The Dressed Aesthetic

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{Sewing} Visiting the Water Lilies with Vendula London

{Sewing} Visiting the Water Lilies with Vendula London - The Dressed Aesthetic

A lot of my skirt designs have been based off of true vintage pieces that are so swoon-worthy, yet so elusive, I couldn’t wait another minute before making it mine. Occasionally, I will come up with an original design – sparked from my everyday wanderings, an inability to find just what I’m looking for, or based off of some crazy desire for a skirt that lights up. But this latest creation came from an off hand comment from a lovely friend and one of my very favorite handbag companies…

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{Sewing} Spinning in Place

Spinning in Place - The Dressed Aesthetic

We have all experienced personal tragedy in our lives. Moments that throw our world upside down and off track, where we are just scrambling to find a foothold. And the weirdest thing that happens, is lifting my head from the weight of personal sorrow to find the world kept turning. I’m surprised every time. To see it didn’t pause for my grief, or wait for me to get back in my feet. It continued to spin as if this huge, tragic thing never happened.

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Distance in Style

Distance in Style - The Dressed Aesthetic

I’ve always considered myself an introverted extrovert. I’m someone who feels pretty comfortable in social settings – I love meeting up with friends for a drink and have a blast at parties. But, I’m just as comfortable at home – I absolutely need my alone time and relish tinkering away at sewing tasks for hours in silence. Given what’s happening in the world at the moment, I’ve definitely been embracing the introverted half of myself a lot lately.

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{Sewing} Where There’s a Will,
There’s a Way: Making a 3D Belt

Where There's a Will, There's a Way - The Dressed Aesthetic

You never know what’s going to draw you to a certain piece. We all have a penchant for something. Some of us swoon for 1940’s shoulders, others for border prints, others for 1970’s flare. Regardless of how you choose to adorn yourself, there will usually be certain things that catch your eye in a garment that instantly make you start to style it about 8 different ways in your head.

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Sucker Punch

Sucker Punch - The Dressed Aesthetic

There are a lot of things in life that come out of the blue unexpectedly and sucker punch you good. Tragedy can befall you when you least expect it, an sudden joy can hit you on a moment’s notice. I am definitely the kind of person who gets sucker punched by vintage on the regular. Scrolling lazily on IG or browsing Etsy, and suddenly all things come to a screeching halt. Heart pounding, palms sweating. You never know when or where it will come out of the blue.

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{Sewing} Daffodelicious : Introducing Online Fabric Store

{Sewing} Daffodelicious : Introducing Online Fabric Store

We all have our sewing “wish list” pile (or at least I do). You know the one: where you have stacks of fabric and a box of patterns that you will one day make into something fabulous. It never happens all at once, but over years of collecting and planning, you turn around one day and realize your pile of plans and sewing ideas is now threatening to drown you. So, I was beyond ecstatic to work with Online Fabric Store to finally make a dent in that pile…

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Unrealized Potential

Unrealized Potential - The Dressed Aesthetic

I’ve been making a concerted effort lately to try to acquire less – there seems to be a similar wave traveling through the vintage community, where a lot of ladies are trying to tamp down the feverish feeling of constant hoarding. We’re taking look at our wardrobes to hold onto the pieces we truly love, and part with those that we may have bought due to some combination of dopamine, FOMO, and vintage fever. I think it happens to most newbie collectors – the passion is fresh and the speed with which items fly off of the cyber shelves leaves…

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Gather Ye Rosebuds While Ye May

Gather Ye Rosebuds While Ye May - The Dressed Aesthetic

This past weekend marked another Valentine’s Day – Mr. Dressed and I celebrated with our usual flare: getting fancy, a dinner at Manna (one of our favorite restaurants in town), followed by presents back at the homestead. And as we are barreling towards our 10 year wedding anniversary, I can’t help but marvel at how lucky I am to have found someone with whom I simply fit.

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Pier Pressure

Pier Pressure - The Dressed Aesthetic

Within our small vintage-loving community, some pieces will take on greater value than others. Certain prints, certain labels – lusted after not just for the quality of the garment, but for its rarity or the the status it provides. I think this is true of most small, niche communities – there’s always a hierarchy. The Haves vs. the Have Nots. The Unicorns, the ISOs, the Holy Grails. These pieces ebb and flow in price tag and rarity, keeping us ever wondering, searching, sniffing the air like a dapple deer.

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To Those Who Wait

To Those Who Wait - The Dressed Aesthetic

As a society, I generally don’t think we’re all that good at waiting. It hasn’t always been this way. I’m going to sound like one of those walking-barefoot-uphill-in-the-snow type of old ladies, but back in the days, pre-technology, I had to wait for a lot of things. Letters to arrive in the mail. A trip to the mall for a new pair of shoes. The latest episode of my favorite show. I used to be able to wait in line with nothing but my thoughts to entertain me. Nowadays, we can send off emails with lightning speed, grab a new…

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