Stylish with Substance

By the way, I knew when I started this up again (posting these, I get so busy I feel I don't blog enough to clog up the timeline) that I'd forget to submit my link. No really, I did. :-) (And I had a lot to choose from.)

Well, on to the goodness.

When Fashion Gets Ethical

Edited by Retrochick

The ethics of Fashion can be a blurry area. With so much to think about when we buy, from construction to provenance, how can we pick our way through such a minefield of issues and emerge with our ethics intact?

We all have a duty as consumers to be as informed as possible about the purchases we make, and this weeks Links à la Mode can help. Amongst this weeks picks Fashion in My Eyes talks about locally made fashion, Style Eyes discusses Organic Cotton, Hello Beauty buys some recycled sneakers, Oranges and Apples sorts the wheat from the chaff in second hand clothing and Shrimp Salad Circus brings you natural make up.

Once your done being educated we also have a good smattering of fashion frivolity to be getting on with too, and there’s even more on the original forum thread!

Links à la Mode : April 29

• Avant Garb – Dedicated Follower Fashion grills Sandra Mendoza-Daly of Debutante Clothing
• Betsey J – Why do we feel it’s necessary to financially compete with our fellow bloggers? Is it really worth it?
• Dramatis Personae – Interview with Indie Designer Ureshii– fabulous made-to-fit clothes for the modern gal!
• fashion in my eyes – Made in… Buying for the label
• Glossary – Fashion 101: Back to Basics
• hello beauty! – my new eco-sneakers, which are basically a jumble of hemp, recycled plastic bottles and car tires…
• House in Tillford – Fur isn’t fashion! My rantings about fur
• Idiosyncratic Style – Swoon-worthy Spring runway trends
• Independent Fashion Bloggers – How to Contribute Articles to a Blog or Magazine
• La Moda Dubai – Photoshop isn’t the only to manipulate a photo
• Le Quaintrelle – Outfits inspired by Michael Kors Resort 2010 collection with pieces out of my own closet.
• Mystery Creature – Look great for a sleek and sophisticated summer wedding with these 1930’s inspired wedding dresses
• Oranges and Apples – Taste and secondhand clothing: sorting the wheat from the chaff
• Out Of Order – Interview with Marisa of New Dress a Day
• Retro Chick – The Lost Art of Dressing Up
• Return to Sender – Little black dresses for the FATshionista.
• Ship-shape and Bristol Fashion – These days knock-off trends are common place but is cheap fashion still a taboo?
• Shoe A Day – How does fashion fit into Earth Day?
• Shrimp Salad Circus – Get high-fashion makeup looks for less with all-natural, afforadable handmade mineral versions!
• Style Eyes Fashion Blog – Organic clothing – should I bother?
• Style Symmetry – 5 Days of Symmetry Challenge ~ Wear a 100% Vintage Outfit
• The Coveted – Why Say Never? Chambray Jumpsuit & Clogs

A 10-year-old aspiring fashion designer is already well on his way!

[caption id="attachment_3200" align="alignnone" width="330" caption="10-year-old Christopher Abella shows his fashion sketches"][/caption]

Although I wish I had the same sorts of opportunities, I must admit the pictured 10-year-old aspiring fashion designer, Christopher Abella, appears to be more talented than I was at his age. I was still thinking Juniors/t-shirts/prints/swim and he's on to sophisticated women's clothing, even as a young boy.

His sketches were discovered to hold talent by a teacher (presumably* grade school at that point) who passed along word to designer, Tracy Ellyn.

Then he apparently* started design school in Miami and is being mentored by Ellyn, who sees great potential in the young man.

*I apologize for this story's fuzzy facts as there's only one poorly written article on this phenom, and unfortunately I even find it homophobic (although possibly due to an unlucky non sequitur). So I won't support the writer, but the source is flashnews.com.

[caption id="attachment_3178" align="alignnone" width="449" caption="Crafting a Louis Vuitton handle"][/caption]

Louis Vuitton is letting you take some big peaks into their daily working lives. From construction to runway. Some of us are more interested in the craftsmanship (and we can get little tips) and many of us are definitely interested in the perhaps more glamorous behind-the-scenes of Fashion Week Paris.

Visit the site here: Louis Vuitton - The Journey of a Wardrobe. But I'm also going to take you on a smaller journey through my favorite photos. I couldn't not collect them! This is like the holy grail of a blog topic pour moi!!!

(Their website is in flash, so you may be grateful for the pictures. Apologies for including some of my Purpley Windows theme on my PC, haha.)

[caption id="attachment_3180" align="alignnone" width="449" caption="Woot! This is "Edge kote" or their comparison. Know it & love it well. Looks similar to my process - I use a q-tip, and this really compares. Go me. (Yes, I'm still practicing on my leather sewing/crafting. Patience.)"][/caption]

Bonus: in this rare case, the soundtracks are enjoyable and thrillingly realistic. I like to listen to the sounds of the workshop in Paris and feel a little less alone either in my 1-person office or 1-person studio. Ha ha!

[caption id="attachment_3182" align="alignnone" width="449" caption="Schmancy!"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3184" align="alignnone" width="449" caption=""Emporte pièces" Hehe."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3185" align="alignnone" width="450" caption="Man! Inspiration! How would you like such a clean studio? Clean, Ella, clean!"][/caption]

Here are some more photos - click on the thumbnails for full.

Big thanks to Nookie for the head's up!

Fin.

Good news for budgetistas, this $75 Zac Posen for Target dress seems to be worth the price. The fabric is thick brocade, and it shimmers. Reviewers tell us the zippers are of poorer quality however.

Beyond that, I think the visuals of this design speak for themselves: figure-enhancing tie detail, oh so feminine, and so on and so forth. Add the florals and the frock is not only trendy, but with the dressiness of the fabric, perfect for any of your upcoming Summer weddings.

You need to budget this one in fast. Target.com is sold out and I'm sure all the chicest cities have sold their stock as well. Get on this!

I have so much to catch up on with it like posting pictures of shoes, but because I need to SOON post my Louboutins is why this is debuting!

[caption id="attachment_3164" align="alignnone" width="450" caption="Click to visit the site"][/caption]