Regretsy - Wing Flapper

I love Regresty, where some very clever folks poke fun at some of the ridiculous things they find on etsy. I know Regretsy might seem a little harsh at times, but man, I LOL all the time when reading it.

I thought I'd share this particular post of theirs, since it combines people wearing animals on their heads, and some excellent photoshoppery of vintage 20s photos, both of which are things that seem particularly applicable to this blog.

(First is the original listing, and then the "inspired" regretsy photography follows, via regretsy)

Animal Head Fashion - Topshop Unique

Spotted on the runway of London Fashion Week ... Topshop Unique. The show was inspired by Woodland Creatures and styled by Katie Grand, and the models all wore fantastic animal hats along with their wild hair and bushy eyebrows. The clothing was pretty fun too, though I'll admit the costuming took the cake for me here:




Word is that in the goodie bags at the show, attendees walked away with a "Victorinox survival kit", which offered 13 tools for fashion week survival, including a two-inch knife. Not your normal lip gloss and bangles, huh?

(images via Zuma Press)

Animal Head Art - Mango Red

Meet Mango Red. Their art is their wild engagement photos. They say "we’d like to describe our work as a tickle in your brain. .it’s not just the quality of the idea, it’s the quality of the execution, the finish. the unique spin in colors, the lines, perspective..when these elements align, they create a visual perfume."

And of course, we are way into the animal heads:






(via Launderette)

Shop Updates! (finally)

We tried shooting on our roof this time around, so check out our new cityscape background!

Looks like we can't decide to keep embracing Winter or get excited about Spring. We'll have coats and capes, as well as frocks and dresses ... all showing up in the shop over the next few weeks.

Make sure to follow us on twitter to find out immediately when we post your favorites.

Sonia Rykiel pour H&M Spring 2010

As long as I am on the subject of collaborations ...

I've been trying not to buy too much new clothing this year, and only stick to thrifting or second hand stores like buffalo exchange, but i confess that i am probably going to break that resolution to pick up some of the H&M Sonia Rykiel knitwear that hits stores tomorrow. That striped yellow sweater and those studded pants are too great to pass up. I've always loved what Sonia could do with knit.



(photos from Sonia Rykiel pour H&M Spring 2010 lookbook)

I think there is part of me that still knows that these low-priced collaborations are lower quality than the designer originals. . . but the price tag makes it hard to beat. I'd sure prefer the real thing (especially vintage Sonia - yeehaw) but I like that these designers are putting their lovely pieces into the hands of more people. Or, maybe that is actually making what they do a little less special. What do you think - are these low priced collaborations diluting the brands of the designers putting their names on them? Do you think the designers are selling out?

Liberty of London for Target

Target! You've done it again. Liberty of London has the best prints, and it is nice that us statesiders can get our hands on their florals more easily come March when the collaboration hits stores.

Sounds like they'll have menswear, womenswear, clothes for kids and housewares such as melamine plates, gardening gloves, picture frames, pillows planters, A BIKE, purty peacock pillows and more.

24 days til launch? I haven't been this excited since the Orla collab.






(photos via target | sneak peek photos via Racked)

DIY: Madeline Mini Bloomers

Check out this free Madeline Mini Bloomers pattern to download from Collette Patterns. I like the modern interpretation of the more prissy Victorian style bloomer. With just two simple pattern pieces, a beginner who is comfortable with elastic and buttonholes can make these sassy little pants.

DIY: Vintage Teacups

I've been holding on to my grandmother's teacups for awhile, but don't really throw enough honest-to-goodness tea parties to make them see the light of day as often as I'd like.

Luckily, there are re-purposed vintage teacup projects all over the internet (thanks, internet!), so now it might just be a matter of figuring out which project would best display that fine china. Teacups are pretty easy to come by in any respectable thrifting locale, so it shouldn't be too hard to scoop up some of your own for projects.


images via:
sweetpaul | craftstew | veronica tm


Tutorials:
teacup clock - This was a limited edition clock by Umbra. You'll have to make your own! No tutorial available, but the basics of making your own clock are here.

teacup candle - design*sponge

teacup hanging chandelier - diy guides

Happy Valentine's Day!

(image from vintagelifenetwork

Now go on and get yerself smooched. Hopefully not by the beggar man.

Vintage Typewriter: Olivetti Valentine

Since V-day is this weekend, I just had to highlight MY favorite valentine - the Olivetti Valentine, aka the prettiest typewriter a girl could have.

Designed in 1969 by Ettore Sottsass, and a coveted collectible ever since! The design is sleek, the color is perfect, and the lightweight compact plastic carrying case makes it pretty portable.

They always go for a few hundred bucks on eBay, but the price might be worth it. Imagine the love letters that could be typed on this pretty little number!


(photos from poetichome)

I was interested to see that I am not the only one weak in the knees for a Valentine. Looks like a group of designers set out to recapture a little of that Olivetti design magic in a laptop…and made themselves a "Valentine Notebook." The design shares the Olivetti Valentine's red case, pullout keyboard form and functional beauty. I'm still partial to the original, but the idea is pretty great (and admittedly, maybe more useful for this day and age).



Happy VALENTINE day!

RIP: Lee Alexander McQueen

A small "animalhead" tribute to a truly creative mind. His fashion designs always ruffled our feathers.

What to Wear: Polaroid Scarves

I've seen these mentioned on a few blogs, and since they are a lovely use of one of my favorite vintage film techniques, I thought they deserved a mention here. I love the idea of wearing your favorite polaroid around your neck.

Polaroid Scarves! A collaboration between Philippe Roucou and M. Cherie, available at Reborn.



Since they carry a hefty price tag of $430, I imagine it would be fun to try to make your own version using your own polaroid image. It would be best if you had access to a HUGE polaroid (like one of these 20x24 monsters) and you could try to do a transfer onto a large piece of silk. Or, for an even easier project, scan a polaroid and have it printed on Spoonflower fabric. It wouldn't be silk ... but it wouldn't break the bank either.

Project time.

Wolford: Hot Dots Tights

Spied these Wolford: Hot Dots Tights in Elle the other day and immediately started the search to find them and make them mine.



Though now that I found them online and know they are $65 and that I can't keep a pair of tights from getting a hole in them to save my life, have decided it is better to convince myself that they might be a little too trashy-old-hollywood for me to ever actually pull off.

sigh.

Designer - Alexa Chung

I know, I know. Alexa Chung is, like, totally on everybody's "style inspiration" board and keeps getting called an "it" girl on all the blogs and gets photos posted in every issue of Teen Vogue, which means I REALLY want to dislike whatever it she is doing and write it all off as trendy overhype.



BUT. I must admit, she does have this really effortless casual style (see above), so it is hard to not get excited when the description of her new collaboration with Madewell (coming this Fall, and available at ShopBop) reads like this:

"Expect high-waisted pants and jeans, velvet dresses with Peter Pan collars, and a coat based on a vintage children’s one she found that originally came from Harrods. There will be nothing that nods to the eighties or nineties, because she’s not into either decade. 'I want to bring back forties tea dresses, sixties mod dresses. . . . I want to bring cute back.'" (from Vogue)

I guess I should be glad that if I ever ask myself "WWACW?", it will be easy to head to Madewell and find out.

(via sallyjane)

Vintage Inspiration: Peter Pan Collar

I love collars.

Maybe on everything?

A neat little peter pan collar always catches my eye. I bought a pretty little stand-alone vintage pearl peter pan collar the other day, and like the idea of being able to stick a collar on anything that I already own (or even wear it with a low neckline as a necklace). Those ladies of the olden days had it right - just buy separate detachable collars and cuffs to change up a plain old dress instead of buying a dress every time you need something new.

A little collar inspiration today:

Vintage Pearl Collars

Black Apple | Pearly Queen | girlscoutdropout

Vintage Fur Collars

Sally Jane | thepuddingstore | calivintage


Crochet Collars

darlingdarling | freevintagecrochet | ?

Oversized Fabric Collars/Capelets

holly stadler | karenelmquistvintage | mette

Dear Creatures: Spring 2010

Okay. You guys are going to think we have stock in Dear Creatures the way I keep blogging about them, but the Spring Lookbook is just too great to not share. I almost forget to look too hard at the clothing because the styling is so pretty.





But then I remember to look at the clothing, and want to buy one of everything! Suspenders, high-waists, peter pan collars, sailor necklines and rompers ... all my favorite vintage details done up all clean and modern!

Valentines Day Red Dress Giveaway

Our friends over at Launderette are putting on a Valentines Day giveaway for this cute vintage-inspired "heartthrob red" Shuffleboard dress:



For your chance to win, simply send your name & an email address to: info@dresslaunderette.com.

The winner will be selected at random and announced next Monday morning (the 8th), just in time to get your requested size in the mail and have you gussied up by the 14th.

Vintage Inspired Lingerie: Hopeless

Can you believe it is already February? This means Valentine's Day is right around the corner. What better way to celebrate than to buy some reaaaaallllly expensive (but lovely) vintage inspired lingerie from the fabulous Melbourne-based shop Hopeless. Maybe you can justify the expense because you'd technically be buying it for your significant other ... but then you get to keep it.





I love the styling in the photos, and how they manage to range from cutesy to sassy to downright burlesque. (For the bustiers and such, go check out their site.