The Dressed Aesthetic

Posts Tagged“1950”

Dream Within A Dream

Is there anything better than the phrase “Two for the price of one”? Not in my world, particularly when it pertains to vintage dresses (and probably coffee. Also shoes. OH! Anything sparkly!). But, when it comes to dresses doing double duty, an automatic two-for-the-price-of-one deal includes reversible garments, matching skirt and top sets, and this beauty – which is a fitted wiggle dress and a sheer, separate organza overlay for twice the vintage fun. (I kind of feel like a Doublemint commercial saying that…)

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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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Wood Nymph

This past weekend, we traveled eastward to the most beautiful Araluen Botanical Gardens to celebrate two of our gorgeous friends getting married. Their wedding actually took place in Scotland, with the reception back in Perth. The invitation said that the bride and groom would be decked out in their highland finery, and asked that we come as Lords and Ladys, Pirates and Faeries. Naturally, I opted for Wood Nymph…

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Lust List #4: Crazy for Comestibles

I have an odd obsession with food-themed clothing and accessories – fruit in particular. For whatever reason, I’m utterly charmed by a strawberry print, a cherry necklace, a fruit-appliquéd bag. Given the plethora of delectable items I’ve come across over the past few weeks, I can at least take comfort in the fact that I’m not alone in my love of consumable-inspired fashion.

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Seashores & Sea Stars

Given my love of the sea, it was no great surprise that the minute I spotted this 1950’s seashell print dress, I hugged her so tight and refused to let go. There is just something about border prints – I can’t ever get enough. And when that print manages to be clusters of seashells and fishing nets, whispering stories of fishing lore and a life at sea, I can’t really be too hard on myself. Perhaps it’s a pirate’s life for me?

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Normal Day

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the concept of a Normal Day. How I usually pay little attention to life’s unremarkable moments and live through them impatiently, always on the lookout for those punctuated with excitement. Fidgeting and drumming my fingers until something happens to make the day noteworthy. But, I’ve come to realize that, although many of us despair the normal day due to a need for constant entertainment, beauty exists in their simplicity, only to become apparent once that normalcy shifts. Where we want nothing more than that time before the earthquake, where we were so blissfully unaware of the…

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Pop Star

A friend on Instagram asked me recently for advice on how to use accessories to incorporate pop color into an outfit. She always found that she was reaching for her black shoes to go with her black dress and was looking for ways to shake things up. I’m certain she’s not the only one who’s intimidated by this styling challenge, but trust me that anyone can embrace the pop color to make an outfit look effortless. Sometimes, I go a bit color crazy and over accessorize and have to backtrack to find the pop color happy medium. None of us…

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Favorites: Come What May

I can hardly believe we’re saying a fond farewell to May today! As per usual, the month hit hyperdrive about mid way through and I’m left sputtering on the side of the road, wondering how the month blew past me so quickly without my permission. For me, the onset of June generally means: Conference Season. I have a lot of travel coming up, and since one of my favorite (nerdy) things to do is make Powerpoint presentations, I’m pretty excited for both. With one conference at the start of July and a second in August, there shall be much far flung…

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Changed For Good

If you know me, you know one of my very favorite things in the world is live theatre. I have a particularly soft spot for musicals – I actually performed in musicals all throughout high school and college, and found an incredible community theatre during my PhD (that I sorely miss). So, although I haven’t been onstage in quite awhile, I whet my appetite when particularly spectacular shows make their way over to Perth.

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