Style by Joules

DRESS – Eliza J (red version, pink version)
RING – family heirloom (similar)
CLUTCH – vintage (similar)
EARRINGS – Nordstrom Rack (similar)
BRACELET – Charming Charlie (c/o, similar)
SHOES – (v similar)
LIP – Burts Bees (Sunset Cruise)

I’m big on finding excuses to play dress up, so when the Lyric Opera invited me to the opening night of their current show, Die Walküre, I jumped at the opportunity.

First, of course, the question was what to wear. I rather enjoyed wearing a full-on gown the last time I went to the Lyric, so I started off with that idea and headed straight to my favorite place to shop for truly fancy dresses: Nordstrom Rack. While I like to dress up, I also like to save money. One of my pet peeves is spending $100+ on a dress that I can only wear at most every couple years because it’s such a statement piece. Rack is perfect for that–you just have to be willing to wear trends and styles that aren’t right at the cutting edge of the season. This is something I’m not only fine with–I encourage it. I view trends as something of a scourge. Every few months you have to update your entire wardrobe as very minor details about what’s currently in style have changed. No thanks.

Anyway: this dress. It’s from Eliza J, one of my favorite designers. The line has both casual dresses, like this one I wore nonstop this summer, and fancier dresses like this one. And get this–I found it at Nordstrom Rack for $23. $23! I couldn’t believe it.

Having nailed down the dress, I turned to accessories. It was an easy choice this time. I decided silver would be my metal of choice, and wore this double pearl ring I inherited from my Grandma. I’m always happy when I wear this ring–it’s nice to look down and be reminded of her.

I have two vintage clutches that I found on Etsy last year that I like to rotate as my formal wear handbags. I have one in gold and this one in silver. This kind of fashion really speaks to me–glamorous and classic.

When I arrived at the Civic Opera Building I checked my coat, got a pair of opera glasses–they have them at coat check, you just need to leave your ID–and immediately went upstairs for the best views in the house. I love watching people milling about in the lobby and seeing the gorgeous chandeliers up close. Plus, it’s a great spot for a photoshoot.

After snapping pictures, I had one more pre-show requirement to take care of: champagne.

Before long it was time to head in to the show. I was excited to see the sets–this take on Die Walküre (The Valkyrie in English) has grandiose art-deco styling.

This was by far the longest opera I have attended. The show has three acts separated by two intermissions, with a total run time of over four hours. It turned out to be a great way to pass the evening–the time flew by.

The show opens with this striking scene in which the large tree housing the Siegmund’s sword dominates an otherwise domestic set.

After the first act, there were “boxed lunches” for sale and a sushi bar to enjoy, since the opera started right at 5:30. We had two boxed lunches, and the sandwiches were quite nice.

The second act opened with my favorite set of the entire opera. This is Valhalla, a raised set that descended throughout the performance.

Brünnhilde, the star of the show.

This was my second favorite set in the show–the scene depicts Brünnhilde’s Valkyrie sisters riding on their horses.

I actually couldn’t see this from my seat, but the actors all had interesting scars as part of their makeup. Wotan, the king of the gods, literally had one of his eyes obliterated by one.

Thank you to the Lyric for the invite! Die Walküre will be playing at the Lyric throughout the month of November. It’s a great excuse to get dressed up, have a fancy evening, and see an amazing performance while you’re at it.

Thank you to the Lyric Opera for providing photos of the performance, taken by Cory Weaver.