Living Classrooms Foundation’s Maritime Magic

Dressing up comes naturally for Anna Malneva, 32. The Little Italy resident grew up in Russia, where she explained the culture wasn’t quite as casual as she has found in the United States, where she moved about eight years ago.

“Back home, my friends would take an hour to an hour and a half to get their hair and makeup done to go downstairs to get a loaf of bread,” she said.

So, dressing for Maritime Magic meant “dressing up” for Maritime Magic. The Constellation financial analyst chose an outfit that reflected both the warm temperatures and the party atmosphere. “I was looking for something not too formal, but summery and fun. I decided to go with the ruffles,” she said. Many at the shindig went the route of sneakers and flats to negotiate the serious square footage of concrete. However, that would have been a rule-breaker for Malneva, who said her love of high heels knows no bounds.

“You can wear a beautiful dress, but once you wear flats with it, the look is ruined,” she explained.

A height of 5 feet, 10 inches was no barrier. In fact, Malneva said she embraces adding to it.

“If I’m going to wear 5-to-6-inch heels, you’re going to see me a mile away,” she said, with a laugh.

HER ENSEMBLE: Romeo & Juliet Couture seafoam lace tiered dress from groupon.com/occasion/ideel. Michael Kors black leather and rope wedges and Ted Baker hot pink shoulder bag from Nordstrom. Gold leaf earrings that have been in her family for generations; her mother handed them down to her when she turned 18 and she rarely takes them off.