It’s almost time for family gatherings, festive feasts, and the cheerful bustle of the holidays. Before you get caught up in the hoopla, take a moment to watch the behind-the-scenes video for our current stylebook, A Welcome Retreat.

Finding your new fave is super simple in this clickable video. If there’s an item in the video that you instantly fall in love with, just click on it and we’ll whisk you away to its page! So, what will you be wearing?

We just can’t get enough of Instagram! This totally awesome app has a bevy of fun filters, so we can get creative with our behind-the-scenes pics, then easily share our artistic images with fans. We also can’t thank you enough for welcoming us into the Instagram community with all of your convivial comments on our photos. Or, can we?

In order to show our appreciation for your support during our foray into this fantastic new photographic frontier, we are holding the No Place Like ‘Home-page’ Photo Contest! To enter, just take a gander at our current stylebook, A Welcome Retreat, and then using the hashtag #homepagehero in Instagram, submit your own photo that you feel best reflects the woodsy, rustic, fall mood of the collection.

It doesn’t matter if you’ve snapped the pic in Instagram, or used the app to enhance a pic you’ve already taken, just as long as you get it to us between 12 p.m. PT on 10/31 and 12 p.m. PT on 11/7. We’ll whittle the wonderful submissions down to three lucky shutterbugs, who will find their photos featured front-and-center on the ModCloth homepage!

Before you go a-shootin’, please do a little readin’ of the deets:

• Please, only one entry per person.
• By posting a photo, you state that you own its copyright.
• Submissions may not be altered by Photoshop or any other filtering tool outside of Instagram.
• Winning photos will be selected by ModCloth, based on creativity, quality of image, and adherence to the theme, then posted to the homepage on Monday, 11/14.
• Read full, official contest rules here.

We can’t wait to pore over your pictorial interpretations of our stylebook. Good luck!

Happy Halloween! As you know, we ModEmployees love a good costume, so we couldn’t resist raising one more Halloween-y hurrah by sharing our most memorable costumes from when we were kids.

Above, on the left, our Writing Development Editor Hannah showed that she was truly wise beyond her years in her “old man” costume.

Then, we have Product Manager Fiona in the dramatic role of The Phantom of the Opera’s Christine Daaé. ”When I was in preschool, I told my mom I wanted to be Christine for Halloween,” Fiona says. “She was able to convince me that this prom dress from Goodwill was the perfect Christine dress. Here’s the best part: On Halloween morning, I flew to Washington, DC to spend the holiday with my cousins . . . in this outfit.”

Read the rest of this entry »

Our Ingredi-antique Measuring Spoons made for the perfect mixing tool!

Simply mix, apply to lips in a circular motion, and wipe this tasty concoction off with a tissue for completely kissable lips. Easy as pie, right? Well, it’s surely as sweet! Shana and Elizabeth of Fox & Doll Makeup shared this delectable DIY with us, so you can learn how-to prep your pout before applying the lip colors you love.

Shana popped into ModCloth’s San Francisco office to teach us Lip Care 101:

Why exfoliate your lips?
It’s going to make lipstick go on with a nice smooth and even texture. Exfoliating the top layer of the skin before applying lipstick exposes a new soft surface, and it hydrates at the same time. Exfoliating now, as we head into cooler months, is especially important because your skin tends to be drier during the winter.

Is natural always better?
Nothing beats mixing something special at home, but it depends on the person and the products they use. Folks can have different reactions to different ingredients, even if they’re natural. There are some great synthetic ingredients out there that are not irritating and non-clogging, though — you just have to choose a product line that uses reputably sourced ingredients. Also, when making your own concoctions, remember that they don’t last as long since they lack preservatives, so make small batches, and note smell and texture.

Any more tips for keeping ‘em kissable throughout the year?
Keep a hydrating lip balm by your bed at night and put it on right before you go to sleep. Look for something non-petroleum based. Shea butter- or cocoa butter-based is your best bet. Also, whenever you find a product you like that has SPF in it, go for it! It can be a tough thing to find, but fortunately, just putting color on your lips blocks the sun a bit by itself. Think of red lipstick as a semi-block from the sun!

Shana & Elizabeth’s best overall beauty tip:
There really are no rules! You can make anything work with the right style and confidence.

Craving more ModBeauty Tips? Check out Annie‘s easy Twiggy-inspired makeup post, or watch our pin-up makeup tutorial video.

Guest Blogger Photo props to Portraits To The People.

If you’ve seen our latest stylebook, Imagine That, then you know ‘tis the season for making wishes! And, if you’ve been wishin’ and hopin’ that you’d get to try your witty hand at yet another round of ModCloth’s Name It and Win It Contest, then all your thinkin’ and dreamin’ has finally paid off.

But you have to act fast, because we’re switching things up a little for this installment of your favorite ModGame! Unlike past appearances of this product-naming competition, this time around, you’ll only have three hours in one day to share your well-tailored titles for the piece pictured above. So, if you think you’ve got the the most appropriate appellation, darling designation, or lovely label for this Prussian blue, damask-patterned coat, then let it be known!

Before you go announcing your marvelous monikers for this fine example of outerwear, please read the details below:

• Your entries do not have to follow any theme.
• You can suggest up to three names for this item. No more, please!
• Only suggestions left as a blog comment for each item’s post will be accepted. Entries left on Facebook, Twitter, or anywhere else on the ModCloth Blog will not be considered.
• Submissions will be accepted today, 10/28, from, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m PT. At that time, comments will close.
• If you repeatedly receive an error message during commenting, please send your submissions to blog@modcloth.com.
• Need more information? See our full Name It and Win It Contest Rules and also our Official Contest Rules.

We’ll announce the winners on Wednesday, November 2. Now, think quickly and creatively, and this coveted coat could be yours!

UPDATE (1 p.m.) — Today’s contest is over! As mentioned above, comments posted after 1 p.m. PT will not be eligible. Thanks for your entries, everyone, and remember to check back on Wednesday to see if you won!

We’re so proud to announce that Be the Buyer, the program that allows you to be a Virtual Fashion Buyer, turns two this week! A big thanks to everyone who participates for making Be the Buyer such a success.

You, too, can commemorate this special occasion by continuing to vote on sample items, and tell us — what two words do you think best describe Be the Buyer?

Images via Street Peeper (left and right).

Most people would agree that wee critters strewn like sprinkles across sweet frocks are adorable. Just look at the If the Zoo Fits Dress and the Top Dog Tee; they just make one’s knees wobbly. But what about more outlandish animal items like those seen in these street style snaps? From tops going ape with anger to dresses horsing around with head-to-toe critter coverage, these outfits certainly have something to say. But what do you think of this in-your-face animal trend? ‘Aww’-full or awful?

Read the rest of this entry »

It’s always fun to brighten up your decor, especially as colder weather drives you indoors. One simple way to spice up your space is by  incorporating toile de Jouy (toile, for short) into a room. Traditional toile fabric features romantic, French pastoral scenes illustrated across a white or light background, but designers are updating the classic patterns with modern personality. From vintage pin-up gal portraits to city park scenes, today’s toile patterns are cute, quirky, and totally fresh.

Commissioning your own toile pattern can be costly, but if you’re working on a small scale, making one yourself isn’t too tricky! Here’s how it works…

Read the rest of this entry »

Here in our office, we’ve been debating the most stylish way to combat those frosty fall mornings! Because it’s not quite cold enough to bundle up in a coat, we tried to choose the best alternative for our autumn ensembles — would it be a charming cape or versatile vest?

Caught in this corn maze of cute outerwear, we’ve got to turn to you and see which side our followers are on! So tell us — which of these classic designs has you shivering with delight?

She’s creepy and she’s kooky, for sure! But one thing the famed theme song left out was Wednesday Addams’ seriously scary knack for style! From her impeccably braided coiffure and moon-shaped, ghastly pale face to her grimly hued garb, she was the picture of shriek-chic, a style I can’t help but want to channel as Halloween creeps closer and closer.

Read the rest of this entry »