Classic with a Twist

Valentine's Day came and went, and with it the romantic weekend in Chicago that Bob and I had planned: a downtown boutique hotel, reservations at Blackbird, a little Michigan Avenue shopping, an IKEA trip. Above all it was an opportunity to get fancy and eat glorious food in the name of a holiday that we otherwise don't care too much about. However, the nasty midwinter flu virus had other ideas for us, and we had to cancel the entire trip. We were totally, utterly bummed. It wasn't until last week that the both of us really started feeling better, and it wasn't until this past Monday night that we finally decided to take each other out - a Valentine's Day do-over date night, without the pressure but still with all the fancy.

My fancy was none other than this lacey confection, the Cosmo Cocktail Dress, from Kiyonna. Kiyonna knocked it out of the park yet again with this dress. Just below knee length, elbow-sleeves, sweetheart neckline exposed through the lace overlay (and you can wear a regular bra!), beautiful construction....and exquisite lace. THIS is my LBD, my friends. I have finally, after all these years, found it.

Cosmo Cocktail Dress - c/o Kiyonna / Belt - Talbots / Snakeskin clutch - eloquii /
Suede platforms - Kelsi Dagger "Linzy" (eBayed)

Worn alone, it is nothing less than stunning and classic, but I quite like it with a belt. Doing so allows for tons of styling options! In fact, had I worn it for Valentine's Day, I was planning to go all-out-holiday with a deep red belt, red snakeskin clutch, and red nails. Now that we're decidedly into spring, I went with springy corals instead. I love the whimsy they impart to the the dress! A neutral snakeskin clutch was the perfect choice to add a complementary but modern edge to the look, and black suede sky-high platforms rounded it all out.

Earrings - Ruche / Ring - Banana Republic / Nail polish - Essie "Haute as Hello"

And it was a lovely evening. A gloriously warm golden hour allowed us to walk to dinner, snapping pictures along the way. Our favorite restaurant downtown seated us at the coveted front window table and served us a delectable tasting menu of farm-to-table delights: a citrus salad with radish, ricotta, black olives and fennel; pan-fried monkfish over a bed of linguine with jalapeno, green onion and lemon; spare ribs with broccolini and potato salad; parmigiano reggiano with 16 y/o balsamic; and a chocolate buttercream-filled chocolate cupcake that even Bob, the sweet-tooth-less wonder, approved. Oh, and lots of wine.

A wonderful time will always be had when good food, good company, and a pretty dress is involved. It was a do-over, possibly done better....

My cute date =)

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