Weekly fashion indicators: dust off your old favorites

(courtesy of Target)

This week's rankings on Polyvore are a prime example of history (and fashion) repeating itself: from labels' comebacks - thanks to 'cool' designer collaborations - to trends such as platform heels re-entering the hot lists: save shopping for another week and browse through your existing wardrobe instead.

Judging from the site's top ten brands, all the partnerships Liberty of London racked up recently (they included MAC, Target, and international concept stores, among others) paid off: the traditional British label is back, entering the charts in sixth place. The popularity is already being reflected in sales, by the way, with almost all Target stores in the US having sold out of the collection.

However, the biggest winner in brands this week is the equally British label Mulberry, which doesn't only top the brand top ten but also the online site listing, indicating the luxe label's ability to use new media to its advantage. Burberry, which follows on Mulberry's heels, is one of the pioneers in this field (Facebook, The Art of the Trench, etc).

Also interesting in brands: the new generation's 'shoe guru' is neither Christian Louboutin nor Manolo Blahnik; it's Nicholas Kirkwood, who has built a name with high-profile designer collaborations including for Rodarte and has been popping up in these rankings regularly in recent months.

Almost all of the listed trends - from bustier tops to over-the-knee socks, from bows to striped dresses - are having a deja-vu moment on Polyvore (and not only here, of course), which should make trend-conscious dressing easier and cheaper this week.

As for celebrities, the community is moving from high-fashion (just a few top models, such as Jessica Stam, are found here this week) to pop culture, with Lady Gaga and Gossip Girl's and Twilight's leading characters dominating the top ten.

Top Brands
1. Mulberry (re-entry)
2. Burberry Prorsum (no change)
3. 3.1 Phillip Lim (+2)
4. Alexander McQueen (-1)
5. Balmain (+4)
6. Liberty of London (new)
7. Marc Jacobs (re-entry)
8. Alexander Wang (re-entry)
9. Nicholas Kirkwood (+1)
10. Christian Dior (re-entry)

Top Sites
1. mulberry.com (re-entry)
2. calypso-celle.com (+8)
3. lagarconne.com (+1)
4. alexisbittar.com (re-entry)
5. raffaello-network.com (new)
6. kirnazabete.com (re-entry)
7. joanshepp.com (new)
8. tarinatarantino.com (re-entry)
9. bunnyhug.co.uk (new)
10. georgianjewelry.com (-4)

Top Celebrities
1. Audrey Hepburn (no change)
2. Lady Gaga (+1)
3. Kristen Stewart (+2)
4. Anja Rubik (-2)
5. Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen (+1)
6. Jessica Stam (-2)
7. Emma Watson (+2)
8. Blake Lively (-1)
9. Taylor Momsen (+1)
10. Leighton Meester (re-entry)

Top Trends
1. slouchy t-shirts (re-entry)
2. striped dresses (re-entry)
3. bustier tops (re-entry)
4. over the knee socks (re-entry)
5. pleated pants (new)
6. peacock feathers (re-entry)
7. oversized clutches (no change)
8. brogue shoes (re-entry)
9. bows (re-entry)
10. platform heels (re-entry)

Polyvore, which lets users express their current fashion preferences in the form of collages, receives five million individual visits a month.

http://www.polyvore.com