chateau bizarre: hardcore glamour & curious finds, reviewed daily » modern glamour

Studio Jellyfish

lilah wild — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 20:23:44 +0000

A Miami Beach “fine art shoe store” that gives bright pop makeovers to footwear and handbags. Ballet flats, platform mules, and ankle-strapped pumps are meticulously handpainted with 80’s-style vamps reminiscent of Patrick Nagel and Roy Lichtenstein, and if you’ve got your eye on a clutch, grab it while you can because it looks like they sell out quickly. And if you’d rather display the ladies on your walls rather than your feet, they also do digital prints.

Elvy Ess

lilah wild — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 20:43:29 +0000

An intriguing smash of rockabilly against playa, embracing both the clean lines of workshirts and the tatters of patchwork, sprinkled liberally with insects. Buttondowns are made for men and women and sport anarchic splats of fabric on the back, while the skirts flaunted winged creatures on peekaboo pleats or swoop into fae asymmetricality. Bugged-out bibs and bags and brooches, ragged cuffs and headbands and ties, and double-pronged keys provide plenty of unusual accessorization. Thanks, Sara!

Cerise UK

lilah wild — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 18:50:47 +0000

A British accessory emporium specializing in bits of handmade, carefully curated, modernized yesteryear from about eighteen or so indie designers. Funky retro kissclasp purses, flowered fascinators, pinup playing card makeup bags, tattered scarves made to be worn every which way, gold and silver jewelry that keeps the skulls understated – or crowns them with antlers. A good place to pick up fripperies that work double-duty with both vintage and contemporary stuff.

BTC Elements

lilah wild — Fri, 28 May 2010 16:45:12 +0000

Organic, ethically-sourced fashion that works well with a diverse array of looks, from belted elvishness to tight corsetted pencil wiggle. Cowl necks, wide-legged pants, ruffled blouses, dresses that run the gamut from family get-togethers to hot dates, trenchy little coats, bathing suits, and hoodies of course. Much of the jewelry captures the natural patterns of feathers and leaves in recycled gold and silver, and the bags tend towards the bright and flowery.

Sydney’s Closet

lilah wild — Fri, 21 May 2010 19:42:09 +0000

Formalwear in plus sizes, for prom and cocktail parties and weddings and whatever other occasions demand unrestrained plumage. Ruched skirts, draped ruffles, bootcut hems, mermaid silhouettes, bellsleeves, starlet straplessness, swingy knee-length dresses, lots of things that can be turned goth or retro with compatible accessorization. They’ve also got crinoline slips for volumizing, all kinds of metallic evening bags and sandals, and there’s a section for fancy maternity dress.

English Relics

lilah wild — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 21:38:47 +0000

Modern jewelry and accessories festooned with genuine dated bits of bronze antiquity: necklaces made from Roman casket lock covers, cinch belts garnished with medieval girdle rings, thick Tudor-buckled warrior cuffs, musket balls popping up as a common motif. It’s the kind of stuff that lends just a touch of ancient history to a contemporary outfit as opposed to the whole ren-faire kaboodle, although it also blends seamlessly into the current vogue of rugged Victoriana.

Kiyonna

lilah wild — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 17:06:14 +0000

A catalog of plus size fashion, modern and basic-minded for maximum versatility. But prod a little deeper and there’s some dressup potential in gothable maxi dresses and pencil skirts that can easily glide into a retro ensemble. And, some lacy wedding dresses.

SativaBags.com

lilah wild — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 19:12:14 +0000

A catalog that takes the trendy, hardware-loaded shoulder bags of mainstream fashion and does them over in hemp. The shiny
O-rings, the cargo pockets, the buckle-over-zip fastenings – all present, as well as cute satchels and laptop bags. Also hoodies and tees, baby clothes, and bath and body goods that bring hemp into the realm of spa pampering.

Dungaree Dolly’s

lilah wild — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 00:33:09 +0000

Purses in rockabilly prints and beyond, that run the whole gamut from damask shoulder bags to diaper haulers. Ruffled hobos, cupcake-covered bowlers, leopard train cases, Elvis messengers and zebra laptops, oversized weekenders, sugar-skulled totes, and smaller cases for cosmetics, sunglasses, and wallets. They also make purses to match the wiggle dresses from Whirling Turban.

Bohemian Soul

lilah wild — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 21:25:27 +0000

Crocheted accessories for the flapper-hippie. Cloche hats trimmed with little bows, capelets and neckwarmers garnished with roses, hair combs to slide bits of garden into one’s locks, even crocheted earrings that pop with color. Lots of bright wintery things to warm up an outfit or put a modern spin on a 20’s look.

ChicStar

lilah wild — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 23:01:54 +0000

A “design community” where customers submit sketches, vote on which ones get manufactured, and buy them when they come into existence. And it’s not just t-shirts: they do mermaid gowns, 50’s swing dresses, bustle skirts, trenchcoats, corset-laced jeans, flared 70’s jumpsuits, lots of body-hugging stuff with liberal splashes of retro and Victorian goth. A lot of it comes in plus sizes, too – and if it doesn’t, speaking up is welcome.

BodyPunks

lilah wild — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 22:59:53 +0000

Body jewelry staples with some interesting finds scattered throughout: plugs that look like the bobbins from a sewing machine stoppered with gemstones, belly ring monsters, UV labret cones, vibrating tongue rings, nip shields, stretching claws. Also clothes from Dickies, Iron Fist, and Tripp along with megaton of t-shirts.

Shrimpton Couture

lilah wild — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 18:26:25 +0000

Vintage that specializes in high-end, drop-dead glamour, from the Victorian/Edwardian era up through the present day. Flapper shawls, clingy starlet gowns, New Look party dresses, glitzy coats, Pucci maxis, with a reworked section that harmonizes these disparate periods together into sweet new creations. The accessories page is full of unusual detours from all-retro styling, preferring a bold, modern look that veers between delicate and rugged: obi belts, body harnesses, rings flaunting chunks of sparkling rock, modern neck ruffs, and chain/fringe necklaces that are as stunning as they are gigantic.