If there’s one thing to love about summer, it’s sundresses! Bugs and sweltering heat aside, there’s nothing like being able to throw on a single item and feeling instantly put together. I’ve definitely been reaching for my spaghetti strap dresses more and more now that we’re in the official throws of summer – with a pair of sandals and bit of extra SPF on my burn-happy shoulders, I’m good to go!
I was born in the 1980’s, a time where tight rolled jeans, perms, and electric blue eyeshadow reigned. It’s a decade like no other in terms of my poor fashion choices, many of which I have photographic evidence of (thankfully it was in the pre-digital age, where most are hidden in dusty photo albums. But my sister has a scanner, so…). Mix the 1980’s with the tumultuous years of pre-pubescent angst and it’s no surprise that I tend to shy away from all things from that decade. But, much like a basque waist, I’ve really got to stop saying “I’ll…
The sun kissed summer has finally arrived – and that always translates to fun summer sundresses! With all the traveling I’ve been doing lately, I find I’ve been tucking my vintage-inspired pieces into my suitcase more and more – they tend to be less wrinkle prone, I worry less when they’re compressed in a tiny box for long-distance flights, and there is a bevy of adorable retro prints to choose from. I have to say, Unique Vintage has been killing’ it with their novelty prints lately and I’ve had any eye on more than a few pieces…
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.
One thing that will always be a part of my life is travel – I love to see parts of the world I’ve never been to and will always have the itch to explore. This past week I set foot on South American soil for the first time, and got to hobnob with other nerdy shark scientists in Joao Pessoa, Brazil for our twice-a-decade shark meeting. I loved every bit of the trip: the science, the Brazilian cuisine, the lovely locals who we got to meet during our discovery of the city, and being vaguely out of my comfort zone…
I’ve always felt calmed by the sea. One of the perks of being a marine biologist is knowing that, no matter where the Mister and I may move, the ocean will never be far. When I was younger and my family and I would make the two hour drive to spend a day at the beach, you couldn’t drag me out of the waves. Being from New England, the water was almost always freezing cold even in summer, and my pale, freckled skin burns with even a whisper of sun. But I didn’t care. Gooed up with SPF 9000 and…
Well, it’s officially sundress and cocktails weather! I don’t know about you, but this felt like the longest and most stubborn winter (I lost count of the number of times winter came running back into the room to yell, “And another thing!” this season). So, I was distrustful when the warm weather started to creep in, sure that she had no staying power. But sure enough, she’s here for good! And you know what that means? Sundresses! Strappy Sandals! Sunset strolls and cocktails on the porch!
There really is nothing like the classics. This is true of literature and of vintage. I think I first read Romeo and Juliet back in high school. We all know the famous story by that cheeky Bard: The warring families, the unrequited love. The heartbreaking ending where the star crossed lovers can only find each other in death. Gah. Only in fair Verona.
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…
Back in 2011, Mr. Dressed and I made our rather momentous move to Australia. When we landed, there were 8 million details to sort out, from where to live, to driving on the other side of the road, to how to work out where on earth to buy a hammer (Bunnings, it turns out). And in the middle of all of this chaos, my tendency was to naturally seek out a place of comfort. Wondering how I would fit into this new world, with odd slang I hadn’t worked out yet and clothing shops full of things that didn’t speak…