from Old Navy, tights, slouchy suede boots, a vintage crocheted clutch from the '40s--and a vintage brooch and Stella & Dot earrings.

Here's a close-up of the inverted pleats on the puffy sleeves (and also a close-up of the Negroni starting to work its magic...note the glassy eyes!).

I'm just so in love with this dress! I think it's one of those very unique pieces that will hold a very special place in my wardrobe for a long time to come.