Diner en Blanc in Vancouver

Labour day isn't here yet, so let's squeeze in a few more white dresses before then! Actually, to be honest, I have no issues breaking that age-old "rule", but it just so happens we had Diner en Blanc in Vancouver this week, so it was the perfect excuse to wear this summery white dress one more time this summer.

I know some people consider Diner en Blanc to be a bit pretentious of an event, but to be honest, when there's an event that offers me the magic of being in Paris right here at home, I'm not going to say no. We met our group leader and then were whisked away by charter bus across downtown Vancouver to our 'secret location', which turned out to be along Coal Harbour - a beautiful grassy park along the sea wall. All 6,000 of us brought our white tables, chairs, plates, glasses and meals with us to dine altogether al fresco with french music playing all around us. Oh, and of course, all dressed in white too. It's a pretty incredible experience to say the least. Especially in Vancouver, it's honestly quite amazing that 6,000 people managed to get their act together and all dress up nice!

For this year's Diner en Blanc I was so excited to wear this pretty Chicwish Echo of Exquisiteness Chrochet Dress. I bought it after spying it on Pinterest earlier this year. And I'm so glad I did!! Have any of you ever gotten hooked on a new fashion find after finding it on Pinterest? I love the chrochet detailing, and the bell sleeves are right on trend. If you have a party to attend, or even need a dress for a bridal shower, etc, this is such a unique dress for it! And at $54, it certainly doesn't break the bank (it's 23% off right now!). For reference, I'm wearing the size S/M. There's only a few left in stock, so I've linked up some similar dresses below too. If you're looking for something even cheaper, I found this almost exact match from SheIn: their Bell Sleeve Scallop Edge Geo Crochet Dress. It's only $30!

If you're looking for some tips on dressing for your first Diner en Blanc, make sure you check out this post and this post!

With Leeanne of LegalLee Blonde

Dress - Chicwish (similar)| Necklace - Olive + Piper | Shoes - Aldo (similar)

Happy Styling! xo

~ Britta

Diner en Blanc 2016

Another Diner en Blanc has come and gone in Vancouver, and it was a magical evening! If you aren't sure what this whole Diner en Blanc thing is all about, you can check out my earlier post here, or my post from last year's event, which was my first time attending. But to give you a very quick rundown, it's a giant al fresco picnic where you dine with thousands of other locals, who bring their entire dining set-up and meal with them, all dressed in white. The venue remains a secret until the very last moment, when your assigned group makes their way to the special spot!

The secret venue ended up being a plot of land near Telus World of Science, in the heart of downtown Vancouver. It would have been ideal if we'd been on a piece of land that wasn't basically a parking lot, but to be fair, it's pretty hard to find an open space in Vancouver to seat 6,000 people. Yep you read that right: 6,000 people! The organizers did a fantastic job of making the most of the space they had, and had stages for music and performers, a lounge area with a view of Science World, a faux-grass area for croquet, and lots more.

For my own Diner en Blanc outfit, I ended up making a few adjustments since I posted my 'what to wear' blog post here. To add a bit of colour and fun to the outfit, I added a ethereal floral headband as an accessory. As I said I would, I brought a pair of white heels along to change into once we arrived, but with all the craziness of setting up our tables, and wandering around people watching, I actually ended up wearing my white flats the whole night. Seeing as how I was sitting half the night, and it was dark for the rest, it didn't matter much at all, not wearing my heels!

Leeanne of Legallee Blonde joined me as my date, and together we prepared a lovely dinner of watermelon salad, quinoa salad, pesto asparagus pasta, and chocolate mousse for dessert. The bottle of wine didn't hurt, either. It's a good thing every table received a bottle of water too, because we were having a bit of a heat wave in Vancouver last week! We had a wonderful time, eating, drinking and making friends with our tablemates beside us. Then of course, there was a chunk of time after dinner to meander around the venue and do some people watching. Between the beautiful and creative table displays (which people brought and set-up themselves), to the stylish and outlandish outfits (er, costumes), it's quite a sight to be seen! One of my favourite parts of the whole evening though, is when all 6,000 guests light a sparkler - it really is so magical to see them all lit up at once, and makes such a lovely send-off.

Have you attended a Diner en Blanc event in your city? What was your experience like?

Dress - via Ross Dress for Less | Headband - Forever 21 (similar) | Earrings - Nobis & Grey | Shoes - Aldo

Happy Styling! xo

~ Britta

Tips for Dressing for Diner en Blanc

Diner en Blanc Vancouver is approaching quickly, on August 18th, and since this is my second time in attendance, I thought I'd share my tips for dressing for the event. If you haven't heard about it before, Diner en Blanc is an al fresco dining event that happens in a variety of cities worldwide, with a dress code and decor of all-white. Diners tote along their own chairs, tables, and dining pieces (and meals if they choose not to purchase) and converge on a secret location which is only revealed moments before the event!

I know a lot of people can find the event to be rather expensive considering you bring everything yourself, including your food, and pay for the opportunity. But I personally just loved the whole idea and the atmosphere, so I was more than happy to pay for the experience. I especially loved the live french music last year, that serenaded us as we ate amongst the thousands of other diners in attendance. It's quite a sight to be seen if you have the chance to attend.

If you were lucky enough to receive an invitation this year (or knew a fabulous person who is bringing you along), then here are a few things that might help while picking out your DEB outfit:

1. Wear all white, head to toe! It's funny because it wasn't until I started to dig up some options for what to wear this year, that I realized that not everything in my closet that I thought was white was true white. The event calls for a true white dress code, as creams and off-whites tend to stand out and look quite dirty amongst the rest of the attendees in white. So make sure, before you walk out the door the day-of, that each item you're wearing is really a true white!
2. Pick clothes you'll be comfortable in. I loved the dress I wore last year, but it was quite heavy, I was sweating, and well, I was hiking up the top all night. Not exactly ideal, especially on a hot day when you're trucking around your dining supplies. This year, I'm opting for a light cotton dress that's easy to move around in, and breathes easily. Keep it simple and jazz it up with accessories, that way you'll be comfortable all night.
3. Focus on accessories. As I mentioned in #2, it's better to keep your clothing simple, and accessorize. I'm going to wear my favourite white earrings from Nobis & Grey, but anything in white, gold or silver will do. Statement pieces are perfect! Even add a hat or fascinator in white if you have one.
4. Wear comfortable flats. You may end up doing a bit of walking to reach the venue, and remember you're carrying all of your dining necessities too, so comfortable footwear that's easy to walk in is key. Of course, you know me, I'll bring a pair of white heels along to change into once we arrive at the secret location. I didn't have a pair of white wedges, but wedges would honestly be your best bet if you have them. Don't have white shoes? I'd recommend hitting up your local thrift store or Value Village to find a cheap pair! No point spending a lot on a pair of shoes you'll only wear once.
5. Bring a light sweater. I'm on the hunt for one right now. As soon as the sun goes down at the event, it can get pretty chilly, so it's best to have a layer your can throw over top. I'll be stopping by Value Village to find a cheap white sweater that I can toss in my bag!
6. Have fun with your makeup! There's one thing that doesn't have to be styled in white: your makeup! Spice things up with a bright lip - orange and pink are favourites of mine. In the photos below, I'm wearing NYX Cosmetics' Soft Matte Lip Cream in Antwerp (from London Drugs). It also doesn't need re-applying (in my experience), so you won't need to touch up throughout the night.

And most of all, enjoy the experience once you're there! There really isn't anything else like it. And hey - if you haven't been able to score an invite yet, why not host a little all-white soiree on your own, with your sweetie or best friends?

Dress - (via Ross Dress for Less) | Earrings - c/o Nobis & Grey | Flats - Aldo | Heels - Shoe Warehouse

Happy Styling! xo

~ Britta

Diner en Blanc 2015

I was one of the many thousands of people in Vancouver on the waitlist for the magical event that is Diner en Blanc this year, and I was pretty bummed when for the second year, I didn't make it to registration. I was mostly bummed because I had this gorgeous dress from Choies which I was hoping to have a reason to wear...

Thanks to the wonderful people at Mogo Money, they swooped in and saved the day, offering me and my mister a spot at the hotly anticipated event. We of course got to shopping right away for everything from a table and napkins to an all-white ensemble for the gentleman. We ended up thrifting his shirt and belt from Value Village and finding his pants and shoes from Winners, with the whole look totalling only $87! Plus, in case your wondering if those white pants are ever going to get worn again, I have plans to turn them into a pair of bf jeans ;)

On arrival, we set up our white table scape at the secret location - Canada Place - where Mogo welcomed us with pearly white balloons for the dinner celebration. As we sat there, drinking our wine and eating our home-made pesto pasta dish, I was in complete heaven listening to Ballad du Paris from Midnight in Paris as the sun went down. Once the sparklers came out, the night became even more magical!

The night made for some amazing people watching as well; it's funny that even with everyone in all-white, there such an incredible variety of fashions and individual styles to be seen, from extravagant headpieces to piled-on statement jewellery. And the Diner en Blanc performers were a sight to be seen too. Overall, just an awesome first time experience, thanks Mogo for bringing us along!

Homemade pesto pasta with sundried tomatos, garlic chicken and asparagus

The waving of the napkins - the official start of Diner en Blanc!

Stylist Dominique Hanke totally rocking the nude dress look with one of her gorgeous fascinators

Our dessert for the evening - chocolate mousse with whipped cream & lavender

The ladies Miranda & Aurora of Style By Fire - always looking fabulous!

Dress - Choies | Necklace & Earrings - c/o Nobis & Grey | Sunglasses - Target | Heels - Shoe Warehouse

Happy Styling! xo

~ Britta