Inside, men in suits with fedoras and ladies in dresses mingle, drink and dance in a setting that has become difficult to find.
Men were measured for suits and had their shoes shined, and women sipped drinks and rocked to the DJ’s music at the Handsome Devil Bespoke Vintage Pop-Up Show and Cocktail Party on Friday night at the Blue Line Gallery.
“It’s definitely a men’s night tonight,” said Dan Baucco, owner of Handsome Devil Bespoke Vintage, a business dedicated to vintage menswear and accessories.
The idea is to create not only a good excuse to get dressed up and go out but also to allow men to experience an entirely different environment, he said.
Women always have an excuse to dress up, he said, but men rarely get this kind of opportunity anymore.
“It’s a really unique way to be pampered,” Bloomington resident Brent Molnar said.
He said friends of his were helping to host the event, a gallery opportunity based around men.
“It’s like a men’s day spa,” he said.
Molnar said not a lot of places specialize in men, so an event like this where he can get his shoes shined and be properly measured for a suit is a great luxury.
“I feel like I have a good eye for style,” Baucco said.
Baucco said suits were being sold for 10 to 25 percent of their original retail value. One suit that Baucco particularly liked, originally valued at $6,000, was being sold for $300 at the event.
“It’s a style event,” he said.
Along with Baucco, his store and the Blue Line Gallery, the event was also sponsored by a variety of other local businesses, such as the Atlas Ballroom, Cherry Canary, Sweet Grass Restaurant, Vega Stylista’s Foxhole, the Tailored Fit and Vanessa Rae of the Ecoatelier and the Briar and the Burley, said Blue Line Gallery owner Chelsea Sanders.
Sanders said after Baucco approached her with the idea of the event, she was happy to be a part of things.
It’s like an after party to a big city event, she said. The event is a mix of vintage and modern fashion, style and atmosphere.
“I would consider it kind of old, classic,” she said.
Before the night was over, she said she expected about 200 or 300 people passed through the gallery.
Baucco said he was happy with the turnout. Despite the rainy weather, people came out to have a good time in luxury and style.
Sanders said she wants to host more events like this one because it helps to support local businesses and is a unique ?environment.
“It’s totally all about collaboration,” she said. “There are not a lot of events like this.”
Baucco said he would like to see more men spend time on their clothes and enjoy looking good. He’s always been interested in clothes, and now is the opportunity to bring his passion to people in Bloomington, he said.
“It’s fun,” Baucco said. “It’s affordable and it’s ?accessible.”
Molnar said the event was a fun chance to hang out and that he hopes for more of them in the future.
“If this works ... then I plan to do it at least six times a year,” Baucco said.
