Posts Tagged“applique”

Flower Child

Flower Child - The Dressed Aesthetic

It is no secret that I am a lover of the 3D appliqué. To me it’s one of the hallmarks of 1950’s fashion – harking back to a time when someone painstakingly hand-stitched elements onto a garment to make it truly one of a kind. In today’s world of fast fashion, where things are barely made to endure a walk round the block, I have an even deeper appreciation for the person who took their time. Who made a piece to last a lifetime. To make a woman stand in sharp relief, instead of fade into the background.

Heard it Through the Grapevine

Heard it Through the Grapevine - The Dressed Aesthetic

Word on the street is that the phrase “matchy-matchy” has gotten a lot of negative press – it’s apparently the thing you want to avoid. A fashion faux pas if you will. However, there are certain times and certain outfits that just inspire me to match all the things. And this is generally the case when those things involve clothing masquerading as fruit (eh hem). Because if you are a gal who is very into her vintage and have acquired a fair few pieces of comestable-adorned clothing, every so often the perfect grape-appliqued beauty will come along and you’re brain…

Mellow Yellow

Mellow Yellow - The Dressed Aesthetic

When I was little, my mom lived to dress me in blue – probably because it matched my eyes. And each Christmas, unwrapping would always reveal blue garments for me and red for my sister (she can really rock red). You might think I’d rebel when I got older and abhor blue. But, to this day if someone asks me what my favorite color is, “blue” always comes out. 

Sock Hopped

Sock Hop - The Dressed Aesthetic

I think we all have learned to recognize those iconic silhouettes. Whether you are a student of fashion or simply a student of pop culture, I think you all have an image you can conjure when you hear a certain era. Most people hear the 1920’s and picture a perfect flapper dress, all twinkly fringe in a Great Gatsby Wonderland. You hear the 70’s and picture bright colors atop a perfect pair of flares, with flavors of disco and freedom. And you hear the 50’s and, from wiggle dresses to Dior New Look, there’s an unmistakeable silhouette that comes to…

Sea Farer

Sea Farer - The Dressed Aesthetic

It’s been a really, really long time since I shopped for an event. And by that, I don’t mean it’s been a really long time since I shopped (she laughs riotously internally). I mean, I can’t remember the last time I bought a dress because I had a wedding to attend. Or a fancy date night on the weekend. An important work meeting. And trust me, I have a lot of all of those things on the horizon. But, I realize I’ve fallen into the pattern of buying things when they speak to me. And inevitably, the event always follows….

Ace of Spades

Ace of Spades - The Dressed Aesthetic

I’ve always loved clothing that has a bit of cheekiness about it. Particularly if the whimsy isn’t instantly obvious till you get up close. It’s probably one of the reasons why I love novelty prints and appliqué so much. I mean, if you can’t have fun with your clothing, then why bother getting dressed at all, right?

Pocket Full of Sunshine: Introducing Maison Murasaki

Pocket Full of Sunshine: Introducing Maison Murasaki - The Dressed Aesthetic

I’ve always had a thing for 3D embellishments. Everyone has that feature that gets their pulse racing. Some girls are all about the rose prints. Others spend their lives hunting down the perfect Lilli Ann jacket. For me, nothing will pull my stomach into my throat faster than appliqué. Enter the incredible Maison Murasaki, home to some of the most amazing bespoke vintage-inspired garments in the world.

The Unicorn

The Unicorn - The Dressed Aesthetic

There’s a way that we in the vintage-community refer to The Dress That Got Away. Either we saw it for sale but were a second too slow, or we found it in a size that would fit only one leg, or we spied it from afar on someone else, only to forever be burned in our brain. We refer to these elusive creatures as our Unicorn – whether it actually exists in nature in our size, to cross our path at the right time, we may never know. But that doesn’t mean we ever give up the hunt.

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…