“Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street; fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.”
— COCO CHANEL

With the industry-shaking rise of style bloggers and street style photography, Coco Chanel’s famous quote has never felt truer than it does now. So far, the internet has been the hub of street style, which is why we were delighted to see one of our favorite fashion magazines, Nylon, debut its new, monthly style feature in its August issue.

In its first installment of Street View, the mag asked denim designer Catherine Holstein to capture her favorite looks from the streets of SoHo, New York. It’s fascinating to see which outfits catch the designer’s eye, though it does make you wonder if all the subjects just happened to look like models…!

Still, Nylon’s newly pressed commitment to monthly street style coverage only reinforces the feeling that street style, and the idea that fashion can come from the ground up, is here to stay.

What do you think about street style making its way into fashion magazines?

When a compliment can’t do, when a hug doesn’t hold like it should, you need something more…  Something that transcends cyberspace and reality, something one could really take a liking to. Long-lasting and loving, the ‘Like’ sticker from The Like Button in Real Life is a true testament if you want to go the extra mile to let someone know how you feel! We ‘like’ Winston* so much, we thought we’d share it with you!

Would you spread the ‘like’ in real life, or do you prefer to keep it on Facebook?

* Don’t worry, we’re not trying to be all meta or Inception with this photo. We just couldn’t get the real Winston to sit still for us!

What’s the best way to break up a mid-year slump? By sharing your most-liked remixes with one another! Last week, we asked our Facebook fans to share their favorite song remixes, and this week, we have a lovely playlist to share with you!

Do you know of a remix that you think your fellow Modsters need to hear? Share the listening love in our comments section!

Meet Annabel! She’s the 21-year-old college student behind the blog Blushing Ambition. Her understated look blends charm with classic styling, and she likes cooking (and eating) in her spare time. When asked who she’d dine with if given the chance to chow with anyone, she chose a very interesting fellow despite the language barrier. So, read her interview, and steal her style by browsing her favorite ModCloth picks.  And let me tell you, her namesake dress might be one of the best yet!

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Photo: Casey’s Elegant Musings

Casey, of Casey’s Elegant Musings, has coyly captured the effortlessly refined nature I so often associate with retro beach attire. Her ’50s-inspired ensemble which she’s created because “it’s too hot for me to think about wearing anything more complicated,” is indeed, quite simple — but, I think that’s what makes this refreshing get-up so inspirational! The perfect pin-up shorts, in a luxe hue of goldenrod yellow, balance out her cropped top perfectly. And the hat? Well, I think the hat speaks for itself! Over-the-top accessories deserve a place in every girl’s wardrobe, especially when paired with a stylishly simple look. Needless to say, Casey’s easygoing beachwear is as picturesque as a sunny day on the shore.

Who: Molly Sullivan of Chimerically Yours

What: Vintage 1960’s Miss Lewis Skirt

Where: Armstrong’s Vintage Clothes Emporium in Edinburgh, Scotland

How Much: £9

When I Use It: I find this skirt particularly inspiring whenever I take a café writing day.  The sleek fit of the pencil skirt style, and warm material offer a sense of confidence and comfort, while the ’60s feel of it brings me as close to time travel as one can possibly get.  There is much to be said for a piece that begs the question “Did my mother wear something like this once?”  The answer: “I sure did, honey.  But it was probably a lot shorter.”  Thanks, Mom.

Shopping Tips: When I tried this skirt on I noticed a button was missing, which is to be expected when engaging in the rigorous quest that is vintage shopping.  While it may seem a bit rude, it’s a smart idea to point faults such as this out to the sales clerk.  It was very easy for me to fix the problem myself by moving a few buttons around, but you might snag a hefty discount that is well worth the inevitable blush from having to ask for it.  Besides, mending only makes the item more personal and, if nothing else, gives you a good story to tell your fellow fashionista friends.

Attention Blog Readers! We know you are the most clever and most stylish bunch on the web, and we’d love to feature you on future Favorite Find Posts! Please email us (favfinds@modcloth.com) a picture of you with one of your favorite shopping finds (a piece of furniture, a hard-to-find record, the perfect vintage boots, or any other treasure) and answer the questions: Who, What, Where, How Much, When I Use It, and Shopping Tips. We can’t wait to see all the cool items you’ve discovered!

Photos: Corvus Noir (left) and Crewel Jewels

A chatelaine, also called an “equipage,” was a decorative clip of long chains used to hold important household items. Functioning like pockets or purses, chatelaines were worn by women of the 18th and 19th centuries. The word “chatelaine” derives from the term for the mistress of a castle or mansion, and literally means “keeper of the keys” in French. Chatelaines were worn by both housekeepers and ladies of the manor in the 19th century, and were made of silver, brass, steel, leather, or fabric, depending on the household’s financial status.

Images: My Museum of London (left) and Corvus Noir

A chatelaine consisted of a pin that attached at the waist of a lady’s dress. This pin was equipped with several chains which, in turn, attached to an assortment of ornamental items, such as decorative plaques, lockets, and tassels, as well as utilitarian items like keys, lorgnettes, smelling salts, pocket watches, magnifying glasses, pocket knives, compasses, thimbles, scissors, bodkins, needle cases, pincushions, and other sewing supplies. I like to imagine chatelaines as a kind of functional charm bracelet or lanyard — for your skirt!

What do you think, ModLovers? Would you love to wear a chatelaine of your own, or do you think there’d be too much jangling for your taste? Cast your vote, and/or leave a comment below!

The Darling Detective Coat, Happy Days Shirt in Friday, and Spun Sugar Skirt

Greetings, Modsters! Excuse the Spaceballs reference, but I’m excited! With grunge and retro-inspired fall looks showing up the pages of our favorite glossies, as well as our new vintage stylebook, I have plaid on the brain.

Big plaid, bright plaid, intricate plaid — this week’s Fashion Dictionary is going to help you get to know this classic print beyond kilts and flannel shirts. We’re going to discuss three hot patterns so you can know your stuff once back-to school shopping season starts.

Glen Plaid: Checks of all sizes (at least one small and one large) make up Glen plaid, named for a town in Scotland where this plaid got its name in the 1800s (although the name itself wasn’t adopted until 1926). Classy and sassy, once exclusively a tweed pattern, you now find Glen plaid gracing the collars, cords and cowls of many different types of fabrics. Sometimes nicknamed ‘the Plaid of Wales’ thanks in part to a very stylish Duke of Wales, our Darling Detective Coat can get the town talking about your own Glen Plaid ensembles.

Buffalo Plaid: Buffalo plaid is a large check pattern, generally consisting of two colors (although a recent comeback of this favorite has seen a kaleidoscope of hues). This pattern is said to have been invented in the 1850s by a plaid designer who found inspiration in a herd of buffalo he owned. This is why you most commonly see this check in red and black! Check out our Happy Days Shirt in Friday if you’d like to add this great-outdoors friendly print to your stylish arsenal.

Madras Plaid: Take one part random pattern, two parts summer barbecue, and whatever mix of colors you want, and Madras is the plaid you’d create. Mainly printed on light, airy fabric, this plaid often uses bright colors and a unique pool of designs making them perfect for any summer outing. The name comes from a region in southeastern India where this plaid got its start. Our Spun Sugar Skirt will have you falling madly in love with Madras in no time!

Are you plaid-clad, and if so, how do you like to wear this pattern?

Megan, a true southern belle, was one of the first stylish young ladies I spotted during my Bonnaroo adventure. The Tennessee native knew what four days in humid, never-ending heat would entail, so she dressed the part in a super cute, chambray romper, with sleek aviator shades, a dependable patchwork messenger bag, and rugged cowboy boots, ideal for trekking all over Bonnaroo’s massive farm territory.

Megan’s picture perfect look was matched in sweetness by her friendly demeanor. With no less than eight Bonnaroo festivals under her belt, she confidently assured me that I would have a great time, and she was right!

Rompers were everywhere at Bonnaroo, which begs me to ask the question: Would you rock a romper at a camping-based music festival?

We’re standing in our best Uncle Sam pose, pointing our cocktail ringed finger straight out of the screen, hollering (in the most friendly of ways), “We want you!” For what? Why, to be featured as a Virtual Buyer, of course!

If you’re a Be the Buyer maven—you vote on new items, rejoice when your faves are chosen, and snap up those designs you voted for fast as lightening—we want to interview you for our blog! It’s an undeniably delightful deal; you can brag to your buds about being featured on our blog, and we get to celebrate the fab folks who make Be the Buyer so much fun!

Do you think you’re the ideal candidate? Then, drop us a line at virtualbuyer@modcloth.com. If you’re wondering what your post might look like, take a gander at this past Virtual Buyer post.

We can’t wait for your response!

Since George du Maurier’s novel Trilby was made into the 1896 short film Trilby and Little Billee, the boundary between books and film has become increasingly fluid. And although book-to-film adaptations are a point of contention for many, most of history’s most celebrated books have a motion picture counterpart. Yet, as that “most” implies, some books, brilliant books rife with what could be visually stimulating content, have yet to see their name in the hot white lights of the movie theater marquee.

Here are our nominees for the silver screen:

10. Suttree by Cormac McCarthy — At once dramatic and comedic, and sprinkled with flashbacks enough to make it an intriguing film, this books wanders through the story of man who gave up his wealth for life as a fisherman on the Tennessee River.

9. Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger — It’s hard to believe that this much revered novel, the tale of teenager Holden Caulfield’s angst and confusion, hasn’t yet been adapted for film.

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Are you a creative type with an hour or two (or ten) to kill? Look no further than art and design blog Design for Mankind to feed your mind with enough artistic eye-candy and inspiration to last for months!

Offering up the best and brightest the indie art world has to offer, blogger Erin Loechner creates a kaleidoscope of photography, interior design, paintings, illustrations and installations from across the globe. From cheeky drawings to whimsical photos, expect a dose of motivation to pick up your own sketch pad (or sketchbook?) and make your mark on the art world.

You can even follow Erin’s adventure as she fixes up her own house in a way that makes any design nerd lovesick. And don’t sleep on Design for Mankind, because just like fashion, the art world moves at a dizzying pace!

You know what time it is. It’s time to announce the winner of this week’s Super Sunday Surprise Name It and Win It! We combed through a whopping 2,646 entries before settling on the perfect name for this mesmerizing frock: “Teal Infinity and Chiffon.” Congratulations, Rachel Anne!

Thanks to everyone who played, and keep an eye on the blog, because the next contest will be here before you know it!

Wonder Woman, before and after. Images: New York Sun (left), Jezebel

For nearly 70 years, Wonder Woman rocked star-spangled bottoms, a red bustier, a tiara, and a mean lasso. When DC Comics recently made over the crime-fighting heroine to give her a less flashy, “more functional and protective” costume, many fans were unimpressed. With all this backlash, I wondered how relevant her outfit is to her character’s purpose. Does this new look change what made her so wonderful?

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Hoping to throw a tea party that really takes the cake? Our simple guide to hosting a stylish soiree is as easy as making traditional cucumber tea sandwiches (the straightforward recipe’s below!)

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