Saturday, February 21, 2009

Masks and Ballgowns

Do you mask?
On Halloween? Go to Carnival balls? Mask on Mardi Gras? At a masquerade party?

I love to mask. I love to go out in the streets on Mardi Gras and see if I can find my friends, especially if they are masked.

I try to really disguise myself and not speak. Voice gives you away. I like to be a butterfly on the wall and watch people watch me without knowing who I am.

I love ballgowns too. I would wear one everyday if I could.

So get your mask on!
And ballgowns too...

Some of you have asked about the purple dress in the last post.
It's my ballgown that I wore for the first time in the early 1990's to a fancy dress ball. It was The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Ball. My dear friend Daniel Pearl took me to this party for several years.

The photo above has suffered moisture damage, but I still keep it. I'm in Daniel's apartment where we were having cocktails before we headed to the party. The dog in my arms is the Cav I got him for his birthday. Her name is Winnie, and when Danny passed away she became mine. She lived until she was sixteen, and was our dog before Cholo.


The dress stayed packed away for ten years, until Sabina got us invitations to The Purple Party on Lundi Gras here in New Orleans.


It's a Victor Costa dress that I got on the sale rack at Bergdorf Goodman. Big ballgowns were in vogue then, as were jewel tone colors. I just loved the color! There was only one dress, and it fit me, and I think it only cost $100. marked down from several hundred.


Alberto and I have made our own traditions, and we mask and costume on Mardi Gras, wearing only purple. So I get to wear this fantastic dress twice in Carnival season.


So Happy Saturday! We're off to see another parade this afternoon, and go to a party at the home of a fellow New Orleans blogger.

6 comments:

Julie Neill Designs said...

Hubba, Hubbba, what a ballgown and what a perfect royal purple outfit for the Queen of New Orleans blogging! Wouldn't it be so fun to wear a ballgown every day!!!

Anonymous said...

Wow! These photos all look like so much fun, I really feel like going to a masked party now!! Have never been to one before. Love your purple dress too!!

Pamela Terry and Edward said...

Gosh, I do love your ballgown. I would wear that everywhere!

And, I share your love of masks. I have several. I think I'll go put one on now.

Topsy Turvy said...

What a great photo of you - I love the straight bob and bangs! And you look fabulous in purple.

-Lana

Jill said...

I had everyone wear masks this past New Year's Eve...it was such fun! I love the butterfly mask!

Anonymous said...

The water damaged photo of you surrounded by purple haze is stunning. I had to save it along with the photos of Audrey Hepburn you posted last month. You look like a total starlet from the Hollywood glam days!