The Long & Short of It

I know, I know – this is not a dress! What’s going on? Who am I and what have I done with myself? Dear readers, very occasionally, the unthinkable happens and something other than a vintage dress jumps upon my person. Fear not, for my love for dresses hasn’t waned in the slightest, but a few years back I saw this adorable butterfly print romper and I made an exception to the magnetic pull on my heart that whispers, “Dress! Dress! Dress!”

#iamunique

I was challenged by Unique Vintage to percolate on self-celebration for their #iamunique campaign. I was truly honored to be asked to participate in such an incredible movement, which encourages everyone to embrace their fabulous quirks and put their own unique spin on the world. But, I was also terrified. Because as semi-practised as I am speaking my mind and putting myself out there, the thought of contributing to something so powerful was a bit intimidating. But, if I present the challenge every day on this blog to be ourselves, celebrate our bodies, and wear what we please, then I owed it to myself (and you) to scrunch…

Violets are Blue

One thing I love about collecting vintage is that I feel as though I’m collecting stories. More often than not, we don’t get to know the previous owner of these amazing garments and often are left to speculate about who loved her and what dancefloors she was twirled around on. When is comes to this beautiful dress, I have the pleasure of knowing her previous owner. I am an avid follower of the lovely Jessica of Pinup Persuasion and when this stunning dress, with swirls of violet and teal flowers, came straight out of her closet and onto my radar, I…

Through the Looking Glass

To me, there is something a little bit Lucille Ball, a little bit Dorothy, and a dash of Alice in Wonderland about this look, and I have to say I’m loving the combination! I knew the moment I met her that this silk stunner and I were going to have some fun together. Everything about this dress makes me happy. The gingham, the perfect puff sleeves, the full skirt complete with intact pellon (that paper-like lining in some vintage dresses to give shape). There are a lot of dresses in all of our wardrobes that we love for their practicality. This dress,…

Matryoshka

When I was young, I was completely fascinated with Russian nesting dolls, which I’ve recently learned are called Matryoshka (matrëška) dolls. Say that five times fast. There was something so ordered and logical about that perfect series of hand-painted wooden dolls of decreasing size, placed one inside the other, like a tight knit family where everyone knows their place. I would carefully place each in the correct order, only to take them all out and start again.

Lust List #3: Under the Sea

Given my love of the ocean, my simultaneous attraction to ocean-themed items should come as no surprise. Over the years, family members often gifted me all things shark. While I’ve grown away from the novelty t-shirts and figurines for the most part, I still love a bit (okay, a lot) of fishy goodness in my life. If you saw this post, you know I have plenty of undersea paraphernalia lurking in my wardrobe and this girl didn’t even break a sweat when tasked with styling my homemade shark dress.

Wonder Woman State of Mind

I can’t lie – sometimes I derive power from my clothes. They give off a definite vibe and imbue me with a certain sass. For no reason other than it’s the place my whacky mind goes sometimes, there was something about the color scheme of today’s outfit that took me to Wonder Woman. I think we can all admit, that’s not a bad frame of mind to be in when charging into the fray.

A Bit Tied Up

There are certain items in every woman’s closet that simply bring out the va va VOOM. Regardless of the events of the day, some dresses will fall out of my wardrobe and onto my person and there’s never an ounce of doubt that it’ll fit fabulously. Their secret (and a feature I keep my eyes peeled for in vintage shops): The Corset Ties. And I’m not talking about the lingerie variety…

Of Cloudless Climbs…

Sometimes, for no reason at all other than it’s Tuesday, Mr Dressed Aesthetic and I will get all dressed up and go out to dinner. And he is well used to the fact that every time he sees me, my skirt will have somehow gotten pouffier. When we went out to Atrium awhile back and I donned this ensemble, I stayed true to form. Seriously, I need to watch myself in crowded restaurants so the frothy layers of tulle don’t knock things off tables…

Shoe Lovers Not So Anonymous

Shoe Lovers Not So Anonymous - The Dressed Aesthetic

Life is short. BUY THE SHOES. It’s no secret that I love shoes. I have a relationship with my shoes, to the point where they cheer me up when I’m having a bad day and can just as easily bring me to the depths of despair. They listen to my woes, coddle my feet when they need coddling, and occasionally attack my tootsies with a torrent of blisters not known this side up of purgatory. But I always forgive them, so deep is our love for each other.