can you dig it?

Another great site I recently discovered: FashionDig.com. I don't even know where to start with explaining how awesome this site is. Part store, part blog, part gallery, part search engine, and so much more, FashionDig displays the best and most vintage looks you will find on the internet.

Some great features: a store locator that brings up local vintage and consignment shops when you enter your zip code; style galleries with archival fashion images from certain eras; and my favorite, the shopping department, which is organized by decade, department, designer, and store.

The decade section is extremely handy for those looking for an item from a specific time frame, and inspires a certain amount of nostalgia. This section not only includes every decade from the 1920s to the 1990s, but also recent vintage-inspired looks and turn of the (19th) century items. Prices vary, although more coveted/specialized clothes and accessories will cost you a pretty penny. (Those on a budget, however, can narrow their search by dollar amount within each decade.)

One of my favorite finds is this belted plaid coat from the 1930s:

I've been browsing through the site for almost an hour now, which proves that it's very easy to get lost in time when looking through all these items.

Another funky find: this abstract floral dress from the 1960s:

I could go on forever. Basically, if you have even a small interest in vintage clothing, check out this site. You won't be sorry (unless you have any work to get done).

indie lovers of the world (wide web), unite

I came across this site in my internet wanderings and had to pass it along. Indie Quarter features independent designers as well as a whole host of other design/fashion/craft goodies. They have a blog, podcasts, galleries, and many links to other fashion sites. In short, it's a buzzing hub that holds a lot under its umbrella.

IQ also is a great source for vintage and retro design. They have featured label Under the Root, which crafts custom, hand-made, retro-inspired lingerie from vintage fabrics, as well as regional crafters who use vintage items in their products.

The only downside is that the site is based in Manchester, England, so many of the events they discuss cannot readily be attended by US readers. But references to the pound and spellings like "favourite" help ease the blow and add to the site's charm.

life in plastic, it's fantastic

A few weeks ago, Barbie, our favorite anatomically incorrect doll, turned 50. To celebrate, New York Fashion Week had a show celebrating 50 years of Barbie style.

Designers such as Diane Von Furstenberg, Marchesa, and Peter Som contributed looks to the collection, and styles ranged from faithful recreations of signature Barbie looks to avante garde interpretations of Barbie's many different incarnations over the years.

My favorite would have to be the very first look, of Barbie's iconic debut outfit, the black and white striped swimsuit:

This is a simple and sexy update that stays true to the original. It evokes memories of playing with my mom's old Barbie, which was one of the originals and outfitted in the same suit (and, consequently, the same sluttly eye makeup).

Giant hair, bright lipstick, and cat-eye sunglasses dominated the details front, and added a touch of whimsy to the proceedings.

There were definitely a few missteps among the bunch, but one that stood out for its sheer ridiculousness would have to be this example of Retro Gone Wrong:

Among her stints as a doctor and astronaut, I don't recall Barbie becoming a Vegas showgirl. Or a drag queen.

ooh la la...

A classmate recently introduced me to the site Trend de la Crème, and, like its tagline, "It's Addictive," suggests, I am completely hooked. The site tracks fashion and pop culture trends, and is heavy on photos that back up the writer's assertions that certain items have been popping up more and more on runways and in everyday life. (Their recent post on animal heads was both inspired and hilarious; you cannot believe what some people will do for fashion....)

An example of retro inspirations making waves came in a March 11 post detailing how Basso & Brooke's Fall 2009 line was directly influenced by Russian-born Cubo-Futurist artist Wladimir Baranoff-Rossiné. The connections that the author makes between the clothes and Baranoff-Rossiné's paintings from the early 1900s are incredible, and completely spot-on. From shapes to the color palette, the resemblance is uncanny:

I'm a huge fan of cubo-futurism (and a lot of other -isms, too), and I love that these designers chose such a unique, visually stimulating inspiration for their line. Not only does it promote a great artist, but it shows that great art can be used to create even more art. Love it.

retro gone rong (ha, see what i did there?)

It's no secret that I idolize the girls over at Go Fug Yourself. So, inspired by their snark and wit and delicious cattiness (enough superlatives?), I've decided to start my own little feature, Retro Gone Wrong (yes, the W will be part of future postings -- I'm anal enough that seeing it spelled incorrectly, even in a humorous fashion, still bugs the hell out of me). These posts will poke fun at those who try to pull off retro chic, and juuuuust miss the mark (or miss it by a mile. Those are more fun).

First up is someone the Fug Girls had in their sights last Thursday: Maggie Grace, dressed suspiciously like Sandy from the end of Grease:

As Jessica put it,

It's giving me chills. They're multiplying. You guys, I'm losing control, because the combination of pantyhose and sateen is LITERALLY ELECTRIFYING.

God bless those girls, and the celebrities they mercilessly taunt. Maybe, someday, you'll feel the same way about me? One can only dream of such blogging pseudo-fame...

beach blanket bingo

As I eagerly anticipate my spring break that will be spent in balmy upstate New York, I can't help but fantacize about what it would be like were I one of the lucky girls who could afford to jet down to Cancun for the week. And with that wishful thinking in mind, I'd like to post this awesome retro-inspired swimsuit, found on ModCloth.com:



Unfortunately, all of ModCloth's suits in this style are currently sold out (I know, I know, I'm such a tease), but the site is really great about restocking in-demand items, so be sure to click the "Notify Me" link on the page if you'd like an email when they get more in.

ModCloth is one of my favorite sites, since it features lots of funky indie and one-of-a-kind vintage clothes, so you'll be seeing me link a lot to them in the coming weeks. Be prepared to have your fashion world ROCKED, kids.