The Dressed Aesthetic

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{Tailoring}: Fanning the Flames

Fanning the Flames - The Dressed Aesthetic

There are a LOT of reasons why I love vintage. The stories the garments come with, the attention to detail, the one-of-a-kind nature. But few things get my heart beating quicker than a glance at the INSIDE of a vintage garment. Back in the day, so much care went into every aspect of making a vintage dress – each seam, each stitch – and care even went to imagining the future woman who would wear her. The adjustments she might want to make. Because fashion was once about longevity.

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{Sewing}: Sheer Madness

{Sewing}: Sheer Madness - The Dressed Aesthetic

After the craziness that was the making of the Dahlia Dress (which took a good 6 months to complete in between all of the travel and 12 zillion pattern pieces), Sewanista and I thought it was a good idea to try for a quick win – follow a fairly straightforward pattern and quickly reap the rewards. Ohhhh when will I ever learn that when it comes to my sewing projects, nothing is ever as simple as I expect…

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{Tailoring}: Ribbon Roulette

My height (at a respectable 5’9 or 175 cm) was a definite source of despair when I was young. I sprang up like a bean sprout and had no idea how to manage my gangly limbs, which felt like a bunch of sharp angles that lacked a common goal. I’ve definitely grown into my height in later years (and admittedly make myself even more Amazonian with 5 inch heels!) But, as I’ve mentioned before, my fabulous vertical prowess also comes complete with an exceptionally long torso. While I fully (now) embrace my elongation, I have to admit there’s been many a vintage dress I’ve…

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the JAWESOME sewing project

I always seem to have quite the adventure when I embark on a dressmaking project and this latest was no exception. This one in particular combined two of my favorite things: sewing and shark biology. Though the impetus is usually different, in general my dresses go from some sort of idea that’s been tickling at the back of my head for awhile until the perfect opportunity arises… Warning: Photo heavy post ahead!

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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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