Mod About You

Okay so apparently I am about all things retro these days based on this and this. And lately, I cannot get enough of  vintage fashion.  (Nor can my sassy friend Christen over at Fashionplate Cheapskate. She has some rocking threads.)  I own 3 real vintage dresses and every spring they go into heavy rotation.

The one on your left is from eBay, the one in the middle was a garage sale find and the one on the right is from my crazy Great Aunt.  It was a Christmas gift but I'm pretty sure it was from her closet and she wrapped it up and mailed it to me.  Either way it's a win-win.

I think I just love the simplicity of the Mod style.  All you need is a basic shift dress in a solid color or fun pattern. Timeless.  I mean case in point, please look at this little collage of past and present Mod fashion.

Top Row: Sienna Miller in a super short mini, Twiggy, the Queen of Mod, in an adorable blousy number, Duffy in a simple sweater rocking the 1960 pigtails and smokey eye, and this fashion spread that was in Lucky 2009.

Bottom Row: A Simplicity Pattern from the 1960s, The insanely talented Adele who can do no wrong, and of course our favorite office secretary, Joan Holloway, from Mad Men.

Let's look a little more closely at that fashion spread from the pages of Lucky magazine.  I'm not sure what issue it was from but I do know it was back in 2009 because I ripped this page out strictly for the hairstyle.

photo via Lucky

Hey maybe I could redesign that Lucky, Mod inspired outfit into an engagement party invitation.  I love the bold orange and blue background against the purple and olive in her outfit. I am also loving the checkered floor but let's add a little twist to our pattern.  

Hmmm I may have to make a thrift store trip sooner than later. Anyone want to join me?

Paper Chandeliers

I wore these rocking earrings today. My fab friend and author the adorable Fashionplate Cheapskate blog, Christen, gave them to me.

They honestly make any outfit I wear instantly better. And oddly I own a lot of teal outfits that work well with the gemstone.  I think something about dangling, cascading earrings instantly add glam to my day.   They also make me think of my dining room chandelier.  The house was built in the 1920s so I can only imagine the light fixture emulates the roaring 20s fashion.

I feel very Great Gatsby when I am in the dining room. But we also have this other pretty chandy in our foyer.  I am still looking for the perfect side table for that area.

I am also digging the idea of a bold chandelier as a piece of art work. I mean this would inspire me to wake up early just so I could sit down at my breakfast table and bask in the glow of this:

photo via House Beautiful

Chandeliers have always had an impact on fashion and honestly they still do to this day. Just check out the designs by Luis Valenzuela from The Green Show at this week's New York Fashion Week.  His eco-friendly designs are made from recycled fabrics and materials such as lamp shades, brick bark and chandeliers.

photo via Treehugger

Even Prada had a few chandy inspired pieces from their Spring 2010 ready to wear collection. I think she forgot to wear a slip though-how embarrassing!

photo via Style.com

If you notice the shoes in that photo, rumor has it only 3 pairs were sent to the US from that collection.  So if you must have a pair of chandelier inspired kicks then BCBG offers a more wearable pair for around $195.

photo via BCBG

And if you literally want to wear a chandy then Overstock.com will send you this little number for $99.

photo via Overstock.com

 I also have realized that cupcakes and chandeliers go hand in hand.  When we were at Fresh Cupcakes the other weekend they had these delicate petite chandeliers hanging around the bakery.

And if you happen to live in the UK you can even order cupcakes with chandeliers on them! Right? I know! How genius is that? For £42 you can order 6 of these little darlings from Peggy's Cupcakes in London

photo via Not on the High Street

 Maybe I could redesign that chandelier into a party invite.  I would definitely serve cupcakes and cocktails. This invite needs to be a bit fancier like the subject we are redesigning. So I would get them cut in a circular shape and definitely insert them into a metallic or sparkly envelope!

Well I already have some leftover Valentine's cupcakes that my husband baked me. Hmmm I wonder is it too early for a cocktail?