Tumblr's always been the blogging platform for America's obsessive coastal elites, with its smart-looking templates and its super-easy conversation system. It's appropriate, then, that the precious New York startup plans to make its money selling internet fashion.

Tumblr has begun selling premium blog templates, positioning itself as a middleman between talented, fashion-forward Web designers (who tend to love Tumblr) and neurotic, narcissistic, image-conscious bloggers (who also tend to love Tumblr, present company included). As our old friend Foster Kamer at the Village Voice first noticed, word of the new business model began to leak via Tumblr employees earlier today. So this is what Tumblr CEO David Karp meant when he promised the revenueless company would start selling "sexy things." And if you're too poor to spend money on blog templates, well, you no doubt have Karp's sympathies.

[Photo: Karp, by Brian Solis]