My Second Soiree, Part I

A month or so ago, I finally managed to get out to one of Christine's lovely soirees.

I had limited experience flocking with birds of my particular feather, and didn't quite know what to expect.  It was like an all-girl cocktail hour before a wedding or other catered affair.  What was missing was the cliques.  I've been to many events: weddings, funerals, bnai mitzvahs, business seminars or conferences that have a pre-event shmooze.  They all have something in common: groups that move together.  They might be family or friends or people who are at their ninth user conference and they find familiar faces and they hang together.  Sometimes, I'm the only lone person at an event, or I'm part of a pair that I'm reluctant to let go of.  I'm not anxious to cast off in a gale, so I stay tied to the dock.

There is some anxiety tied to this.  Sometimes, there is a lot of anxiety.  At least once, I fled a "happy hour."  At least once, I skipped the main event in order to escape and calm down.

Most of the girls knew each other.  Some did not.  But random girls came up to me and chatted.  I went up to random girls and did the same.

No sign of cliques.

As I said, I had a good time.  I was looking forward to my second soiree.

"Casual elegance" read the invitation.  If you're like me, you choose clothing differently whether you're going in drab or dressed.  If you're invited to something you're going to attend as a male and you don't know what to wear, you start at the bottom and work up: will a t-shirt and jeans work?  Should I "up" to a polo shirt?  Button down shirt?  Maybe go to khakis?  Are tennis shoes OK?  Maybe work boots or boat shoes.

But I work from the bottom, and suspect most males do the same.

If I'm invited to something as my female self, I work from the top.  I think many of us do the same: can I wear a cocktail dress and my pearls and platform pumps?  Maybe not.  Maybe a party dress and pendant and chandelier earrings, but I can still work those pumps.  Probably too overdressed ~ maybe a sheath and open-toed sandals and that jewelry will still work.

And down to overdressed but not too much.

But girls together are going to dress UP.  I saw everything from minis to gowns.

I don't have a gown I would wear, and I still don't want to be too overdressed.  I have some dresses I would call "party" dresses and I wore one last time.  I wore a different one this time.  This was a new dress, expensive (for me) but it had the price beat out of it at Nordstrom's Rack.

It was cold and I was going to wear tights but Charity talked me into wearing my new patterned hose.  I think it was a good call.  They are pretty.  I had new blue patterned platform pumps that I bought pretty much to wear with this dress, but they didn't fit right and I decided to pass and save them in the hopes I can get them stretched a bit.  Or my feet will shrink a bit.  You never know.

This soiree's first: Andrea and Star and Sharon were going to meet at the apartment and we'd all go together.

I've been here for five months and, other than Charity, I've never had a visitor.  We cleaned the heck out of the place and we were so excited to have guests that we didn't even remember to give a little tour (how long can it take?) and get a picture of the five of us.  Ah well.

More tomorrow.  Here are pictures of the five of us ~ Sharon at the party; the rest pre-party.

Star and Andrea

Sharon

A rare photo of Charity on her phone!