The Dressed Aesthetic

Posts Tagged“shoes”

On Pointe

Like most shoe lovers, I have a tendency to wear my shoes into the ground. As you’ve probably noticed, I own…well, let’s just say several pairs of shoes. I’d say more than average, but not yet reaching Imelda Marcos status. Despite the shoe boxes piled around my boudoir, however, I still have a difficult time parting with any of them after they’ve been well-loved and am a big fan of repairing instead of replacing. As such, I’ve worn a path to the trusted cobbler near work and can often be seen pacing back and forth outside the shoe surgery ward, anxiously waiting…

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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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No Ifs, Ants, or Buts

Picnic weather is rapidly going the way of the dinosaurs over here in Perth. We are all slowly adding layers and shedding our summer sundresses. Like any true dress-loving gal, I fight against the cold weather as long as possible, wearing my dresses with teeth chattering and head held high. Truthfully, my winter wardrobe tends to be my summer wardrobe with tights and cardigans and the occasional swing coat, but for some reason, despite my love of cosy layers, with every transition into the next season I still resist the change.

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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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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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The Long & Short of It

I know, I know – this is not a dress! What’s going on? Who am I and what have I done with myself? Dear readers, very occasionally, the unthinkable happens and something other than a vintage dress jumps upon my person. Fear not, for my love for dresses hasn’t waned in the slightest, but a few years back I saw this adorable butterfly print romper and I made an exception to the magnetic pull on my heart that whispers, “Dress! Dress! Dress!”

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#iamunique

I was challenged by Unique Vintage to percolate on self-celebration for their #iamunique campaign. I was truly honored to be asked to participate in such an incredible movement, which encourages everyone to embrace their fabulous quirks and put their own unique spin on the world. But, I was also terrified. Because as semi-practised as I am speaking my mind and putting myself out there, the thought of contributing to something so powerful was a bit intimidating. But, if I present the challenge every day on this blog to be ourselves, celebrate our bodies, and wear what we please, then I owed it to myself (and you) to scrunch…

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Violets are Blue

One thing I love about collecting vintage is that I feel as though I’m collecting stories. More often than not, we don’t get to know the previous owner of these amazing garments and often are left to speculate about who loved her and what dancefloors she was twirled around on. When is comes to this beautiful dress, I have the pleasure of knowing her previous owner. I am an avid follower of the lovely Jessica of Pinup Persuasion and when this stunning dress, with swirls of violet and teal flowers, came straight out of her closet and onto my radar, I…

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Through the Looking Glass

To me, there is something a little bit Lucille Ball, a little bit Dorothy, and a dash of Alice in Wonderland about this look, and I have to say I’m loving the combination! I knew the moment I met her that this silk stunner and I were going to have some fun together. Everything about this dress makes me happy. The gingham, the perfect puff sleeves, the full skirt complete with intact pellon (that paper-like lining in some vintage dresses to give shape). There are a lot of dresses in all of our wardrobes that we love for their practicality. This dress,…

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