What is resort fashion, anyway? From what I can tell on the runways, resort can mean anything from a stylish swimsuit and cover up, to a crisp yellow suit (straight from Balmain's 2013 resort collection!) Resort fashion is alternatively called, "cruise wear", which I take to include anything you can wear on vacation. No matter where your destination, beach or mountain, land or sea, city or country, resort wear is all about fun, leisure, and good times.

On the runway for the 2013 resort collections, we saw so many of the trends hot right now, in 2012: jumpsuits, pastels, and leather were popular across the board, as well as peplum, which made a huge comeback in stores this spring, and seems to be sticking around in our wardrobes well into the new year. In this summer's installment of "Runway to Retro", I've put the creations of haute couturiers like Balmain (as mentioned), and Tsumori Chisato up against their vintage versions, from some of our favorite online vintage shops. Runway to Retro: Resort 2013 is all about how to recreate run-a-way looks with retro fashions. It is, after all, vacation season!

It's the rare occasion that I'm surrounded by vintage clothing and don't feel the need to dig for treasures. Anyone who shops vintage knows that a certain amount of patience, energy, and curiosity is required to find even one piece perfect for you when you're confronted by tons of options, all distinct, all special, and all antique. Normally, I love this game. But one Sunday afternoon, summer of 2011, I was at one of the biggest vintage clothing sales in town, and I didn't feel like shopping. I sat on a bar stool close to the dressing room and watched my friends try on piece after piece, doing that vintage shopping dance of finding something great, trying it on, realizing it doesn't fit, or the fabric's weird, then trying again, until...eureka!! You have found the perfect cocktail dress, high-waisted jean, or rock tee.

As I sat wondering where my shopping mojo had gone, my eye kept wandering to a headless mannequin just across the room, sporting the loudest neon 80's bikini top I had ever seen. The shop owner advised me that it was the only top she had left, and that it wasn't being sold with a bottom. An idea sparked. All I had to do was find a few cheap, plain bikini bottoms and that one top, with its rainbow of candy colors, could outfit a week of sunbathing, at least. The mannequin was left topless, and an obsession with vintage swimsuits was born. Read More...

The printed sundress is  summer wardrobe staple. We all want to be feminine and flirty, which automatically brings to mind florals. But your summer swagger should go beyond that. In vintage you'll find big, bold graphics from the 80's, the best in bohemian chic ethnic prints from the 70's, and slick, modernist color blocks from the 70's. I, for one, have a soft spot for loud 90's chain link prints. The type of thing typical in the track suit jackets of the day. This brings us to the subject of this post--how to wear vintage prints this summer. From the recycled tribal prints of contemporary designer, Novella Royale, to the out-all-night appeal of a vintage kimono jacket,  8 Ways to Wear Prints teaches vintage style, new tricks. Anymore ideas for vintage summertime print wearing? Tell us in the comments section below!

If you've you've been toying with the idea of going vintage for a while, and don't know where to start, we've got the perfect point of entry: handbags. From eco-luxe clutches to designer 'it' bags, vintage shops have the best options when it comes to quality bags at affordable prices. Of course, a Hermes Birkin bag will always be the price of a month's rent in a major city center, vintage or not, but 60's or 70's Chanel and Gucci print bags, for instance, can be found for less than the price of a gourmet meal for 1! As an avid handbag lover and collector, I'm always looking for colors, prints, and shapes that no one else will be wearing. So, some of my earliest (and best!) purchases were vintage! Wear your style on your sleeve this spring/summer season. Check out our list of Vintage Bags for Every Occasion, where, and what to wear them with. Weigh in in our comments section. Have you ever bought a vintage bag? What was your experience?