InstaLove: RosieLondoner

Rosie is a Fashion & Lifestyle blogger based in London, England. She was the very first blogger that I really started to follow religiously because her writing style made me feel like we were friends chatting over a cuppa or a casual cocktail and because I could pretend I was in exotic places with her like the Maldives and Morocco.

If you like puns (sometimes good, sometimes bad), designers like Chanel, YSL and Mulberry, beautiful travel photos, delicious recipes and cute dogs then you need to follow Rosie. You can find her on Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter and on her website.

Also, if you're interested in blogging, she has written a great guide for how to get started which you can check out here.

-D.

InstaLove: Theasvintage

Happy FRIYAY!!! M-L here. We are having SO MUCH FUN with our daily InsaLoves. If you were to get on my computer and check out what I am looking at and lusting over, you would find a lot of 70's vibes and easy to wear pieces. I feel like this is my time when it comes to vintage fashion- I adore blouses that hang and flow, while remaining feminine and pretty.  Oversize short dresses, maxi skirts, denim and scarves are among some of my style staples.  Today I am delighted to introduce you to Thea's Vintage. Thea's is out of Stockholm, Sweden. It is an online shop that ships worldwide and offers a gorgeous array of vintage and consciously and ethically made clothing. Check out some of my tops picks for purchase here: www.theasvintage.com

                                                                 BLOMMIG HAORI

LILA KUTCHI AFGHANI KLÄNNING

GRÖN INDISK SILKES SJAL

Thea's Instagram is just brilliant. It is like sweet, sweet candy to my eyes. The colors, the vibe, the and style evoke such a pleasant feeling as I scroll through. Wondering who Thea is? The store pug. I mean, come ON! 

Find them at #theasvintage

All the love!

InstaLove: Shop State of Grace

State of Grace is a premium loungewear line that was founded and designed by two friends from Vancouver, B. C. who wanted to create clothing for life's less graceful moments. State of Grace sells tank tops, joggers, sweatshirts and accessories all printed with hilarious quotes like "Quitting life and becoming Gigi Hadid", "My mood is food", "What would Kylie do?" and "My dog is cooler than you", just to name a few.

If you like pizza, wine, netflix and have an inappropriate sense of humour, you need State of Grace in your life.  

Instagram: @shopstateofgrace

Website: shopstateofgrace.com

Designer Showcase: Balenciaga

We have a serious Balenciaga crush going on at MC at the moment. We see Balenciaga bags during our buying trips every now and then but, when we went to NYC last month we hit the jackpot, (meaning we landed four of these highly coveted bags!) which is why we decided to feature the brand in our Designer Showcase this week. 

Balenciaga is a European luxury fashion house that creates ready-to-wear collections for men and women. The brand was founded in 1919 by Cristobal Balenciaga (1895-1972) and defined many of the greatest movements in fashion from the 1930s to the 1960s.

Today, the brand is most famous for its line of motorcycle purses which come in every size, shape and color you could ever want (and some you didn't even know you wanted).

Balenciaga bags are so highly coveted because they are made from the softest, thinest, and most lightweight leather available. These bags feel like buttah but don't let that fool you, these babies are extremely durable. Also, every bag has a unique appearance; you'll find different lines, wrinkles, folds and smooth spots in the leather of each purse which means that no two bags are identical. One final fun fact about these gorgeous bags is that each one comes with an attached compact mirror.

Check out the link below for a blog post that sums up why this brand is a personal favourite of MC owner, and self-proclaimed bag addict, MLT. Her favourite reason: girly, but tough!

http://www.purseblog.com/balenciaga/5-reasons-why-everyone-should-own-a-balenciaga-bag/

Purses we scored in NYC last month (left to right): Matrix Parachute bag in Vert Fonce, Matelasse Quilted Bowling Bag in Ivory, Le Dix Motorcycle Lariat bag in Ivory, Large Motorcycle City bag in Black.

Designer Showcase: Rag & Bone

Rag & Bone was created in 2002 by two British expats, Marcus Wainwright and David Neville, because they couldn't seem to find a decent pair of jeans in New York, where they were living at the time. The influence of both countries can be seen in the way each Rag & Bone piece melds classic British tailoring with an edgy yet understated New York aesthetic.

Since 2002, the two men have grown Rag & Bone into a global brand that embodies easy chic and effortless cool. Even the celebrities love it! Everyone from Kendall Jenner and Kate Moss to Jessica Alba and Kate Bosworth can be spotted wearing pieces from the brand’s collections - if a celebrity is wearing a hat, there is a good chance it’s Rag & Bone.

Also, as a consumer, it’s great to know that each piece of Rag & Bone’s clothing, shoes and accessories collections is impeccably crafted from the finest materials available and approached from a form of function design standpoint – so you know you’re going to be getting the best bang for your buck!  

Today rag & bone operates 20 stores worldwide along with its e-commerce site at www.rag-bone.com and has won many prestigious awards including the 2007 Swarovski Award for emerging talent in Menswear, and the 2010 Council of Fashion Designers of America (CDFA) Menswear Designers of the Year.

Oh, and in case you were wondering, the label is named after the English “rag and bone” man who collected unwanted items.

Today's InstaLove: Ally Valentine

Happy Hump Day, Citizens! Are you addicted to Instagram? Us too. Mostly, we love looking at style posts. "Outfit of the day" (#ootd) posts bring so much inspiration- how does this person wear their oversized scarves?  Boyfriend jeans? Mini backpacks? Or in Ally Valentine's case, her vintage Louis Vuitton bags and Chanel accessories.





Ally Valentine has been a social media favourite of mine for several years now. It started with finding her YouTube channel when I was researching a pre loved handbag. I have since gone back to the beginning and watched all of her videos, and I now follow all of her social media outlets. What I really love about Ally is that she is queen at wearing high end pieces in an achievable way. Not only does girl work hard, she has many videos explaining the purchasing process of a high end item, things to consider, how to save- and what to sacrifice. She thinks long and hard about investing in true blue pieces, and all things "Trendy" are shopped from places like Zara, Topshop, JCrew, etc. She knows how to throw together something old, with something new. Something high end, with something inexpensive.  I personally love her mostly neutral palette with pops of color and interesting detail. I feel like I can really relate to her style because she too tends to reach for a classic feminine style, and will occasionally rock her look out with a spiked Louboutin or 90's inspired kicks.

We love Ally. We want to be like Ally. Follow Ally.

Instagram: missallyv
YouTube: Ally Valentine
Blog: allyvalentine.co.uk

A demain, my tiny clotheshorses !
M-L

We're sorry. We've missed you! We're back.

Photo credit : jess & jana 

Featured clothing- vintage Pucci maxi, vintage hat, Dior handbag.

We owe you a huge apology. We have taken this last year to revamp, and that meant putting a few things on hold. We have had a lot of change here at Model Citizens. From bigger and more bountiful NYC trips, to developing an online store, to new ownership- it has been a BIG year.  But the blog is back baby. Call me old school, but there's something about reaching out to our clients that I just love.

First of all, for those who don't me- i'm Mari-Lynn, but my friends know me as M-L. I have been involved with Model Citizens since it's first year of operation (7+ years ago!!!). I am terrible with names, but I don't forget any of your faces- and it's likely i've met most of you! If we haven't met yet, let's fix that. I'm around the shop Tuesday-Saturdays. If i'm not in, i'm likely off researching, sourcing and buying the treasures you'll find in the shop. Stop in and say hi! If i'm not there, leave a note :).

In January of this year I switched roles from Operations Manager/Buyer to Owner. What an exciting time! The previous owner and my old boss happened to become my best friend. So yes, starting my little part time job at MC 7 years ago has really paid off. I love the world of fashion and style, and I believe in the business of resale. I am so thrilled to have the opportunity to take this business to the next level. We have been so lucky to come this far in such a short period of time- and we know we have the best clients and staff there is. So, on that note. THANK YOU! Hugest, deepest, sincerest, chocolate-iest thank you to each and every one of you who've purchased a designer dress, happened upon the perfect vintage shoe, attended any of our events, read any of our articles, voted for us in any contests we've participated in. Wether you are a weekly regular, or you've only been once- we could not exist without you, let alone kick butt doing it. We have built and solidified a fantastic team here at MC. We are working hard and long to make sure to bring you the most unique, personal and fulfilling shopping experience in the city. You know how we roll, there's always something new, and there's lots coming your way.

As always, stay stylish and stay tuned
M-L
XO