Fashion’s Night Out at Bravern

This past Thursday was Fashion’s Night Out. There were events held all over the country (and world). Over 250 cities in the USA participated in this after-hours shopping extravaganza. Downtown Seattle had an event. So did Nordstrom in Bellevue. Mr. Jean of all Trades and I, however, chose to attend the party at The Bravern, an upscale collection of shops and restaurants.

The Bravern had a wine garden complete with live band in their outdoor courtyard. Wandering between stores like Hermès and Jimmy Choo, we found live mannequins.

Stylish people perused the breezeways, looking at the latest fashions. It’s was a perfect night for an outdoor event.

Neiman Marcus had a fashion show on ther upper level. I love how the translucent butterflies adorning the mezzanine made it look like it was snowing. It was a gentle reminder that these 80 degree days won’t last much longer. If that didn’t get people in the mood for fall shopping, nothing would.

My husband had his eye on a few models as well. Models of a different kind. As you can see, the well-heeled attended this event. (I wonder if they would have valet-parked my Honda.)

He snapped a few pictures and texted them to his friends.

I read that houndstooth was big for fall. Salvatore Ferragamo is betting on it. You too can wear houndstooth all the way to the soles of your shoes (Don’t worry, I think they take AmEx).

I arrived in silk shorts and a ruched top from H&M (Don’t tell anyone my entire outfit—not counting the clutch—was under $100). I wanted to see if I could make shorts dressy. The key was the fabric (silk) and the shoes (high).

I was also playing around with color and wanted to see how to mix pink and red in the same outfit. The trick, I found out, is to go for a soft blush pink and a wine red. A bright pink and tomato red would work too but the effect would be bolder.

Top: H&M
Shorts: H&M
Shoes: Nine West
Earrings: Premier
Cuff: Greenbelts
Clutch: Vamp Bags

As much as I like fashion, I also like a bargain. I want to look like a million without spending a fortune. The Bravern is a great place to people-watch and get ideas. In all fairness, there’s an Anthropologie and a few pieces in the junior’s department in Neiman Marcus are not out of my usual price range. But many of the stores are filled with the stuff of dreams.

A girl can dream, right?