Posts Tagged“fashion”

Whistle While You Work:
Caring for Your Vintage,
Part I – Cleaning

Whistle While You Work: Caring for Your Vintage, Part I: Cleaning - The Dressed Aesthetic

Over the years, I have amassed quite the vintage collection (yeah, no one is surprised). And with that collection comes the responsibility to care for it to ensure its longevity. Now, nobody likes laundry, but cleaning vintage is a necessary evil (even moreso in my southern climate!). On several occasions, I’ve been contacted by many of you lovely would-be collectors about tips for cleaning, steaming, and caring for vintage. Truth be told, it can be a daunting task – so I’ve decided to start a series here on the blog to help you navigate the sudsy waters.

Out of Words

Out of Words - The Dressed Aesthetic

I remember when I was just starting out in science as a fledgling PhD student, I used to sit and worry about running out of research questions. It was inconceivable to me that I would have enough words to say or things to explore past my PhD, so focused was I on my singular task. How can it be possible to sustain an entire career, I wondered? Is there a point in every scientist’s life where they simply have exhausted their lists of possible projects? Naively I thought there must be.

Best Laid Plans

Best Laid Plans - The Dressed Aesthetic

Things don’t always work out according to our plans. And now in my 30-somethingth year, I’m learning to be okay with that (for a Type A person who likes control and order, this is a tough one for me). As you’ve guessed by now, I’m a bit of a planner. I love lists and spreadsheets and checking things off with gusto. Sometimes I write things down I’ve already done just so I can check them off. And of course, I always plan my outfits for my events (even moreso since I started the blog) down to the last rhinestone encrusted…

Candy Buttons

Candy Buttons - The Dressed Aesthetic

When I was younger I was obsessed with candy buttons. You know what I mean – the dots of candy stuck to the long strip of paper, in a stream of rainbow colors. You would systematically go row by row, peeling them off with your teeth and convincing yourself they had different flavors. In truth, they basically amounted to little more than sugar and cornstarch, and you always ended up eating more of the paper than the actual candy…

Two’s a Charm

Two's a Charm - The Dressed Aesthetic

Although I am an equal opportunity 1950’s huntress, there are a few things in particular that make me weak in the knees. Uber full skirts. Border prints. Appliqué. But, I cannot deny that vintage trompe l’oeil (or prints that deceive the eye) steal my heart every time. 2D prints designed to look like ribbons or ruffles and bows – I will literally start salivating. I knew I loved this style of artistry before I even knew it had a name. I have been lucky enough to slowly add trompe l’oeil prints to my collection over the years (case in point…

Lemon Zinger

Lemon Zinger - The Dressed Aesthetic

There is something so crisp and fresh and zesty about summer. The downside is, the humidity makes my hair do one thing and one thing only: lie straight and flat. Like a seal coming out of the water, it falls in sheets around my face. As a now-mature 30-something-year-old woman, I have decided to stop fighting City Hall and embrace the state my hair prefers to be. For the next few months, I predict fewer curls will grace these cyber pages. But, I’ve chosen to pick my battles and appreciate that my hair is its own independent woman. Cause when…

I Carry You

I Carry You - The Dressed Aesthetic

In many ways, I feel that vintage carries with it stories of the past. A bit of the woman who wore her before me. Like a friend who has known you your entire life, there are secrets in every swath of fabric, every stitch of leather. And as I reach for a particular piece on a particular day, I feel as though I’m reaching for that woman. Taking her hand and letting her know that I remember her. That I carry her in my daily life and have become part of the story.

Black, White & Read All Over

Black, White & Read All Over - The Dressed Aesthetic

I’ve always been a bit of a bookworm. Ever since I was a kid, I couldn’t get enough books to read and would devour them in a few hours. It was something to help me keep up with my ever-buzzing mind or my place to escape to when the bullying got to be too tough. There were pages full of adventure. A world beyond my own. When I got older and would travel, my backpack would be laden with at least 5+ books by the time I got home, as I’d need to scoop up a new one in every…

Leser is More

Leser Is More - The Dressed Aesthetic

In truth, I’ve always been the kind of person who likes the hustle and bustle. Although I relish my alone time, I have to admit I love the buzz of a busy restaurant or walking around a city thriving with energy. And I’m so much more productive when I have 12 things to do – when there’s just one task on my To Do list, there’s too much room for procrastination.

{Sewing} Garden of Eden

Garden of Eden - The Dressed Aesthetic

I think we can all fall victim to a bit of Imposter Syndrome – you know, where despite your talent and skill, you feel that you really don’t know anything. And that it’s just a matter of time before your secret is revealed and you’re outed as a fraud. I think I’ve been internalizing this Imposter Syndrome with my sewing – despite the number of projects I’ve accomplished, I’ve always chalked it up to luck or the help that I’ve had along the way…