This may come as a shock to some of you, but I'm not a big person for musicals — for theater in general, actually. I enjoy it when I am put in the way of seeing any, but my first impulse when seeking entertainment is to reach for a book, and my second is to reach for a long, arc-y, plotty TV show (like The Wire — the hotness of Dominic West will go a long way towards warming up January here in Chicago), and my third is to watch national icons blow up in spectacular and original ways while eating popcorn. So: not so much with the musicals.
But now I think that it would be hilarious to wear something like this to an opening night for Chess, wouldn't it? Sure, I'd be flamboyantly overdressed, but I would have made an effort.
A $650, lose-ten-pounds-first kind of effort, but it would probably be worth it.
If it's worth it to you, this is up at Shrimpton Couture. I'm not sure exactly how to navigate to it, sadly. The site doesn't have individual linkable pages for each dress. But you probably won't mind browsing around, as there's a lot of other eye candy there, too, and the pictures are good!
A Dress A Day 
No kidding there’s lots of eye candy on that site! I went for a quick look, and ended up admiring every dress they have on there. I have a lovely 1950’s dress myself, and there’s something really special about wearing an original. Although, it would be fun to sew them too, as you do.
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(Please forgive me.)Nope, it’s Sparta.
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Someone should tell the folks at Shrimpton Couture that “cheongsam” does not equal “geisha.”I love the idea of a leopard print cheongsam (in fact I might have to make one, now), but it is not, absolutely not, not even in the slightest bit…”geisha.”
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I repeat from your earlier post on Mccalls 7163: I got here too late to buy the dress, and I can’t find it elsewhere! Help! Where else can I shop for patterns such as these??I like that Chess Dress, by the way. I’d play chess way more often if i could wear that.
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Dear Dat: I’d try eBay … set up a saved search!
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Depending on what type of theatre was holding the opening night, you wouldn’t be overdressed at all.
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I love their “Socialite” red squirrel bomber jacket!
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…and that’s why I’m a costumer. I can’t wear that dress, but I could sure as hell make one of my actresses wear it. It’s actually very much like the hilarious beaded peacock tunic dress I put one of my characters in for Titanic (which opened this weekend, and which has been a total nightmare for repairs and alterations)
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Okay, Erin – you now have TWO secret lives to write!
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I first read that sentence as “national icons who, while eating popcorn, blow up in spectacular and original ways” and I was muy confused. I was picturing, I dunno, Angelina Jolie going on a 4000-calories-of popcorn/day diet or something. (It took me a bit to figure out what the trailer had to do with anything, too.)
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I like how you said “Sure, I’d be flamboyantly overdressed, but I would have made an effort.” I went to a preview reception of an exhibit at an art museum yesterday and in a rush, I just threw on black silk pants and top…knowing I’d look “right”, if a bit boring. And I did. But when I saw the one or two women who’d made the effort and put on gorgeous (vintage) dresses I was filled with self-reproach. A dress always looks right, too ,and much less boring. When, when, when will I learn?!?
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