SHE WORE WHAT?! Chicago Day & Night

Despite our train delay, we made the most of our short time in Chicago. Thursday we set out to see the sights, do some thrifting and of course eat! Being Halloween I took advantage of the day to wear these two very apropos prints. I feel a little strange wearing the bat print dress any other time of year, but I do love it so. I have no qualms, however, over the skeleton toile. Most people do not even realize it so. I like clothing as such. Very proper looking at first glance, but upon closer inspection, its subtle quirkiness is revealed.

I had a few people inquire of my “costume” and it took all of about 10 minutes from stepping out of our hotel before someone asked to take my picture. And then it happened again and again. I have become accustomed to being photographed at car shows, but thought I would have a bit more anonymity in the big city. Chicago is such a diverse city. I am sure the locals see hundreds of people much more interesting than me everyday. I am just one in a sea of many.

Although, in a sea of raindrops and black umbrellas, my frilly striped-parasol stood out like a bright buoy bobbing among black waves. One woman upon asking permission to take my photo said, “I will paint you” and then darted off. That was weird. The whole situation was weird. Taking photos of myself and then posting them on the internet for the world to see is strange enough to me, but approaching a stranger and asking to take their photo is beyond bizarre. I wonder what they do with them? Maybe I do not want to know. Does this ever happen to you?

After ditching the paparazzi, Mister and I set out on finding lunch. One of the absolute “must do” things on our Chicago trip list was finding the Billy Goat Tavern to order a cheezborger, cheeps and Coke.


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We spent the rest of the daylight hours exploring vintage shops in Pilsen. We had high hopes of finding a 50′s suit for Mister, but alas, it was not meant to be. I, of course, filled my Chico bag, handbag and Mister’s pockets with goodies. I ended up using two of the items purchased later that night. An adorable little tilt hat and a round crocheted handbag. Both complemented my evening attire perfectly. Pilsen is a predominately hispanic neighborhood lined with small shops and restaurants. Families with children were in full force filling their bags with candy from the shop owners standing in front of their establishments during trick-or-treating hours. I felt like an adult trick-or-treater with my own bag filled with goodies. I can imagine the children at home, dumping out their bag, spreading its contents to admire their haul. With a twinkle in their eye and a smile upon their face. Just as I had done in our hotel room.

A few moments of taking stock of my finds was all I had time for. A quick outfit change and make up freshening and we were off to meet a friend for dinner. I was well equipped for a day full of walking while perusing vintage shops, but should have rethought my shoe choice for the evening hours. I had not planned on rushing around Chicago, trying to catch trains in heels. Let me tell you that heels and hoards of people descending platform stairs do not mix. I have the bruises to prove it.

Thankfully the rest of the night was spent being chauffeured around by our friend, Mikey62, who looks a lot like Luciano Pavarotti. He took Mister and I to Stella’s, a diner belonging to a fellow hot rodder (Gus) we had met at our car show in September. Stella’s Diner has been in Gus’s family since the early 60s. By the time you leave, you will feel as though you are a part of the family, too. Everyone who walks through the door is greeted by a hearty “Welcome home”. The food says it, too. It is made-from-scratch-home-cooking, just like Grandma’s, only better. Sorry, Grandma.

I never even saw a menu, so I cannot tell you what they have, but everything that was put in front of us was delicious. Gus served up an antipasto platter with the most amazing, garlic-overloaded, bread I have ever had the pleasure of eating. I could have gorged on that loaf alone. Holy YUM! I am pretty sure I single handedly protected the entire city of Chicago from vampires that night with my breath, but it was soooo worth it. Then came the pasta with a pesto-infused Alfredo sauce. I wanted to lick the plate. By now I was kind of wishing I had not made such a pig of myself with that delicious bread, but really glad I did, until dessert came. A sinful custard that made me want to rush to the bathroom and rip off my longline bra to make room for it. I was impossibly full and physically out of room, making it painful to savor more than a spoonful or two. It was just as painful to leave it behind. This is a serious drawback of wearing foundation garments. Eventually you hit a wall that makes it physically impossible to consume another spoonful. No wonder women in the 50s had such tiny waists.

After dinner, we debated whether to head back to the hotel to fall into a food-induced coma or press on into the night. We chose the latter and prepared for the festivities.

I arrived at Stella’s with Pavarotti, but would be leaving with “The Most Interesting Man in the World”.

Standing in the back of Stella’s throwing flour on my friend wearing a garbage sack somehow never made it onto the “must do” Chicago trip list, but strangely it was one of the highlights of the trip. This should be on everyone’s trip list just once. It certainly made for a “most interesting” evening.

We joined up with other friends at Reggie’s Music Joint for a Halloween show featuring The Quakes / Jayke Orvis / The Krank Daddies / Nothing to Gain / Dead Bundy and the Neat Neat Neats. I will spare you of all of the crappy cellphone pics. The Halloween hijinks continued well into the wee small hours of the morning. Thank goodness the Hard Rock Hotel has a noon check out time. It would have been a shame to make both train trips in the dark. The first from a very late departure resulting in night travel and the second from a very late arrival resulting in closed eyelids.

*photography by me, Mister and Mikey

IN THESE LOOKS

Thrifting:

from ModCloth
  • Cardigan: Target
  • Tights: Cats Like Us
  • Shoes: Bow’n Places Heel
  • from ModCloth
  • Parasol: Plasticland
  • Stella’s:

    • Hat: vintage – purchased earlier that day in Pilsen
    • Jacket: ModCloth
    • Dress: Cats Like Us (Sold out, but in stock here)
    • Shoes: Seychelles

    Train ride home:

    • Hat: vintage
    • Coat: Tulle
  • Shadow Puppet Brooch: Hungry Designs on Etsy
  • Dress: Just Roll With It Dress
  • from ModCloth
  • Gloves: ModCloth
  • Handbag: Romwe
  • Parasol: Plasticland
  • Shoes: Cherry Jam Wedge
  • fromModCloth

    This post contains affiliate links. I was not compensated otherwise.


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