I’m a sucker for a good theme night.
After years of wanting and wishing for themed opportunities to arise (and feeling disappointed in the general lack), I recently decided to just go for it: I’m making the opportunities happen now. (Since moving to Milwaukee, you might remember that we’re trying to become doers rather than wishers, and I think it’s been successful thus far.)
And, well, I’ve made up for lost time—this fall has been big for fun gatherings (like our recent Barbie party or our inaugural Holiday Bar Crawl) and I have no plans to stop anytime soon.
One of my favorite dressed-up adventures was Denim Night: a group of friends came together, clad in our denim-best, and hit the streets of West Allis for a super casual pub crawl. We ate barbeque, then walked to a few dive bars around town, Canadian tuxedos storming the streets.
We ate, we drank, we blended together as a mass of blue. Funnily enough, it took a while for someone to comment on our group attire—I think we were already a couple places into our crawl and several hours deep. I wonder if paisley would be more obvious? (Taking ideas for next time, of course.)
It was a lot of fun, and I recommend doing something similar with a group of pals. You simply can’t go wrong with 10 or so pairs of jeans crowding around a bar.
Outfit details
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There were definitely two directions a Denim Night outfit could go in: casual, ala Canadian Tuxedo and Marty McFly, or up-scale posh—the Brittney Spears and Justin Timberlake red carpet route. There are levels to denim on denim, surprisingly.
I’d like to think that I took an even split, with a denim jumpsuit. Upscale casual, I guess. Cute, but also a wash that felt just a shade too light.
Chad opted for as-casual-as-it-gets, with a thrifted Wrangler shirt, a darker wash jean, and a tucked-in approach that had me wondering when exactly he decided ‘cowboy’ was his true calling. Funnily enough, he ended up matching exactly with one of the guys in our group—the same person who matched his costume at our Barbie party in September. Unintentional hilarious twinning for Jared and Chad, round two.
Here are the outfit specifics, in case you’re interested:
West Allis details
Now, here are the night out details: where we went in Dirty ‘Stallis (as the locals like to say).
Fun fact: apparently West Allis has a bar on every single block. I believe it. That might just be their claim to fame!
Dinner: Double B’s MKE-Style BBQ
Delicious and affordable! I really liked the vibe here, and my brisket platter was so so good. I was stuffed, which worked well for a night filled with drinks. I’d go back!
Bar one: Camino – West Allis
I’m a huge fan of Camino, at all locations! This location was roomy and, like in Walker’s Point, the beer selection was great. I found and enjoyed a delicious sour.
Bar two: Braun’s Powerhouse
Besides the neighborhood bar charm, this cozy pub also had a juke box, affordable drinks, and super friendly servers. To me, those amenities made it a 10/10.
Bar three: Brass Boar’s Den Pub
Our last stop of the night was a tiny space with the same “where everyone knows your name” vibes, plus darts. (Side note: I am horrible at darts. Atrocious. After an agonizingly long game here, I’d rather not play ever again.) Cheap drinks, darts, a bartender that recognizes a flock of denim. A-plus!
If there’s anywhere else in ‘Stallis that we should add to our list, please let me know!
Cheers to a night draped in denim.
Established in 2018, Sunshine with Savannah is a catch-all blog with an emphasis on weekend travel, millennial-style marriage and fun, reflection-based musings, outdoor adventure, home design, and all things lifestyle.
Though the content is diverse and varied, the heart of this space stays true to a single, guiding principle: a simple pursuit to find sunshine, wherever I go.
Awakening Wonders says
How delightful, love this – “. . .clad in our denim-best and hit the streets of West Allis for a super casual pub crawl.”
Sunshine with Savannah says
Thank you so much!
It’s really fun to have a party like this, and I want to have a themed event like this with my friends, but unfortunately there are too few friends at here.
It was a ton of fun! I hope you can do it sometime, even with a smaller group. Thanks for reading!