Clinton Kelly's Must Haves Part 2: The accessories

Now that we have our clothing basics let's add the finishing touches. These are the pieces that you can mix and match with your basics to create a wide variety of looks and that you will wear season after season until they wear out.

10. Trench Coat: Basic but better! The tipped mini-dot trench coat from Black House | White Market ($188) is a classic femme fetale look cutesified with polka dots, contrast piping, and a bow at the back.

11. Psuedo-neutral Day Bag: Why yes, leopard is a neutral. You can wear it with black, tan, brown, or olive so it won't clash with other neutrals. Lucky Me Kiss Lock Leopard Purse by Lux de Ville ($69, Plastic Land) is perfect and the red flower is even removable!

12. Metallic Finish Clutch for Night: I like to balance sexy evening wear with something cutesy so I'm in love with this Juicy Couture polka dot clutch ($119.99). The little metallic polka dots will fit Clinton's bill while still delivering a healthy dose of cute into your evening.

13. Killer Heels: Sky-high and pink. What more could a girl want? Plastic Land's Going Gaga Hot Pink Patent Platform Pumps ($39) are everything a retro diva's play shoes should be.

14. Sandals: The antidote to the Old Navy flip flop these adorable sandals are walkable due to the platform. The print is little hearts! Pinup Girl Clothing has this Retro Style Wedge in Black and Pink Heart Print ($42) for a very rockabilly summer! Also available in less-neutral red heart print and solid turquoise.

15. Ballet Flats: These shoes are made for walking so go for a comfort brand! These cute Born Katherine Lampone Leather flats ($95) evoke 50's charm and are as appropriate with dresses and skirts as cropped pants. The pink color is still neutral without being boring.
16. Boots: A little Lolita, a little Victorian, these great boots are available in great colors. Poetic License Toughen Up boots ($139.27)

Can't miss site: Quaintrelle Life!

I've long considered myself a fringe member of the quaintrelle movement whose style and philosophy I've lived by for years. Quaintrelle Life epitomizes this movement through fashion, do-it-yourself projects and enough information and pretty pictures to keep a girl busy for hours. Don't miss the fashion plates especially! See samples below featuring the lovely Vivien, the one woman fashion army and webmistress of the site. Many of her dresses are available for purchase or commission at Candy Violet.

V Magazine: Uptown and Down

Your daily dose of pretty...Victorian ladies with Marie Antoinette hair make me ready to hit the Kool-aid again.







Photographer: Mario Testino

Crystal Renn + Elle Canada January 2010 part 2

In the second fashion editorial Crystal's character has moved from 1950's Manhattan to 1960's Hollywood. I love the sense of movement where the previous editorial was all about sitting around and looking pretty. Where's James Bond when you need him?

Crystal Renn + Elle Canada January 2010 part 1

The big-girl du jour Crystal Renn did some yummy photoshoots for Elle Canada earlier this year. If the modern rococo background was not enough to make me fall in love Crystal is rocking some '50s Hollywood glamour complete with "frills, feathers, sequins and dazzling diamonds"--like sugar and spice and everything nice this is what girls are made of.

Designer coats worth the price!

My winter coat bit the dust last year and with impending winter I am on the hunt. I'm coveting the ones from Mackage so much I was actually contemplating saving up $800 for a new designer coat. Then I looked at the size chart and remembered that high fashion is reserved for a size 10 and under. (Honestly, would it kill designers to go up to a 12 or 14 like every other clothier that serves adult women?) The Mackage aesthetic is classic mid-century style done in modern fabrics with modern detail, every coat would look at home on a retro diva as it would on a modern woman. Sometimes a classic is a classic, and sometimes a classic is spectacular.







Be sure to check out Mackage RTW section for Victorian-style blouses and an awesome men's collection.

Mad Men Style dresses

July got away from me without posting all the fun things I wanted to share for Mad Men month so I will be sharing Mad Men style into August. Pinupgirl Clothing has a sexy new assortment of Betty Draper and Joan Holloway dresses ready to order now and later this fall. If you're looking for Peggy Olson...well, good luck with that.
The Joans:


The Betties:






All styles are available from Pinupgirl Clothing and range from $96-118.