Date Night: What Would Audrey Wear?

WARNING:  This post contains an excessive amount of photo collages.

    It was a big night for us and we intended to celebrate in style.  We booked a table at the Hilltop Casita restaurant in Tokyo for the occasion and decided to don our fanciest clothes.  I was fairly certain I could fake my way through all the etiquette rules required, but I was stumped on what to wear.  Looking at all my dresses, I had to ask myself, What Would Audrey Wear?  

    This gorgeous style icon has never steered me (or anyone else) wrong when it comes to her fashion sense.  However, since I only found out about our reservation two weeks before hand, I didn't have time to browse the internet for that perfect Audrey look.  And since I've absolutely abandoned the hope of finding clothes that fit me properly here, it was time to dig deep into the closet and see what I could find. I narrowed it down to three choices and then asked the advice of dear old mum.

ModCloth's Promoting Elegance dress, Too Tie, Tie Dress by Lavish Alice, and Pencil Dress by White House Black Market

    Mum favored the Lavish Alice dress (center), and I tended to agree by default since both the Promoting Elegance and WHBM dresses are currently the wrong size for me.  But, something about this Lavish Alice dress, just didn't feel right for the evening.  I decided to try my hand at altering the Promoting Elegance dress, which I've been meaning to do for three or four years since it has actually never fit.  It was such a success that I felt confident to take the plunge and alter the WHBM dress.  I bought this dress five years ago for a holiday ball that never happened.  It's been on the hanger ever since.

   After trying it on and determining how much to take in, I did a pinning to see if the fabric would fight back or be agreeable.  Everything looked ok, so  I took a quick photo to send to mum for her approval.  But, standing in front of the mirror, I loved the look so much, there was no going back; I didn't even wait to hear from her.  Besides, I think Audrey would approve.

    It was a massive job since it has to be taken in from top to bottom at both sides.  I worked on it for several days and said a few quick prayers when I put it on for the evening that the stitches wouldn't pop when I was hours away from home. Thankfully the evening was not only beautiful and memorable, my dress made it through without one popped stitch.

    The meal was heaven at each course (all five of them) and the restaurant staff went the extra mile to make the evening special by having our names embroidered on napkins, personalized menus and champagne bottle, and for dessert we moved to a roof top view for a specially made latte and pear pancotta.  To end the evening a staff member took our photo, then printed and framed it for us.  It was by far the best date night we've ever had and if you find yourself in Tokyo looking for a fabulous night out, I whole heartedly recommend a little black dress and the Hilltop Casita.

Shop the Look:
White House Black Market dress is old
Quipd Heels from ModCloth
Forever 21 coat, not shown in the outfit, but essential for that chilly train ride home
And Disaster Designs Clutch, also not shown but equally essential