A Night at the Opera (sorta)

One of the wonderful things about living in Portsmouth is that it's only a hop skip and a jump to Boston. I'll admit it. Most people would look at my hometown on a map and call it the middle of nowhere, so going into the city remains an object of excitement and a rare luxury for me. The only thing that could make it better is going in for the express purpose of seeing the Boston Symphony Orchestra.Classical music is far from dead. I'm willing to bet that watching those strings swim between crowd and upstage in such inconceivable unison would make you feel more alive than you have in a very long time. But, let's be honest, aside from all of the existential and spiritual benefits of seeing the BSO perform, there is also the feeling of losing yourself in the opulence of a night out at Symphony Hall. One must dress to suit the occasion.

Ankle boots were definitely the right choice for tackling the steps to the balcony...

We didn't see the entire symphony perform, but we did get to witness a whittled down, still beautiful performance of Mendelssohn's "The Hebrides", Ives' "Orchestral Suite No. 1" and an ocean inspired work by contemporary composer Thomas Ades. It was an enormous privilege to see the composer conduct his own piece. Even with fewer instrumental voices, Symphony Hall was full of incredible, beautiful sound.

H & M Kimono-inspired silk top
Maurices ankle boots

I'm a print addict, can you tell? East Asian florals kill me and I bought this kimono inspired piece for 7 euro (a steal) at H&M, last year. If you ever see anything like it, get it. I wear this with jeans to class up a day outfit, or over a simple black shift dress to dress up for evening. It's one of the most flexible things I've ever owned.

Two Back Flats floral headpiece - $84 at Pickwick's Mercantile
Gold fan earrings from a Portsmouth neighbor, Serendipity! - $15

Chanel would have approved of my head-piece and I think that people appreciated seeing some retro chic come through the doors. People should do more with hats and headbands, there's a whole realm of hair-topping possibility out there that just isn't being explored, these days.

Silk Wrap Bracelet - $40 at Pickwick's Mercantile
MK Totem leather clutch - $80 at Pickwick's Mercantile

To draw the oranges out of the flowers, I added a silk wrap bracelet, but especially loved how the little skull details kept the whole ensemble from getting too cute and frilly.

Thank you for the shots and the evening, Chris D'Amore of Chris D'Amore Photography

It was a beautiful evening, in a way that only Boston could really serve up. I've added on a little bit of what we heard (albeit by London Symphony Orchestra), for your enjoyment. Close your eyes and let Mendelssohn take you away to Boston Symphony Hall.

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