The Cursed Italian Dreamtown

Here at MessyNessyChic, we can’t get enough of abandoned places, can we? It’s what brings us all together, a mysterious passion we share that none of us can really quite explain… Today’s story takes us to the incredible setting of an abandoned medieval village located in the region of Basilicata, about 25 miles inland…

The Mexican Subculture That Celebrates Bad Hair Days

We all have bad hair days, whether its uncooperative hairlines or one too many rounds with the hair curler, most of us would rather just stay the f**k indoors. But in the city of Monterrey in Mexico, an urban subculture known as the Cholombians have taken most people’s idea of a very, very bad hair…

Before Photoshop: Vogue Cover Illustrations

Does anyone else find fashion more special when it’s illustrated? I think it brings out that childish innocence of interest in fashion before we ever worried about what it might do for our figures. Lovingly scanned one by one from The Art of Vogue Covers by South African blogger MissMoss, these art deco Vogue illustrations…

The Abandoned Ruins given New Life

I can’t help but notice a rapidly growing trend happening in architecture that involves giving new life to what may look like the most hopeless of ruins. Ever since I showed you the modern Scottish home built within a 150 year-old abandoned farmhouse, I’ve been hugely intrigued by these modern interventions of age old crumbling…

London Olympic Games Opening Ceremony in 1948: Modest but still Proud

Last night I logged onto my Facebook and saw my newsfeed overwhelmed with status updates of London-based or British friends about how proud they were to be Londoners. The opening ceremony for the Olympics had just aired on television and the Queen had apparently made her entrance by parachuting out of a helicopter with James…

TRAVEL P0RN: 10 Hard to Reach Places

1. Church on a Rock. In the Seventh Century, monks built a monastery on the top of a natural stone pillar outside of Chiatura, Georgia. It was used by the Stylites — Christian ascetics who lived on top of pillars to express their devotion. That sect is now extinct, but the monastery is still…

Suave 1960s Men’s Cologne Ad is too suave and French for you to handle

I was watching the newly released documentary Mansome last night (definitely rent it on iTunes) and on the subject of the history of men’s grooming products, they showed a few quick clips of old cologne commercials. One stood out in particular, with the narrator’s thick French accent and a scenario straight out of a James…

13 Things I Found on the Internet Today (Title a work in progress)

1. Instasham via here A note from Nessy: Hey guys, you’ll have to forgive I’m feeling a little under the weather this week. Remember how I mentioned that I broke both my arms the other week and I said that just going to get on with it and be brave? Well … I take it…

Stay at this beautiful Portuguese Hostel … that’s right, I said HOSTEL!

Let me be the first one to admit that when traveling, I have always steered clear of hostels. I’ve forever kept this image of a horribly grimy hostel in London that I would often pass by when I lived there and shudder at the thought. But that was before I laid my eyes on the…

The Secret City of London (which is not part of London) Explained!

I lived in London for just over 25 years and I have to admit, I never really understood what was the damn deal with the City of London. And it was even harder to explain to non-Londoners when they asked… because even Londoners are confused about. Here is a wonderfully frank, semi-sarcastic explanation for dummies…