Glam Slam: Havana Night In Hollywood

A little bit of old school Cuban flavor invaded Hollywood this weekend when my husband and I attended an Old Havana-themed party for the Preschool my daughter will be attending.

It’s our first chance to meet the other parents at the school and apparently, the annual gala, which changes themes every year, is quite legendary.

I emailed the one person I know at the school and ask if people really get into the spirit of things or not. I had visions of my husband and I showing up and being the only two people dressed in theme. Boy was I wrong.

“People get WAY into it,” she told me. “Like as in having their hair and makeup done and vintage outfits and the whole nine yards. If you want to go for it, then GO for it.”

Gulp. I haven’t been to a theme party since my college sorority days, so I’m definitely rusty when it comes to getting dressed up for an event like this. She tells me not to stress and just have fun with it. Great advice… the only problem is she’s buying the dress she will wear off eBay and having it shipped to her from Bulgaria of all places. Now I AM stressed! I’m way outta my league here.

The invite says, “Be ready to Babaloo. Bring Party clothes – anything colorful, flowery, revolutionary. And in Havana, the men wear white all winter long.” OK… that helps, a little.

I drag my husband and daughter shopping and we spend a good solid hour in the Nordstrom Men’s department, where he tries on pretty much anything they have in linen. (No white though, guess it’s too early in the season.) We end up with light colored linen pants and a black untucked shirt accessorized with a straw fedora he already owns.

As for what I’m going to wear… I suddenly remember a black dress in my closet that I haven’t worn in five or six years. It has small ruffles and a flouncy asymmetrical hem. I pair that with a Spanish style shawl I bought on Olvera Street in Los Angeles a few years ago, strappy red heels that I bought in Buenos Aires and lots of gold bangles. I buy a black silk flower at H&M for my hair and for the finishing touch, a swipe of Dior’s Celebrity Red lipstick. I don’t have the time to have my hair or makeup professionally done, but I do get my nails done in my favorite Chanel red shade, Dazzling.

The event is at The Wilshire Country Club in Los Angeles, which is a beautiful old Spanish style building with colorful tiles, arched ceilings and palm trees. A Cuban flag is hanging over the entrance and as we enter we are welcomed with the sounds of Latin music performed by a trio. There are lots of guys in straw hats and women in colorful dresses milling about enjoying cocktails.

A couple of men are in fatigues. One guy comes dressed as Castro himself! A famous actress (I guess her kids go to the school, who knew?) comes as a fifties Cuban housewife in curlers and scarf on her hair! So creative!

I had been a little nervous about going, because it felt a little like your first day at school when you don’t know a soul. But once I got there, I relaxed. No one was judging us by how we were dressed. We weren’t the most creative or clever… but we certainly weren’t the worst dressed either. And when we sat down to a Cuban style dinner of pulled pork, black beans, rice and plantains… the people at our table couldn’t have been more friendly or welcoming. They certainly didn’t seem to care about what we were wearing.

Which is nice to know about the people you will be seeing in the drop off line at school. It was a nice reminder that even in power hungry, cutthroat Hollywood, it’s possible to like people simply for who they are, not because they are famous or because of the clothes they are wearing. And that’s a lesson we could all use a refresher in every now and then.