A Not So Windy Day, A Train Ride, and A Museum

Hello Readers!

Yesterday my mom and I drove to Bloomington and took the Amtrack to Chicago for a fun day in the city. I've taken the Amtrack once before, to go from Penn Station in NYC to Baltimore in a blizzard, but this was my first time on the Amtrak to Chicago. On the way up I read a wonderful book by Lauren Winner, Mudhouse Sabbath. It was the perfect length for the trip, and the perfect size! It fit neatly at the bottom of my purse, making it a great book to accompany me on a journey such as this.

Mudhouse Sabbath: a fast read that I'm sure to revisit!

Our first destination in the city was lunch at the Grand Lux Cafe on Michigan Avenue- one of my favorite places to dine in the city. We were seated promptly, but our server was inattentive and rude. He never refilled our drinks (water and diet coke) but strangely offered to refill my hot chocolate, which I'm quite certain is not a free-refill beverage. He also forgot to bring out the bread until after the salad arrived, and then offered the bread as if it was a special favor, because our sandwiches were taking so long. Wrong.

The only redeeming part of lunch, aside from spending time with my mom!

Overall, lunch was barely mediocre. My hot chocolate was delicious, but my chicken salad sandwich was drowning in mayo- gross. When I chose that restaurant for lunch, I hoped for an experience as positive as my experiences with the restaurant in the past.

After lunch my mom and I returned a few things at Anthropologie and Bloomingdales on Michigan Avenue. After walking out of Bloomingdales my mom remarked that we didn't buy any clothing on our trip! What? Yes. We didn't find anything that struck our fancy. And we were fine with that. So were our wallets.

Lilac Headband: J.Crew, White Scarf: Target,  Greyish Brown Izzy Coat: Tahari,  Jeans: Martin+Osa, Boots: Anne Klein, Photo: Anthropologie Fitting Room

We caught a taxi in front of The Drake hotel, thanks to two friendly employees at the cab stand flagged down a taxi for us that took us the the Chicago History Museum to see a wonderful exhibit featuring gowns and dresses created by the late American couture designer Charles James.

I must confess I was unfamiliar with James until a few weeks ago but I am amazed by his art and fascinated by his story. He was a troubled genius who approached fashion design and construction in perplexing and original ways. Below are a few examples of his work that were featured at the museum (found via google because photos were not permitted in the exhibit):

The Clover: silk satin and silk taffeta ,c.1950

The Swan: silk chiffon, silk and nylon tulle, c. 1954

The Swan is amazing!

La Sirene: silk crepe, satin-backed lining, c. 1941

The Day Dress: another version of this dress was worn by Angelina Jolie in The Tourist: wool crepe, c. 1951

A reproduced, dissected interactive reconstruction of James' "Evening Dress." You can touch, feel, and see James' "Z-cut" draping- a technique developed by James (according to the exhibit)

The exhibit is on display until April 16th- you should go! After being wowed by Charles James' creations my mom and I walked through the museum. We learned about the Great Chicago Fire, locomotives, suffrage, civil rights, and so much more. We even learned why Chicago is called Chicago (*hint* it has something to do with wild leeks).

Hanging out with the suffragettes

You know, just paddleboating in Lincoln Park...

Swan Love!

Let's go to the beach! 

Creative Ironwork

School & Society by John Dewey!

John Dewey. Chicago School. Cool stuff- look it up!

After finishing our visit to the museum, my mom and I walked around a bit in search of a Diet Coke, hailed a cab, and went back to Union Station to wait for our train. The ride back was fun. My mom and I visited the train's cafe, chatted, and went back to our seats where we chatted and mostly relaxed except for the few minutes that a fellow passenger blasted their mp3 player for all to hear. Two and a half hours after our departure we arrived safely back in Bloomington and an hour later we arrived safely in our driveway.

What a fun day!

Fitting Room Reviews: July

Hey Readers!

It is July 20th! Can you believe it? July has flown by for me- how about you? I had a few adventures this month (well- visits to Chicago and St. Louis), and each of those adventures included visits to a store near and dear to my heart. . . Anthropologie! While I was there, on each occasion, I took pictures of some of the highlights of my visits.  Hopefully you find them useful! Comment on this post if you have any questions!

Chicago (Chicago Ave and Schaumburg)

Loosened Shelby Blouse from Porridge

I seem to be inexplicably drawn to the Loosened Shelby Blouse. It's not quite my style, but upon each encounter with the blouse, I try it on! This time I tried on the green motif color, but had to choose between a size 2 or a size 10 (I chose the 2) for this try-on session. Width-wise, the blouse was fine, but length-wise I think I needed a size 4. If I do end up purchasing this little ditty, I think it will have to go with a belt or a high-waisted skirt.

Crotched Tank by ?

I don't think this tank is online anymore, but I found it in the sale rack at the Chicago Ave. store two weeks ago, and again last week in the St. Louis store (size S was perfect). I absolutely love this tank- layered crotched fabric, an ultra-flattering tunic length, and a lacy hem. I was ready to purchase this tank until I checked the fabric info tag and saw that it was dry clean only. Deal breaker.

Darling Dragonfly Dress from We Love Vera

I really like the colors of this dress. I did before I tried the dress on and after I tried it on.  The horizontal stripes and brushstrokes, however, did not work for me. I tried this on in a 4, and it seemed a bit tight. If I liked the dress more, I would try a 6, but I didn't like the dress enough to find a 6. I think this dress would be better suited for someone with a petite frame- someone I am not.

Alchemilla Tee in Green from one.september

I was looking for the Side Bent Tee when I found the Alchemilla Tee in its stead.  I appreciate its similarity to Deletta's Craft and Creation Top from last summer.  I tried on a small, and it fit wonderfully, but the flowery detailing was a bit too overwhelming, at least as a full-price purchase. This will stay on my wishlist until further notice.

 --btw: Has anyone tried on the Sidebent tee?

Whirligig Dress from Velvet in Orange

OK, I tried this dress on again. For the third time? I have a few events in the upcoming future, and a new job, that call for something like this. I really, really, really like this dress. I even wrote a review for the dress, and anthro used part of it in a promo (on facebook or in an email- I can't remember). I misspelled "classically" (as classicaly- whoops), but when I saw my description again in that context I almost became convinced that the dress was perfect for me!

But look what happened for a second time!

Again? This Whirligig Dress has a mis-formed sleeve. If I buy this dress, I think I will do so in a store and not online

No sleeve! No thanks! If I buy this dress, it will not be online!

St. Louis (St. Louis Galleria)

From H&M. I'm not crazy about the fabric but I love the print, color, and fit.

While I was in St. Louis, I also made a stop in H&M and almost bought this top. I wasn't sure if it was professional enough for my new job (I know, I am being elusive! Details in August).

Quilted Pastiche Maxi from Maple by Some Odd Rubies

This lovely dress, unfortunately, was too short for me. And, unfortunately, I could find no zipper on the dress- which made for an awkward try-on with a not-so-lovely frizzy hair effect. I adore the color of the dress, but unless it becomes available in a tall size, it is not a dress destined for my wardrobe. Also, I don't know where I would wear this dress. Ideas?

Cirque A-Line from Porridge

Finally, I tried on Porridge's Cirque A-Line dress. Last week I was desperately looking for something to wear to a bridal shower with a bumble-bee theme (cute!) where attendees (that's me) were asked to wear yellow and/or black. Since I don't wear these colors very often, I was a woman on a mission during this anthro visit.  While yellow and black are fun colors, I did not find many items of clothing at my St. Louis Mall featuring this combo- except this dress. 

I tried on a 4 in this dress, which fit fabulously except for one major detail. . . it was much too low cut for my taste! Has anyone experienced any similar dilemmas when trying on this dress?

Thanks for reading!