Obession of the Week: Retro Swimwear

I’m completely obsessed with retro swimwear. And I’d be lying if I told you it’s solely because I think the silhouettes are cute and feminine.

I mean, they definitely are. But my favorite thing about retro swimsuits is that they are so very forgiving. They cover up areas I don’t feel like showing off to the whole world (hey upper thighs! hey baby pooch that just won’t melt away!) and they nip you in at the waist to create an hourglass shape that anyone would kill for.

Take a look at some of these fab shots to see what I mean.

So how do you rock a retro-inspired bathing suit without looking either frumpy or as if you fell off the set of a period piece? Luckily there are tons of options for retro swimwear out there. You just have to know where to look! ModCloth and Anthropologie are great places to start. Pin Up Girl Clothing also has some great options.

clockwise from top left: Anthropologie retro poppy bikini :: ModCloth two piece swimsuit :: Anthropologie gingham maillot :: ModCloth one piece bathing suit

So what do you think? Will you be wearing a retro bathing suit on the beach this summer?

PS You may have noticed things look a little different around here. My fabulous sister, Michele Frechette, redesigned my blog header (she needed something to do to keep her mind off of the baby that’s trying to crawl out of her uterus) and helped give the blog a fresh facelift. And a Facebook page is coming this week! What do you think of the change?

Mad About Mad Men Fashion

I’ve been eagerly anticipating the return of Mad Men since my husband and I caught up via Netflix a couple of months ago. We had always heard good things about it from our friends and finally decided to give it a try. It was one of those shows that we couldn’t stop watching. We’d sit through three or four episodes at a time, always hungry for more. Towards the end of the fourth season we slowed up a bit, realizing we’d have to wait until the end of March to be able to see a new episode (the horror!).

Well last night we parked ourselves in front of the TV for two marvelous hours. I drank my ice cream float (thanks, husband!) and got lost in Don Draper’s world of advertising and relationship drama. I also swooned audibly more than once at the awesome fashion. I just can’t get enough of it!

I think my favorite Mad Men fashionista would have to be Joan. She is bursting with curves and she celebrates every inch of them. I love her wiggle dresses and the confidence in which she sashays around in them.

Of course, I had to poke around this morning to put together a classic Joan-inspired look that works today. Thanks to Mad Men, retro looks are everywhere so it wasn’t too difficult.

Joan photo / House of Harlow 1960 necklace / Estée Lauder lipstick / ModCloth dress

I love that you can wear an outfit like this without looking like you’re rocking a costume. It’s just so classic! I love the curve-hugging cut of the dress and the squared neckline. I switched out Joanie’s signature gold pen necklace for a gold arrow, which is a hot shape at the moment. If you want to go all out, Owliday Inn has some cute Joan Holloway-inspired pen necklaces.

What do you think? Are you as obsessed with retro fashion as I am?

One Dress, Three Parties

While I’d love to use holiday parties as an excuse to shop, who has the money to buy a new outfit for every occasion? Not this girl! Instead, choose a versatile dress that you can make fancy or casual and use it all season long.

Check out the outfits I built around this red ModCloth dress:

dress: ModCloth; earrings: Marc by Marc Jacobs; necklace: Betsey Johnson
cardigan: Zara; bag: Cole Haan; shoes: SoYouShoes; tights: Wolford
dress: ModCloth; scarf: Simply Vera Vera Wang; pants: American Eagle
cardigan: Mango; bracelet: Juicy Couture; shoes: TOMS
dress: ModCloth; earrings: Kate Spade; necklace: Coast; jacket: ModCloth
tights: Commando; clutch: Lulu Townsend; nail polish: OPI; shoes: Bakers

They couldn’t be more different, right? If you pair one of your favorite staples with different combinations of accessories, no one will be the wiser!

Do you plan on using the same dress for different parties this holiday season?