7 Stores to Buy School Clothes From This Year …

Shopping for new school clothes is often the highlight of the school year for most students. Finding the perfect outfit can be difficult, but not if you know where to shop. 7 stores to buy school clothes from this year are mentioned below. Some stores may not be available in the area you live in, but I tried to stick with the most common locations that are available in just about any state.

7. Kmart

Photo Credit: KaizenVerdant

Popular brands for juniors who shop at Kmart include; GLO Jeans, Dream Out Loud, Revolt, Rebecca Bonbon, and BONGO. The styles are trendy, the prices are low, and you can find a Kmart in just about every town in the United States. Even uniforms, outerwear, backpacks, and accessories are sold at Kmart. There really isn’t anything you can’t find when shopping for new school clothes.

6. Target

Photo Credit: The Rocketeer

Xhilaration and Zac Posen are popular lines of clothing sold at Target. Of course the brand I’m most familiar with at Target is Mossimo. I really like the fit of this line of clothing. All the clothes I’ve seen fall into the long line of current fashion, but don’t have the expensive price tag that well-known designers seem to want to charge. Paul Frank items are also available at Target and seem to be a big hit with the girls, no matter what age they are. Even school uniforms for boys and girls are sold at many Target stores across the country.

5. Kohl’s

Photo Credit: Tortuga One

Some of the brand names Kohl’s offers are Candies, Energie, Fragile, Hang Ten, Hydraulic, Paris Blues, and Mudd. There are tons more and each offers popular styles for all fashion tastes. Not only does Kohl’s offer a large selection of clothing, but also coats, socks, tights, shoes, vests, school uniforms, and blazers. They even have a number of accessories for complimenting any outfit you can come up with.

7 Warning signs of Stress you Should be Aware of. …

Considering how busy and demanding our lives are, it’s quite possible that a lot of us are under stress without even realizing it. Here are 7 warning signs of stress that you should be aware of . Let’s start now…

7. Bad Headaches

Photo Credit: duskyyouth

When one is stressed out, they tend to get bad headaches. If you have been getting bad headaches mixed with the other symptoms I am going to give you below, then you may want to start taking it easy for a bit.

6. Sudden Anger

Photo Credit: webgod.jesse.torres

When one has sudden feelings and outbursts of anger, then this can be a sign that they are stressed. Sudden outbursts can be a sign of other things, so this should go hand in hand with the other signs I have posted.

5. You Are Not Able to Concentrate

Photo Credit: JLovely

Not being able to concentrate could also be a sign that you are stressed out. What are you stressed over? Grab some herbal tea each day and see if that helps your concentration.

7 Stylish Floor Lamps …

When redecorating a room, there are obvious updates we all include, like new throws and pillows and of course new wall color. But other changes are more subtle, but still make a big impression, like new floor lamps. If you’re updating or redecorating a room in your home, keep reading! Here’s my list of 7 stylish floor lamps, perfect for adding an extra fresh touch to your rooms!

1. Pottery Barn Photographer’s Tripod Floor Lamp

Price: $299.00 at potterybarn.com

This may be the coolest lamp I’ve ever seen. I’m a semi-pro photographer, and I love anything that’s vintage-inspired, so this is a must-have! It comes in two finishes, antique nickel or bronze. I think I’d take the bronze finish, and add it to my living room as a side lamp for reading!

2. Pottery Barn Sienna Floor Lamp

Price: $170.00 for the base at potterybarn.com

I love the elegant lines of this lamp, inspired by a fleur-de-lis. It would look amazing in an entry way with marble floors and dark wood. Choose from just about any of the Pottery Barn lamp shades, but it looks especially striking with the large burlap shade…

3. Pottery Barn Brentwood Floor Lamp

Price: $150.00 for the base at potterybarn.com

Wouldn’t this white-washed lamp look great in a room with a country-cottage or nautical-inspired theme? I love the worn look and feel, and the dimmer switch makes it convenient, giving you any light you want or need in the space you display it.

7 Things from the 1980s I Don’t Miss …

I was a teenager through most of the 1980’s and while there are a lot of things I miss from that era, like John Hughes movies and a young, relatively normal Michael Jackson, there are so many things I do not miss at all! If you’re about m age, I’m sure you can relate to these, and if you’re younger, keep reading anyway, so your generation doesn’t repeat our mistakes! Here are 7 things from the 1980’s I don’t miss…

1. The hair!

Photo Credit: wiseacre photo

What were we thinking? The poufy, crispy bangs, the awful perms… and the mullets?!? Note to self: any hairstyle that requires large quantities of Aqua Net or White Rain hairspray probably isn’t a good idea…

2. Bad Eye make-up

Photo Credit: DaisyCat77

There’s nothing wrong with a little blue eye shadow, and sometimes playing with colored mascaras can be fun, too… but in the 1980’s, we took it a little too far. I look at fashion photos from that time and cringe… blue eye shadow? Never like that again!

3. High school cliques

I loathe high school, mostly because I was preppy while the rest of the kids were burnouts. Of course, we also had some jocks and some nerds thrown in for good measure, but the cliques back then weren’t as integrated or accepting as they are now… ugh, cliques!

8 Ways to Dress up a Little Black Dress …

The Little Black Dress has been a deserved classic for decades. It can look fabulous on its own, or be dressed up with accessories so that the same dress will suit many different occasions. Here I suggest some ways of dressing up the LBD, so that you will never grow bored with it.

1. Belt

Photo Credit: lkjfbfxbm

I bought one black dress from a flea market without trying it on, and when I did so at home I wasn’t sure if I liked it or not. But when I put on a belt, the dress was transformed. So try your LBD with a belt, worn round the waist or on the hips. This is a great tip if the dress is a little loose on you.

2. Jeans/Trousers

Photo Credit: eweliyi – off to Borneo and Perhentian

Pairing a dress with jeans is a good way of getting extra wear out of it. Worn as a long top, the dress takes on a completely new look. Try a cropped jacket on top as well.

3. Scarf

I love to wear my favourite leopard print scarf casually tied round my neck, together with my LBD. Matching the colour of the dress gives a very chic look. Or try a coloured scarf for contrast.

How to Wear Denim on Denim

Perfecting the denim-on-denim trend can be tricky, so FabSugar shows you three effortlessly cool ways to wear this trend! The key to this look is finding denim washes that contrast well. Whether you want to go all out in head-to-toe denim, or want to ease into the trend with subtle denim accents, there is something for everyone!

Lindsay Lohan Fashion Disasters

Call the fashion police, here come the worst crimes against fashion by Lindsey Lohan.

Glamorous Celebrity Grandmothers

They may be over 60 but these grandmothers have still got it.

Shop It To Me Is Our Fashion Week Wardrobe Savior

It goes without saying that, as fashion editors, we need to buy at least a couple new pieces for New York Fashion Week. And usually it ends up being more than a couple.

Leah was after the perfect black dress for a party we’re co-hosting for Timo Weiland, and Lauren needed a pair of perfect wool trousers. (Even though, let’s be real: She might be a bit uncomfortable in the 85 degree heat. Anything for fashion, right?)

Luckily, we had the good fortune to be outfitted for Fashion Week by the team behind Shop It To Me, an incredible website that sends you alerts when pieces by your favorite designers go on sale.

Lauren found a long, black crepe skirt from Vanessa Bruno as well as a pair of gray felt wool Michael Kors trousers–both via The Outnet–a Vena Cava dress from Barneys New York, and a swingy tank top by Opening Ceremony. Oh, and a silk blazer from J.Crew. The discounts were deep: 66% off at J.Crew, 70% off Michael Kors at The Outnet, 61% off Vena Cava at Barneys.

Leah scooped up a body-con Vena Cava dress marked down by 30%, a beautiful J.Crew cashmere sweater and a pair of ballet flats, an Alex Wang tee, a 66% discount on Madison Harding lace-up wedges, and a gorgeous, sparkly Loeffler Randall blouse at 70% off the original price.

We had both used Shop It To Me in the past, but this time around, we really got to experience the breadth of their knowledge and vendors. The site narrows down your search by size and brand so that you don’t have to sift through hundreds of items you don’t want. And that made our search for the right items a whole lot easier.

And to celebrate fashion week, Shop It To Me has created an area of the site where members can see all of the New York designers in one place.

The nicest part of it all? There are over 700 designer brands to pick from, and over 100 participating retailers–including Barneys, Neiman Marcus, Saks, Net-a-Porter–so you know you’re shopping the best of the best. Seriously, sign-up. It’s worth it.

Gap Goes Upscale With a Valentino Collaboration

Gap and Pierre Hardy just works. Gap and Valentino? We’re not so sure. The world’s biggest specialty retailer is teaming up with the historic fashion house to create a capsule collection, which will be available in a few of its European stores. (The US flagships are not scheduled to receive a shipment, unfortunately.) The partnership was formed to celebrate the opening of the new Gap stores in Milan and Rome. The launch will take place in November at the retailer’s new Milan flagship, but pieces will also be available at Colette, Dover Street Market, and Gap’s London flagship.

I was living in London when Gap did something similar with Roland Mouret and I will say that the results were impressive. And of course no one can forget Phoebe Philo’s “European collection” for the brand. But Mouret’s dresses are structured and Philo’s a minimalist–those looks were slightly easier to recreate in a knit than a silky blouse or ruffly frock, which is what the new Valentino team is best known for. It’ll be interesting to see what they turn out.

The Fashionista 15: New York Labels to Watch

Over 200 designers will show collections at New York Fashion Week, which kicks off today. But who should you be watching?

Welcome to the Fashionista 15. There’s no complicated methodology to this–no rigid ranking. These 15 labels are simply the ones we know you should be paying attention to. We’ve used our own research and reporting–as well as recommendations from our industry friends and sources–to bring you the brands that in two, three, five years will be winning Swarovski Awards and CFDA mentorships. They’ll be collaborating with Target or Urban Outfitters. They’re changing New York fashion. And they’re having fun doing it. Click through to see our picks–who tops your list?

Vanessa Bruno Talks About Her Latest Film, Femininity and Frenchness

PARIS–Yesterday, in a secret cinema room at the bottom of a café in Saint-Germain, Vanessa Bruno held a private projection of her latest film. This is the third time she has created a full-blown short movie to convey the atmosphere of her latest collection.

Entitled Day for Night, it is directed by Stéphanie Di Giusto, and features Parisian models and muses Lou Doillon and Valentine Fillol Cordier.

This short movie poetically explores the complexities of femininity by portraying its two heroines exploring, fighting, and taming nature.

Fashionista met Vanessa Bruno at the end of the projection, and chatted to her about her views on fashion, femininity, and being French (and the three combined).

Congratulations on the film! It’s nice to see that, when a lot of brands are doing punk, you stay true to your original identity.

I know what you mean, there seems to be a need today for everything to be dark and gloomy, which I find a real shame. There needs to be more poetry–of course poetry can be realistic and raw too, but I crave something with more emotions and honesty.

And yes, my universe has and will remain the same, whether on photo or film.

What appealed to you in film?

I’ve always enjoyed the crossovers between media, and entering other artistic universes. I love the feelings a video can create – and it appeals to me because of the emotional dimension it can add to the brand. This is no mere marketing videoclip.

And how did you choose the models?

I don’t like the idea that fashion can dictate the model of the moment. The girls I work with feel good here because they sense exclusivity, an intimacy, something long lasting. For example, it is the fourth time I work with Lou, and I’d rather chose someone that really corresponds the brand universe than a super famous actress. I don’t care about proving that I can get so and so.

But I want the woman to be beautiful, strong, mysterious – and even if she is sophisticated, she should be a little wild too.



What about the Vanessa Bruno woman in real life? You might be Parisian, but you now have boutiques in Los Angeles and London–quite a radical change, no?

No, you’d be surprised; we’re in a cosmopolitan situation. What most interests me is how people appropriate and re-interpret my clothes. The way my collection is built gives you the freedom to re-adapt it in many ways.

Do you have a Parisienne view on fashion?

My main thing is, you should feel comfortable in your clothes–never have an age or figure criteria. I can’t stand the idea of women becoming a caricature of fashion. The woman who manages to be effortless – she’s got it figured out.

Fashion News Roundup: Olivier Theyskens for Theory, Josh Brolin Does VMAN, and Lourdes Goes to Highschool

Josh Brolin on the Cover of VMan: Josh Brolin, who was photographed by French designer and photographer, Hedi Slimane, graces the cover of VMan’s 19th issue-The Age Issue. You can expect to see men anywhere from 16 to 60 embracing their age and style in VMan’s 19th issue- The Age Issue. {VMAN.com}

Olivier Theyskens for Theory: Olivier Theyskens –the designer best known for his time spent as artistic director at Nina Ricci and his signature gothic-like style–will unveil his capsule collection for Theory next week. Theory? Yes, Theory. {Vogue.com}



Alexa Chung For Madewell Debuts Online Today: Starting today, you can shop the Alexa Chung For Madewell collection online. The collection will hit stores this Saturday, September 11. {Madewell.com}

Lourdes First Day of High School: Lourdes Leon–daughter of Madonna–had a fashionable first day of high school at LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts yesterday. The 13 year-old fashion icon was said to be sporting ankle-high leather boots, a plaid sleeveless shirt, braces, and a pot-leaf symbol bracelet. Now we’re just waiting for a blog post about it. {NYMag}

The Fashion Law Institute Launches At Fordham Law School

The melding of fashion and law seemed like an odd concept in the past, as evidenced by Elle and her hot pink suits in Legally Blonde. With concerns about counterfeiting, the new intellectual property bill in Congress, and the complex nature of the fashion business, designers need legal support more than ever now.

Stilettos and staid suits met quite literally today as Fordham Law School in NYC launched the Fashion Law Institute yesterday. The CFDA donated $100,000 to the Institute and CFDA president/fairy godmother, Diane von Furstenberg, matched that with a donation of her own. The Institute anticipates that it will need about $1 million its first year.

First, I have to be superficial and mention that the logo for the new Institute is especially clever: A spool of thread and needle made to look like a gavel. Whoever designed it deserves a bonus. Or at least free future legal representation.

Second, DvF is quite hilarious with a dry comic delivery. After acknowledging the work of professor Susan Scafidi, the director of the Fashion Law Institute, she told a story about how Susan wore one of her dresses to a meeting. DvF noted that she had changed the buttons to “nicer ones.” Plus Susan “understands fashion well, which is rare for a lawyer,” she said. Yes. (I saw a lot of poorly fitting, knee length, pinstriped suits in the audience.)

Finally, and most importantly, the Fashion Law Institute is offering some original services to designers and attorneys alike. For designers, they are providing a centralized resource for pro bono legal assistance, educational forums, and a source of information and research. For attorneys, students, and the community, there are degree and non-degree courses, an annual symposium, and public seminars for design and legal professionals.

The executive director of the CFDA, Steven Kolb, acknowledged that they have already helped several young designers trademark their names.

So if you’re a new designer or a budding attorney with an interest in fashion, take a look at Fordham Law School.

The defense rests.

Fresh Flowers, Lustworthy Jackets and Pantsless Models at Nonoo Spring 2011

This morning, we went up to west 28th street for Nonoo’s Spring ’11 presentation/breakfast at a place called The Flower Shop. We thought it was just a clever name for a restaurant or shop that happened to be in the flower district but it turns out it was literally a flower shop, belonging to a friend of designer Misha Nonoo. Most of the flowers were moved out of the way for models and dress forms, except a few left to create a charming ambiance and sweet smell.

Anyways, getting back to the reason we were there–to preview Misha Nonoo’s first collection under Nonoo, which used to be designed by two people and called Nonoo Lyons. No word on what exactly happened to cause the split, but Misha didn’t waste any time cranking out another collection of amazing jackets. “I am extremely excited about this new chapter and to be taking Nonoo-Lyons to the next level as simply, Nonoo, with my singular vision,” the designer said.

The collection, comprised of about 15 jackets, was shown on a small group of models, none of whom were wearing pants. It was a little awkward but perhaps the best way to showcase such an item-driven collection. The collection was inspired by music muses like Florence Welch, Romy from The XX and Zooey Deschanel, each of whom have jackets named after them.

The jackets are great. The materials were clearly high quality and the attention to detail impeccable. I definitely lusted after a few of them, but had a hard time figuring out what I’d wear them with, as did whoever styled the presentation, it would seem.



Related:

The Fashionista 15: Nonoo

YSL Partners With Polyvore

For Fashion’s Night Out, Yves Saint Laurent is embracing social media and pairing up with Polyvore.

Polyvore-files will have access to a data feed of YSL’s Edition 24 products and YSL accessories to collage with or “make sets” as they say in Polyvore lingo. YSL and Polyvore are also challenging users to create the best YSL “set” and the winner will receive a YSL bag. So start e-scrap-booking people.

More notably, this is the first time we’ve seen Polyvore, essentially a democratically curated e-commerce site, expand and collaborate with other brands beyond their standard partnerships with e-commerce sites they feature. Polyvore is already a powerhouse online, and unique in what they offer–users can create their own sets, or magazine tear sheets, from a selection of merch drawn from numerous e-commerce sites, driving traffic and shoppers back to those sites. And for Polyvore to partner first with a brand like YSL looks very promising indeed.

Jen Kao’s Pre-Fashion Week Mad Libs: Take Two

One of our New York favorites, Jen Kao, was nice enough to take another stab at Pre-Fashion Week Mad-Libs this year. Her show is at 6pm today–good luck Jen, we can’t wait to see what you do! xo, F

Burberry’s ‘Retail Theatre’: Now You Can Shop the Collection on Your iPad Immediately Following the Show

Remember how earlier this week we said the fashion industry is slowly but surely beginning to embrace technology? Well, here’s more proof.

Yesterday, Burberry unveiled their ‘Retail Theatre’ concept, which completely reshapes the way consumers shop for their Spring/Summer 2011 womenswear collection.

On September 21, Burberry will be broadcasting their 2011 S/S London Fashion Week show, live from London Fashion Week, to 25 flagship stores worldwide, heigthening the in-store experience for invited guests.



“Customers at the exclusive in-store digital events will experience the clothes, the music, the energy and the atmosphere in real time,” says Christopher Bailey, Burberry’s Chief Creative Officer in a press release.

But that’s not all. After viewing the show, customers will then have the opportunity to further peruse, or even buy pieces from the collection on iPads that will be passed out in store (not for keeps), using a specially designed Burberry app. If customers choose to purchase an item, they can expect to have their orders on their doorstep in seven weeks, which believe it or not, is really fast compared to other luxury industry delivery times.

We’ve got to hand it to Burberry. After their AW10 New York 3D experience, and their successful foray into social networking, they seem to be one of the most tech-savvy labels in the game. Well done, Burberry.

Nicholas K Opens Fashion Week at Lincoln Center

So Lincoln Center is officially open for fashion business, and it looks spectacular. I actually got chills when I walked into the huge plaza and saw the fountain. And I live on the Upper West Side. I’ve been there 500 times, at least. It was definitely the best-dressed crowd I’ve seen in the neighborhood in a long time, so that alone was enough to move me to tears.

After being photographed by a Japanese magazine (I have no idea why, but of course I agreed to it), I was greeted by the usual burly men with ear pieces at the door. Inside the tents, it’s a wonderland of corporate sponsorship, with Maybelline offering make-up applications, Kim Crawford with wine and hand massages, and Tresemme doing hair styling.

The check-in process was amazingly simple with the new FashionGPS in place. And the PR girls all looked calm and collected behind their imposing row of Macs. I checked into two shows at once and it took a grand total of three minutes. I’m sure horror stories will emerge of system failures, but this morning it was a hive of efficiency.



So onto my first show of the season, Nicholas K, a label which was co-founded by siblings Christopher and Nicholas Kunz. It’s also the first People’s Revolution-repped show I’ve ever seen, so I made sure to get right to my seat and not annoy anyone by dithering around on the runway. I watched Emily Bungert effortlessly getting everyone seated. Then Kelly came in. Watching her in action in real life was surreal. I want 1/10th of that woman’s confidence. I sat up a bit straighter when she made eye contact with me.

Oh, the clothes, you ask? Really, really cool. Tops were loose, mostly hooded, and in a palette of slate and olive. Box plaid, berets, and drapey dresses rounded out the mix. I don’t think there was one look I wouldn’t have worn. And Nicholas K guys are exactly the ones I should have avoided in college, but didn’t. Sort of grungey, with floppy hair and loose pants.

Two of the pieces are going to show up on Fashion Stake, where it looks like Nicholas K has received about 50% of the funding they’re asking for. The first look was a cascading, draped, sleeveless grey dress, and the second, the Luden jacket, was boxy and military-esque with a huge floppy collar. Both great.

It was an auspicious beginning to Fashion Week, and I’m looking forward to more.

Street Style: Paikhyelim Likes Black and The Black Kids

Name: Paikhyelim

Age: 24

Occupation: Student

Where are you originally from? Korea

What is your favorite dessert? Cake

What are the most prominent colors in your wardrobe? Black

What is currently your favorite song? I like The Black Kids

Where is your skirt from? I made it.

Which area do you most enjoy in New York City? The Lower East Side

**All photos by Ashley Jahncke.

Victor de Souza’s Magical Evening Wear

One of our Fashionista 15, Victor de Souza did not disappoint at his Spring 2011 runway show last night at an intimate gallery space in the garment district. Although he’s worked in the fashion industry for several years, he is just starting to make a name for himself with his eponymous line of women’s wear. And we aren’t the only ones who have taken notice. The space, though small, was completely full with, well, some random people and family and Amanda Lepore, but also several editors including Elle‘s Kate Lanphear.

I was a little tired after a long day of fashion week prep, but these clothes definitely woke me up. If Lady Gaga hasn’t already worn Victor de Souza, she will. The collection was mostly evening wear with a few odd bodysuit things mixed in. What really wowed me…or maybe just freaked me out…were the unexpected, bold uses of color and the impossible structure of some of the gowns. Also, apparently we aren’t done with the huge shoulder thing yet, at least Victor isn’t. Then, there was the hot pink ball gown (seen above) that closed the show and barely even fit on the runway, which I think I actually gasped upon seeing. Click through for more.