Going to RWA - It is about the clothes by Diane Perkins

I love RWA’s National Conference. I’ve been attending since about 1998 (Anaheim) and have enjoyed every single one. Before I was published, I soaked up the workshops like syrup on pancakes. For the last three years, though, my time has been taken up mostly in networking, which is a different kind of hectic fun. This year it is beginning to look as if I may never eat one of the conference lunches I’ve paid for.

But published or not, for me the conference is really about the clothes.

The Awards Ceremony is the only opportunity I ever have to wear a formal gown and it is always important that it be just right. This year my dress is even more important. A Reputable Rake is up for a RITA for Best Regency Romance and if I win I want to look fabulous. If I lose I want to look even more fabulous.

I went out early and found a good basic black dress much like this one.











It seemed too austere so I went about looking on ebay for glittery jewelry and accessories to jazz it up.












I found silver shoes, too.









But it wasn’t just right, so I went out shopping again with my sister-in-law Rosemarie. We found a formal pants outfit that looked terrific on me. You have to use your imagination, but it is a bit like this dress.


Take away the bolero and replace the skirt with wide flowy pants.





This outfit needed toned-down jewelry so the ebay purchases were no longer appropriate, but we found the perfect necklace, earrings, bracelet set when we went to NYC.

After my NYC weekend, I met my friends Julie Halperson and Mary Blayney (“Poppy’s Coin” in Bump In The Night, with JD Robb) for lunch. Mary was helping Julie pick out some conference clothes so I tagged along to Lord & Taylor, which was having a fabulous sale. Among way too many other items of clothing for the conference, Mary found me a darling black dress sort of like this.


It fit me perfectly and was only $45! This was the dress I originally envisioned for the Awards Ceremony. I bought it. (If you can ever entice Mary away from writing really wonderful Regency stories and books, she makes a great personal shopper.)





Then when I had my hair cut later in the week, I stopped in Macy’s—just to look. I found a perfect pair of shoes for only $18, much like these.









Now I have two outfits I love for the ceremony and a perfect pair of shoes and great jewelry. I returned the first dress and have an assortment of rhinestone jewelry from ebay that I probably won’t ever use. I’m leaving the silver shoes at home because they now don’t go with anything.

And I don’t dare tell you about the other outfits I bought…….

Big cyberhugs to everyone who cannot attend the conference this year. I know I'm going to miss the Noodlers who won't be attending. For the rest of you, see you in Atlanta!

Diane, aka the fashionista

posted by Diane Gaston @ 10:19 PM