ModCloth Contest Results!

June 16th, 2009

Wow, reading through all your awesome (and very inspiring!) comments for my ModCloth contest was so much fun! So many of you painted such perfect pictures of summer, from super casual days at the beach hiding out behind sunglasses and enjoying the salty air to running through meadows barefoot with flowers all around you, of course coming back home to a perfect little cabin with lemonade and pie… I mean, seriously, you guys! I could daydream for hours based on these perfect imagined days.

So many of us are on the same page when it comes to our summer wardrobe wishes. Lots of boaters, gingham, florals, light colors, stripes, shorts, lovely floaty fabrics, and the 20’s to 50’s are super popular, especially the outfits that teenagers would have worn during those times. Attitudes and moods range from super romantic and wistful (think Picnic at Hanging Rock!), to cheeky, carefree and fun (flappers at the beach anyone?). Summer is pretty awesome, I think we can all agree on that.

That being said, it was SOOOO hard to choose a winner! Since the question was so open, naturally there is a lot of variety in the answers! I went back and forth over my favorites and changed my mind a million times until I finally settled on one comment that not only rang true for me, but inspired me as well! So, the winner is….

Here’s what she said:

“I am inspired by all the beautiful prints and knits in ‘The Edge of Love’ with Kiera Knightly and Sienna Miller. I love what they wear in this photograph. And also can’t stop looking at the incredible dresses found in Kenzo’s Spring/summer collection. The fabrics are so soft and flowing and the prints are just fabulous! I also think that the ankle-swinging suits are really cute!

However, Recently I’m trying to get inspired by all sorts, things outside of fashion and clothing. I’m looking at nature in different ways. Like for example, I adore ranunculus, so I’d love to create a dress that says to an onlooker something that matches to how I feel when I look at these flowers. I’d like to reflect the tights layers and delicacy, but also maybe use colours as soft and emotive as these flowers.
So that is how I am looking at things at the moment. I’ve got 5 notebooks and sketchpads and I wont leave without them because I want to feel inspired, I need to feel inspired.”

Kenzo spring/summer collection

In terms of the outfits that Holly posted, they really conjure up a timeless, nostalgic summer- breezy, romantic colors and flower prints that look like blossoms that have been pressed into a book and rediscovered a century after their plucking. Seeing the film still of the two girls sitting by the ocean really reminded me of some summers I spent on Vancouver Island, where it isn’t too hot and you still might want to wear a cardigan when it cools off at night. In the summer time tends to lose its meaning, especially when you are younger and don’t have school or work, so you can laugh and waste time with your best friends without having to worry about responsibilities. I also think it’s so important and awesome to find inspiration from non-clothing sources, and plants are a perfect, ideal example! So many plants are at their best in the summer months, and they have such a unique, mysterious (unless you are a science pro) beauty that is fleeting, like summer itself.

You should definitely follow the link in Holly’s comment to the Kenzo website, because the opening to the show is so awesome. The set for the show is full of huge dusty old botanical books, and the models are like little walking flower creatures who lifted straight out of the pages. So unique, and I hadn’t seen it before. Thanks Holly, for inspiring me with your inspirations! Get in touch so that I can send out your prize!

This post wouldn’t be complete without a collection of some of the other images that were posted in the comments (amongst film, music, and other recommendations too, thank you for those as well!), so here are some collages of the things you submitted! I have to apologize for not crediting the image sources, I copied the files to my computer and now am not sure where they came from, although some are in my flickr favorites, so you could look there. A couple people even made super cute outfit collages, which are very fun.

Thanks so much to ModCloth and everyone who entered, it was so fun!

50’s swimsuits, primary colors, the 50’s, vintage sundresses!

More awesome retro swimwear!

Romantic florals, dark but sweet prints, wearing flowers in your hair.

Easy, sweet outfits inspired by Jane Austen and other classic figures!

A collection of outfits that could get you through an entire summer!

More lovely florals, exploring nature in fields, cabins, lakes and streams.

See all the comments and explore the images here!

Entry Filed under: Uncategorized