Seems the fashion world can’t get enough of The Gladiator. First it was the peblum, now it’s the gladiator sandal.

This pair is from dELiA*s and is called Atia Sandal. Try it out for only $29.

This pair (the Allie Sandal) looks a little dressier. It’s also from dELiA*s   and is on sale for $9.99.

In the spirit of recycling and reinvention, Vintage Rehab by Stacey Samuels specializes in the renovation and creation of heirloom vintage lockets.  Shown above is:

…a beautiful vintage cloisonne locket with a garden scene on milk white background. It hangs on a vintage, double stranded, brass chain, woven with brown leather that attaches a vintage bead and old charm.

Stacey gives wonderful descriptions of the artwork on her lockets.

The yellow roses symbolize joy, gladness, and friendship. The butterfly’s metamorphosis from a caterpillar and emergence from it’s chrysalis symbolize rebirth and resurrection. To the Chinese and Japanese the butterfly is a sign of both immortality and joy. In Chinese art, butterflies combined with plum blossoms symbolize long life.

And here’s Stacey wearing layers of her vintage lockets! Check them out at Vintage Rehab!

Burda always gets me in the mood to sew with their free downloadable patterns, member how-to’s, and comprehensive sewpedia.

JJ took a microsuede duvet cover and created this great hooded jacket. 

I took some elements from Naomi pattern 6015 by Kasia 26 to create this Asian inspired hoodie. I was going to print the Naomi original pattern but I ran out of ink (50s page!) so I used Burda-nov.2007/ 126 instead. I like that the jacket has no side seams, there are only 2 pattern pieces, bodice and sleeves and that’s it. (read more)

I love the button on the side and the belt. Perfect!

Barbara Hulanicki opened Biba, a small fashion boutique, in Kensington in 1964 providing a cheap street fashion alternative for London 20-somethings.

The ‘Biba Look’ or ‘Dudu Look’ was ‘fresh little foals with long legs, bright faces and round dolly eyes.’ Barbara Hulanicki describes her customers as ‘postwar babies who had been deprived of nourishing protein in childhood and grew up into beautiful skinny people: a designer’s dream. It didn’t take much for them to look outstanding.’ These women were mostly teenagers or twenty year olds, who wanted to have clothes that looked good on them. All the Biba girls remember how women over thirty years old were considered old in the Biba store, and probably felt isolated as these girls felt in other stores. The employees were from the same demographic; among them at one point was a young Anna Wintour, later editor of Vogue.

The Biba look consisted of what Hulanicki called “Auntie Colours” – Hulanicki described them as ‘look[ing] like a funeral.’ These colours were blackish mulberries, blueberries, rusts and plums. (read more)

By the 70’s Biba had grown so much that it moved into a 7-story department store and began selling children’s clothing, home furnishings, and even pet food in addition to its women’s fashion line. Customers included Twiggy, Sonny and Cher, Mick and Biana Jagger and other 60’s icons. That store closed in 1975 and so ended first label to make street fashion hip and cool. Until….

Biba Now

The most recent relaunch of the Biba label was in 2006 with designer Bella Freud. The long dress above is part of the Spring/Summer ’08 collection and is a product of the new design team headed by Hector Castro, Artistic Director - and is actually my favorite from this collection.

So over forty years later, who’s the typical Biba customer? Nostalgic baby-boomers? I doubt it. Young 20-somethings looking for a fresh new style? Probably not.

Want to see more Biba?

• Biba - the experience
• Bibacollection.co.uk - Pari’s Biba site
• Biba House - Notting Hill home of fashion icon Barbara Hulanicki
• Biba the Musical (!)

I’ve been a fan of fingerless gloves for a long time, back in the day when you just cut off the fingers yourself. So I couldn’t help noticing Paula’s gloves last night on American Idol. They looked a little over the top with all the bling, and I half expected to hear some comments from Simon about them but if he said anything it was off-air.

Today I tried to find something similar, but I think I came up with something even better. Glovedup comes from a studio in London. The designer goes by the name of Agent Anonym and according to her website she has  received commissions from:

… designers like Diesel, Heatherette, Robert Cary Williams, and Victim, pop stars like Peaches and Madonna, and an increasing list of stylists and fashion editors, stimulate an ever-evolving collection…Whilst gloves remain the focus, other accessories creep into my collections.  Most recently I’ve been doing lots of crochet with recycled plastic bags…(read more)

Also, be sure to visit Glovedup’s stunning gallery to see more glove styles like the ones shown above.

What is Mados infekcija? It’s happening March 28-29, 2008

Mados infekcija (Fashion infection), counting eight years of successful existence, is not just the brightest festival in Lithuania. It is a fest of fashion art, a conceptual and innovative event, bringing together the youngest authors and professionals of fashion world.

Having started in 1999 Mados infekcija is exceptional in it its conceptuality. Mados infekcija is not pretending to dictate fashion. Festival conception is to bring out individual style and view to fashion. A prove to that – the space of Vilnius contemporary art center, where festival is going on, and openness of the festival to everybody from fashion professional to a viewer who is interested in style directions. (read more)

The jacket in the photo is by Renata Heredia and is from the gallery of photos from last year’s show. Of course I love the colors, the the collar, and the cinched waist.

For more exploration:

• Mados infcij Designers 2008
• Vilnius Street Fashion
• Estonia Street Fashion

“Ei8ht” is a steampunk time-travel comedy written by Andy North and William Shefski. This terrific scene depicts Martha and Philippa, the two beautiful time-travelers, shedding their 19th-century shells beginning with their bonnets and their white gloves. Next the dresses come off, then the over-petticoats, the hoop-petticoats and the under-petticoats. All this before they even get to their corset covers. 

Japanese Street Fashion has brought back this “layered look” with the Elegant Gothic Lolita style, a subset of Lolita Fashion.  Elegant Gothic Lolita (EGL) is a term coined by Mana (guitarist and creator of clothing line Moi-même-Moitié). It can be considered a more mature version of Gothic Lolita, often worn by older teens and young women and charactarized by mostly black garments, accented with white.

Interestingly, I’ve heard Ei8ht has a scene with Giant Mimes. This is certainly something Gothic Lolita designer, Mana, would appreciate because…

Mana has rarely intentionally smiled or spoken in public. In his filmed interviews, he whispers into the ear of a band member or confidante, who then relates his words back to the interviewer. He has also been known to simply look at the camera as subtitles appear, as well as using Yes/No cards and expressing himself in mime.  (read more)

I found Mana’s Goth Lolita designs a bit too severe for my taste, and went back to my new favorite shopping site Maruioni.jp. There I found this fun underdress by Victorian Maiden.

The skirt spreads out even when worn without a pannier, as the intricate frills and pintucks create volume while pulling in the waistline. Great under your favorite coat or dress, and as it has a lining, it can be worn on its own as a summery dress too! Opens with a concealed fastener at the back. (read more) 

For more exploring…

• The Dressing Room - when dressing was a two-person job
• Ei8ht – synopsis and excerpt
• Mana – musician and fashion designer
• Moi-même-Moitié - Mana’s design label. Elegant Goth Lolita and Elegant Goth Aristocrat (for men).
• Gothic Lolita - a history
• Juliette et Justine - elegant, classic and romantic clothing with a hint of EGL.
• Victorian Maiden - turning back the clock

This skirt comes from to Etsy designer, Nora Gonzalez, and it’s from her peacock collection. It’s been painted in purple, gold and copper tones. Nora studied graphic and Fashion Design in Argentina before moving to the U.S. seven years ago and recently turned to fabric painting. Her favorite material to work with is denim, but here she shows her Latin style with a long red  ruffled skirt.  Find more hand-painted clothing at Nora Karen’s Etsy shop.

Here in Northeastern U.S. it’s time for spring showers, trench coats, and boots.

But some boots are just too pretty to splash in puddles. The outside of these Kira Kira Tabi boots by Honmonoya from Tokyo Made consists of a hand stitched vintage piece of fabric with silver and gold flowers stitched on with sparkling sequins and seed beads.

These boots can be worn at full length or folded down to show the rich red inner lining.
The Kira Kira Tabi fasten at the back from the heel to mid calf with 12 clasps each with a Japanese kanji on them meaning – The power of a King. The clasps can be hooked at three different widths to expand or contract the fit of the boot. Continue reading.

But what makes these boots even more interesting to me is the Tabi Toe. I’d seen the Tabi Toe socks that Japanese women wear with thonged footwear (ankle high white sock with a separation between the big toe and the other four toes) but this was the first time I’d seen it in a boot.

Here’s another beautiful pair. This is the Ruby Apple Tabi by Honmonoya. In this photo you can see the Tabi Toe.

Jika-tabi (or “Tabi that contacted the ground”) were once reserved for construction workers, farmers and gardeners and rickshaw-pullers. But now it’s all about street fashion…

This fall Lifetime will air a two-part miniseries based on the life of Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel. Slovakian actress, Barbora Bobulova plays the young Coco. One of my favorite actresses, Shirley MacLaine, will play the designer in her later years.

• About the film
• Fashion Windows - a brief overview of Coco Chanel’s career
• Inside Coco Chanel’s apartment - the photos
• Chanel - the website
• Chanel and Her World - the book

“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)

GEN ART STLES 2008: International Design competition has extended its deadline until April 4th.  This competition sounds exciting for any new designers, fashion design students, or any of you Etsy fashion designers out there – nudge, nudge.

From the Gen Art Website: 

Gen Art invites you to compete in Styles 2008, its provocative program for emerging fashion designers. Win a chance to present your designs at a high profile New York Runway Show and compete for one of five $5,000 Awards for Design Excellence.

A Selection Committee of influential market editors, stylists, and buyers will review all submissions at a Prescreening Event in mid April. At this Prescreening, the Selection Committee will choose five finalists in each category. The committee reviews the submissions without knowing who the designer is so that each entry is judged just on the merits of the submitted designs. All finalists will be invited to participate in the Styles 2008 Fashion Show that will take place on May 19, 2008 in New York City.

Click here to register to apply online.

The Japanese Street Fashion phenomenon is still going strong. In her addictive mtokyoblog, Maryanne chronicles her family’s move from Brooklyn to Tokyo. She recently caught this Lolita-fashioned girl walking away from the camera in Shibuya.

Japanese Street Fashion photographer Shoichi Aoki writes in the forward of Fresh Fruits -

Every Sunday until 1998, Omone-sando, the main street in the Harajuku area of Tokyo, was declared a pedestrian heaven or Hoko-ten, and all traffic was banned for the entire day. One one particular Sunday in March 1997, I was standing on a street corner outside my new office surveying my surroundings when two girls wearing tartan duffle coats caught my attention. They weren’t doing anything in partuicular, just hanging out while a few foreign tourists took their picture, but they exuded an attitude and degree of presence that was hard to ignore…..Here, for the first time in Japan and on my very doorstep was an example of fashion trends being initiated by the wearer (by far the most important element in fashion as far as I am concerned). Indeed it was the wearer who superceded the designer to create a new fashion sensibility that was as daring as it was transformative.

Today Japanese youth are still pushing the boundaries with Lolita, Goth and Punk fashion. Lucky for us, much of it is available online.

My search for the perfect double-breasted trench led me to this belted black coat. Love the extra long sleeves, the dropped waist, the zippers and the detachable satin collar. And I’m loving Maruione.jp.

Blame it on Spring fever, but I had to post designs from Janet Hill’s Spring-Summer ‘08 Laguna collection.

Designer Janet Hill graduated from Ryerson School of Fashion in 2006 and is already making a mark for herself. Her California style was influenced by a trip to Japan. According to NOW Magazine

A visit to Tokyo’s Matsuya Ginza department store in 2006 turned Hill on to Japanese pattern-making techniques, so halters and frocks hide yards of pinched and circle-stitched fabric inside their deceptively simple shapes.

According to an interview on blogto, Janet Hill uses a lot of color because she wants “someone who will feel happy when she is wearing it.” With energizing photos like these from fashion photographer, Bohdan Turok, I daresay, we’d feel happy wearing her designs.

Janet’s designs are currently available at Boutique Le Trou, Pho Pa and TNT Blu in Toronto.

Beginning today I’m going to use Sundays to post my favorite Etsy sellers, particular those with a Street Style sense.  Featured today are Moop and Wildewear, two Massachusetts-based designers.

Moop specializes in made-to-order bags. Simple, modern, hand-crafted, and a bit-understated.  Moop designer (photographer, model, etc), Wendy, works out of a converted mill building in Western Massachusetts. Be sure to check out Moop’s shop, website, and blog.

My favorite is The Fraulein Tote (shown above). It’s made with a deep brown canvas and is lined in burnt orange ripstop. The outside has two deep pockets. The inside has five pockets of varying sizes, perfect for carrying phones and ipods. There’s also two pencil slips and a d-ring for clipping keys and smaller pouches.  Ordering information available here.

Wildewear features the eco-friendly work of Tricia Wilde. Tricia grew up in Ireland but now lives in the Boston area with her three sons.  She’s a single mom and created her home based business so she could stay home with her kids.  Tricia also takes vintage clothes and reworks and embellishes them to create a new modern look.

The skirt shown above, is her Ginger Berry Skirt. This skirt is very comfy with stretch jersey knit roll over top and tie around belt. You can play with how much to roll over the top and can even wear it as a dress if it fits. Fits size small to medium fits waist up to 32 inches and is 28 inches long. All handmade original wildewear design. Cotton jersey knit. Totally washable, very loveable. Ordering information is available here.

Toronto’s NOW Magazine is sponsoring a contest. Send them a full-body shot of yourself wearing your favorite outfit and you can win a $500 gift cert at Body Blue or Balisi Shoes. Balisi will have an online store soon, but for now it looks like you’d be heading for Toronto if you win.

Edith Head’s favorite director was Alfred Hitchcock and “To Catch A Thief” is said to be Edith Head’s all-time favorite film. She designed this casual coral blouse and skirt when Grace Kelly requested that she wear a dress rather than pants for the picnic scene with Cary Grant. Note Grace Kelly’s signature matching silk scarf.

Somehow this just makes me want to clean out my closet and start fresh.

As I mentioned before I’ve always had a problem finding jeans that fit well. I rarely find jeans long enough, and when I do they’re usually too low-cut at the waist.  My son will soon  find that 34″ inseams just don’t cut it for him any more. Lucky for us there’s True Jeans.com.

When you register at True Jeans you enter all your measurements and they match you to jeans that fit your exact body shape. They have a large assortment of brands including Chip & Pepper, William Rast, Kasil, Antik Denim, 7 for Mankind, and more. When you search by brand, you’ll find a brief description of the style, who wears it, and any special features. The website is an education in jeanology!

I’m definitely going to sign up as soon as I find my tape measure. (I’ll pass on printing out and taping together their downloadable tape measure.)

Current Promotions:

You’ve probably noticed the big promotion for KMart’s Style Showoff contest. The entrants  (1) upload a photo of themselves showcasing their “style”, (2) make a style statement explaining the secrets of their style success, and (3) show it off for the judges. Four style show-offs are featured as samples meant to inspire the contest entrants.

Caroline R is one of the “show offs” and her style statement goes like this:

My sense of style is very All-American: clean and classic but with a twist! I’m not afraid of bright, fun colors or prints–I especially love pink. Usually, I put an outfit together around whatever shoe I’m wearing.

I love wearing high heels, a cute skirt or some capris pants, and a fitted top. I just add the finishing touch of a colorful purse…and voila! And don’t be surprised if that purse matches my shoes. I rock my style by adding a headband or a unique piece of jewelry that to me has special meaning.

Fashion is all about making yourself feel good. I say if you feel good wearing it, then ‘You work it!’

Maybe it’s just me, but don’t you think they could have come up with something a little more creative? Any of the hundreds of folks who’ve already put themselves out there on a street fashion photo site like Tricia Royal’s wardrobe_remix, or the Flickr Fruits site, or the new Stylemob can do much better than that.

(And, by the way, All Chic has just launched its own Community. Click on the link to the upper left to join the All Chic Closet. Post photos of what’s in your closet and what’s on your wish list. Buy sell and trade with other members. Let’s get this community off the ground. Email me with any suggestions…. cath at allchic.com….)

In keeping with my historical theme of last week, I couldn’t wait to post these two bags from Pursecution. This Minneapolis-based designer uses hides of leather, fabric and antique brass bits to create beautiful one of a kind bags and leather accessories.

On the top is the Joan of Arc bag:

This is the first of a new line/slate for Pursecution. Who better to start with than Joan of Arc? How does one sum up the life of such a young and powerful woman in this limited space? From the age of 12 until the age of 19, when she was burned at the stake for a trumped up charge of heresy, Joan of Arc followed her own head strong path, making history with every step. This purse has been designed with her strength, beauty and grace in mind. It is 100% genuine leather with a sateen interior. The dimensions are 11″ wide, 7.5″ tall and 2″ deep.

On bottom is the Mary Queen of Scots bag:

Mary Stuart’s life had all the elements of a Hollywood movie 400 years ago. There was romance, murder, scandal and finally her beheading by Queen Elizabeth I. Although Mary Queen of Scots may not have succeeded as the Queen of Scotland, her beauty, strength and grace were world renowned. This purse has been modeled after such assets. The top is made of 100% genuine leather, the interior of cotton, and the bottom half of the exterior is from a fine upholstery fabric.

You can find Pursecution on the web at Indiepublic or MySpace.  

American Idol rock chick, Amanda Overmyer, wore a terrific long knit scarf last night. It was at least down to her knees. So where do you look for a long long scarf that isn’t too bulky to wear in the spring? Etsy, of course.

I found this pretty pink knit scarf at LauraCraft for only $10!

I love the dropped-waist/skirt ruffle on these Betsy Johnson tops from her Alley Cat days. I always thought it was called a peplum waistline, but now I’m not sure.

Scarlett’s Closet has a terrific reference page for fashion newbies.  Listed under “Waistline” are -

Antebellum – Dress has natural waistline that dips two inches to a point in the center front.

Basque (Bosk) – Waistline of dress is two inches below the natural waist; dipas to a point in the center front and back.

Curved Basque – Similar to Basque, though rounded at the center front. Also known as Antebellum.

Empire (Om Peer) – High waisted with short bodice. Skirt begins two or more inches above natural waist.

Peplum – Short flounce or overskirt attached at waistline.

Shirred (sherd) – Fabric is gathered to make a horizontal panel.

So I guess the Betsy Johnson waistline would be Curved Basque with a peplum.

But what I didn’t know is that the word peplum has an entirely different meaning. According to RocketJones -

Peblum, literally, is the short skirt worn by ancient gladiators, but it’s also used to describe a genre of movies. Although generically it refers to any heroic fantasy movie set in ancient times (Hercules, Atlas, Jason, etc.), specifically the term applies to the movies made in Italy during the 50’s and 60’s.

(Gladiator photo from IMDB)

We’ve been having an awful lot of rain recently. Watching local weather last night for news of possible flooding, I was distracted by the art on the underside of the weatherman’s Sistine Chapel Umbrella. After a quick search I found UmbrellaStand.com. They have an extensive collection of Fine Art umbrellas starting at $28.

Looks like it’s time to pull out the big belts from the back of the closet.

I’d been noticing lots of high cinched waists recently, and then saw this article in yesterday’s Times Online. Nicola Copping refers to the recent economic downturn and  asks:

But what about fluctuating waistlines? Granted, they expand in times of plenty. But is the steadily rising beltline another indicator of a move towards modesty, both economic and sartorial? Perhaps, if recent catwalk shows are anything to go by.

Copping mentions the 50’s and 70’s:

High waists hark back to two seminal fashion eras: the prim, suck-it-in-and-smile Fifties (skirts), and the slick Seventies (trousers). Michael Kors evokes the latter with an upmarket twist: think West Coast lady who lunches, a woman never seen with skin protruding from her high-slung pants. Marc Jacobs, meanwhile, prefers his catwalk muse more unhinged. The pleated skirts are nipped in neatly but messy hair suggests something a little off-key: this is Stepford Wife with a Noughties edge.

But what about the 1500’s?

Perhaps it has something to do with the economy, and maybe a little bit to do the movies.  Kate Blanchett,  Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson  all squeezed into tight corsets for their recent royal roles. 

Now you can find this DOLCE & GABBANA Belt/Corset on YOOX.COM Interestingly, it comes in sizes 2, 4, and 6!

The Telegraph had an article about Stella McCartney at the Paris Fashion Show last week. Although I’m not crazy about this particular frock, I’ve always been drawn to the time of castles and kings.

From the Telegraph:

McCartney offered an ode to the modern medieval woman with long cloaks and cardigan coats in wool-felt, handmade by village artisans in Somerset, which were printed with heraldic symbols and faux coats-of-arms. Blanket-inspired knits, in earth-toned stripes enfolded the body. Suits and coats with wide, kimono-sleeves were in the same wool-felt, in muted charcoal and metallic silver… (more)

Need accessories? Here’s a chain maille dice pouch bag for dungeons and dragons fans. I’d use it for money, lipstick and car keys.  You can see more of Janine’s metalwork at her shop – Athena’ sArmoury.

Turn any outfit into a regal affair with this ”Young Elizabeth“ collar made from a mix of soft mohair yarn and chenille yarn. It comes from the studio of Ellita, a group of artists skilled in all crafts of life. One is a dreamer and another is a weaver. One is a thread knitter and another is leather knotter. See more at their shop – Ellita’s Flying Snail.