A Night at the San Francisco Ballet

One of my favorite date ideas in San Francisco is to spend a night at the ballet. The season runs from January-May and there are always several performances each year I absolutely must see! On Saturday night we met up with our friends Steph and Will to catch the last performance of Don Quixote. The ballet is based on the Spanish novel by Miguel de Cervantes, in which the protagonist (Don Quixote) looses his wits reading too many romantic novels and sets out on a quest to prove that chivalry is not dead. Considered by literature historians to be the first modern novel and one of the most important books of all time, Don Quixote explores themes of chivalry, romance, sanity, and the pursuit of unrealistic ideals. In ballet form the story shifts to center around the romance of Kitri, an innkeeper’s daughter, and Basilio, the town barber, a relationship despised by her father and ultimately ending in a joyous wedding after Don Quixote’s intervention. My favorite scene was in Act One as villagers danced and gossiped in the town square wearing tiered dresses in an array of sherbet hues, and men in matador costumes tried to woo and win their hearts. Full of bright shimmering colors, a little farcical humor, and even a few ponies on stage it was the perfect whimsical way to kick off the month of February. (You can find performance details for the rest of the season here.) San Francisco’s generally a casual city, with more Patagonia than Prada, but the one place people will always dress up for is the ballet. Since we met up for a casual dinner before the show I didn’t go full cocktail, but opted for a delicate merino sweater and silk wrap skirt. I just picked up this sweater last week and love the refined shape, which is slim enough to pair with a thin skirt, and has thicker ribbed cuffs to make it feel special. I’m a little embarrassed to say I wore it almost all weekend. First with this checked cape and black cigarette pants for drinks at Big 4 on Friday, then for a casual brunch on Saturday morning with jeans, ballet flats, and my Barbour jacket. It’s so incredibly versatile (and on major sale) I might get it in black as well. I’ve mentioned my favorite winter outfit formula before (also seen here, and here) and paired my sweater with a coat in the same color. This “modern twinset” always looks instantly pulled together, and this sweater/coat combo works equally well with a silk wrap skirt as it does with jeans and ballet flats. I have owned this pair of J.Crew d’Orsay heels for almost a decade and just keep getting them resoled when they look a bit worn out. It works like a charm and they are so comfortable. OUTFIT DETAILS: [show_shopthepost_widget id="3465303"] REDValentino Coat (similar, less expensive) // Club Monaco Sweater // Ralph Lauren Skirt (also love this, and this, and this) // J.Crew Heels // Rocio Bag c/o OUTFIT DETAILS: [show_shopthepost_widget id="3465303"] REDValentino Coat (similar, less expensive) // Club Monaco Sweater // Ralph Lauren Skirt (old, love this, and this, and this) // J.Crew Heels // Rocio Bag c/o I can’t wait to return to the ballet to see Sleeping Beauty in March, and The Little Mermaid in April! Thank you as always for reading! xx, SF