The Love/Hate Relationship With Fashion

Edited by Debutante Clothing I’m always complaining about going out to fashion events by myself – I just don’t have many friends that are into fashion. While some people think fashion is frivolous and contributes nothing to the world, others are curating museum exhibits featuring 20th century clothing. This week’s links made me think about the love/hate camps in fashion. Starting with Grit and Glamour’s post on bloggers getting backlash from fashion insiders, Houndstooth + Tortoiseshell’s refreshingly funny admission of Tavi envy, or Fab Lab’s hate of people who hate. But there is some love in sight – British Style Bloggers reminds us to look in the mirror and love ourselves. Enjoy! Note from Editor : Please be sure to check out the IFB Conference at NYFW : Evolving Influence

Links à la Mode: February 4th

• A Dress & A Bike – Why breaking the love of one particular brand has been good for my personal style
• British Style Bloggers – Some gems to remember
• Debutante Clothing – Going to a Vintage Show? Insider Tips & Interview
• dirty hems – lacroix by lacroix
• Fab Blab – Why I Hate People Who Ostracize Fashion
• fête à fête – Review of Guerlain’s Spring 2010 Cherry Blossom makeup & the new Rouge G Le Brillant lipstick
• Friend in Fashion – Luxe Vintage
• grit and glamour – Fashion’s Knickers are in a Twist
• hello beauty! – Benefit Stay Don’t Stray: An innovative new primer to lock down shadows AND concealer
• Houndstooth + Tortoiseshell – Young fashion blogger incites curiousity, envy
• Independent Fashion Bloggers – Get Out There : How To Cover Events Without Feeling Like an Idiot
• Lillys Roses – How to DIY your own Chanel Jade nail polish
• Mariel’s Castle – Haute Couture 101
• Model Max – MAT GORDON: The ModelWatch Interview
• Oranges and Apples – Top websites for ethical shopping
• Retro Chick – Ethical Design Spotlight – Junky Styling
• Styletastic – To fur or not to fur?
• Stylist Diva – : Are Fashion Bloggers taking over the world?
• Tatiana Supports the Arts – Etsy Window Shopping: Queen Elizabeth I Roundup
• the brooklyn posh blog – He loves me, he loves me not, he loves me, red hot
• THE COVETED – Pretty Dresses at the VioletvilleVintage.com launch
• White Rabbit – The inspiration behind my Merlixa Designs millinery collection
• [the3st] – Interview with Amy Smilovic of Tibi

The social event of the year for Danbury took place this past Saturday night, the annual Mayor’s Ball.  Politics aside, I was not in a position to shell out $100 (the reduced price, allegedly to allow more people to attend) for a ticket, plus an outfit and hair (yes, the ball is a charity benefit).  But, I’m still more than ready to share with you my evaluation of the best and worse dressed.

You know it’s going to be rough when the entertainment is dressed better than the people who paid to get in… Lovely singers.

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A continuation of my sporadic series, What is Analogue Chic?

I got some great leads last week on analog-reinterpreted music equipment.

Lovely bamboo-cased electronics by Elium Studio, available at Lexon.

A wooden turntable from Brooklyn-based furniture design company BDDW.  I did not see this on their website, it may have been a one off, but it is intriguing and lovely.

Today our lifes (sic) are surrounded by incredibely (sic) flat, compact, multifunctional and boring machines. There is a basic human need for real, analog and touchable things… – Florian Busco via PFSK

There is something so humanistic and soothing about natural material – and yet, manufactured materials that are designed to look natural, like faux wood grain, is so repulsive, it feels like a betrayal.

Via PFSK.

Analogue Chic is included this week!  Check it!

A Touch of Frivolity

Edited by Retro Chick It’s been a long time since pay day and this weeks Links à la Mode brings a touch of much needed frivolity as we crawl into the second month of a new decade. Idiosyncratic Style takes Scooby Doo’s Velma as her style inspiration, Dirty Hems is inspired by dolls houses and Ode to Awe shows off her leopard print nails. Want something for nothing? A few Goody Gumdrops has an Aspinall of London bag to giveaway and Retro Chick (that’s me!) has 2 Valentine goodie bags to giveaway worth over £100 each. We’ve also got some great designer interviews and some practical advice. On a more sober note there’s some timely tips from Sway, Sway, Sway! on how you can continue to donate to Haiti without getting scammed, Shoe Daydreams discusses Tanya Golds “Why I hate Fashion” article and Ventures of Jenn shares her opinions on the body image debate. Bring on February! Note from Editor : Please be sure to check out the IFB Conference at NYFW : Evolving Influence

Links à la Mode: January 28th

• 39th and broadway – 5 Questions To Ask Before Beginning a Career in Fashion
• A Few Goody GumDrops – A Few Goody Gumdrops and Aspinal of London are Giving away an ever-so chic and sophisticated beige patterned skin clutch!
• Analogue Chic – Looking good while doing stuff – braving the weather and the commute with a sense of style.
• Bonne Vie – Invest in Quality Denim; featuring How-To Tips from Denim Debutante
• Cafe Fashionista – Style Secrets: Cowboy Boots Made Classy
• Cindy Whitehead – The Modern Snow Bunny
• Denim Debutante – Aeropostale Gives Back with Teens for Jeans Campaign
• dirty hems. – In the Dollhouse – Miniature inspiration and a teeny resulting DIY
• Dramatis Personae – a feature & interview with the designer behind i am dorkas
• Fasshonaburu – I challenge myself to follow my own dress code regulations in order to wow up my day to day ensembles.
• fête à fête – Clarins debuts first certified organic beauty soap
• Idiosyncratic Style – Inspired by the sartorially underrated Velma Dinkley.
• Independent Fashion Bloggers – IFB Presents : Evolving Influence Conference NYFW 2010
• kaKofonie Of si(gh)lenS – Interview with Janeane Marie Ceccanti
• Ode to Awe – I review Minx Nails, plus my glamourous Russian Garnet cocktail ring
• Oranges and Apples – Vintage teenage hair inspiration
• Retro Chick – Valentines Day is on it’s way and Retro Chick has 2 goodie bags worth over £100 each to give away to help you celebrate!
• Shoe Daydreams – Fashion Influences (?)
• Style Eyes Fashion Blog – I have avoided eco and ethical fashion in the past because of the price but I have just discovered it is affordable and stylish.
• Style Symmetry – How to Choose Items at a Clothing Swap Party
• Sway Sway Away! – A passionate plea from a member of the global community to her fashionable brothers and sister: help Haiti!
• THE COVETED – Suzy Menkes, Facehunter, LeMads & The Coveted talk about fashion blogs
• ventures of jenn – on body issues

The lovely Mary of Etsy selected my Mariner style Nouveau Vague Tee for the Etsy Finds newsletter on Monday!

Yay! Thanks for the feature, Etsy!

The German edition of the Financial Times just discovered that H&M’s eco-friendly materials are actually about 30% genetically modified cotton, which is decidedly not organic. It’s hard to tell at what point along the supply chain somebody decided to slap the organic label on GM cotton, but the head of the Indian agricultural group Apeda says that mislabling has taken place "on a gigantic scale." H&M isn’t the only offending company; FT also called out several other major European brands for cotton fraud.

via Racked NY (original emphasis).

I can’t read German, and the Financial Times German edition doesn’t have a translator button, so I can’t get you to the source, but this Ecouterre article is close.

{I like this shot, other than the random beam of light on my shoulder.}

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The Heavyweights

Edited by Dramatis Personae Fashion’s getting heavier– and I’m not just talking about the rise of supermodels like Crystal Renn. This week we’ve got meaty posts covering ethical topics like the sustainability of bamboo at Awakened Aesthetic while Bonne-Vie covers the the implications of buying items made in China. We’ve got not 1–not 2, but 3 AMAZING Interviews this week at Alice in Stilettos, kaKofonie Of si(gh)lenS, and White Rabbit. Even Gala Darling’s post on her 2010 Style Direction could serve as a paperweight, it’s so chock full of inspiring images, details, and notations. As usual, there’s a fabulous collection of links in the forums for your continued reading pleasure!

Links à la Mode: January 21st

• Alice in Stilettos: – Interviewed brilliant 18 year old designer, Nathan Gerard!
• Awakened Aesthetic: – How Green is Your Bamboo?
• Bonne Vie: – At Bonne Vie, we talked about the impact of conscious spending on your wardrobe (and one girl’s journey to not buy “Made In China”)
• Cafe Fashionista: – Style Secrets: Stormy Sophistication. A comprehensive guide for the girl who wants to remain fashionable even in the midst of a monsoon!
• DailyDivaDish: – Vintage Broaches: 8 Unique ways to wear these treasures & more — includes many pics of different broaches & a DIY idea for reusing those with broken clasps.
• dramatis personae: – Following Your Instincts…When Meeting New People, When Shopping, When at Work, and When in Love
• Fashion Pulse Daily: – Ponders the significance of the C. Finley Wallpapered Dumpster Project
• For Those About to Shop: – nternational runway sensation Stacey McKenzie inspires aspiring models to be themselves.
• Gala Darling: – 2010 Style Direction: Psychadelic Ladies Who Lunch
• girl friday : – DIY Ribbon Necklace & Bracelet. tutoirial on how to make your own ribbon necklace.
• hello beauty! – In my post on Hello Beauty, I wrote about the new Bobbi Brown campaign. She’s using friends – not models.
• Idee Fixe: – Fashion and the arts charities supporting Haitian Relief on Idee Fixe
• In Life & In Fashion: – Make a “Most Coveted List” to avoid silly impulse spending! Includes tip on how to create your own list and what is currently on mine!
• Independent Fashion Bloggers: – How to Create Your Media Kit
• kaKofonie Of si(gh)lenS: – My exclusive interview with Inbar Spector, an Israeli London-based designer whose renowned avant garde Bjork-inspired designs have been worn by celebrities such as Rihanna.
• Model Max: – A special report on the history of male modeling – from the 1980s to the present time, with short profiles of selected male models who remain successful even after modeling.
• Oranges and Apples: – Top tips for organising your wardrobe
• Retro Chick – The 4 things I’ve always wanted but never owned
• THE COVETED – Marion Cotillard and Franz Ferdinand team up for Dior
• the fashionate traveller: – the rock/burlesque/voodoo vibe that is alternative Sydney label Baroque & Roll.
• White Rabbit: – Introducing Sorcha Gillet, the Irish born textile designer and blogger.

Stacy of TaffetaDarlings also tipped me off to this fabulous style heroine to Lady Gaga…

Dale Bozzio of Missing Persons. Yow!

Stacy at TaffetaDarlings reminded me that today was the birthday of Virginia Woolf, one of my favorite authors.

If you are a female person, you must read her essay, A Room of One’s Own. No excuses.

And then you should read Mrs Dalloway, and then The Hours , and then watch The Hours. But that’s extra credit.