I have to tell you about my new clothing crush!! I am a lover and admirer of online clothing stores like Ruche Clothing and ModCloth. This new online store is called Avenle (as in Avonlea, the fictional town from the Anne of Green Gables series by L.M. Montgomery--my all time favorite books).


There are so many things to love about this store (and I am not getting paid to say this--it is all my personal opinion and infatuation):

-It was founded by two best friends, kindred spirits to be exact. Andrea and Elizabeth are the Avenle Duo and the epitome of best friends. They even have matching anchor tattoos on one of their fingers. The totally grown up version of the BFF heart necklaces.

-They have cute clothes that no one else has. There are four distinct "Avenle Girls" but you can mix and match between Edgy, Boho, Classic, and Chic.

-Their packaging is done with great care. I feel like a friend sent me a package, not a business.

-They have impeccable taste. Avenle even works with Indie designers around the world and features their work in their carefully curated shop.

-There are faces behind the name. I know a company is supposed to appeal to general public, but I love that this company is personal. I love that I know who these fabulous girls are and feel like I am somehow in a community.

-Their tagline is "Avenle: For the Modern Girl with the Vintage Soul" which I kid you not was one of my personal taglines for my art, though I have not publicized that.

Here are a few images from their Lookbook:

I bought one of their dresses and fell in love! So not only do I identify with their aesthetic, I was also impressed with their product. I bought this hummingbird dress and was pleased with the quality and the cuteness!

These are some of my favorites! I just received the blue Lily Beth dress and I am in loooove.

You should follow their Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and you should definitely go check out their site! ;)

I have known about Polyvore for some time and how you could put together adorable little collections from clothing articles, but I never played with it till now. I am having so much fun putting together fashion boards based on paintings I have made. This is my Spring Reader painting paired with a matching outfit and accessories.

This is like playing paper dolls for grown ups!




How to use Polyvore for your business:

You can easily do this with your own artwork or products. I have read articles wherein artists were upset that their work was being used on this site, but I think it is just another avenue to expose people to your work.



All you need to do create an account, download the "clip to polyvore" button for your browser (just like Pinterest!), go to your site and start "clipping" your products.



If you are clipping it yourself you will know that it will link back to YOUR site, thus getting you exposure, and you are given credit and not some random Tumblr page. Another bonus is that if you "clip" something and someone uses it, Polyvore will let you know. You can actually keep tabs on it and see the beautiful sets that other people create using your items!



After you have clipped you can "create" a collection designed around your piece. You can pin it to Pinterest, share on your blog, share what OTHERS have created using your works....I am sure the list is endless. I am still new to this, but this is what I have learned and thought about it so far!




Another tip:

Comment on other people's collections! Push the like button! Engage with other users. Push "Follow" when people "Follow" you! You can learn a lot by looking at how others put together their collages. The more I play with it, the more I believe putting a collage together is its own art form!

This is my Friends and Umbrellas painting and collection.

I am sure I will be adding more collections to my Polyvore page. If you have one I would love to follow you!

It's a Good Day Typewriter painting paired with an adorable LC Lauren Conrad dress (I own the black sleeveless version. LOVE!)

A set to go with the feel of my Tropical Flowers painting.




So what are you doing with Polyvore? I saw you can make room collections, but I have a feeling the options are endless.