Here's hoping you're having a delightful start of the weekend, unfortunately mine has been tainted by the horrible weather that keeps threatening to make what's left of my cold worsen. So, and being "stuck" at home, I had the same impulse most of us do on free time - turn on the computer and check those websites you can't stay away from too long. After all, the days we'd put the kettle on and write a letter are bygone, and in the digital age we demand fast, easy, new content. Indeed, most of us use Facebook, Twitter, or even Blogger/Wordpress to share our day to day likes, dislikes and musings but conventional Social Networking is hardly what I want to tell you about. A Social Network being, by definition, a place to find friends and meet people with common interests it'd be the obvious conclusion there should be some for retro & vintage lovers - at least to the creators of these three I'm highlighting in my post today.
What: "VintageVictory.com is the place to be and be seen. Come and join the VintageVictory.com community for vintage culture, vintage content and vintage commerce! We invite you to come shopping in the VV Marketplace! Are you looking for that special vintage piece, that hard to find item, or simply want to browse for inspiration and something unique? Then please check out the VV Marketplace."
I Say: VV's layout has won me from the first look, being vintage-y and fun and reflecting a bit of what this vintage lifestyle oriented website and community is all about. They also set apart for having a Marketplace feature, a great way to find new shops or sell your vintage items. I love the dynamic fashion in which they organise the interesting content from the Home Page and through the Community so I keep checking for updates and delighting with the sights of the photograph gallery - the way I see it, new as VV may be, is an fantastic platform for every sort of vintage fan to keep up with!
What: "We are the new vintage. Uniting the Pinup industry, from lace to latex.
PinupLifestyle.com is the world's premiere online community for Pinup, Rockabilly, Vintage, Glamour, and Burlesque culture. From lace to latex, we've got it all! PL is visited daily by the industry's top models, publications, photographers, vendors, and artists from all over the world."
I Say: The layout is simple, the website is easy to navigate and user friendly; everything is so well organised you can find what you're looking for in a wink, be it hair and make-up tips, style discussion, pin up photography competitions or a casting call! Besides, you can personalise your own page with backgrounds and links with a variety of settings available. They're definately the social network for pin up style lovers.
What: "Welcome to the social network for QueensOfVintage.com, the daily global glossy mag for vintage fashion & interiors lovers. Indulge, ladies."
I Say: Despite its potencial, the Queens of Vintage Social Network hasn't as many users or frequently updated contents as the other networks, nevertheless being easy to navigate and full of yummy vintage fashion and lifestyle tips and tricks. My favourites on the forum are definitely the fashion, beauty, books and film posts. But this sort of website lives off user content and so I'm sure once QueensofVintage.com is back to full steam publishing a lot more users will appear and, consequently, generate more great reads and discussions. All in all, I say it's one to keep an eye out for in the future!
What's your favourite Vintage Social Networking website?
Did you know these? What are your views on them?
I'll be looking forward to hearing from you all on this topic. I'll be working away on some more posts, meanwhile, so don't go too far!