museum dates {with plan de ville}

Dress: Ellery (borrowed from Plan de Ville); Shoes: Saint Laurent; Clutch: L'Afshar (borrowed from Plan de Ville); Choker: Net-A-Porter ribbon

As much as I consider myself a social person and love making plans with my girlfriends, I also love treating myself to solo dates. Little jaunts around the city to spots or places I've been meaning to visit, to simply enjoy by myself and appreciate alone. I can go at my own pace, take detours when I want to or just simply sit in silence to take it all in, if it so pleases me. And if I want to go the extra mile, I'll even turn my phone to airplane mode, only using it to snap photos along the way. It's the perfect indulgent "me" time that truly allows me to clear my head of clutter, doubt, worry and the all around mess that accumulates from time to time. 

And my favorite solo dates? Always at museums. If you recall, as part of my 30 before 30 list (which we're nearing the end to!), I wanted to check out all the museums in New York City. Sadly, I think I fell short on this one (there are just so many museums here!), but I'm a sucker for my favorites: The MoMa, the Guggenheim, the Whitney, the Natural History Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Of course, the Met. There's just something so enchanting about the Met -- it's mazelike -- almost as if you're roaming around a large funhouse, with surprises around every corner. Naturally, there's the pure grandeur of the interior architecture alone (columns and high-vaulted ceilings for days!) that never ceases to stop me in my tracks when I walk in and look up. 

This past week, I wanted to capture some of that awe feeling I have when I walk into the Met so Lydia and I took full advantage of a snowy day here in the city to shoot inside. To throw in a little extra romance and whimsy to the story (because why not?) I donned this Ellery dress borrowed from Plan de Ville for the occasion. If you haven't checked out their selection of up and coming designers, I highly recommend that you do. 

And not to throw another recommendation at you, but if you've never been to the Met, I highly recommend you clear your schedule for a full day and head over. Maybe also go solo and treat yourself to a lunch date in their atrium cafe? Just a thought...but I think you might enjoy it. 

Photos by Lydia Hudgens