I don't know what's come over me, but I have become completely obsessed with everything from
Alga Net, an Etsy store that uses over 150 species of algae, seaweed and kelp to create delicate, ethereal, just really pretty works of art.
Check it out: I'm thinking these could be unique additions to all kinds of rooms, and, going along with
what we talked about last week, they could also make great, affordable gifts. (Or, wait. Would it be weird to give someone framed seaweed as a present? I guess it depends on the friend.
Some people I know would definitely dig this a lot.)
Someday, the weather will cooperate and start behaving like its sunny, hot, pleasant
summer best. When that day comes, you will want a
bathing suit. And, perhaps, the bathing suit you will want is sexy and retro and will hide the lumpy bits while simultaneously making you look like a pinup queen? Well, you can find exactly this at
Norma Kamali's new eBay shop which has loads of exclusive, unused swimwear styles at 55 percent off their original prices. The options--which range from ruched, low-cut,
one pieces to
cheetah-print bikinis (rowr!)--aren't cheap, but they're the kinds of pieces that will last, which means you won't have to think about bathing suits until the next time hell a little bit freezes over and it's
April in June.
I do approximately 85 percent of my shopping online, mostly with
vintage stuff. This is not only because I'm amazingly lazy (editor-in-chief Kim France once referred to me as a slug and she was not wrong), but because there's a vast and interesting fashion inventory available on the Web that I can't always find on land. However, we all know this kind of shopping has its risks--items are one of a kind and usually not returnable, and if something doesn't work, you're basically stuck. For example, I would very very much like to own this awesome-looking
jumpsuit (from my favorite online vintage shop,
The Urban Collection), but it has the potential to be a colossal fail. Though knowing my measurements helps, there's a very real chance that it could make me look like a Goth, sausaged Barbara Eden in
I Dream of Jeannie. How often do you take these gambles? And how often do you fail? (I'm about 5:1, successes vs. epic disasters, btw.)
Grunge was the look when I was in college and, while I clumsily rocked flannel and oversized blazers and Docs and men's undershirts and cutoffs (sometimes altogether), my biggest problem with the clothes was how they swallowed you whole and/or made you look bigger than you were. It's a little more than 15 years later, and grunge is totally back, but, this time, designers are smartly adding more femininity and refinement to the trend, especially when it comes to fit. 
Take, for example, the custom-made, '90s-esque collection by Little Bird Designs, a California-based Etsy shop which sells floral, plaid, and chiffon items that retain the spirit of the era, but--since they're sewn to your exact measurements--are stylishly updated for 2009. I love its checked jumpsuit, ruffled floral dress, and you-choose-the-color high-waisted plaid skirt. Best of all are the time-warp prices: most of the pieces are less than 50 bucks.
