So I Got Invited to this Party...

A 50th birthday party for a good friend. And it's got a theme, heaven help me, and I'm expected (not required, but expected) to come up with something that will be appropriate. The theme? It's "50s Cocktail Party." You know, Rat Pack, Audrey Hepburn, James Dean. And my closet isn't exactly brimming with little black dresses and high-heeled pumps. And I've maybe had my makeup done once in all my (mumble mumble) years.

So, hoping to spend as little as possible, I hit the Goodwill stores in town looking for something that would suffice in a pinch. Nothing. A couple of spangly numbers from the Flashdance era, a few old-lady frumpy evening frocks, but nothing that said, "I'm with Frank." Then, at suggestion of my brother, I stopped in at Ray's Ragtime on 10th and Morrison downtown, not expecting to find much that would be appropriate, affordable and that would fit my, shall we say, definitely non-petite body.

Ray (right) immediately got down to work, going through the racks and pulling some things out, rejecting others as "too drag queen" or "too disco" and completely respecting my budget concerns. With questions like "How are your shoulders?" for one off-the-shoulder number and nixing long black gloves for being "too S&M" it was very easy and very fun. We actually found a simple black dress that will do nicely, I'll hit Nordstrom for a little makeup beforehand and a couple of friends have volunteered to help with the hair if I bring some champagne along with the bobby pins and Aquanet.

Now where's my martini?

Details: Ray's Ragtime, 1001 SW Morrison St. Phone 503-226-2616.