The Dressed Aesthetic

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Ad-vantageous

Ad-vantageous: Vintage Ads - The Dressed Aesthetic

One of the biggest buzzes I get is spotting a vintage ad for the garments I own. In some weird way, although they’re made of fabric and I can actually hold them in my hand, vintage somehow still feels unreal – like it could disappear at any moment. But, when you see the ad for the dress, there’s something that takes it from the abstract and into someone’s living room. A thing that existed in a shop window or a catalogue. It’s not a piece of the past, but was once very much a piece of someone’s present.

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Annual Review

Annual Review - The Dressed Aesthetic

Last week everyone in my Department received the email that we all dread: our upcoming Annual Review is nearly upon us. This simply marks a time of year where we have to meet with our Chair and discuss areas where we’re hitting our milestones and areas where we need improvement. This also means we have to flex our typing fingers and start putting our Annual Report document together – basically listing out your academic accomplishments for the year across predetermined categories, distilled down to 6 pages of text. No more, no less.

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Sequins of Events…

Sequins of Events - The Dressed Aesthetic

Sometimes I can get lost thinking about all of the million random occurrences that need to happen to lead up to some big event (or even the small everyday ones). In retrospect, a path always seems to straightforward. A decision so simple to go from from A to B to C. But looking from the opposite direction, there are a million twists and turns that ultimately lead to that endpoint. And sometimes these can be positive – looking at the pivotal move that brought you towards the career you have now. The love of your life. Or the perfect piece…

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A Love Letter to Virginia from Birmingham

A Love Letter to Virginia from Birmingham - The Dressed Aesthetic

Valentine’s Day means a lot of different things for a lot of different people, because love comes in many forms. Some might head out on the town with their significant other. Others stay in. Some use it as a great excuse to celebrate with their ladies and have a full on Galentine’s. Some wear all black and avoid the day all together. Others might decide it’s a day to love themselves, complete with pampering session and a perfect, dry glass of champagne. However you decided to be present on Feb 14th, whether it was to celebrate or let it pass…

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The Kara Dress

The Kara Dress - The Dressed Aesthetic

There are a lot of wonderful things about blogging. I love having a space where I have full creative freedom. Where I can share everything from the minutiae of my day to the passion I have for a 1950’s Suzy Perette in my size on sale. And then there’s the people I’ve met – the amazing community I am lucky enough to be a part of. From other vintage aficionados to working with amazing small business owners, connecting to people around the world has definitely put the cherry on my blogging sundae.

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Lepidoptera

Lepidoptera - The Dressed Aesthetic

My husband and I have a rule around the holidays – we need to avoid buying things for ourselves from December 1. Reason being, we don’t want to run the risk of doubling up (which has only almost happened once with a handbag I got myself). I’m (mostly) pretty good about following this rule, except in rare cases with a vintage piece that stops my heart. So, come December 1, I lustfully drool over many glittery things in shop windows, but try to remain true to The Rule.

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Fresh As a Daisy

Fresh As Daisy - The Dressed Aesthetic

I have always appreciated a bit of dichotomy in my clothes. A dash of sweet and sour, dark and light. Now, don’t get me wrong, I can embrace a good theme and go full tilt into saccharine, but there is something about a look that has a bit of push/pull that makes me stop and look again. I think it’s because, just like people, clothing should be layered. None of us are ever one thing – why should our wardrobe?

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If It’s Not Baroque, Don’t Fix It

If It's Not Baroque, Don't Fix It - The Dressed Aesthetic

For all of my fellow dress-loving ladies out there who struggle with how to dress for cooler weather, I really enjoy layering shirts under my dresses. Tights and cardigans are my go-to, but for the advanced dresser, there are all kinds of possibilities hiding in your closet you may not have even realized. I recently discovered the wonder of the Estelle Blouse from Heart of Haute – in addition to going with just about every one of my skirts (stripes are a neutral in my opinion), I’ve found they can very quickly take a summer dress straight into winter, where…

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Smart, Sassy, & Stylish:
Meet Nikki Redcliffe

Smart, Sassy, & Stylish: Meet Nikki Redcliffe - The Dressed Aesthetic

Have you ever been walking down the street or browsing on Insta, and seen someone come into your peripheral view that makes you stop. That makes you whip your head around and think to yourself, “That’s who I want to be when I grow up.” And not for a tangible reason. But for all of the intangible, critically important reasons you can’t put your finger on. An inner confidence that comes out of every pore. A quiet strength in embracing exactly who they are. A certain joie de vivre that beams right at you like the Care Bear Stare, filling…

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It Needs a Second Coat

It Needs a Second Coat - The Dressed Aesthetic

Sometimes I think we are programmed for dissatisfaction, particularly when it comes to the weather. Have you ever noticed that, no matter the season, you find yourself gazing wistfully to the next one? Never satisfied, we are constantly craning our necks for greener summer pastures in winter. Yet in the sweltering heat of summer, we fan ourselves and will autumn to arrive more quickly. Although I’m not a huge fan of Jack Frost nipping at my nose, I’m trying to reverse the grass-is-always-greener mentality and embrace the here and now. Because if winter brings with it something magical, it is…

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