Fashionfast Part last season

Fashionfast Part last season
Fast fashion is so last season
By: CSMark
We live in a world of fast fashion, where glossies hail 'this week's must-haves!' and warn 'get it now before it's gone!' - and where a passable imitation of something a celebrity wears in Heat magazine is often in the shops three weeks later for under £20.

What's so wrong with this, you might ask? Nothing, if you don't care if that garment happened to be made in a sweatshop by children working 16-hour days. Nothing, if you think that like cheap food, cheap fashion is some kind of inalienable human right. Absolutely no problem, if you think it's perfectly normal to buy a garment, wear it once, then chuck it away.

Most people, of course, aren't so callous. They know that a £3 Primark T-shirt has human costs and consequences. But they are yet to make the next step - to investigate the ethically produced alternatives. This where this new column will hopefully help.

First things first, what exactly is ethical fashion? Well, there are any number of different ways in which a garment can be produced ethically (or at least more ethically) - from paying fair wages, using sustainable fabrics and cutting down the distance they must travel, to donating a portion of proceeds to charity or simply making sure the business carefully monitors and limits its environmental impact.

Over the last few years, high street companies have slowly begun to hop on this bandwagon. Most now produce a Fairtrade pair of socks or an organic T-shirt here or there - a process that is certainly to be welcomed.

That said, you do have to be careful. At the moment, many of the big retailers are selling 'Fairtrade cotton T-shirts' - Sainsbury's had a big ad campaign for theirs a few weeks ago, for instance. But note the small print: it's the cotton that's Fairtrade, not the T-shirt. Sorry if this is hammering home the point, but: although the cotton pickers got paid a Fairtrade wage, the T-shirt makers did not.

Another misconception is that the more you pay, the better the conditions in which the garment was produced were likely to be. It simply doesn't work that way. It's not rocket science to figure out that a T-shirt can't be produced in a fair way for £3, but that doesn't mean a £100 dress will be any better. Some high street retailers are better than others at paying decent wages and checking the environmental impact of their products - to see how well they rate check out New Consumer magazine and the Good Shopping Guide - but the record across the board isn't great. For example, despite considerable pressure, a few high street companies - named and shamed here - still refuse to disclose whether they source from Burma, one of the world's most oppressive military regimes.

For all these reasons I believe it's better to buy from small retailers who have ethical and environmental principles at the core of their business. They sure don't make much money - this is not an area to go into if you want to make a quick buck - but they do continually check that ethical standards are being upheld. If you want to investigate further, you can browse our comprehensive guide to ethical fashion producers in the UK, with over 200 retailers listed.

Fashionfast Part Personal Image

Fashionfast Part Personal Image
Personal Image
By: John096
Well, it’s really starting to heat up outside, and (knock on wood) we're out of the rainy season. It’s finally time to get out those summer clothes!

Last weekend I was in Alicante visiting my parents, and as always, I took advantage of the chance to go shopping with my mother. She’s the best shopping partner, because she doesn’t hesitate to tell me if something looks good on me or not. Anyway, at the stores we saw a ton of new clothes, shoes, accessories, and eyeshadows for the season, and a lot more. But really, who can afford to get everything?

That’s why in this week I'm going to give you a list of the key pieces for looking great and fashion stylist this summer without going broke. Clothing, accessories, and even makeup that will really impact your wardrobe and your overall look. On top of that, these are very affordable pieces. If you plan on going shopping this weekend (I sure do), don't forget to bring this list.

KEY PIECES FOR LOOKING GREAT THIS SUMMER

Clothing: a great basic
In my opinion, the most important basic of this summer is without a doubt the dress. Make a quick trip to Zara or Mango, and you’ll find many different cuts, styles, and colors.

I love dresses. First of all, you don’t have to put much thought into putting together your outfit. Secondly, because most dresses can be easily transformed by switching up your accessories: a dress with flat sandals for day can be transformed for night just by adding a long necklace and high heels. As an added bonus, dresses are super comfortable and flattering. My basic dress is a black, knee-length cut. I love it!

Accessories: you'll get a lot of use out of these two basics
The first basic accessory is a brown sandal with a wooden heel. This style of sandal doesn't go out of style, plus, they're comfortable. These shoes usually have a wedge or platform heel. They’re perfect because you can wear them with a safari-style suit for work, shorts while on holiday, or jeans for nighttime.

The second basic accessory is a pair of sunglasses. Wearing the right sunglasses can completely transform your look. I know that sunglasses come in all shapes and sizes, but I wear classic dark horn-rimmed sunglasses, à la Jackie Kennedy. Check Mango’s collection - they're fabulous!

Makeup: two basics for summer
If you really want two products that will work for everything, bronzing powder is at the top of the list. I use bronzing powder over my entire face to darken my skin tone, on my cheeks, as eyeshadow (it's great for blending in the crease), to add some color to my neck, over my collarbone and shoulders, and even to give my legs a touch of color. You can use it for almost anything! One of the best brands is Guerlain. Mac also has high quality bronzing powders, some of which are matte.

The second product is three-in-one makeup: blush, lip gloss, and eyeshadow. I love Bobbi Brown’s line, which has the best rose-colored cream products.

The good thing about this product is that it’s great to stash in your bag for touch-ups. If you choose the pink shade, it will make the bronzing powder look even more flattering.

Skin: two products that you can’t do without this summer
I’ve probably mentioned before that I love Origins products. For summer skin, my favorite is an exfoliant from the Dr. Weil line: it will leave your skin soft and moisturized, which is always a plus.

The other product I can’t live without in summer is a self-tanner. I’m always very careful about the sun, so I give myself a risk-free tan at home.

Clarins has launched a new self-tanner with chocolate extract that’s completely delicious. I also like Lavera’s self tanner, which contains all-natural ingredients and is super flattering.

FASHIONFAST PART III

FASHIONFAST PART III
Fashion And Charity - In Whose Best Interest?
By: John Pawlak
Since the 1960's, the fashion world has taken a stand on numerous social causes. The antiwar movements and women's rights are just a couple of the areas in which the fashion world has made strong statements. More recently, fashion has taken to assisting and speaking for individual charitable causes and in some cases, it has been questioned just whose best interests are involved.

A prime example of this has been the partnership between Gucci, Prada and Armani and UNICEF; the United Nations Childrens Fund. The reasons and motivation behind this particular collaboration have been questioned by some international groups and, perhaps most telling for the United Nations, by the very front line workers who would receive the proceeds.

Senior staff members of UNICEF have strongly stated their displeasure with the charity's close ties with the world of glamour and celebrity, saying it is both demeaning to the work that the UN is doing as well as having a strong smell of hypocrisy about it.

UNICEF staff in Pakistan and India have spoken against the alleged working practices of the French conglomerate PPR (formerly Pinault-Printemps-Redoute), the owners of Gucci and whose Asian suppliers have, for a number of years, been linked to sweatshops in Mumbai and Karachi.

One long term employee of UNICEF has stated that, for him, this partnership with Gucci has been the final straw and that the feeling among workers is nearly unanimous that the UNICEF name is being hurt by this undertaking.

Another problem arises with the close ties between celebrities and nearly every major humanitarian disaster. Putting up with the star and his or her entourage is bad enough, but the connection in the public's eyes between celebrity and disaster relief cheapens and degrades the entire effort, claim the front line ground workers.

According to some, the current desire of fashion companies to align themselves with charities may have more to do with covering numerous sins than to strike a chord in people's conscience. These critics say that many firms are just looking for a cause to jump on and that associating with a good cause will provide an enormous bump for sales.

To be fair, the fact that the fashion industry in general and specific companies in particular benefit from alliances with international charities is only to be expected but the key will come down to the perception of the public and the workers involved.

If both the company and the charity gain by such an effort; fine. It is only when the goals of the charity are seen to be compromised and the message diluted that both partners should be looking long and hard at exactly why they are collaborating in this venture.

FASHIONFAST PART II

FASHIONFAST PART II
Dedicated Followers Of Fashion Need Help
By: Catherine Harvey
What is it with today's fashions? I know it makes me sound old and I don't care. Proud to turn forty this week, I like to think I know a bit about life, about the times when it's good to follow the crowd and the times when it's best to be an individual. You don't get to forty without knowing your own body either, without knowing just what you can wear and what to steer clear of.

Of course, this doesn't apply to all women, only the ones with more than two brain cells and a sense of maturity that reaches beyond a teenagers. Some women panic at the thought of getting older. I don't know, I'm not there yet! But I know that when I do, I won't be panicking. I will be embracing it, altering my style to suit, steering well clear of becoming mutton dressed as lamb.

There is a strong 'emo' feel to today's fashions, even for those who don't necessarily want to wear alternative clothing. Skinny jeans are an emos uniform but they are also the trend for most dedicated followers of fashion. Lucky if you have the legs for it but not for the general population, particularly if they come in lurid shades of tartan!

Also coming from the emo followers we have skinny tee's. The popular name for what, in my book, looks like a funny baby t-shirt. If I washed my husband's t-shirts and they came out looking like a funny baby t-shirt I just know he would not be happy. Of course, I could try telling him he was at the height of fashion but I doubt he would wear that, so to speak.

So, the idea is to wear a pair of jeans that look like they have been sprayed on by a blind artist and team it up with a funny baby t-shirt, topping it off with some dangerous looking accessories such as a spikey belt (could have someone's eye out with those things!) This might be great for those that resemble stick insects and who are under the age of 19, after that you start to look a bit silly. Actually, you look a bit silly while you're doing it but you can't tell young people these days.

Then we have the teenager wannabes. Those horribly sad women who find themselves fast approaching forty when their husband enters the mid-life crisis and dumps them. Feeling washed up and alone, they lose shed loads of weight, visit sun beds until they are orange and start to entertain the trend for wearing what resembles a funny baby t-shirt with the skinny jeans.

This is a sad attempt to recapture their youth in order to make themselves feel attractive again. The women that know this applies to them need to understand that what will make them feel good again is working on their self esteem, not reducing their bodies to what essentially looks like a sun dried prune that would blow away in the wind. The man that left has the problem. He did not leave because you were carrying a few extra pounds or wore clothes befitting a grown up woman instead of a teenager.

The teenagers that follow these trends will, no doubt, grow out of it by the time they are twenty. The women that think they need to go this way, don't do it, you don't need it and it will make you look silly, not young or attractive!

FASHIONFAST

Welcome to my Fashionfast blog.Here you will learn about Fashionfast tips and how to find good information
Three Styles Of Mens Shirts
By: bland10000
The average shirt worn by a man is typically designed to serve a purpose: as a covering. It gives protection, and acts as a temperature regulation mechanism. However, even in these designs primarily aimed at pragmatic use, there can be found a lot of trends in fashion. Think back to the paintings of the classical painters wearing their collarless shirts with roomy, billowing sleeves. Compare that to the button-down shirts worn as formal attire in the twentieth century. As the marketplace becomes more and more global, it seems that men's shirts and fashions are changing faster than ever.

One of the most interesting developments in men's shirts and fashion of the 20th century was the development of the polo shirt. Some people have come to also call this a tennis shirt. It was actually invented by Rene Lacoste in 1929. Who was Rene Lacoste? He was a famous French tennis player.

The polo shirt provided a loose alternative for the tennis player to the rigid dress shirts they had traditionally worn. The commercialization of the polo shirt really didn't peak until Ralph Lauren developed its Polo collection in the 1960s. This Polo collection stayed in fashion for many years. In fact, it was popular so long that it came to be considered a common clothing category. It isn't worn by tennis players much anymore, but the polo shirt is still seen among common people of many cultures.

Another one of the interesting examples of men's shirts and fashion for study is the granddad shirt. This shirt has maintained a long era of popularity. The granddad shirt is a collarless shirt that is ideal for staying cool on warm days. It is not surprising then that its popularity has remained the greatest in the hotter areas of the world, such as South Asia.

In India, the granddad shirt became very popular under the rule of Jawaharlal Nehru in the 1950s. This Indian Prime Minister could often be seen wearing one of these shirts, even at formal occasions. In America, the granddad shirt could be found on Sammy Davis Jr. Later these shirts could be found on the trend-setting actor named Steven Segal. Still today, many stars can be seen wearing a bohemian version of the granddad shirt, with bright colors.

The button-down formal shirt has remained popular through all of these developments in men's shirts and fashion. Its history is long enough that it is hard to precisely pinpoint how this example of men's shirts and fashion came into being.

One of the proposed theories on the origin of the button-down shirt is traced back to an English polo match. Players had clipped down their collars to keep them from blowing around in their faces.

Another theory of the origin of the button-down shirt maintains that it was invented in New York City. Again, this theory maintains that a man was annoyed by the wind flapping his collars in the wind so he added buttons to hold them down.

While button-down shirts are mostly worn to convey some level of formality these days, at various times they have also been considered to be fashionable men's shirts for more relaxed settings. In the more casual settings, these shirts can contain all sorts of designs on them. Hawaiian-style button-down shirts have been popular for casual settings for many years now, particularly during warm weather.