The Dressed Aesthetic

Posts Written ByThe Dressed Aesthetic

From Paris, With Love

No, I’m not actually writing from Paris, sadly. But, this dress exudes Parisian chic so well, from its Pater Pan collar and jaunty bow, to the rows of amazing covered buttons that go down the back. Although I always say that I tend to veer towards color, particularly during the warm summer months we’re having in Australia, I’m finding more and more neutrals making their way into my closet. I’ve realized that a beautiful neutral is the perfect backdrop for pop color accessories, of which my wardrobe has aplenty (shocker, I know). 

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The Artist Within

Despite common misconceptions, I find that science and art go hand in hand. Truthfully, the more scientists I meet, the more artists I seem to meet. In my lab alone, we have a concert pianist, a painter, an amazing violinist, and even a student who is doing her PhD in an artistic laboratory, which is dedicated to the research, learning, critique and hands-on engagement with the life sciences. My husband is a software engineer, but is also an amazing singer and songwriter….

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The Lust List #1

We all have ways to unwind. One of the biggest for me is lazily perusing all of the beautiful things I’d like to just appear in my closet. The things I would love to jump onto my walls. I am certainly not secretive about my love for things from bygone days, so it won’t surprise you that my most favorite place to get lost is always on Etsy. To flip through the clickable racks and imagine what life would look like perched upon the perfect midcentury sofa. To drool over gauzy chiffon and wonder if my evenings would take on a sepia tone…

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The Space Between

Sometimes, beauty arrives in the spaces between things. Like the energy right before you kiss someone. The perfect moment when you’re reunited with family you haven’t seen in awhile. Or the intricate, fragile pattern of of a web. I once read, Lace is formed from the absence of substance; it is imagined in the spaces between the threads. Lace is a thing like hope. It lived, it survived, and it was desired for what it was not… – Iris Anthony, The Ruins of Lace –

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Featured Fashionista

A couple of weeks ago I was interviewed by one of my favorite bloggers, Have Clothes, Will Travel as a Featured Fashionista and was completely humbled and honored to be chosen. She and her husband don’t call one place home, but rather travel all over and see the world, staying as little or as long as they like in one place. I am completely in love with that idea…though I have no idea how I would cart all of my shoes around, there’s something so alluring about a nomadic existence and traveling to whatever country strikes your fancy.

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Pleats on Pleats

One of the greatest Christmas gifts I received this year was a Visa gift card from my mom, with a note that read, “Please buy something that you’ve had your eye on…” To me, the instructions were clear – I was to buy something extravagant. This gift card was not to be used for bills or food shopping or for anything even remotely resembling practical. If I even dared venture towards a cleaning implement or a petrol station, the card would self-destruct. It was supposed to be used to spoil myself. Hmmmmm….challenge accepted!

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Into the Woods

Surprisingly, I am a huge fan of the outdoors. I only say surprisingly because you’d take one look at me and assume that the thought of leaving my heels behind for a weekend would be a tantamount to a death sentence. Now, although I agree that the wonders of a mattress and a hot shower cannot be denied, I’ve always been a huge fan of camping and diving and boating and everything in between. I don’t always get back to it as often as I’d like, but every time I do it seems to center me.

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Home Grown, Home Sewn

One of the best interests I ever followed through on was learning how to sew. It’s empowering to be able to make your own clothes and to make the clothes you buy fit perfectly. I tend to make a beeline for the $10 pile in an op shop that are full of beauties that need a zip replaced or torn seams repaired – they no longer seem disposable, but full of opportunities to make like new again. It also changes the way you view your body – it’s no longer about changing yourself to fit the clothes, but changing the CLOTHES you fit…

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Spotlight On: La Belle Vintage

Calling all vintage lovers! I’m always getting requests for vintage store recommendations, so I wanted to start a “Spotlight On” feature on the blog, where I introduce you to some of my very favorite vintage haunts. At the very least, when people ask me “Where on EARTH do you find these dresses?” I can point them here! I thought I would get the ball rolling by introducing you to La Belle Vintage, which is literally a treasure trove of vintage confections that will make your heart sing and your Visa card quiver…

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