Alt Summit is known for its fashion, and everyone stresses over what to wear each day. The evening parties require outfit changes, and there’s definitely that feeling of going to see and be seen. Clothing is outside the realm of the everyday, and you see color and pattern combinations at the conference that would garner lots of stares in real life.
Here’s what I wore to Alt. As you already know, I was extremely nervous, so couple that with my absolute hatred for having my picture taken, and you get some really awkward photographs. I normally take my own fashion pictures (with a tripod in an empty house), but we were on vacation and in a hurry, so I “allowed” Ryan to take my picture each day, in the minimal light of our hotel room. Don’t judge too harshly.
(My outfit for Thursday morning.)
This was my outfit for Thursday morning, and I felt really comfortable in it. I tried to combine the things I normally wear in Texas with a few cold-weather additions. The skirt, sweater, and shoes are over five years old and still going strong, so I added a new top from Anthropologie, a belt for a more put-together look (I abhor belts in real life!), and then I Alt-ified my legs with inky blue tights. Every single time I looked at my feet that day (which was a lot in all the ice!), I was horrified by the combination of the tights and the pink shoes. But at Alt, this was pretty conservative, so I fit right in. I met The Glamorous Housewife that morning, and she approved, so I think I pulled it off!
(Staying warm in my new coat.)
Before heading into the ice, I added my new coat from Anthropologie and bundled up. The coat was more than adequate, kept me nice and toasty, and I’m quite certain that it will last until I’m an old woman, since it never gets cold enough to wear it here. Still, it was perfect for Utah, and I love the plaid pattern combined with the more artistic collar.
(My dress for the Clue Party.)
This year’s Alt dinner party theme was Clue, but we were supposed to dress as the colors, rather than the characters. I loosely interpreted Mrs. Peacock, and went with a navy lace dress from Karen Kane, navy tights, and navy shoes. I added a band of peacock feathers to my hair, which were beautiful, but hard to see in the dark. Plus, everyone else there looked much more dramatic with full-on spectator hats and Mardi Gras-style masks, so I felt like a bit of a wallflower. My dress had a nude lining, and I really preferred a similar dress with a darker lining, but it is consistently sold out, for obvious reasons. I think the dress looked better in my head, but here it is for history’s sake. In my mind, it was very Kate Middleton, but in reality, it’s very Mommy Blogger. Also, you can’t tell from this picture, but my shoes were kind of fierce, if I do say so myself. I really want to wear them again!
(My lovely peacock headband.)
I found this gorgeous headband by EMarie Designs on Etsy, and I was able to order it before the artist went on vacation for the holidays. To me, it’s quite fancy, but not really fancy enough for Alt, so now I’m going to wear it just for fun!
(My outfit for Friday.)
On Friday, I went with a bohemian, Stevie Nicks-style outfit, with a romantic skirt as a nod to my typical Texas style. I wore a sequin top from Ruche with a black cardigan for warmth, and layered a black broomstick skirt under the pink skirt, for warmth and volume. Again, this probably looked better in my head, but it’s Alt, so anything goes. I also wore my new pieces from Stella & Dot, which you can see up close here. After the morning session, we were scheduled to tour a local brewery (more on that later), so I asked Ryan to drive me back to the hotel to change first. It turns out that wearing two skirts, tights, sequins, and a sweater is really HOT, even in the snow, and I was ready to put on jeans and comfortable flats, which I wore for the rest of the trip.
Thursday’s outfit was my most favorite, and most ME, and if I return to the conference next year, I think I’ll stick with clothes that make me feel comfortable. Consider this a lesson learned at Alt.
(You can see all of the pictures from this year’s Alt Summit here, including the back of my head.)
(My very first glimpse of Alt Design Summit, 2013.)
I’m sure you are getting your fill of Alt Summit recaps, and, of course, I have to share mine! Attending Alt was most definitely an experience, to say the least, and I wasn’t fully prepared for how completely overwhelming it truly was. I mean that in a very good way, and because I’m an incredibly shy introvert who’s spent the last four years at home raising children, I was in over my head. Way over my head.
Before I went, I read the posts about preparing for Alt, but kind of like becoming a parent for the first time, it’s one of those things you really won’t understand until it happens to you. I’ve tagged along to Ryan’s work conventions in the past, and this was nothing like those. It’s completely over the top, really crowded, and, with over 500 bloggers all in one place (the vast majority of them women), it’s really, really loud. There were tons of brightly colored tights, spectator hats, business cards, and even a gigantic goose. My heart was pounding, my palms were sweaty, and I probably spent way too much time in the bathroom.
And, I’ll be the first to admit, I did not make the absolute most of my time there. I feel embarrassed writing that after hyping it up for months, but I think first-time Alt attendees get a pass. Plus, I was with Ryan on what was essentially our tenth anniversary-second honeymoon trip, so we divided our time between our digs at the Airport Inn (which looks exactly like it sounds) and the stunning Grand America, Alt’s meeting place every year. We braved ice, snow, and a really strange weather event called an inversion that covered the city in a ghostly fog for days. (Did you know Salt Lake City has mountains? Because we only saw them from the plane!)
(A gorgeous home in the eerie fog.)
My plan at Alt was to meet three people: Sandra from Raincoast Cottage (who kindly sold me her ticket after she became a speaker), Bethany of The Glamorous Housewife (we met online through Blogging Your Way 2.0), and Nicole Balch from Making It Lovely (a personal hero of mine). I was successful at meeting Sandra and Bethany, and though I attended a session with Nicole, I never ran into her in person. But I did meet Stacy Morrison, of BlogHer, and we shared some very panicked tweets as we both raced to the first day of the conference in the ice. That was a really fun surprise, and she was delightful and very sweet.
I attended some informative sessions that gave me lots to think about, and I really do have a few ideas to work on this year. (I know everyone is saying that right now!) I braved the Clue Dinner Party for an hour or two (it was like a prom, and I didn’t go to mine, so that should tell you something), and I skipped out on the sponsor parties the following night. I was signed up for a photography workshop Saturday morning, but the foggy-smog stuff made me feel sick, though we did drive around taking pictures, instead.
(The Clue Party.)
I’m a bit of an Alt drop-out, I guess, but I still came away with lots of realizations, most of them just from talking to people and observing things in the hallways.
And I’m still so grateful I had the chance to go, to meet some of my blogging friends, and to make a few new ones. It wasn’t a wasted experience, and I might go again next year. We’ll see.
At least, next time, I’ll know what to expect. A little.
I hope you’ll stay tuned this week as I share more of my trip to Salt Lake City.
(My journal, badge, and pen from Alt Summit 2013.)
I am back in Texas, and it feels so good to be home! Our trip to Salt Lake City was phenomenal, Alt Summit was incredible and overwhelming, and I can’t wait to share it all with you. But the minute I returned home, I put on my mom hat again, so I’m busy spending time with my little guys (I missed them the entire trip!) and catching up on housework and laundry. Oh my gosh, the laundry!
I beg your patience for just one more day as I sort through photos and plan a few great posts. I promise you won’t be disappointed.
And big thanks to everyone who was in contact with me during the trip. It was fun sharing tidbits with you, and I can’t wait to share the rest, too.
