The Dressed Aesthetic

Schrödinger’s Dress

There’s this thought puzzle known as Schrödinger’s cat. It’s based around a ridiculously complex quantum physics paradox, but the basic idea is that, if a cat were in a sealed box with a vial of poison, there is a point of unknown, at which the cat is simultaneously alive and dead, yet neither dead nor alive. When you look into the box, clearly it’s one or the other. But there’s always that moment before you know, where hope remains both alive and dead until that box is opened.

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{In the Blogosphere}:
Accessorizing 101

Accessorizing 101 - The Dressed Aesthetic

One of my favorite things about blogging has been the incredible community of similarly minded vintage loving gal’s I’ve met and had the chance to collaborate with. Over the past few months, I’ve gotten to know Jessica and have fallen completely in love with her blog, Pinup Persuasion. So, when Jessica asked for guest bloggers, I naturally jumped at the chance to work together. Oh what’s a gal to do?

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Spotlight On:
Hollie Point Vintage

Spotlight On: Hollie Point - The Dressed Aesthetic

It’s that time again, where I’m turning the Spotlight On a favorite vintage store! You know when you find a vintage shop and pretty much love everything they have? That’s how I feel about Hollie Point Vintage. My wallet pops out of my handbag like an eager puppy whenever I click over to Jennifer’s shop. If fabulous vintage interests you, read on…

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Rose Colored Glasses

Rose Colored Glasses - The Dressed Aesthetic

We can all get a bit misty-eyed about the past. It only takes a flavor or the smell of a familiar cologne to bring me right back to a certain moment and, more specifically, a certain feeling. What is it about a particular song that comes on the radio, where suddenly I’m back in my dorm room, cramming for finals, ramen noodles at the ready? And it can hit you when you least expect it – walking through a crowded restaurant and a familiar song begins to play, and you’re powerless to stop the movie reel of memories, that take on that all-too-familiar rosey…

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Black Magic

Black Magic - The Dressed Aesthetic

Sometimes, a gal needs to pull out all of the stops and be a bit bewitching. Especially on a Friday when the fanciest frocks come out to play. As you know, I am a huge fan of color and am a veritable rainbow the majority of the time. Just this morning, I was an explosion of pastels. But, there’s something about having the perfect black dress in your wardrobe – it can be a bit of a game changer. And this one – a 1950’s liquid satin, with her delicate and stitched appliqué and covered buttons frolicking up each arm – has…

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A Major Plus: #styleforall

A Major Plus - The Dressed Aesthetic

I was browsing online to pass the time, and I came across a piece on the Modcloth blog that said they were eliminating the Plus Size category. I quickly read the details, which detailed that they were still carrying clothing in extended size ranges, but that they were banishing the term “Plus Size” from their website. Though some might see this as a pretty small step forward in the scheme of things, I sat back and realized this was a big, major deal.

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The Bottlebrush Tree

The Bottlebrush Tree - The Dressed Aesthetic

his time of year in Australia generally means that flowers are blooming everywhere. One in particular is a favorite – probably because I didn’t have them growing up – is this tree that suddenly burst into into red, fiery colors in October. From the genus Callistemon, they’re locally referred to as “bottlebrush trees,” because they look as if you could scoop them up and take them home to wash out the champagne flutes.

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Favorites: Over & Out, October

Favorites: Over & Out, October - The Dressed Aesthetic

The end of October notoriously marks the spookiest time of the year. I remember how much I used to love Halloween as a kid. My sister and I would usually play a part in making our costumes – store-bought costumes were never for us.  One year my mom made me the most amazing marshmallow costume that I was ridiculously proud of – until some of my sister’s friends threatened to toast me. It wasn’t so fun after that… can’t say that any ghosts or goblins have come out to play recently, but there’s definitely been my fair share of scenic…

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Neologism

Neologism - The Dressed Aesthetic

There have been 10’s of thousands of new words added to the English language since I was born – according to Oxford English Dictionary (apparently the authority on the subject, seeing as they literally write the book on words), they add approximately 1,000 a year in a conservative estimate. Apparently these days a new word is added every 98 minutes. That’s crazy. Essentially, it means my niece will have to learn 32,000 more words than I did when I entered kindergarten.

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Sunflowers, Sunshowers

Sunflower, Sunshower - The Dressed Aesthetic

Have you ever noticed how periods of time with the most stunning blooms also tend to be the weeks punctuated by the most rain? One can’t exist without the other. The whole “April showers bring May flowers concept” is always a nice albeit unwelcome reminder that things can’t be awesome all the time. Just like joy can’t exist without sorrow, goodness without malicious intent. In order to experience something beautiful, we need to endure tough times now and again.

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