Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with fancy

Not sure if he likes me or not.

lovisa91 — Sat, 12 Jan 2013 10:04:02 -0800

A guy called Matt used to flirt with me a lot and said I was one of the prettiest girls he has seen, asked me out but never went through with it, making me confused. I asked him out and he said yes but in the end nothing happened. I made out with his friend (did not know they knew each other) and yesterday Matt told me that he used to like me but wanted to take things slowly, but will not do anything now because of what happened. Is that just an excuse for him to reject me? Should I should just let this go? Thank you!

once-off letterpress possible?

divabat — Sat, 17 Nov 2012 11:21:40 -0800

I want to print a once-off version of a long poem I've written for display; all I have so far are the words (no specific designs or illustrations or whatever). I really like the look of letterpress but it seems that letterpress places only do bulk orders. Is this true? Are there other options? ( I'm in the San Francisco Bay Area if you have company recommendations.)

Brooklyn restaurant with a view

greta simone — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 06:55:35 -0800

Another NYC/Brooklyn restaurant question: City views edition. Hi guys. I live in Brooklyn and my mom and sister are coming to visit this weekend for my mom's 67th birthday. She's going through a divorce and is generally having a hard time so I want to show her a good time.

She loves a breathtaking view, pretty much more than anything (we're from Asheville, NC if you want to know what kind of views she's used to). I want to take her to a restaurant on Sunday night that has a beautiful view of the city. Ideally I would like to be in Brooklyn, because she hasn't really ever familiarized herself with my borough and would like to and the views of Manhattan are so good.

In terms of food and cost--she generally goes for quality American/Western European food. I hope to not spend more than $50 a person on food alone (not including alcohol as there probably won't be much consumed). It's important that the restaurant itself has views and isn't just 'a short walk to the river' where the views actually are. My mom doesn't have the best back and doesn't like to walk in the cold.

This would be her idea of perfect: A cozy but pretty (not cold and modern) interior, sitting in front of a Manhattan view picture window, where she can eat a caprese salad and a roasted chicken with asparagus or salmon and mashed potatoes or filet mignon and brussel sprouts or something, and maybe have a single glass of pinot grigio.

Does this exist within my price range, or am I asking too much? I'm a little flexible on my budget if we find the perfect place (BTW River Café is closed due to Sandy, and too expensive anyway). Also if there's a high-up place in Manhattan with a good view that isn't full of tourists or over-priced, I would happily consider that too.

Please help me make her birthday special because she really needs it right now!

Nice solo NYC dinner

greta simone — Sat, 06 Oct 2012 10:48:03 -0800

Where to get a very high quality but casual meal alone this Sunday evening in NYC? Hi! I want to take myself out to a really really nice dinner tomorrow night in NYC. Since I probably will be going solo, I would like somewhere where the dress is casual but the food is really good and I won't need a reservation.

I tend to like creative locavore fare and American/European dishes (as opposed to Indian or Ethiopian). I live in Brooklyn and I've enjoyed places like Marlow and Sons, Roberta's, Rye, Traif, Calyer, etc. but I'd to try something new. I'm not a vegetarian--I enjoy seafood, poultry, pork, and beef. I'd be happy to spend ~$100 for 2-3 courses and a couple glasses of wine. I'm open to anywhere in Brooklyn or downtown Manhattan. There are so many places to choose from and I'm having a hard time narrowing it down by just looking at photos/menus/reviews. Just off the top of my head to give you an idea of what I'm looking at, I was checking out Dressler or Craft Bar but I can't get a feel for how casual either of those places are from looking online.

Suggestions welcome!

Cinderella goes to the ball...

cartoonella — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 08:18:33 -0800

Ritzy-ditzy gala, need a dress I've been invited to attend a type of event I've never been to before - a full-on gala for our city's symphony orchestra that requires formal attire.

I'm not from an affluent background, so the thought of something like this is giving me all kinds of status-anxiety jitters. I want to look good and blend in, not really stand out. I mean I want to look lovely, but certainly not garish or like a parvenu. I need to rock this so that I can seem to be part of these people's world, rather than someone who's trying to hard and just not getting it quite right.

I'll know some of the people who'll be at this thing, and they're really nice people. I mean I don't hold it against them that they have way more money than I do. I figure if I concentrate on them, and whatever it is we're chatting about, my other worries will go away. But I've still got to figure out what to put on.

I saw what some women wore to this same event last year. Some of these ladies were really over the top - deep backless dresses with sequins all over, gigantic fur stoles, you name it. I don't want to look like that.

I think I could pull off a certain kind of old-money look - pale skin, deep-toned lips, groomed brows, no bangs. That seems like a better choice than smoky eyes with nude glossy lips, which is maybe a bit too LA - although I saw that last time too. Clueless as to the jewelry.

As for the gown - I'm 5'5 and busty. I think I'd be comfortable in something that covers the decolletage but leaves my shoulders bare, like a halter style dress, or one of those crossover styles that fasten behind the neck. I'm clueless as to color. I'm a fair-skinned blonde, so kind of afraid I'd be overwhelmed by anything jewel-toned. I'm leaning toward mint, gray, pale gold, something like that. Nothing metallic! No fur for me, but I feel like I should have something to put over my shoulders. What would that be?

The thing is, I have no idea where to look for a fancy dress - and no idea what they cost. I'm assuming I'll be out $1,000 at least. Is it possible to rent these outfits, as you would a tux? Would a bridal shop be a good place to search?

I'm mostly worried about the dinner part, where I'll be talking to people. I want to feel confident and not worried about pieces of my outfit slipping off, or anything else going majorly wrong. Also - I know how to satisfy my own appetite without making others lose theirs, and I can follow the forks because you just start with the furthest one out and move in. I'm not sure what else I should know about eating at one of these things.

Any other tips on how not to instantly reveal that I'm in over my head socially would be welcome!

Our fancy dress party theme is '2011'. Any ideas?

angryjellybean — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 07:51:40 -0800

Our fancy dress party theme is '2011'. Any ideas? We're going to a New Year fancy dress party, the theme of which is '2011'. So you can come as anything that's been of interest this year - Amy Winehouse, the last space shuttle, Steve Jobs, Rebecca Black, The London Riots... the list is endless, but my husband doesn't know what to go as and wants some funny ideas.

So far he's thinking about going as Thor, Black Swan or a neutrino.

Suggestions can be as geeky/weird as possible but ideally not more than about £40 to buy/make.

I already have mine sorted, so please don't suggest couple ideas for us!

Where can I get a fabulous and cheap gown for a black tie wedding?

paindemie — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 16:05:41 -0800

I have nothing to wear to a black tie wedding on New Year's Eve and I'm on a tight budget. Where in NYC can I find a fabulous, perhaps second hand, long dress for less than $150? I've never been to a black-tie wedding and want to look super elegant. Beacon's Closet doesn't really have nicer, fancier, long dresses. Macy's and Bloomingale's are outside my budget of around $150. I'm sure there are shops all over the city where I can look but I don't know where they are. Help?

Should I just go as Metallica? Ideas needed for 1981-themed fancy dress!

NoiselessPenguin — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 23:35:07 -0800

Fancy dress party with a 1981 theme and I need help thinking of an idea! Bonus points for extremely cheap, clever or fun costumes. Friend is turning 30 and is celebrating. I'm female and would rather not go as Slutty [insert noun], but I'm having problems thinking of a plan that's within my meagre budget.

Key criteria:

It has to be 1981-themed (Metallic forms, Britteney Spears born, etc).

I'm in the UK and female

I love nerdy stuff

I will happily wear a wig/prostheses/giant accessories and generally make a bit of a spectacle of myself. :)

How to find galas in London

Mossy — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 11:01:46 -0800

So, I want to find galas/fancy events to go to in London. Mrs Mossy comes from Washington DC where such things are frequent and an excellent excuse to dress up, be it for charities, fund raisers, general fun etc.

We are a fairly young couple (late 20s) and regrettably I have somewhat excessively focused on my career to date and ignored socialising/networking. Now thinking about going to alumni style events and getting on the geopolitical scene by going to Chatham House being an opinionated Middle East specialist.

So, any recommendations on a strategy to find such events or specific open events that people enjoy? Happy to join societies etc, need to be a bit more sociable anyway..

news! news! news! news! news!

troika — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 06:28:36 -0800

I'm going to the opera! Will I be able to see okay? What about when I get fidgety? What do I wear? I'm going to see John Adams' Nixon in China at the Met in February, it's my very first opera and I am awfully excited but have a few questions:

My seat is in the Dress Circle boxes, listed as partial view. What does that mean? Am I behind a column? Will I need binoculars?

I have trouble sitting still for long periods of time. I know there are intermissions, but....? Any tips for staying focused?

What does one wear to the opera? I'm a 25 yr old girl on the poorer end of the scale.

There was a similar question asked not that long ago [here], but I know the story and music here - I am asking more for direction on what happens once I am there, not how to prepare (though honestly anything you want to suggest about any aspect would be appreciated).

Fancy vegan meal ideas?

jellywerker — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 22:38:01 -0800

Fancy vegan meal ideas? I'd like to make a dinner to impress my vegan girlfriend. I cook for her pretty frequently but want to make something with a little more wow factor that my typical dishes. Problem is, all the dishes I know that are fancy are non vegan, and attempting to make them conform to vegan standards would probably end poorly.

Fancy ingredients for a home cook

ihavepromisestokeep — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 07:45:30 -0800

What fancy pants ingredients should I buy for a foodie? This is for a Christmas gift and the recipient (my bro) is getting more and more into food and cooking with every second. He loves experimenting in the kitchen and I want to get him some fancy ingredients he wouldn't necessarily go out and buy himself. My initial thoughts are saffron, vanilla beans and/or truffle oil. Any other ideas?

A few things to note:

* he doesn't have a sweet tooth (so no chocolate, how sad)
* he will be flying back to the west coast after Christmas (we're on the east coast.) I want him to have something to unwrap, I don't want to just have stuff delivered to his house on the left coast.
* I'm open to giving him cool kitchen gadgets as opposed to ingredients.
* Where can I get this stuff? Whole Foods? Sur la Table? Can I order it online?

Zig a zag ahhh!

Jubey — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 16:05:23 -0800

Help me dress as a rock star for Christmas! My office Christmas party theme is come as your favourite rock star and I need ideas! So, it's a fancy dress party and the theme is come as your favourite rock/pop star. For added excitement, it's also karaoke and there is an excellent chance we'll have to get up and actually perform as that star on stage in front of the entire company (I know, I know...I can't sing either and I hate being the centre of attention). Anyway I need ideas.

Additional information, I'm a petite white girl with long dark straight hair in Australia if it helps. It would be nice if I didn't have to spend a fortune on an outfit but I'm open to anything. Lady Gaga and the Spice Girls are already taken. I'm open to dragging in a few others and going as a group, and I'm open to dressing as a guy too. I was thinking Chrissie Amphlett from the Divinyls (Aussie band) as I can cobble together a school uniform from home, or Madonna from her dark haired Like A Prayer days but I was wondering if the hive mind had any other suggestions?

I'd like to love my like

Anonymous — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 07:36:06 -0800

What are ways of saying "I like you" that don't sound so... clinical? "I like you" and "I'm attracted to you" sound so dry, and un-romantic. "I fancy you" is not bad, but it lacks a certain je-ne-sais-quoi. "I love you" is right out, since, well, I don't.

This is intended to be in a letter, so physical displays of attraction won't really work.

80s clothing

dmt — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 17:30:58 -0800

80s party costume suggestions Just like vegetableagony I’ve been invited to an 80s party. It’s my other half’s 40th so I’m going to have to look the part. My ideas thus far are Robert Smith from The Cure, an 80s rapper or full Top Gun flight-suit but before I hit the charity shops, I wondered if AskMe had any inspired suggestions.

Help dress me! (For a themed party).

doctor.dan — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 21:44:32 -0800

I've been invited to a themed party with the following costume rules: Invasion, conquest, exploration, assimilation, sovereignty, or superheroes who save the world! and I have no idea what to wear. Any ideas would be awesome. It's tomorrow night, so I don't have much time to get stuff, and something warm would be preferable (it's damn cold right now).

Who am I? I'm the best dresser in town.

mooreeasyvibe — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 14:14:55 -0800

Who were very well dressed English gentlemen? I'm going to a fancy dress party and I'd like to go as someone who's been drinking pints of sartorial elegance. The following items of clothing could make up the outfit:

monocle
tanktop
cravat
some sort of hat
pipe or cigarette holder
watch on a chain
umbrella
all that kind of stuff

The Chap magazine has the kind of look I'm going for. But who could I say I am?

Make me a REAL jester!

fearnothing — Sun, 17 May 2009 16:19:33 -0800

UKCostumeFilter: I want a jester suit. I have the most marvellous jester hat, but no suit. Where can I get one in the UK? I've already done a good few google searches and come up with plenty of red and black deals, but those are definitely not my style. I need something brighter. Red, yellow and green would be ideal.

This pattern would be perfect if it wasn't for a woman, and this one would be acceptable if I could find it anywhere in the UK. I'd rather not have to ship from the states.

Help!

Soup oh la la

barrakuda — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 01:41:02 -0800

What are some impressive fancy-schmancy soups? I know that a super-soup thread already exists, but here I am looking for something a bit different. I am looking for recipes for fine-dining soups that are not heavy or too filling but yet they are very flavorful and elegant. Something that can be served as a delicious appetizer instead of constituting the entire meal. so, give me your best.

Tonight we're gonna party like it's 1978... but what should I wear?

handee — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 00:17:31 -0800

I'm going to a fancy dress party, and the theme is 1978. What should I go as? It's a 6hr journey each way by bus and train, so something small and crumple resistant would be ideal, but I can take a bag if need be. I did consider Wonder Woman, but that sort of depends on how well the Weight Watchers is going by then...

Fonts with "the" as single character

largecorp — Sat, 12 Aug 2006 20:37:14 -0800

What are some old-time fonts that have a single character (one key stroke) for a fancy "the" and "of"? I've tried googling but "the" and "of" are hard search words! Thanks. And, just curious, what do you call a full-word character like that?

Aluminum medical clipboard

cillit bang — Mon, 20 Jun 2005 03:48:49 -0800

Those fancy aluminum clipboards they use for patient charts on ER. Where can I get one? Brigitte Ginger Snaps has one:

(That's the front facing the camera, with the cover hinged at the top)

Help us prepare for the fanciest dinner of our lives.

croutonsupafreak — Thu, 09 Jun 2005 16:55:56 -0800

Help us prepare for the fanciest dinner of our lives. My boyfriend and I have reservations next week at one of the classiest restaurants in Portland, Genoa, where we'll be having a seven-course prix fixe meal. We're not rich, we just both love food and thought it would be a great way to mark a special occasion.

I grilled reservations guy on the phone for advice when I scheduled our dinner. Will they accomodate our special dietary needs? He says yes. What should we wear? He says business casual or nicer.

But there's a lot more I'm not sure about. How long should we expect our meal to take? Should we try not to finish everything on our plates, just to make sure there's room in our bellies for the rest of the courses? Or do seven-course meals come with smaller serving sizes? Do the same rules of tipping apply when you're spending $200-plus for dinner as when you're spending $20 (15-20%)? Are doggie bags completely taboo? Are there other etiquette considerations we should prepare for before we arrive?

There's also question of wine. The restaurant's web site lists Italian , American and French wines, with bottles ranging in price from around $21 all the way up to $400, and I am nervous about accidentally tripling our bill by ordering the wrong thing. We both love red wines, but are certainly not experts on vinology. Can anyone suggest an affordable bottle off this list?

Any other tips for enjoying the evening and feeling comfortable instead of outclassed?