The Retro Blog

I’m always keeping my eyes open for inexpensive ways to go retro, so this atomic style clock made from easily found items jumped out at me. Very cute! [via craft]

Ok, so maybe it’s a little late to be getting a 2008 calendar, but hey, they’re free and they feature some nice mid-century designs. While there you can check out other Blue Ant Studio products like posters featuring retro furniture silhouettes. [via apartment therapy]

I’m not really what you’d call a “gamer.” Real geeks tend to laugh in my face when I tell them the only modern system I own is a Wii. As such, I don’t really pay attention to the release of new games, but this clever little ad caught my attention. It’s a trailer for a [...]

The term pin up girl was invented to describe scantily clad women in magazine photos that men could cut out and pin up to their walls. As time went by you were almost as likely to see a retro looking pin up model on somebody’s body as on a soldier’s locker. Pin up girls are [...]

Speaking of bullet planters, Apartment Therapy has pointed out that Hip Haven is having a sale on their retro reproduction plant holders. Enter the code “HIPHAVENPLANTER” at checkout now through July 7th to save 15%

Last night I saw Wall-E, the latest Pixar film, and I highly recommend it to just about everyone. Pixar has a long tradition of retro influence in their films. Wall-E is a rare exception, but they made up for it with these exquisite posters by artist Eric Tan. Modeled after the old Disney ride [...]

The Automata Blog jus posted an entry about these new Hallmark cards that have a little crank that brings them to life. I dig the retro party happening here. Apparently it plays music too. I haven’t actually seen one on the streets, though, despite having just gone card shopping. (Happy birthday, Dad)! Hopefully I’ll get [...]

Old electronics are some of the easiest retro items to find at garage sales, thrift stores and the like. People are quick to do away with their vintage electronics because they seem so incompatible with modern technology. If you’re in the mood for a little “do it yourself,” however, there are a lot of great [...]

What’s more retro-fabulous than towing a Vespa behind a classic VW Beetle? Towing it on a VW Beetle styled trailer. I imagine this rig wasn’t cheap, but it sure looks nice. They also get points for the chrome luggage rack on the car. Who knew Beetles had so much power? [via neatorama]

Barbie’s done just about everything a girl can do. She’s been an astronaut, driven a camper, and worked at McDonalds. One thing Mattel has forgotten to do has been to make Barbie get attacked by birds. Oh wait, now she’s getting attacked by birds. This stylishly retro dressed Tippy Hedron Barbie comes complete with a [...]

I can barely stitch up a hole in a pair of pants, but I’ve always had secret aspirations to sew elaborate retro dresses. Maybe someday I’ll hunker down and learn how to sew something other than a straight line, and at this time Sew Retro will become a resource rather than an envy inducer. It’s [...]

Artist Chris Reccardi has contributed to such wonderful animated shows as Ren & Stimpy and Samurai Jack. These shows regularly exceeded my expectations and showed how fantastic televised animation could be. (Seriously, you might think Ren & Stimpy is all booger jokes, but I think more effort went into the animation of that show than [...]

On my trip to Japan a couple of months ago, I kept noticing that all the supremely hip Tokyo girls were sporting the exact same set of green headphones. Turns out they’re called Panasonic RP-HTX7 headphones. They have a gorgeous retro flare with their moderately large size, rounded ear covers, and metal size adjusters. Unfortunately, [...]

This week MoCo Loco brings to our attention two modern artists that make retro style art with a twist.

First is Lauren Bergman, an artist who paints mid century women in their typical manner (pin-up girls and domestic goddesses), but adds a touch of post-modern irony. Her subjects look stunning and optimistic despite standing near dead [...]

I’ve waxed poetic about my preference for retro tv styles in the past, but here’s one way to get a retro look while staying high tech. The Wilkerson M21 is a flat panel LCD tv built into a vintage style wooden stand. Looks like an excellent idea for getting your HDTV to match your Danish [...]

Retro styled swimsuits can be pretty pricey, but with a little sewing knowledge (or at least a really good friend with some sewing knowledge) you can make your own. Craftster user ecinahs3000 has posted a tutorial on how to make your on 50’s style bathing suit. Just make sure you pair it with a nice [...]

Flickr user DSchrubbe managed to squeeze a modern computer and flat screen monitor into the guts of a 1957 television. I’m jealous. Despite their great efforts, even macs don’t look this good. [via make]

The Diana camera was first produced in the 1960’s, and became a favorite among artists who celebrated the photographic flaws it frequently produced. Made entirely of cheap plastic, (including the lens), the camera often suffered from light leaks and blurry images. Now, of course, every hipster and their mother wants one. The reissue, called the [...]

When I picture vintage pet carriers, horrible wooden pet prison boxes come to mind. People of the past were not especially kind to their dogs and cats, and when I see old cages they look more like traps than carriers. Thankfully, you can now get a retro styled pet carrier that doesn’t look a thing [...]

If you’re into retro 50’s and 60’s styled art, you’ll probably recognize the work of Shag. Shag is Josh Agle, a 45 year old artist working in the medium of swank. His paintings, typically done in acrylic on wood panels, show a lot of parties you wish you were invited to. Bachelors impress their dates [...]

When I saw that today is Audrey Hepburn’s birthday, it got me thinking about what a fashion forward lady she was. How might one go about emulating her style? This is where one needs to point one’s browser to That’s So Boss, a blog where the writer gives you a clip of a retro film [...]

The other day my sister was telling me about how she got ripped off on some fabric she bought at a store in Seattle. My response is the internet is your friend. Reprodepot fabrics has been around for awhile, and although their selection of mid-century designs has declined in the last few years, it still [...]

There’s a new site called Vintagraph that has an excellent collection of retro PSA’s, military posters, illustrations, travel posters, and more. The site gives you information about how and why the poster was produced (a rarity these days) and makes them available to purchase as fine art prints on museum quality paper for quite reasonable [...]

Tired of being unable to afford revamping your house with stylish designer furniture? Well at least you can enact your dreams in miniature. I found large collections of dollhouse sized mid-century modern furniture at Tokyu Hands, a chain department store in Japan specializing in a DIY lifestyle. I guess the DIY part here is how [...]

The Japanese are known for frequently picking a subculture and getting fanatical about it. One such subculture is Rockabilly. Every Sunday in Yoyogi park in Tokyo, a bunch of middle aged guys get together and dance to 1950’s American music. Like a lot of Japanese subcultures, they seem like a parody of the real [...]

I have a hard time advising anyone to visit an online store that has an entire section devoted to clothes for burning man, but they have enough retro clothes that I can’t dismiss Babygirl Boutique entirely. Their Rockabilly and pin-up section is worth a look. It’s a lot like Daddy-O’s, but it’s got some better [...]

Most modern novelty phones are out of the realm of this blog. They’re typically a bit tacky. Go to most “retro” stores and you’ll find loads of Coke phones and cats with swinging tale phones. This Marilyn Monroe phone, however goes beyond just the usual flavor of tacky to extreme tacky, and therefore I will [...]

Ladies and Gentlemen: I bring you “Italian Spiderman,” allegedly a recently rediscovered film from 1968. This Spiderman seems a million times more entertaining than the Tobey McGuire incarnation. It seems a lot bloodier, too. And with a lot more zooms. One of the first things they teach you in film school is that zooms are [...]

I love my digital camera to death, but modern cameras, like a lot of things, lack the design flair that cameras of the past had. Enter new Rolleiflex MiniDigi. The camera is a tiny, 5 megapixel version of the 1929 original. It still takes pictures in the square format and the crank now acts to [...]

I’m constantly finding myself at junk stores, thrift shops, and garage sales looking at broken bits of things and thinking about how I might use them in some kind of decorating or animation project. Guy Robot makes for a great source of inspiration. The artist crafts retro junk into the cutest little robots you’ve ever [...]

I always prefer old ads to new, but what about old ads featuring the new? Worth 1000 recently hosted a contest in which entrants photoshopped new products into retro ads, and the results are a lot of fun.

I’ve always wanted a sidecar. I’ve never had much interest in motorcycles, but sidecars, that’s a whole other story. It’s just too bad I can’t have the sidecar without the motorcycle. Whereas motorcycles have been updated to modern design styles, sidecars still retain the beauty of their pre-1950’s heyday. I think I’m a sucker for [...]

While most people are abuzz with rumors about the upcoming Batman film, there are some of us who still prefer our dark knight with Adam West and more than a touch of camp. I can’t really picture Christian Bale saying “let’s go, Robin. We’ve set another youth on the road to a brighter tomorrow,” which [...]

Daddy-O’s is one of those online stores I visit frequently but have no intention of buying anything. It’s just that I don’t wear dresses often. And by often I mean ever. Regardless, a lot of their dresses are simply divine and the Bettie Page look alike model doesn’t hurt either. The cute stuff’s typically in [...]

Quack has a designer table concept inspired by our favorite era. There’s so much to love about it: atomic legs, flying saucer top, snacks! [via mocoloco]

The Baby Bugatii is a replica of a 1927 pedal car that looks so nice I think I’d like to use it to run errands. It would go well with an Amelia Earhart aviator cap, a nice set of goggles, and a long black scarf. Yes, in my mind I’m accessorizing a pedal car that [...]