Friday Night Dance Party: Red Wine and Sequins

Last Friday, after kicking off my Freye heels and discarding my illusionary and delusionary yacht costume, I decided to let off some proverbial steam with shining, iridescent sequins and some opaque red wine. Delightfully surprising me, my film maker came over with more red wine and a sweet treat, both to be featured in a later post, as well as his beautiful and fancy camera.

Initially, feeling rather sluggish from a long day of hovering in front of a glowing computer screen, my intent was to stay in, sip wine slowly, perhaps fall asleep to some movie I have already seen a few times, the plot being no secret or real interest any more. Spurred on by the sudden and welcome evening warmth, the film maker had other plans: he had some socializing desires to fulfill, and convinced me to burst forth from my quiet apartment. Digging through my drawers, I found this look, highlighting a vintage sequin top that has somehow managed to be only worn once, turned up some dance mix searing hot nostalgia from university days, and sashayed and shook while dressing and painting my eyes.



So many people seem on the fence about liquid foundation, or are vehemently against it. My former bad skin lingers around like a howling ghost, invisible, and I cannot seem to break the habit. I tried the Bare Essentials mineral powder once, a few years back, and did not care for the thin coverage.

This sequined top prominently features both gold and silver accenting; it was an intense and tumultuous love at first sight. I found it buried between mountains of crap at an outdoor flea market and auction, all proceeds benefiting a local fire department; it was one of my first fall weekends here, living as a mature adult, and my childhood best friend, Sarah, had been paying a visit. I am glad I dug this out last week, as it evokes some fond memories; time to invite her again for a brief sojourn.

To accentuate the metallic sequins of the top, and play up the sombre black of the rest of my outfit, I used a light purple metallic shimmer both below and above my eye lids, applying quite liberally with a concealer brush. Specifically, I used L'Oreal H(igh) I(intensity) P(igments), in a light and dark purple metallic duo, opting only for the light. This eye shadow is literally cheap, as in will only set you back a few dollars, and also appears as though it would be lacklustre or smear-worthy; on the contrary, the colors are dazzling and it has insane endurance, keeping up with running about and dancing all evening long. Definitely a valuable purchase if you love quality eye shadow, in a myriad of shades, and are looking to save a few pennies.

For my earrings, I went with a large, plain gold hoop.

The silver and gold of this top affords a unique and sartorially blessed moment: opportunity to wear my two favorite lucite bangles, already rather popular and infamous here, simultaneously. They each are such different shapes, the silver being cylindrical and flat, the gold barbed wire being rounded and thinner, so I enjoy wearing them together.

My spoon ring, a childhood gift from my mother, and my first real piece of jewelry, next to my diamond engagement ring from my great-grandmother, also a gift from my mother. It had been collecting dust until a few Christmas seasons ago, when my mother decided to allow me to wear it; it has remained on the middle finger of my left hand ever since. The diamond is placed in a rather unique square Victorian setting, so there is no confusion concerning my bachelorette, though happily coupled, status.

The top is silk, with sequins tightly woven within, and is a rather tight-fitting cut; it is a small, and requires a bit of contortion to get into, which is perhaps why I have not fit it into heavy rotation as far as my winter wardrobe goes. Once on, however, I love how perfectly it whispers close to my skin, without snagging or squeezing; I also adore the slightly shortened sleeve. It truly accents my heavy, bold bangles. In order to balance and slightly offset the overtly feminine cut and style of the sequin top, I chose a pair of black winter shorts, as opposed to a pencil skirt.

As with many of my favorite numbers, I found these Cynthia Steffe shorts at TJ Maxx earlier on in the fall, as the frost began to descend, and have worn them countless times since then, both in the office and out on the town. With a professional look, they infuse some youth and playfulness and innocence, while for a fun night out, they create some edge and provide a not-t00-aggressively-masculine structure. Since the top is very bold, I decided to create a monochromatic look along the bottom, wearing black shorts, opaque black tights, and plain black kitten wedges.

An over-sized black and gold clutch, vintage, probably from the 80s; stashed between random odds and ends at this fabric and bric-a-brac store up in Ithaca.

The evening, incidentally, turned out to be a bit of a bust, other than the pleasant and quite handsome company I was keeping; the film maker and I stopped in a series of disappointing establishments, before settling for a mediocre and expensive mojito. First, at a new steak house restaurant in town, the type which unnecessarily attempts to cultivate an ambiance of sophistication, seeking a well-crafted night cap, we were instead greeted with desperate and groomed middle-aged singles crammed and clawing at an under-staffed bar, and a rather snappy and presumptuous maitre d', who summarily frustrated me with his snide expression and condescending tone. Then, a typical go-to for a casual night out, a local cigar bar, was also hosting middle-aged mating ground, this time in the form of a woman's fortieth birthday. While I prefer a mature crowd any day, especially to the hordes of college kids one so often finds in these parts, the worst tends to be a mature crowd feigning collegiate youth. Last resort: mojito, in an empty but house-music deafening bar. Next Friday, the dance party will stay in my apartment, where I can design the tunes and concoct my own cocktails.