anna styles - dinner and a show

Tonight I am going to dinner and a show with some friends in Boston. It is very sunny and warm out, so I wanted to wear a summery outfit that was still evening appropriate.

I decided to go with a new dress I bought on sale in Amsterdam while I was there last week. It is by the French label, Egerie. I don't normally wear bright colors and crazy patterns together, but I love the tropical feel of this dress.

To keep attention on the dress, I paired it with simple pearl earrings, and my favorite gold, cuff ring from Henri Bendel. I also slipped on my everyday black flats from Cole Haan, since I was going to be doing a lot of walking.

Summer is my favorite season, and I'm looking forward to many more fun outfits!

braids, etc.

Today is a rainy day in Boston.

www.weather.com

With 94% humidity, even my super straight hair is puffing up. In times like these I turn to the french braid. It keeps my hair out of my face and under control. I wanted to try something different so I went for what I'm calling a crown braid. I started with an inside-out sweeping french braid (you can read my post about this style here), but rather than finishing with the braid low I continued the braid as long as I could and then wrapped the end around my head. I tried to lock it down with bobby pins, and it has stayed mostly up, despite a hooded walk in the rain down Charles St. I kind of like it messy anyway!

After I finished this style, I was reminded of the half-crown braid look Claire Danes wore in Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet. The blog Hairdresser on Fire has a bunch of stills from the ball scene. Here are a few:

This style is more of a twist than a braid. I love the way it acts as a halo for her costume!