The Dressed Aesthetic

Posts Tagged“handbags”

Room to Grow

The other week I met with an industrious, charming group of freshman who were assigned to interview a faculty member whose research aligned with their career interests. We arranged a time to meet and they sat around the table, smiling politely in my direction, pens poised. One assumed the role of the scribe, another the interviewer, the others fiddled with their notebooks. And I remembered so poignantly being them, nervously shaking hands with a professor and seeing nothing but the space between where I was and where they sat.

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Wednesdays

Wednesdays - The Dressed Aesthetic

This is that very magical time of year where the trees take on a certain sparkle and tinsel starts to grace shop windows. Autumnal tones start to give way to winter whites, forest greens, and cranberry reds. So, I do as any normal vintage-loving girl would do: Fight back hard with the brightest hues I can find in my closet…

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Romantic Comedy

Romantic Comedy - The Dressed Aesthetic

As most of you know by now, I’m a planner. But I can’t help it when life (a little more than) occasionally goes awry. A short while back, I was set to give a rather important presentation to my Department. This was but one task on the long winding road to tenure. And I’d planned the day out oh-so-carefully. My talk was polished, but not over-rehearsed. I planned a time buffer to get to the room early to check out the IT setup. I packed adapters, and power cords, and even a backup laser pointer (should the first one fail).…

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Capsule Wardrobe

Capsule Wardrobe - The Dressed Aesthetic

More and more lately, I’ve been seeing posts about the capsule wardrobe, which is essentially a small collection of items made up of versatile, interchangeable garments that you can mix and match and create 3,765 outfits. I attribute its resurgence to the Marie-Kondo-style trimming of the fashion fat and parring down your closet to the joy-giving essentials – black pants, a pencil skirt, well worn jeans, the neutral pump. It’s your closet, cut back to a simple shell of clothing that can be worn every day and every season with a few minor changes. Hmmm… an excellent idea in theory. However,…

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Tickling the Ivories

Tickling the Ivories - The Dressed Aesthetic

There are certain garments and certain accessories that were simply meant to be together – although I can embrace a good push/pull in my styling (tough meets sweet, classic meets edgy, leather meets florals), I must admit that I’m a gal who loves her themes. My hands itch to pair gingham and strawberries or a floral print with a floral brooch with floral shoes…yeah, you get the idea. So, when I saw this vintage 1950’s piano-themed skirt pop up at Xtabay Vintage, I knew that I had its mate in the form of the most perfect Mary Frances handbag. I think…

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Pineapple Delight

Pineapple Delight - The Dressed Aesthetic

I have a semi-regular dinner with my closest girlfriends here in NC – although it can ebb and flow depending on our collective schedules, we generally converge once every two weeks or so. It’s the kind of get together that’s very low pressure – we have some insanely amazing chefs in the group who can always be counted on to cook something mouth-watering. And then there are others who very capable of instigating the imbibing. Needless to say, I’m usually in charge of wine (I’m okay with that – it’s all about embracing your strengths people!). But, we’re always looking…

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{Review} In Bloom:
White Poppy Multiway Bag by Vendula London

{Review} In Bloom: White Poppy Multiway Bag by Vendula London - The Dressed Aesthetic

The changing of the seasons is always such an interesting time of year. Here in NC, it’s almost like a constant stop and start. Ohhh, yay, it’s Autumn! Nope, just kidding, Summer…. Hello Fall! Well, that was a nice hour, but let’s go back to a sweltering 90 degrees. As crazy as the to and fro can be, I’ve decided to just roll with the punches and revel in the fact that my summer sundresses get another few weeks of freedom. I mean, if NC wants to be in bloom in October, who am I to argue?

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Got Time?

Got Time? The Dressed Aesthetic

I am one of those people who lives and dies by my daily planner. To Do lists, meetings, tasks, all carefully transcribed into the pages, forming a timeline of my day to day. And although that might sound stressful to some, I love my timeline. I love the organization and the planning. I like setting goals and crossing them off with relish. I love that satisfying day where everything runs like clockwork. I guess it was only a matter of time before I became a veritable clock…

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Weather the Storm

Weather the Storm - The Dressed Aesthetic

In times of crisis, I think we tend to go on auto pilot. We tamp down feelings of fear and insecurity, and then slip into a mode of Get It Done. At least I know I do. This past week we had to deal with a hurricane bearing down on us. And you could almost feel the shift. Fight or Flight. Stay or Evacuate. Stock up on supplies, secure any outdoor furniture, cover the vintage with plastic (oh, just me?). After the crisis has passed, there’s usually a period of euphoria. Where the flowers smell sweeter and we are so…

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Seasons of Love

Seasons of Love - The Dressed Aesthetic

I’ve been thinking a lot about love recently, as I slipped this stunning one-of-a-kind dress from Stinky Vintage over my head. Mr. Dressed and I just celebrated our 9 year anniversary and it can’t help but bring up all kinds of loved-up thoughts as we ring in another year of awesome. But, it also has the habit of making me reflect on the past seasons of love that I’ve weathered – because love is nothing if not a journey. Sometimes sunny, sometimes cold and rainy, but always an adventure…

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