http://www.modcloth.com/ 
http://www.frankie.com.au/
http://www.thefinderskeepers.com/
http://www.worldsweetworld.com/
http://www.madebywhite.com
I was familiar with most of these sites before this project, and was fond to their design concepts and principles. These aesthetical features are what most drew me towards these sites, combined with my my own idea of what my 'National Folk Festival' website should look like.
7 key characteristics that are shared by these website are therefore mostly visual. they are as followed;
1) Picture design
Each website shares the same basic principle in their picture choice. for example, each website uses a combination of both illustrated and photographic images, and these images themselves are very soft in appearance, lightly coloured and sparely used on the page to create a clean cut appearance. I am ecpecially interested in this charcteristic as im keen to use my own illustrations in my web design.
2) Listing of main categories
Each website (save the modcloth website) uses a horizontal bar at the top of the page to list each of the sites main catergories (eg: home, shop, join). Modcloth still uses this same principle, though on a veritcal angle. i find this features, though very simple, extreamly important for navigational reasons (Steve Krugs trunk test).
3) Minimal design
Each site uses a minimal design concept, most choosing to have white as a background colour.
4) Logo
Each website has the heading location at the top, and this in each case is also a link to the websites homepage. This is also important for navigation.
5) Navigation angle
Each website has its information listed on a horizontal angle, with the information leading down the page. This follows the normal conventions which most veiwers would be more familiar therefore comfortable with.
6) Language
Each website uses colloquial language. this feature makes it accessible tom more people, and gives it something like a personality.
7) HTML
Each webpage is presented in HTML
Thats all folks
xo
