Formal Dress – All Dolled Up

I have to say that I felt like a princess at the opera on Saturday night. The last time I wore a formal gown was on my wedding day, so it was pretty exciting to have such a fun excuse to get so dressed up. Plus, as I said in this post, as a student of classical music, the opera is very near and dear to my heart so I could not have been more thrilled to attend. And the event did not disappoint. Il Trovatore was simply fantastic. The cast was incredible, the story was captivating, and the passion and drama were palpable. Even my hubby enjoyed the performance and promised me that he would go again (which is no small feat!).

And of course, the dress. I gave you all sneak peek last week as to what it looked like off the rack. And while it was pretty in its original state, it wasn’t quite the dress for me. But the price was right (incredible, actually), and I knew with a few changes that I could make it my perfect dress for such an honorable evening. And I must say, I could not have been happier with the way it turned out!

Dress: Betsy Adams via Macy’s

Earrings: ArdenB (old) similar, similar

Bracelets: Macy’s, Target

Clutch: H&M (recent), similar, similar

Shoes: Michael Kors, similar, similar

After our red carpet appearance, we were asked a series of questions as we posed for additional photos for an upcoming issue of Utah Magazine. And one question that was asked of us was whether or not we recommend the opera, and if so, to who. My initial thought was that the opera is not for everyone. However, after our experience on Saturday evening-from a lovely dinner, to an exciting walk on the red carpet, to an absolutely fantastic show, to all of the amazing fashion filling the charming Capitol Theatre, I have to say that I would recommend the Utah Opera to anyone. It was an incredible experience and I absolutely can’t wait to go again. So thank you to Sara Neal and the Utah Opera for extending such a lovely invitation to me. You have found yourselves a lifelong fan.

Those of you who follow me on Facebook might have seen earlier this week that I was invited to attend the opening night of the 2012/2013 Opera season here in the SLC and make a red carpet appearance in honor of All Dolled Up. And because I went to college on a Vocal Performance scholarship and was classically trained in opera, I could not have been more thrilled to receive the invite. Plus, it’s realistically probably the only way I could ever get J to go to the opera with me!

That said, I have been in a major dilemma all week in regards to what I should wear. I have an absolutely stunning BCBGMaxazria silk organza dress that I have not had a chance to wear yet, but it’s short. And as much as I am dying for the excuse to wear it, short just doesn’t feel right for the opera. So I have made the final decision to go with a long dress and wanted to give you all a little sneak peek at the winning gown…

What I should also tell you about this dress is that I am not going to wear it as it appears on the hanger. I am making some changes to it and can’t wait to share the finished product with you all on Monday! And if you want to catch a glimpse of our evening at the opera, be sure to follow me on Twitter, Facebook (right nav), and Instagram (AllDolledUpBlog) for live tweets, updates, and images from the event!

Happy weekend everyone!