The Dressed Aesthetic

Posts Tagged“tips”

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.

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The Color-Run-Mergency

The Color-Run-Mergency - The Dressed Aesthetic

I’m sure you all remember this amazing rose-printed dress from a few posts back. Well, we had a bit of an emergency week before last and her life hung in the balance for a good 24 hours. I will forewarn you, fellow readers, this is not a story for the faint of heart. There is some crying, some damaged vintage, and a few choice words being slung around my bathroom. If you have a hardy constitution and can handle a few heart stopping moments, read on….

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{Vintage Repair} : Well Red

{Vintage Repair} : Well Red - The Dressed Aesthetic

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – one of the best parts of learning how to sew for me is the ability to see a dress that is very likely to be forgotten or discarded, and give her the opportunity to feel like new again. I spied this cherry red cutie at Pursuing Andie Vintage – an absolutely stunning Vicky Vaughn with lace trimmed collar and sleeves and a scalloped drop waist, all wrapped up in a cloud of dotted swiss adorableness.

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{Upcycling} : Peek-a-boo

Peek-a-boo - The Dressed Aesthetic

This dress was (and still is) a bit of a wounded bird. She has definitely been worn and very, very loved in her time (which makes her all the more beautiful, in my opinion!) There is some color beed from the red panels, scattered pinholes holes here and there, and several popped seams that needed reinforcing. There was also a fair bit of wear and tear and staining on the shoulders from years of love and (I hope) some serious time spent on the dance floor. As she was a bit on the petite side for me anyway, I decided to pull…

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{Sewing}: The Counterdanse

{Sewing}: The Counterdanse - The Dressed Aesthetic

My latest sewing project started as so many often do: with an Idea. At a few points in my vintage hunting, I would come across vintage painted mexican skirts or vintage square dancing skirts that had images of dancing couples, with the figures wearing actual miniature skirts. I was so smitten with the 3D quality of them – the idea that there was a miniature world within the skirt, like when you hold up two mirrors opposite each other, creating smaller and smaller landscapes inside.

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{Beauty Bar} :
My Makeup Must-Haves

{Beauty Bar} : My Makeup Must-Haves - The Dressed Aesthetic

I get a fair few questions about my makeup routine. Truthfully, I can’t say that I have a ‘routine’ per se – primarily because I see makeup as a fun adventure every morning and I usually go with whatever suits my mood on a given day. But, I have a few tried and true cosmetics that I reach more more often than others and I definitely have a few favorite brands. So, I thought I’d take the mystery out of my makeup routine and share my makeup must-haves.

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Outside the Box:
A Few Easy Tricks to Maximize Your Wardrobe

Outside the Box: A Few Easy Tricks to Maximize Your Wardrobe - The Dressed Aesthetic

I’m sure I’m not the only one who stares into the depths of her closet in the morning and mutters the infamous phrase “I have nothing to wear!” (yep, even me). Truthfully, it doesn’t matter if you have Emelza Marcos shoe collection or are reaching for a potato sack each day, everyone’s wardrobe can use a little recharge. That’s when I start to think outside the box…

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{Tailoring}: Fanning the Flames

Fanning the Flames - The Dressed Aesthetic

There are a LOT of reasons why I love vintage. The stories the garments come with, the attention to detail, the one-of-a-kind nature. But few things get my heart beating quicker than a glance at the INSIDE of a vintage garment. Back in the day, so much care went into every aspect of making a vintage dress – each seam, each stitch – and care even went to imagining the future woman who would wear her. The adjustments she might want to make. Because fashion was once about longevity.

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{In the Blogosphere}:
Accessorizing 101

Accessorizing 101 - The Dressed Aesthetic

One of my favorite things about blogging has been the incredible community of similarly minded vintage loving gal’s I’ve met and had the chance to collaborate with. Over the past few months, I’ve gotten to know Jessica and have fallen completely in love with her blog, Pinup Persuasion. So, when Jessica asked for guest bloggers, I naturally jumped at the chance to work together. Oh what’s a gal to do?

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