STLFW: Spring Style Soiree

Man oh man. I have so much to update you guys on, I almost don't know where to start! I guess I will start with the #STLFW Spring Style Soiree that took place last Thursday evening! I gave you a little preview of this event in this post here.

I was a bit bummed because I didn't think that I was going to be able to go to the soiree since I knew I would be making the trip to San Antonio to get Petie this weekend. But the timing worked out, and since I didn't end up leaving for San Antonio until Friday morning, I was able to squeeze in the fashion show before I left!

Hosted by: West County Center, ALIVE Magazine, STLFW

The show started at 7pm, but the festivities began at 5:30. My office is 3 miles away, so I arrived pretty early. It was a great opportunity to snap a few photos before it filled up. It was exciting walking around the corner on the upper level seeing the runway set up down below!

Necklace: Express | Dress: Taylor | Bracelet: Tiffany & Co. | Heels: Vince Camuto (in Royal Blue Fishskin) (similar)

Before I get too far, I should share what I wore and why I wore it. I tried on four different outfits and took a poll from the husband and my fellow fashionistas, Gina and Jenna. It was a little bit of a split decision, but ultimately, this dress won. It was my second choice, but looking back, I'm glad I decided to wear it. Since it's a scuba material, it stayed crisp even though I wore it all day at work first. And, I mean, the shoes. They speak for themselves and rightfully received a slew of compliments not only at the office, but at the event itself. 

Complimentary light bites were being served from Bravo, McCormick & Schmick's, and J. Gilberts, which you could enjoy in the lounge area with background beats by DJ TrashTalk. And if that wasn't enough, The Foundrie sponsored a DIY booth featuring mega blogger, Jenni, from I Spy DIY.

The Foundrie is quickly becoming my guilty little pleasure here in St. Louis. So many cute and witty pieces, I can't hardly stand it. The DIY booth involved making these adorable stamped leather bracelets. You pick the letter style, the ink color, and you're off!

Jenni is just too cute for words. I took an action shot of her helping attendees with their bracelets, but the photos she posted on her Instagram during her stay in St. Louis painted a better picture of how bright, fun, and stylish this gal really is. If you're not following her on Instagram, I demand you go here and do so right this second!

Via Jenni's (I Spy DIY) Instagram here

Now on to the fashion show! I mentioned in my introductory post here that this show benefitted Siteman Cancer Center and that all proceeds from this event went to charity for cancer. Great, right? Well, imagine my goosebumps watching cancer survivors walk the runway showcasing White House | Black Market and carrying signs indicating the number of years they have been cancer free.

Each of their family members sat in the crowd cheering them on, and the glow that you can see in their smiles makes me tear up a bit as a write this! I just can't even imagine. What a perfect way to pay tribute to the survivors and to remember all that we have lost to this nasty infliction.

The show continued with more spring fashion from some of your mall favorites - Nordstrom, Macy's, The Limited, Ann Taylor, Gap, Banana Republic, and one new to me - Altar'd State. I loved seeing pieces from these stores glammed up for the runway. For the sake of not having 238723878 photos in this post, I decided to narrow it down to my favorite looks.

Left: Nordstrom - Top, Skirt | Middle: Macy's | Right: Banana Republic - Top, skirt

Photo credits: ALIVE Magazine

Left: Nordstrom - Jacket, Skirt | Right: The Limited

Banana Republic: Sweater

After all of this awesome spring inspiration, they set us free to shop. We were armed with plenty of discounts and coupons to further enable us! (As if the cocktails weren't enough!) I managed to walk away with only one new top, which you will see and hear more about later in the week!

Thanks for hanging in there with me on such a photo heavy post! It truly was a great event, and I continue to be impressed by the local fashion community and support here in St. Louis. Blogging has opened up a whole other realm of fun for me to which I would have otherwise never been exposed!

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