{"id":33608,"date":"2016-08-04T00:05:17","date_gmt":"2016-08-04T04:05:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wendybrandes.com\/blog\/?p=33608"},"modified":"2016-08-04T00:26:11","modified_gmt":"2016-08-04T04:26:11","slug":"throwback-thursday-non-lobster-quadrille-in-vienna","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wendybrandes.com\/blog\/2016\/08\/throwback-thursday-non-lobster-quadrille-in-vienna\/","title":{"rendered":"Throwback Thursday: Non-Lobster Quadrille in Vienna"},"content":{"rendered":"

For Throwback Thursday, I’m not going too far back … just to June, when MrB and I visited Vienna<\/a>. On our last night in the city, we went to the Concordia Ball<\/a>, which has been held every June for 150 years by Press Club Concordia, an organization of Austrian journalists and writers.<\/p>\n

The dress code called for floor-length evening dresses for the women, and a dark tuxedo, dinner jacket or military uniform for men. I brought the Zac Posen dress that I got in London in 2008 at Trudie Styler’s charity sale<\/a>. My gorgeous blogger friend Sharon was at that sale with me. I had forgotten that the dress originally had some kind of brooch decoration on the bodice until I checked Sharon’s post about our shopping adventure.<\/p>\n

\"wendypaul\"<\/a>

Posing in Posen with MrB. Blurry but you can see the little doodad on the front of the dress. Click for Sharon’s post.<\/p><\/div>\n

I didn’t know if the brooch was part of the original design, or if it had been pinned there by Trudie, but I didn’t care for it, so off it came. The first time I wore the dress was in 2010.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>

The Posen dress in 2010. Click for original post.<\/p><\/div>\n

That was also the last time I wore it till this summer. I never doubted I would wear it again, though. It turned out to be perfect for the ball’s “Viva la Vida!” Cuban theme …<\/p>\n

\"MrB

MrB in his tux.<\/p><\/div>\n

… a theme that gave me the opportunity to pose on one of the old cars used for decor in the outdoor courtyard.<\/p>\n

\"viennacar\"What Wendy Wore
\n<\/strong>Dress:<\/strong> Zac Posen (acquired in 2008)
\n<\/em>Shoes:<\/strong> Prada (2010, recently seen here<\/a>)
\n<\/em>Clutch:<\/strong> Sequoia, from Galeries Lafayette (2011<\/a>, recently seen here<\/a>)
\n<\/em>Hat:<\/strong> Party favor
\n<\/em>Accidental bodice decoration:<\/strong> Reading glasses
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

The atmosphere was more formal upstairs — we were in City Hall again<\/a> — where the ball began with a traditional quadrille dance. I was curious to see this because I associate “quadrille” with the “Lobster Quadrille<\/a>” in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland<\/em>. Dozens of young men and women — the latter all in white dresses and gloves — entered the room in a long, stately procession to lead the first dance. They lined up in rows and a man began to call out the steps …<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n

The Concordia Ball kicks off with a formal dance #Vienna #Wien #austria #concordiaball<\/a><\/p>\n

A video posted by Wendy Brandes (@wendybrandes) on