Jackie's Stylings: Old School Maps and Globes as Fashion Inspiration

I love maps of every kind, whether street maps, subway maps, world globes, star charts, treasure maps, nautical charts, topographical maps…you get the picture. I especially enjoy looking at maps that are a little quirky, the ones with interesting landmarks, notations and figurative elements. Even with Google Streetview and GPS maps, I still prefer the paper variety even if they are the ‘impossible to fold back up again’ type. Of course, aside from how useful maps are, there’s also the fact that they are incredibly beautiful. It’s fascinating all of the detail and information maps hold, all the careful research that goes into each one. Sometimes it’s the contours of the landscape that mesmerize me, and other times I get absorbed in the place names. And the historical perspective a particular map represents…you can trace the changes a place has undergone through a look at the maps drawn for it….amazing!

When map prints show up in clothing form, I get a little starry eyed. There’s something old fashioned and vintage but also ‘of the time’ about clothing featuring map prints. I’ve also seen a lot of unique dresses made from actual maps, such as these gorgeous ones. For more wearable maps, below is a collection of some of my favorite examples of maps as fashion that I’ve seen in recent years. (Note: Some of the items shown are still available but there are also several that are almost impossible to track down like the Ana Sui Map of the World skirt that continues to evade me).