Before I left for a much needed mini vacation with my husband to South Carolina to see my step daughter tie the knot, I attended the very much anticipated party in Austin, The White Party.  I am back, catching up and wanted to post the fun pictures and recap from the evening.

From a fashion point of view going to a party that requires you to wear one color would be considered a no-brainer when trying to figure out what to wear, right?  Well, after shopping for hours thinking it was a snap to put together a white outfit, at the last minute, my frustration ended with purchasing a “that’s good enough” dress.  The good enough dress wasn’t “good enough” and was promptly replaced with a dress I already had in my own closet!!  Should have shopped there first!  UGH!  (my hubs said later that my dress purchase looked like a potato sack…you’d think he would have told me that earlier, but I guess I figured that out on my own)

When I arrived to the Long Center, I topped the stairs and saw the sea of people dressed in all shades of white.  Beautiful actually. The people watching, and photo ops, was as much fun as watching who had the best street style outfits at Fashion Week.   Around the corner of each white cabana I caught myself noticing a great white dress, then the fab jewelry, then handsome men in white guayabera shirts, ahh too much to take in!!  My friend Robin Campbell snapped pictures of her favs and then I’d lose her again in the sea of white.   Some of Austin’s most fit and beautiful wore some of the shortest dresses I’ve seen in a while (note…hemlines are longer for fall ladies) and others were in classic pants, casual shorts paired with a splash of shoe color. It was, however, hard to find your friends when you reference in your mind what they were wearing..uhh everyone was in white.

A majority of outfits were accessorized with local jewelry designed by Kendra Scott.  Kendra has not only made a name for herself in the accessory fashion industry but she also gives back to the Austin community. She serves on the board of directors for Lifeworks and plays a significant role to help raise funds for the organization that assists with generational support to area families.  Her raffle booth gave 100% of proceeds to the night’s event.  Robin purchased a raffle ticket for me and I won a fab pair of white and gold earrings.  Stunning!

More than 700 fashionable folks danced and partied, all “white” long on the patio outside the Long Center overlooking a beautiful and clear Austin skyline.  The party raised more than $125,000 which should assist local families quite nicely.

Mark your calendars for April 26 for next year’s party and I should probably start shopping for a white outfit now.

It was a busy fashion week in Austin… the annual University of Texas fashion show with famous stylist Brad Goreski making an unexpected appearance then Project Runway mentor Tim Gunn hosted the Lucky Brand Jean fashion show at Barton Creek Square on Saturday. How much more fashion royalty can one city handle?

From the crowded Macy’s court, Tim Gunn was welcomed by a very enthusiastic crowd waiting to be entertained and educated from the man who is known for his “make it work” slogan. The fashion show certainly had something for everyone as all ages were well represented from young teens to 50+. Professional models walked along side some of Austin “real life” folks who won a casting call a few days before the event.

Tim talked during each model set and explained to the crowd how each look and trend was styled. One mother and daughter duo wore the same floral top…two looks, and age-appropriate for both. A single plaid shirt was also styled a couple of different ways with Nancy, a 50+ model wearing it with jeans accessorized with a saddle colored belt while she stood next to a handsome 20′s male model who wore it with with a tailored blazer. Fantastic!

Tim also talked about some popular trends for women. He shared that women should be careful about wearing Capri pants and wearing trends that may appear a bit too young if you are over 35. His advice was to be patient selecting your look and take the time to try things on. Your instinct should tell you if it’s a buy or not.

After a lengthy picture session with his fans including Austin’s own Ross Bennett of the current NBC’s Fashion Star show, Mr. Gunn said he would like to return to Austin. Hopefully, he will make those plans work.