(not so) random links

-perhaps proving that there's really no cheap thrill in cheap shopping, low impact living gives us the downlow on the ethical and environmental track records of major retailers like the gap/old navy/banana republic, H&M, and forever 21. seems the most trend-forward of them all is not so bad. WELL, slap me and call me sally! :P

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face it, fashion is size-ist. no matter the occasional protests from various camps, it's clear that nobody really in the top tiers of fashion gives a fig about the frail figures of today's models, least of all the top designers showing their wares in paris this past week (via the wall street journal). sometimes i just wish that the fashion world in general would just get with reality...scarily skinny is most definitely NOT the most beautiful thing, nor is it realistic, or attainable for most mortals.

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-undeniably thought-provoking = this bluetooth burka that can digitally reveal the face of the individual the burka itself is meant to hide. said to be controversial, this garment was designed by german named marcus kison and was shown at the MIT media lab seamless fashion show, a “fashion event featuring innovative and experimental works in computational apparel design, interactive clothing, and technology-based fashion”. marcus kison is also behind the vanity ring, which registers the number of google hits received by the wearer. clever, clever!

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fashion vs. the internet: seems that a number of top designers (especially the older ones) are techno-phobes, refusing to get within spitting distance of a personal computer. maybe it's a good thing...they aren't distracted by the pretty flashy things that abound in this vast, time-sucking series of tubes, leaving time and mindspace for making pretty things! *snigger* (via the international herald tribune)

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-i don't buy a whole lot of fashion mags anymore...i just get my paws on a few of my faves, and i'm all peachy and pleased as punch. for a long while, i was obsessed with blueprint, favoring it over the usual glossy-paged style periodical for it's clean look, and DIY, holistic, whole-lifestyle attitude. and then it tanked. and i was sad and a little angry. BUT, word on the street is that blueprint's coming back in the form of a (NEW AND IMPROVED) blog! WOO-HOO! and even better, my pal, artist lisa congdon, and her pal/business partner rena tom (over at the superb NYC/SF shop rare device) will be blogging there regularly on the topic of design, fashion, trends, or whatever the heck they feel like. i'll definitely be reading!

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and, of course, the quick and dirty links, cuz you like it that way, oh yes!:

-patchwork-y, recycled homegoods goodness by designer sandy stone inspires and abounds over at poppytalk

-chunky necklace goodness (via new york mag, via fly)

-i'm in love with the patterns (illustrated by GREAT fashion drawings) over at MetaPostModernKnitting.com. i'm over the moon about the runway bolero and speckles (though perhaps in more "me" colorways, natch).

-and more on the knitting tip...geraniums and potatoes has a nice lil round-up of her fave free patterns, all of which i also approve of as well!

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(not so) random links

-hemlines are perhaps inching down, eh? i find this intriguing, as i'm kind of liking the idea of wearing really long dresses (like, down to the floor!), which is odd because i usually favor my skirts above the knee. the only length i loathe? that one that cuts right at the widest part of the calf. makes a short stuff like me look even shorter! (from the international herald tribune)

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-this article sheds light on exactly how zara keeps churning out new styles faster than ever. fashion fashion, indeed. (from the wall street journal)

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-smaggle style asks a sensitive fashion question: Is it okay to steal your style from other cultures? could wearing certain items that are symbolic or significant to other peoples be considered an affront? the discussion that follows is enlightening.

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-how to properly fit a bra. chances are, your bra's the wrong size for you! get measured (every single time you buy bras, because yes, sizes can change!). it'll shave 10lbs off you, at least, make you stand taller, and make you look absolutely amazing. ignore the size, and hoist those gals up properly! you'll thank me. (from her room, which incidentally has bras for gals of larger busts. YAY!)

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-hey, you fabulous full-figured gals! take note! emily august of gogo distro and an etsy shop by her same name just wrote a trends piece for etsy's storque entitled what's the skinny? towards a more size-friendly etsy. her post champions etsy sellers who offer plus-size clothing, and also gives heaps of tips to plus-size buyers and the positive potentialities of being a plus-size etsy seller. the tips also apply to the particular petite amongst us as well. right on, emily! go read, chime in over yonder, and spread the word, y'all!

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plus, some quick links, hand picked for yooooou!

-some street sourced cuties on the streets of bejing (from WWD)

-the sewing machine song! this is what i sing when i'm stitchin', natch. (ok, not really. but maybe now i will!) (via craft:)

-pretty colors and dots by the hands of essimar

(not so) random links

-i'm not usually not threatened by style jackers (aka, other peeps who might deign to copy my style or ideas) (from the telegraph). maybe it's because i don't think i own absolutely everything i create...and, really, it's easier to keep going on being myself, keep moving on and forward, and to keep churning out new ideas than to bother with caring what other people do or think. for those who are bothered by style jackers, take comfort in this illuminating, and rather sad quote from one of their card-carrying members:

"I find that I have little confidence in my own choices. My choices have been frequently laughed at in the past. Electric-blue fishnets, a denim skirt fashioned from boyfriend's jeans and a heavily sequined top from a charity shop were some of my biggest faux pas. To get round this, I think about a stylish friend and try to find things to match their look. I'm careful not to wear the items in front of them, but I do declare them when we meet."

my answer to those style jackers and those having their style jacked? tis better to help those copy cats to love themselves and urge them to own their stylish decisions unquestioningly. also, style jackers, remember: faux pas are only such if you think of them as such, i say. let go, find yourself, move on, move upwards.

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-according to the international herald tribune, the consumption of clothing for every man, woman and child in britain rose 30 percent between 2001 and 2005. makes me wonder what the figures would be for americans, or any other developed nation, for that matter? likely to be similar, methinks. in response to all that consumption, at least in the UK, is a new retail focus on the organic, the sustainable, and the fair trade. in the parlance, can this new trend be sustained?

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via swissmiss: blogs can kill brands. blogs increasingly seem to have the power to build up and break down brands. according to the aforementioned post, "today, the customer is active and has true recourse". messages, opinions and words, are now broadcast with utmost ease via the world of blogs. blogs can and do wield a tremendous amount of power, and marketers and companies are being forced to take heed. take that, anyone who claims that blogs or bloggers as a whole are irrelevant! you can't stick your head in the sand or fingers in your ears forever...you must move forward and accept the new paradigm of this powerful brave new world of media, or be left behind.

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me and manolo (blahnik) are on the same page as far as the latest trends in fashion (and footwear) are concerned. we've both been in "aesthetic hell". everything these days seems like sort it's extreme for the sake of being extreme without much design sense, or as an equal and opposite reaction, so blah and plain and colorless they threaten to put one into a coma induced by boredom.

says he in the times online:

“I’m totally confused. I don’t even know what taste is any more. Frankly, I can’t bear to buy magazines. I just get so upset.”

i'm with you, manolo. it's all so crazymaking right now.

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other bits and bobs hand-picked just for you:

-a super cute (and free!) chunky cabled cardigan pattern designed by twinkle by wenlan, via canadian living

-cloches are chic, says etsy's storque. agreed, agreed!

-make your own feather and fan cowl! via the sweet, stylish knitarista stay fancy free (of yarn over movement).