Just Swimmingly

Just Swimmingly - The Dressed Aesthetic

There is always a certain time of year that feels a bit like the eye of the storm. While summers are supposed to be relaxing, mine was chock full of book chapters and editing and teaching a summer class that nearly did my head in (but I can’t even ask you to feel sorry for me…it was all totally self-inflicted). Grades for the summer class were submitted last week and our fall semester doesn’t start until next week. So, for today at least, there is an eerie, blissful calm on the surface of the water…

But who are we kidding?? We all know that won’t last! With an impending semester and the added layer of a pandemic that makes it seem as if things are changing on a moment to moment basis, I know the calm will be short-lived (very short. Like blink and I’ll miss it short). There are syllabi to distribute and lectures to prep, new grad students to train and old sewing projects giving me side eye because they know the semester of neglect is about to begin. And even though it felt for awhile like we might be making a turning point as far as COVID is concerned, let’s just say I see a major Tsunami brewing and I feel pretty powerless to stop it.

So, with Marcus on my arm for strength and my serious print mixing game face on, I have no other choice but to dive into Wednesday headfirst …

Just Swimmingly - The Dressed Aesthetic

Just Swimmingly - The Dressed Aesthetic
Outfit planned using Dressed for iPhone

Just Swimmingly - The Dressed Aesthetic Just Swimmingly - The Dressed Aesthetic Just Swimmingly - The Dressed Aesthetic Just Swimmingly - The Dressed Aesthetic Just Swimmingly - The Dressed Aesthetic Just Swimmingly - The Dressed Aesthetic Just Swimmingly - The Dressed Aesthetic Just Swimmingly - The Dressed Aesthetic Just Swimmingly - The Dressed Aesthetic Just Swimmingly - The Dressed Aesthetic

If there’s one thing that’s true about me, is that I’ve always derived power from my clothing. And you can pretty much read me like a book: the fancier I am, the more stressed I am. The greater the exuberance and color, the greater the chaos in my mind. So, from this outfit, you can probably read between the lines that this temporary moment of calm has me very nervous for what awaits.

I can’t tell you how much I hoped the fall semester would have some semblance of normalcy. That I could train my students and get back to teaching the way I teach best. But, despite having the science and the tools available to beat this thing back, there are a frightening number of people who have chosen not to use them. Who have let the virus mutate and change and become better at evading current safety measures. Which leaves me and everyone around me vulnerable. Perhaps even more vulnerable than we were a year ago (at the very least, I’m more angry than I was a year ago). And so I’ve been trying to find places of control. Sewing more masks, making still more pivots towards how the fall semester will look (which trust me, changes daily), and tried to reassure my students that I will do the very best for them I can.

I can only hope we will all try to do the right thing by each other. If you aren’t but you can, please please please get vaccinated. Please.

Please.

 

xoxo

Outfit Details:
Top: gift, Modern Millie Vintage
Skirt: FB group (similar modern or same vintage skirt here!)
Belt: Altar’d State
Handbag: Wicker Darling
Shoes: Steve Madden 

.

instagram // twitter // facebook // pinterest

Follow

.

Any items marked with a “c/o” (courtesy of) a retailer mean I was provided with an item for free in exchange for a review and/or feature on my blog. I always provide my honest opinion of any item I’m reviewing, regardless of whether it was sent to me as a courtesy item or if I purchased it myself. In addition, this post may contain affiliate links. This means that if you click and/or make a purchase through certain links or ads on this site, I may make a commission from that click and/or purchase at no cost to you, which helps with the day-to-day running costs of my blog.