Fashion on the Hill: Bowties, Berets and Bravado

There needs to be a new dress code called “First  Hilly.” It’s neither dressy casual or brunch chic, nor Sunday mass, Barracks Row funky, office Christmas party or Embassy Row redux. Yet, the Friday night celebration of the first annual Hilly awards given by our local chamber of commerce, CHAMPS, seemed to have elements of all of these. Which is what happens when you invite local citizens to see their friends, neighbors, associates, competitors and ward bosses win awards at a historic site central in the lives of all, whose rise from the proverbial ashes many of them have helped support.

The  North Hall  of the grandly restored Eastern Market provided a bright and lofty arena for all types of fashion derring-do under lights that never dimmed.  The staple of an evening, the black dress, had several incarnations–worn long and often strapless, beads looped  and earrings dangled, or short, tailored and ladylike. Most guests put conservative dress aside; vivid reds, purples, oranges and electric blues colors proclaimed the evening was more about fun than formality.

Couples came appropriately matched in tone and style, but as they broke apart and intermingled, one could see potentially incongruous, spontaneous pairings. What if the man with the Navy medals stood closer to the guy in the red and blue flannel, or the woman showing a generous decollete neckline offset with a bold leopard print moved into the picture with the assortment of gentlemanly bow-ties making the scene. The evening was a little bit Broadway showstopper meets Dancing with the Stars. Sequined beauties and politicians mixed with constituents in fleece vests, favorite-uncle gear, and high black leather boots. The new, aggressive look of exposed zippers cut past delicate vintage style, while flapper, corset and whalebone-style dresses twirled. Tattoos adorned bold bare arms while others remained sheathed in little jackets, and lavishly patterned hosiery stood alongside workers’ pants and unhemmed pants. The sheer range of outfits lent a feeling of a dressing room before a final dress rehearsal, where everyone is giddy and expectant, and checking each other out in their stage costumes. Most of the ensembles deserved a solo performance if not a standing ovation.

So, if someone says, the dress code is First Hilly, you CAN take out your feather boa and red plaid, you CAN, put on four-inch heels, you CAN take off your shoes and dance, but you can’t hide in some anonymous garb, because by gosh, then you will truly stand out.

What’s in your closet?