Little Black Dress Club Offers Women Friendship, Networking Opportunities

Little Black Dress Club director Chris Olson is very excited about this week's open house event, the End of Summer Wine-d Down. In addition to allowing prospective members to check out the women's social networking club in an informal, meet-and-greet way, Olson has big news to share with those who attend.

"An exclusive, premier event will be announced that night which will be free to members," Olson said, but that was all she would reveal.

The Wine-d Down at the from 6 to 9 p.m. on Wednesday will feature $3 glasses of wine and other drink specials. Guests also will be given raffle tickets based on random, fun criteria. Raffle prizes include a gift basket donated by Chanel that features a full-size bottle of Coco Chanel perfume along with matching lipstick, nail polish and mascara.  also will be providing a gift basket.

Olson said club membership draws primarily from the Lincoln-Way area. However, the main source of advertising is Facebook and MeetUp.com, which has brought women from an hour away to check out LBDC events.

"What's so cool is that there is such a variety. Married, divorced, widowed, young new moms, older professional women," she said. "You get girlfriends together, and (age) doesn't matter."

Olson actually discovered the club through a that ran earlier this year. An event planner at heart, Olson was intrigued by the club's need for a new director. After a rigorous application and interview process, Olson was named director of the Lincoln-Way area Little Black Dress Club and began putting her calendar together.

So far, the group has met for brunch, attended a fashion show, had martinis and manicures and showed off its members' knowledge during a trivia night. Upcoming events include a showing of Bridesmaids with prizes for best and worst bridesmaid dresses on Oct. 7. Gently worn dresses will be donated to for the Glass Slipper Project. On Oct. 15, ladies will gather at for an after-hours private party, and on Nov. 14, they'll head to for a private cooking class. The to-be-revealed, members-only event will be Nov. 21.

And Olson has a lot more up her little black dress sleeve.

"What's neat is that there are all different types of events planned for women, and they can just show up," she said. "While a lot of us have a great network of girlfriends, we don't always share the same interests."

Some members come just for the brunches. Others like the evenings out. The trivia night at Beggar's Pizza drew a young, single mom, an older chemist, an X-ray technician, a nurse and Olson, who serves as a multitasking office manager by day.

"Women are joining a club to make new friends who want to do like-minded things," Olson said.

Like Dawn Urewicz of Frankfort.

"I was looking for something new to do in my life," said Urewicz, who added that she is looking forward to the upcoming events as well. "I am a woman in her 50s who does not work outside the home. I looked to the LBDC to give me the opportunity to meet more women. My first experience was fantastic."