Today’s post is written by fabulous forum member and software engineer, Aida, who also happens to be a Seattle local. A bunch of us recently got together for a day of food, fashion, friendship and fun and this is how it went down.
The morning of the Seattle meet-up I was so excited I awoke before my alarm, which rarely happens. It was unexpectedly sunny so I was happy to wear my baggy flared jeans, white button-up shirt, cream vest, and clog sandals. As I drove to Seattle my excitement grew by the minute; I couldn’t wait to meet everyone, as well as shop downtown (with Angie no less!) for the first time. Angie had offered to meet us at Nordstrom. I parked and walked up to the entrance of the flagship store, in awe of its enormous size.
Before going inside, I stopped and peered through the glass doors where I saw three lovely ladies talking and laughing, instantly recognizable: Kari with her unforgettable bright red hair, wearing a printed blouse, denim skirt, and great textured hose; Anna, in striped silk pants, open-toed ankle boots, and the most fabulous bright fuchsia lipstick; and Angie, sporting a denim-on-denim look with a chambray top, jodhpur jeans, and golden heels and handbag. With a big grin I walked inside. After hellos and outfit admirations, we chatted for a few minutes, took some photos, and then headed outside.
From Nordstrom’s we had a short walk in the wonderful sunshine to Dahlia Lounge, which is decorated in luscious rustic colors and low golden lighting. Shortly after being seated Laurel arrived, wearing all black with a bright blue cardigan, soft green handbag, and combat boots followed by Jenava who was also sporting all black, a long gray cardigan, and cream belt; Sheila (who’d purchased a flowy red floral tunic at Nordstrom Rack before meeting us), in crisp white pants, a striped top, and a bright citron jacket; and Julie, wearing a printed shirt dress, gray moto jacket, and the softest pair of light brown slouchy boots.
Though several of us were meeting for the first time, it was as if we were all old friends. Looking around the table I couldn’t help but smile at the truly fab company surrounding me. Our non-stop conversation showed that not only were these ladies beyond stylish, they were also all sweet, intelligent, and insightful. Topics ranged from food, travel, work, life, and of course, fashion.
Towards the end of our tasty brunch Janet, a reporter from the Seattle Times who’s doing a story on YLF, joined us for shopping wearing a black tunic, leggings, and a deep blue cardigan, and her photographer, Ellen, also joined us. We stepped outside into the sun and a myriad of pretty sunglasses came out to play. Ellen took some fun photos of the lot of us crossing the street Abbey Road style; with eight of us trying to coordinate along with a zillion people being outside for the first truly sunny day of the year in Seattle, we all got a new appreciation for the time Angie spends taking her street photos! It was a lot of fun, and we giggled our way back-and-forth across the street several times.
After the street crossing photos, Ellen “followed” us while we walked to the shops: she ran ahead of the group while we walked, talked, and laughed, constantly taking photos. It must have been quite a sight, a group of eight amazingly stylish ladies, sunglasses on, with a photographer standing, crouching, moving, animatedly snapping pictures. More than a few heads were turned!
Ellen bid us adieu when we arrived at AllSaints Spitalfields, which had several walls of floor to ceiling antique Singer sewing machines. The clothing was mainly black with pops of white, gray, and bright coral, and adornments of all things metal could be found throughout. We saw a VERY short gold sequined skirt we couldn’t help but marvel at its length (or lack thereof), tops with unique cutout backs, more types of combat boots than you’d think exist, and some of the most amazing hardware covered belts. Anna had had her eye on a pair of black Shearling lined boots which she modeled for us before purchasing.
Next we walked to Anthropologie which was loaded with cheerful colors, prints (including many conversational prints), and displays. On the ground floor was a lovely home décor section on the left, clothing on the right, and a huge curved staircase with a landing in the middle for another display, leading to more clothing upstairs and small décor items scattered throughout. Angie gave Kari some tips on how to incorporate the 70s glam look, which many of us also enjoyed hearing.
From there we walked back to Nordstrom, and after strolling through the always impressive shoe department went over to accessories. Julie and Jenava had their eyes on sunglasses, and Anna belts. Julie bought a lovely pair of tortoise shell Ray Bans after getting advice from Angie, and Anna bought a fluorescent yellow-green skinny belt. I also spotted the skinniest belts I’ve ever seen, less than a quarter of an inch across in bright colors.
Next up was H&M, displaying both neutrals and brights. We found items in bright fuchsia, lime, and orange (including bright short shorts!) as well as bright red-orange items. While walking through and wondering how they packed so many items in the store, I happily spied just the white tuxedo blazer I’ve been looking for. A gold pendant on one of the mannequins caught Angie’s eye which she immediately purchased, and then promptly put on. A wonderful lesson in buying things that delight you and wearing them right away!
We ended our shopping trip next door at Mario’s to enjoy some luxury designer eye candy. The store had an ultra vaulted ceiling, with an impressive men’s department downstairs and women’s department upstairs; a massive hourglass-curved stone staircase opened up onto accessories, with clothing racks lining the walls and displays of pretty items in front of them. There were some beautifully draped dresses in midi lengths and Anna purchased a perfectly boxy bright orange silk shirt.
Outside, the sun was still shining and even though half the day had passed, it felt like time had flown by. We said our goodbyes and parted ways. As I drove home I reflected on the awesome day, and how brilliant it was to have the opportunity to be in such inspiring company. Laurel, thanks for putting this all together! And thanks to Angie and Greg for cultivating the wonderful YLF community. I’m pretty sure I can speak for everyone when I say I eagerly look forward to the next get together!
