Ireland Baldwin Wearing Doloris Petunia Bracelet

Ireland Baldwin shared a photo wearing a Doloris Petunia bracelet on Instagram over the weekend! The model hung out backstage at the 2014 Glastonbury Festival wearing her Original Swarovski Crystal Friendship Bracelet ($35). A favorite among celebrities, the Doloris Petunia friendship bracelets were also recently seen on Olivia Munn, Nina Dobrev, Alessandra Ambrosio and Whitney Port (www.dolorispetunia.com)!

Ireland Eliesse Baldwin is an American fashion model. She is the daughter of actors Kim Basinger and Alec Baldwin.

Show Your Straps

Artist, activist, entrepreneur Kristine Ross has designed a better mouse trap so to speak. A convertible Tee Shirt Bra ($39) that is a basic you’ll live in every day. The fun part is the interchangeable straps: sold separately in over 35 colors to choose from, so you’ll be able to make a subtle statement with any outfit!

Your go-to bra: Sleek support, super soft, and simply sexy.  Foam-lined contour cups show off your shape while comfy underwire means flexibility for everyday wear, everywhere.  Learn more about the convertible tee shirt bra at matchymatchy.com

Visit the Matchy Bra Strap website.

If you would like to read about more than just the straps, you may also want to visit our bra blog page for additional reading material.

The​ Matching Dots

The​ Matching Dots, a made in the USA line of designer polka dot dresses.

For every dress that they sell we feed TWO hungry children in partnership with a national organization called Stop Hunger Now!

They are all about supporting national and local economies by manufacturing in the USA and by only employing highly qualified local seamstresses! 

Their collection is available for girls 12 months to 8 years and for women and it retails for $24 - $120. It can be found at www.TheMatchingDots.com and at various retailers in the USA.

Matt Arend Fearlessly Be Yourself

Matt Arend watches for men.

ANDALUZ MA183

CHICAGO MA181

http://mattarend.co.za/ 

Chloe + Isabel Entrepreneurial Opportunity Funded

New York-based social retail jewelry company Chloe + Isabel announced that it has closed a $15 million Series C equity round to continue to provide an entrepreneurship opportunity through its social commerce platform. Led by SoftBank Capital, the round also included participation from existing investors General Catalyst Partners, First Round Capital, Forerunner Ventures, and Floodgate Fund.

Chloe + Isabel’s socially-integrated e-commerce platform equips its sellers, known as merchandisers, with a customizable e-commerce “storefront.”  With over 4,500 merchandisers, Chloe + Isabel is creating a movement among entrepreneurially-minded women across the U.S.  The company’s proprietary technology provides its merchandisers with online and mobile tools to create, curate and power their own online boutiques, including sales and merchandising training, online marketing support, and the ability to manage their businesses real-time. 

The company launched the business with its flagship jewelry line – designed and developed in-house at its headquarters in NYC – and successfully launched its first fragrance, Jardins du Midi, this past April. The recent funding will be used to fuel the company’s growth and increase Chloe + Isabel’s community of micro-entrepreneurs both domestically and internationally, as well as to further enhance product categories. 

“Chloe + Isabel’s innovative scalable tools and training offer a true social-selling experience and provide an entrepreneurial opportunity for today’s woman,” said Scarlett O'Sullivan, Partner at SoftBank Capital. “We were drawn to the merchandisers’ stories and the way in which Chloe + Isabel’s disruptive selling platform, customized marketplaces and high-quality products are impacting merchandisers’ lives and allowing them to attain whichever goals they set for themselves.  We see a vast opportunity to expand the brand and bring this unique social selling approach globally, and are excited to help the company navigate its entry into new markets overseas.”   

Chloe + Isabel’s community of merchandisers, 75% of whom are under the age of thirty-five, is the lifeblood of the organization.  Merchandisers join the opportunity to achieve personal goals ranging from earning supplemental income, to building their resume to land in retail jobs, to developing sales and leadership skills.  Merchandisers can earn $50 to $400 per hour, with commissions ranging from 25% to 40%.

“We’re building a global community and platform to arm our merchandisers with the best technology tools, retail training and education to maximize their growth and success as today’s entrepreneurs,” said Chantel Waterbury, Chloe + Isabel Founder and CEO.  “SoftBank has tremendous global experience building high-growth businesses, and we look forward to partnering with them to extend our brand and provide the Chloe + Isabel opportunity to women everywhere.”

You may also have interest in learn about the Chloe + Isabel Fragrance that we wrote about recently here on the Apparel Search blog.

ABOUT CHLOE + ISABEL

Chloe + Isabel is a New York-based, innovative social commerce jewelry company that empowers and connects women through their own social selling experience.  Launched in 2011, the company has reinvented the direct sales model through technological innovation and social media integration geared to empowering the female entrepreneurs of today. For more information, visit http://www.chloeandisabel.com.

ABOUT SOFTBANK CAPITAL

SoftBank Capital makes early and growth stage investments in companies that connect people, devices and the world. SoftBank Capital invests in category leaders in consumer and enterprise mobile, online advertising, ecommerce, social media and cloud computing. We have been making investments since 1995, with recent exits including Bluefin Labs, Buddy Media, Hyperpublic, Huffington Post, OMGPOP, Pivot and ZipList. To learn more, visit http://www.softbank.com.

Learn more about jewelry companies in the jewelry guide section here on Apparel Search.  Yes, in addition to clothing and beauty products, we also have a guide for people interested in learning more about necklaces, bracelets, earrings, etc.

Thank you for taking the time to read our jewelry industry blog post. We hope that you have found this news to be informative. If you have comments or questions, please add your thoughts in the discussion area below.

Jessica Alba in Mint Sunglasses

Jessica Alba wore sunglasses by Cynthia Rowley at The Grove in Los Angeles this past Friday . The Sin City star accessorized her chic overalls with Rowley Eyewear No. 58 Frames in Mint as she enjoyed the day with her family ($109, www.rowleyeyewear.com).

Kokun Cool Summer Night Sweaters

Kokun Summer Sweaters, to complete a cool summer night outfit for any occasion! The light-weight bamboo is soft and fabulous.

Sabrina Carpenter and Ashley Tisdale Spotted in Junk Food Tops

Sabrina Carpenter wore Junk Food for the Fox & Friends All American Concert Series in NYC two days ago. The Girl Meets World star looked cute in a Minnie Mouse tee as she performed her best hits and discussed her upcoming summer tour (Price Available Upon Request, www.junkfoodclothing.com).

Ashley Tisdale was spotted wearing Junk Food in Los Angeles.  The Buzzy's star stayed cool in her Meow Muscle Tank as she hiked Runyon Canyon ($40, www.junkfoodclothing.com).

Lily Collins in Bambi Cropped Tank Top

Lily Collins was photographed wearing Junk Food yesterday in Los Angeles. The Love, Rosie star paired her Bambi Cropped Tank with a white mini skirt for a fun summer look ($36, www.junkfoodclothing.com)!

Rosie and Alex have been best friends since they were 5, so they couldn't possibly be right for one another... or could they? When it comes to love, life and making the right choices, these two are their own worst enemies. One awkward turn at 18, one missed opportunity... and life sends them hurling in different directions. But somehow, across time, space and different continents, the tie that binds them cannot be undone - despite unwanted pregnancies, disastrous love affairs, marriage, infidelity and divorce. Will they find their way back to one another, or will it be too late?  Watch Love, Rosie to find out.  This movie is planned for release in October 2014.

January Jones Femton Boyfriend Jeans

January Jones was photographed wearing STRÖM Brand Friday in Los Angeles. The Mad Men star looked cute and casual in her Femton Boyfriend Jeans in Swirl. 

This is the same style Elle Fanning has recently worn at least 3 times ($210, www.strombrand.com)!

Read more boyfriend jeans blog posts here on Apparel Search.

Kaley and Ryan Sweeting Peepers Sunglasses

Newlyweds Kaley and Ryan Sweeting have been spotted rocking his & her style swaps in their Peepers sunglasses (a steal at under $20)! Kaley has been spotted wearing the frames multiple times and it seems Ryan got some style inspiration from her as well J. Kaley is wearing a Lulu*s floral dress ($36).

You may also want to review the following blog posts:

Kaley in blue-mirrored frames in LA
Kaley in Crossroads Sunglasses
Kaley Cuoco in Workout Apparel

Casual Everyday is Plague on America

It all started with Casual Friday. 

Now we are faced with Casual Everyday (every day).  Believe it or not, business attire once upon a time included suits, dress shirts, ties, and slacks.  Today, many of us wear “what we want” and “when we want”.  The question is, “is dressing casual every day for work appropriate”.

First we started to think it was OK to step away from the tradition of men wearing a suit in the majority of business environments.  After the suit was left in the wardrobe, it rather quickly became acceptable in many places of business to wear a shirt and tie to work.  Similar to the jacket, the tie began to progressively slip out of the picture.

Many companies in America now find it acceptable for men to arrive at work in a nice shirt and a some what dressy pair of pants.  Sure, on Friday even jeans are permitted.

Has this made America casual or did it make us a bit lazy?

Does comfortable equal productive?

Does dressing for success breed success?

Today I walked approximately 15 blocks in the bustling city streets in New York City during the primary rush hour.  In the span of a twenty minute walk I saw only 5 to 10 men wearing a tie.

As people lose faith in the economy, as inflation begins to rise (not yet, but it will eventually), as unemployment levels do not meet expectations, should we trend back to a more professional business attire?

Maybe it is time to re-think the dress code in the United States of America.  Do the young people graduating college this year actually know the meaning of the word business suit or is that an archaic word of the past.

If you are interested, you can read the Fashion Industry Network article from early 2009 on the subject of dressing casually in the workplace.  The blog post was discussing the possibility of Casual Friday harming the USA economy among other things.

By the way, I do realize that dressing casual at work is a generalization.  In the United States, there are still many companies and office environments that maintain a higher standard (more strict requirements) in regard to business attire.

If you believe that comfort is key to success, should we wear shorts and tank tops when working at the bank?  Please share your thoughts below.

You may want to shop at one of the following stores.

www.bachrach.com (The suit image used on this page is from Bachrach so you can see the fine quality and style from this store)

http://shop.nordstrom.com/c/mens-suits-sportcoats
www.josbank.com 

www.brooksbrothers.com
www.menswearhouse.com
www.barneys.com
www.belk.com

Thank you for taking the time to read our fashion blog post. We hope that you have found this news to be informative. If you have comments or questions, please add your thoughts in the discussion area below.

Hardware Store or Shoe Store

Hardware Store lookbook. Don't worry, we are not showing hammers, screwdrives, or nails.  This hardware store lookbook is all about "shoes".  With studs, chains and plenty of luster, the latest collections from ShoeDazzle really step it up and feature all of the season’s essential embellishments.

Photographer: Henry Ly
Art Director: Scott Sandler
Trendy Shoe Store: ShoeDazzle

Olcay Gulsen Fashion Designer Introduction

Introducing fashion designer Olcay Gulsen. Olcay has recently been seen dressing the hottest celebrities with her show stopping collection. Olcay inspires others with her classic twists to luxury clothing. Olcay Gulsen has always been a firm believer in creating garments with timeless appeal; clothes that allow the modern woman's femininity to shine through in an ever fast-paced world.

With this love of luxury feminine clothes with a classic twist, she launched her namesake line‘Olcay Gulsen’ in 2011 – a collection of luxe dresses and shoes that are made for the red carpet. Essentially, the Olcay Gulsen line is for the fabulous independent woman who knows what she wants.

Working across Amsterdam, London and New York, Olcay loves to travel the world in search of inspiration for her new collections. In her words, “style is knowing who you are and who you want to inspire.”

The key to her success is from all the fashionistas out there!  They appear to adore her product. 

Here are a few of the celebrities that have enjoyed the brand.

Catherine Wingate Women's Golf Apparel

Calling all golfers looking to spruce up their collections from the green to the clubhouse!  We would like to introduce Catherine Wingate Apparel and Wingate recently premiered on the PGA tradeshow circuit, where the brand was awarded best new product in 2014. This collection offers a high-end variety of pieces to wear comfortably for a day on the green. 

Combining style with function, Catherine Wingate provides pieces that allow women golfers to be athletic and chic at the same time. The collection ranges from polos and dresses to pants in chic color palettes and flattering silhouettes.

The brand has quickly caught attention with its unique items, such as the zip-front dress that has shorts built into the garment.  The classic Wingate pants have also been very sought after due to their extreme comfort and special details, such as tee holders on the belt loops.

 

Catherine Wingate Apparel uses high-end athletic fabrics that block UV-rays to protect the skin from dangerous sun damage.  These top quality fabrics have also been treated for moisture wicking and anti-bacterial features.  Every piece is made out of a four-way stretch fabric to allow women to comfortably move around on the course. The collection’s current price point ranges from $89 to $260.

Catherine Wingate has already been spotted on golf trendsetters, such as Golf Channel associate editor Bailey Mosier.   It is currently available online at www.catherinewingate.com and in selected resorts and country clubs.

BOXYCHARM Beauty in a Box

Encompassing the full definition of “beauty” in one experience, BOXYCHARM has launched a monthly subscription program that sends subscribers a curated beauty box with a combination of high-end, full-sized trendy beauty products.

BOXYCHARM’s June box features beauty to the fullest extent in honor of June – the month with the most weddings and beautiful brides! Ranging from Tarte Blushing Bride to Revlon’s newest mascara, BOXYCHARM embraces beauty all around. BOXYCHARM has included all kinds of brands in the box such as NARS, ModelCo, Mirabella, Essie, Elizabeth Mott and more. Charmers will be inspired, be surprised, and be charmed with their monthly beauty goodies.

Every month comes with a new set of fantastic products that will make Charmers feel motivated and inspired to put their best foot forward.

Aiming to provide subscribers, or ‘Charmers,’ with a fun, useful and carefully selected surprise batch of beauty items each month, BOXYCHARM is a must-have for all women to look forward to. BOXYCHARM is $21 a month with total box values sometimes reaching over $100.

Ranging from skincare, hair care, color cosmetics, and nail care, BOXYCHARM stays up to date with current industry news and always ensures a thoughtfully assembled one-of-a-kind combination for Charmers to achieve their best and most glamorous looks for the month. BOXYCHARM can also be delivered to friends and family for a unique and girly gift. 

Check their site for most current pricing and details about their products.

For additional information, please visit www.boxycharm.com.

If you enjoy reading about this subject, you will find that we have many more beauty blog posts for your viewing pleasure.

Alphabet Bags

Inspired by a love of typography, London-based Alphabet Bags offers bags and accessories that are functional and simple, yet bold and cheerful with their distinctive designs.

Created by husband-and-wife team, Lucas & Hayley Lepola in 2008, Alphabet Bags initially produced canvas tote bags screen-printed with every letter from the alphabet, from A to Z. Five successful years later, Alphabet Bags has expanded to include coin purses, pouches in various sizes, wash bags, makeup bags, card holders as well as iPad and iPhone cases. The brand's accessories are made from durable natural cotton canvas stitched together with either a screen printed or hand-illustrated design. Beyond creating everyday lifestyle and travel items, Alphabet Bags now also offers a wedding collection that features the brand's same fun aesthetic with colorful canvas totes and pouches which feature screen-printed titles for every person in a bridal party. 

Alphabet Bags effortlessly combines quirky, colorful typographic design with simplistic canvas items to deliver products that are both person and pleasurable. Alphabet Bags is available at major department stores across the UK and online ($14.00 - $36.00; www.alphabetbags.com).

Thank you for taking the time to read our fashion blog post. We hope that you have found this news to be informative. 

For those of you that would like to review additional news about trendy bags, you may want to visit the fashion bag blog posts page.

If you have comments or questions, please add your thoughts in the discussion area below.

Olivia Wilde Walking Otis & Paco

Olivia Wilde was photographed in Level 99 the other day in NYC! The new mom wore her Relaxed Lilys in Chandon for a relaxing stroll with her son Otis and beloved dog Paco ($175, www.level99jeans.com).

Gorgeous & Talented Taylor Swift Wearing ban.do

Taylor Swift was photographed wearing ban.do while out and about in NYC recently! The singer showed off a chic look with a side swept bun accented with ban.do's Mini Pom Pom Flower in Blush ($12; www.shopbando.com).

Gwen Stefani Orange is the New Black

Gwen Stefani was photographed wearing Level 99 recently in Los Angeles. The mother of three paired her Sienna Tomboys in Anastasie with a red moto jacket for a bold summer look (150, www.level99jeans.com).

Is Orange the new black *yes, I am referencing the Netflix show)?  Sure looks cool in the trendy orange.

America’s Cultural History Through Fashion

How Immigrants Are Fueling America’s Cultural History Through Fashion

by JORGE RIVAS @ThisIsJorge

Iconic American designers like Calvin Klein, Donna Karan and Ralph Lauren share one thing in common: they had Jewish immigrant parents who came to the U.S. and worked as sewers and tailors in New York’s garment industry.

Klein, Karan and Lauren have helped define what American fashion looks like and they follow a lineage of immigrants who have been building that identity for more than a century.

“[Jewish immigrants] defined a new way of freedom and American dress, and that took part in the late 19th and early 20th century, through mid-century, but even earlier,” says Gabriel M. Goldstein, a historian who curated an exhibit for Yeshiva University Museum that explored the garment industry and Jewish immigrants.

Goldstein says German immigrant Levi Strauss and the creation of blue jeans really trademarked American identity and fashion.

“It’s really hard to think of American life without Levi’s blue jeans,” said Goldstein.

Today, it’s Asian immigrants and Asian-Americans who are redefining the U.S. fashion industry.

In the past decade the fashion industry’s top honors have regularly gone to Asian immigrants and Asian-Americans. In 2010, the prestigious Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) Fashion Awards, comprised of fashion retailers, journalists, and more than 450 designers, awarded Richard Chai (menswear), Jason Wu (women's wear) and Alexander Wang (accessories) as best new designers of the year. All of them happen to be Asian.

Asian-Americans and Fast Fashion

Michael Kye studied business and left a lucrative job with a car company to help with his parent’s business. He’s launched his own line called Kaii.
The fast fashion business in the U.S. has really been driven by Asian-Americans, says Christina Moon, professor in the school of art and design history and theory at Parsons in New York. The fast fashion sector is responsible for more affordable clothing that dresses the masses. Most notably are "the Chang sisters," Linda and Esther Chang , the daughters of Korean immigrants who came to the U.S. in 1981 and opened up a store called Forever 21 in Highland Park, California.

Both sisters joined the family business after attending Ivy League schools and helped turn the company in to the country's 122nd-biggest private company.Linda runs the marketing department and Esther looks over graphics and store displays.

The L.A. Times referred to the sisters as the "secret weapon" for Forever 21 because they have "the stylish eye and marketing savvy” to take the $3.7-billionbrand into the future.

Moon has been interviewing young Asian-Americans in business and design school graduates and has identified a trend: many of the students she interviewed don't choose to work at large fashion corporations when they graduate. Instead, they go to work for their parents aging garment businesses.

At Parsons the New School for Design, roughly 70 percent of its international students enrolled in the school of fashion now come from Asia, according to school officials. At the Fashion Institute of Technology, 23 percent of the nearly 1,200 students now enrolled are either Asian or Asian-American.

“F.I.T. is a pretty diverse place, but this is the most obvious change we have seen,” Joanne Arbuckle, the dean of its school of art and design, told the NY Times in 2010. “It is remarkable when you compare it to many years ago. I don’t think we ever had these numbers of students from Asian countries or Asian-American students. And it is a growing population.”

Latinos and Fashion Success

Immigrants from Latin America are an integral part of the garment industry in the U.S. but they are not launching businesses at the same rate as their Asian counterparts.

Los Angeles is the main distribution center for fast fashion largely due to the proximity of the Port of Los Angeles and the U.S.-Mexico border. Locally over “45,000 workers cut, sew and finish garments” and the overwhelming majority of them are Latino and Asian immigrants. About 70 percent of garment workers in the Los Angeles are Latino, mostly comprising of Mexican, Guatemalan and Salvadoran immigrants, according to 2010 Census data.

“The fact that they are undocumented, that they are not citizens, that their labor is very flexible and that wages are not documented, is a huge reason why the fast-fashion industry is thriving in Los Angeles,” says Moon.

Moon says those same reasons that allow the garment industry in Los Angeles to thrive may also be keeping Latinos from climbing the fashion industry ladder.

The Garment Worker Center in Los Angeles estimates 60 percent of local garment workers are denied minimum wage and 93 percent are denied overtime wages.

“If you want to go to design school how do you enroll if you don’t have papers, how do you get a job at a fashion company, it affects everything,” says Moon.

Ramiro Gonzalez grew up near Santa Ana, California. He's currently studying fashion design and sells t-shirts at tortillapower.com.

“[Latinos are] dealing with a different set of racial and ethnic challenges, the major challenge is that they are not considered citizens which Asian-Americans are,” says Moon.

Thuy Linh Tu, director of American Studies at New York University says capital and the ownership of factories is another obstacle Latinos have faced to advance in the industry.

“Latinos are incorporated as sowers, they’re not mainly owners of factories and I think that position and that kind of access really makes the difference to why the second generation is not moving up,” Tu said.

“Having said that I do think there are a lot of emerging Latino designers that we are not actually tracking yet and I can imagine that in five to 10 years we are going to see The New York Times write about the rise of the Latino designer,” Tu said.

See more at http://fusion.net/culture/story/immigrants-fueling-americas-cultural-history-fashion-807233 

Thank you for taking the time to read our fashion blog post. We hope that you have found this news to be informative. If you have comments or questions, please add your thoughts in the discussion area below.

Best of Summer DSTLD Premium Denim Jeans

Choose DSTLD Premium Denim Jeans for all your summer denim needs! Heavy enough to keep you warm on chilly nights, but light enough to last you through the day in the hot summer sun. Dress them up or down for days on the boardwalk or evenings in Hollywood!

click images below to enlarge:

Carry on a free spirit lifestyle with a pair of DSTLD’s softest jeans possible for this endless summer- you won’t be sorry.

Learn more about the DSTLD Premium Denim Jeans at the DSTLDJeans.com