NINOboo Oxford

Apparel Search is pleased to introduce the launch of NINOboo, the amazing oxford created exclusively for us in collaboration with Bus Stop boutique. There is a limited amount of these all-occasion shoes.

Slip on oxford. Black pony hair with silver detail on the back. Red rubber sole for the most comfort.

See more from Nino Brand here on the fashion blog.

BUS STOP was born on April 14, 2007 by London-born Elena Brennan. Her passion for shoes led her to open the curated boutique, where she carries hard-to-find designer label styles here in Philly. Visit her shoe gallery on any given day, they are open 7 days a week, to peruse coveted styles once only available with a trip to far away places like London, Paris, Rio or New York.

Glam Ugg Sneakers

Glam UGG sneakers are possibly the "it" shoes for Spring 2016.

These new sneakers are cranking up the glam with metallic leather and tweed.

MODEL: 1012175

Shop the Deaven sneakers at Ugg Australia.  Showcasing a chic blend of luxe spring materials, the Deavan is not your average trainer. Poised to make a statement, this sporty style comes equipped with the Treadlite by UGG™ outsole for lightweight cushioning, durability, and traction.

Thank you for taking the time to read our glam footwear blog post. 

You may also want to read our post about the Laurelle Ugg Sneakers.

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.

Block Heel Shoes are In

How do we know that the block heel shoe is in style?  Because MeghanSAYS they are... Below has been written by Meghan to help you better understand why block heels are trendy.

In 1965, one of the masters of shoe design, Roger Vivier, launched a new shoe silhouette down the runway at YSL.  It was the Pilgrim pump -- a square toed, square heeled heel that looked decidedly modern and eminently fresh at the same time. A wizard at the architecture of footwear (he brought us the delicious comma heel and one of the original spindle thin stiletto shapes), this silhouette was all hard edges, playful, poppy, mod.  Almost twenty years after Dior had debuted the New Look with nipped waists and peplum moments, it was now all rectangular mini-skirts, triangular trapeze dresses, bright saturated colors. As always, shoes reflected the cultural moment, echoing back a spirit of unstructured playfulness and experimentation.  Women were revving up for the women's movement - they wanted silhouettes they could MOVE in and the block heel fit the bill perfectly. At the same time chic, and as we saw in Belle de Jour, indeed even sexy, the block heel on the Pilgrim pump ushered in new thinking of what was possible in shoes and sowed the seeds for platforms and chunky moments we started to see in the 70's.

So why the block heel now?

You've got your go-to work stilettos, a few pairs of platforms -- why another silhouette?  Right now the block heel is fresher than ever.  It's been amped up to be higher than the original Pilgirm, and it makes a statement most in your typically pointy-toe high heel where the front looks like a classic stiletto, but the back is a blast of fresh air.

A block heel brings a statement to your wardrobe, it updates your look instantly, and in the case of my line of course, the textures and contrast colors in the heel make it a ton of fun. Not to mention, the block heel is extremely practical -- easy to walk in, much more stable, and does not get stuck in subway grates. It's a crucial silhouette for Spring, Fall and beyond to inject a contemporary vibe into your wardrobe whether it be for work or play.

Of course, I happen to think my MeghanSAYS block heels are some of the chic-est shoes around. I've designed for you a light blue denim with a dark denim trim and a raffia heel, a bright pink floral with pink heel, a black and white gingham with black heel and a black croc-embossed leather with a blush trim. All of these styles except the croc-embossed leather, are also vegan.

Who is Meghan of MeghanSAYS?

Meghan Cleary is an author, footwear expert and red carpet commentator on all things shoe.  She is one of a handful of women founders in the footwear space. Her shoe line, MeghanSAYS, is a shoe line grounded in consumer feedback from real-live women who love shoes and has been featured in WhoWhatWear, The Hollywood Reporter, LA Times, Life + Style Weekly, Simply Stylist, Footwear Plus and more.

The author of two books on what your shoe say about you, she writes about celebrity shoes for The Hollywood Reporter's Pret-a-Reporter style section, and contributes to places like The Boston Globe on the cultural and social implications of shoe trends.

Meghan wrote the fab information above.

Thank you for taking the time to read this footwear blog post about block heel shoes. 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.

SURTEX Tradeshow in NYC

Online registration for SURTEX® is now open at www.surtex.com.  SURTEX exposition and conference, North America’s premier event for the sourcing and licensing of original art and design, is slated to run May 15-17, 2016 at New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.  SURTEX is the only event of its kind dedicated to the licensing of original art or design for use in the manufacturing of home goods, bedding, paper products, toys, calendars, textiles fabrics and more.

Approximately 300 exhibiting artists from around the world will participate in one of three categories: Art and Brand Licensing with 200 exhibitors who license designs; Atelier with 80 exhibitors selling design; and Resource Hub with 20 exhibitors supplying technology and business essentials. In addition, the Design District, a new area featuring emerging artist will bring over 30 designers never seen before. The Design District was created to provide new exhibiting art studios the best opportunity to showcase their art to a targeted attendee audience looking to source new designs for use on finished products.

“This 30th annual edition of SURTEX promises to be the best yet in terms of art and design offerings, as well as education and networking. This is a can’t miss event for artists looking to bring new art to market and for product developers and retailers looking to license original art or design for use in the manufacturing of everything from home goods and bedding, to fashion fabrics and textiles to toys and giftware,” said Liz Crawford, Vice President and Group Show Director. “SURTEX also provides attending media with a prime opportunity to craft and develop fashion and home design trend stories, features on trending art and artists, licensing business stories, and supply chain articles; following the art through to finished product.”

In addition to sourcing and licensing design and art, SURTEX features an educational component, including a series of free pre-show webinars to help exhibitors prepare for the event. The on-site conference program will deliver business strategies from a creative perspective. The SURTEX conference program is designed to cover all aspects of art licensing strategy, in 90 minute sessions, to help a designer take their small business through all steps in the product development process. Visit www.surtex.com for complete schedule.

Additionally, the Trend Theatre features 30-minute presentations, held daily at 11:00am, 1:00pm and 3:00pm on the exhibit floor within the ReSource Hub. These information packed sessions are hosted by industry experts, trend-spotters and thought-leaders. The 2016 lineup focuses on progressive topics such as Consumer Insights and Trends for the Upcoming Generation – Gen Z, Top Color Palettes, Themes and Materials for the Upcoming Season, and Home Interiors. For a complete listings and session times visit www.surtex.com, to plan your show day schedule. 

Two additional, Emerald Expositions-owned design events – the National Stationery Show® and ICFF® – will run concurrently with SURTEX at New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.  One badge will afford media, attendees and exhibitors access to all three events, generating unique cross-market innovation and inspiration and business opportunities for all event participants.

Advance registration for SURTEX, which is free to qualified attendees, is available online through 11:59PM EDT on Saturday, May 14th. After that date, registration costs $60 for qualified registrants. On Day 3, SURTEX welcomes design students and faculty for the expo only for $30.00. This fee does not include the conference sessions. Upon completion of online registration, participants will receive a barcode, which is redeemable for a badge at any SURTEX self-registration terminal at the Javits Center.

About SURTEX

SURTEX is the annual tradeshow for the surface design industry, bringing together owners and creators of surface design (artists/designers/studios/agents/brands/licensors) with manufacturers, retailers and marketers utilizing surface design for product development needs. Since 1986, SURTEX has been the single event and global resource offering the full scope of art selling and licensing under one roof.  The 2016 edition, slated for May 15-17, will connect some 300 exhibitors featuring the work of over 1,200 artists and designers from around the world, with over 6,000 attendees.  For information and registration, visit www.surtex.com.

SURTEX is owned and operated by Emerald Expositions, a leading operator of large business-to-business trade shows in the United States, producing more than 50 trade shows and over 100 face-to-face events in total, including conferences, summits and other events. Emerald Expositions connects more than 335,000 sellers and buyers each year and operates within the U.S. in 10 end markets (Gift, Home, General Merchandise and Manufacturing; Sports & Apparel; Design; Jewelry, Luxury & Antiques; E-Commerce; Creative Services; Licensing; Healthcare; Military; and Food). 

Learn more about the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.

Thank you for taking the time to read our textile event 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.

Olivia Culpo With Henri Bendel Mini Uptown Satchel

Olivia Culpo was photographed carrying Henri Bendel yesterday in Los Angeles! The fashionista accessorized her chic black ensemble wearing the new Mini Uptown Satchel in orange which launched yesterday ($298; www.henribendel.com)! 

Thank you for taking the time to read our luxury handbag 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.

SEAGALE 2-in-1 Swim Shorts

SEAGALE is swim shorts reinvented. Just in time for summer, their team has developed a 2-in-1 swim shorts with integrated swim boxers for optimum comfort and support. No more chaffing. No more unwanted irritation. 

• Other SEAGALE features include:
• Hydrophobic treatment to make SEAGALE water repellent
• Four-way stretch
• Highly breathable fabric with elastic waistband for extra comfort
• Invisible internal zipper to secure valuables

They wrapped up a successful Kickstarter campaign last week raising over €95K ($106K)! 

Thank you for taking the time to read our men's swimwear 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.

SlimSation Pants

If you thought that you couldn’t dress absolutely fabulous without being comfortable then you thought wrong! As a woman dressing is a very tedious job to get done, we are always making sure our sides are looking slim and that our stomach is looking as flat as possible. Thankfully now our solution is here: ​SlimSation pants are ​the new effective way to dress stylish while being comfy. ​The flexible tummy control panel moves with you and keeps your figure looking terrific throughout the day. Your hips and waist are​ perfectly shaped without an awkward bulge from a waist trainer or any other slimming methods.

The variety of styles means you can always look your best, from fun capris that are ideal for a fun summer weekend to relaxed pants that are perfect for the office. The SlimSation leggings can be worn on their own or with a dress, giving you a flexible style that will have you looking smooth, slim, and toned. SlimSation also offers a variety of styles of jeans, giving you the figure you want whether you prefer skinny jeans or boyfriend cuts.

There's no need to sacrifice style or comfort to get the slim silhouette you want. There's no need to squeeze into restrictive undergarments or to wear unfashionable styles. SlimSation pants give you the best of everything: fashion, figure, and comfort. The flexible tummy control is comfortable enough to wear all day, giving you the feeling of being 10 pounds lighter without any discomfort.

SlimSation is already a favorite among women who want to both look and feel great. SlimSation's secret slimming panel can't be seen, but the effects of it are unmissable. The panel is built into the fashion-friendly pants, giving you an on trend look and a great figure all in one. The only way to truly understand how fantastic you can look and how comfortable you can be being to try SlimSation's pants for yourself. You won't be disappointed!

If you want to begin dressing stylish but feeling comfortable go to www.slimsation.com and get your pair today!

Thank you for taking the time to read our pant 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.

Creative Cotton Fabricast 2016

We are pleased to announce the latest release of the FABRICAST™ 2016-1  Collection.  This collection of cotton fabric developments is designed to inspire the market with a focus on novel ideas in cotton-rich fabrics.  Laser technology is explored on non-traditional substrates, with a focus on embellishment and cutting; naturally-hued cotton is showcased in novelty weaves; texture is imparted through fabric structure; unique piece dye effects are achieved with cationic yarns; and fabric properties of unique substrates morph through bonding to create new and innovative products.

Here are a few more cotton fabric examples.

Learn more about the fabrics above at Cotton Inc.

Learn more about cotton fabric mills here on Apparel Search.

Thank you for taking the time to read this textile industry blog post. We hope that it helps you learn about the innovative fabrics that can be created with cotton.

Lybethras Bikinis Making a Splash

You don’t have to be a Brazilian beach bunny to wear a beautiful Brazilian bikini! Lybethras Swim, one of Brazil’s newest bikini exports, is making a splash in the US thanks to its colorful, handmade, mix and match printed bikinis! A Sports Illustrated Swim favorite, Lybethras bikinis boast teeny tiny cut outs, sexy one pieces and playful hand woven crochet accents.

Not only is each bikini handmade in Brazil, but Lybethras owner and designer, Luciana Martinez, has paired up with the non profit Brazilian organization Servi to provide every crochet detail found on each bikini. The organization provides low-income expectant mothers with the skills to become financially independent, creating a sustainable micro-economy for those most in need.

See more Lybethras Brazilian Bikinis here on the Fashion Blog.

You can also visit the Lybethras swimwear website to see the new collections.

Fanny Pack is Back

Fanny packs are officially making a comeback, and not in an embarrassing way! 

Molly Shaheen’s latest fanny’s.  

Each bag can be worn 4 different ways: as a fanny pack, clutch, cross body, or over-the-shoulder, which makes for easy packing, and with a variety of styles perfect for summer music festivals and all around hands-free fashion for the modern girl about town. 

All Molly Shaheen products are 100% leather and can be purchased at http://mollyshaheen.com/.

September 2016 LA Textile Show Dates (revised dates)

LA TEXTILE CHANGES NEXT SHOW DATE TO SEPTEMBER 26-28, 2016
WHAT		In order to avoid date conflicts with other shows and accommodate its base of regular exhibitors and attendees, LA TEXTILE has rescheduled its next show date to September 26-28, 2016, for the Fall/Winter 2017-18 season.
WHO		LA TEXTILE is the fashion industry's West Coast destination for premier textiles, design & production resources from around the globe. Established in 1993, LA TEXTILE continues to be produced and hosted by the California Market Center (CMC) bi-annually and is open strictly to the trade.
WHEN		New Show Dates: September 26-28, 2016 Hours: Monday-Tuesday, 9:00am-5:00pm Wednesday, 9:00am-4:00pm
WHERE		California Market Center (CMC) 110 East 9th Street Los Angeles CA 90079
QUESTIONS		Website: www.latextiletradeshow.com

Business Intelligence for Fashion Professionals

Business intelligence has become more and more important to the fashion industry.  For this reason it is crucial to be able to have access to reliable and essential industry information, indexes and directories.  In the “information jungle” their are a few websites that gathers all necessary data is convenient and provides fashion professionals with more intelligence by one simple click.

The FashionUnited Business Intelligence page contains numerous business data and analytics of the apparel market, from “The Richest People in Fashion” to the “Cotton Price Index”.  The “FashionUnited Top 100 Index” lists the 100 largest quoted companies worldwide, while the “Company Directory” is a collection of leading companies and their stock information, social media performance and latest news.

“Sharing knowledge is the fundamental principal of FashionUnited”, says Caroline Hermanns, FashionUnited Business Intelligence Manager. “As a one-stop-shop destination we aim at providing in-depth industry information. Our Business intelligence supports those seeking reliable information that can be accessed conveniently”.   

You can visit the recently improved FashionUnited Business Intelligence page.

FashionUnited Business Intelligence provides apparel market data and analytics. It aims to provide the best available overview of the global fashion industry. Including the FashionUnited Top100, Facebook fashion index, Twitter fashion index, Fashion fortune 200, Retail statistics (monthly, Q, H, annual), commodity news, etc.

ITECH Masters in Textile Materials

ITECH introduces two new majors in Plastic and Textile Materials to its European Master programme 

The school’s English-taught Polymer Science cursus to be expanded from September 2016

In addition to its specialization in Formulation Chemistry, French engineering school ITECH is introducing two new majors as part of its European Master programme. Responding directly to the needs of the industry, this unique programme will offer majors in Plastic Materials and Textile Materials, beginning September 2016. This is in addition to the school’s major in Formulation Chemistry which is currently in its second year.

Jerome Marcilloux, Dean of ITECH, said: "Having been interested since the launch of this project, Europe’s textile and plastic manufacturing federations have supported ITECH’s Polymer Science programme by sponsoring our majors in Plastic Materials and Textile Materials. These industries’ companies are experiencing the same difficulties in recruiting international engineers, as is the case for the paint industry.” 

Taught entirely in English, the European Master programme trains students to be fully operational immediately after graduation, providing leading companies from the sector with a recruitment pool of young, specialized engineers who are motivated to pursue international careers in polymer science.

Thanks to agreements with companies such as Textinov, and federations like Allizée Plasturgie and UNITEX, students are guaranteed internships throughout the three-year programme, as well as financial aid in the form of scholarships. It is this investment by companies in ITECH’s students that makes this programme so unique.

Graduate job opportunities

Graduates from ITECH’s French programme are already working in companies such as Faurecia, Plastic Omnium, Bertrandt, Louis Vuitton, Hermes, and Decathlon for example, in roles as diverse as Leather Engineer, Industrial Project Manager, Production Manager and Head of Sustainability.

ITECH alumnus Cyrus Naderi said: “After graduating from ITECH’s French programme with a major in the textiles field, I went to work in China. This boosted my career and the challenge took me out of my comfort zone. I have since put into practice the wide range of knowledge and skills acquired at ITECH: setting up a technical garment factory project, fabric development and sourcing, quality control and management. I am currently the head of Technical and Customer Care at the SgT Group, a B2B quality management service expert which serves over 100 fashion brands from mass market to luxury brands.”

Internships guaranteed

The internship programme includes a minimum of 11 months practical work experience in a partner company, which may go on to recruit the student upon graduation. Depending on the company, students may carry out their internships in France or abroad, with at least one international. Graduates work in a range of positions, from research and development, through technical sales and marketing to production.

Scholarships

Financing by plastic and textile industry companies allows for selected students to gain full or partial scholarships. To apply for a scholarship, students are required to submit a three-minute video presentation of themselves explaining why they think they should win a scholarship, before July 12, 2016.

Admission

The programme runs for 3 years.

The next intake is in September 2016.

Three internships totalling 11 months are included.

A European Bachelor’s degree is required, in a science-related field.

Partial or full scholarships are available.

Regular tuition fees are €6500 per year.

Register at inscription.itech.fr before June 17, 2016.

Interviews will take place between June 22 and 29.

The admissions jury will meet on July 12.

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

Learn more about masters programs in fashion & textiles.

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

Lunya Sleepwear for the Modern Woman

In early 2012, Ashley Merrill glanced at herself in the mirror on her way to bed wearing her husband's oversized t-shirt and boxer briefs. She was suddenly aware of her careless sleepwear and how little her reflection resembled who she wanted to be. This realization sent her on a mission to find comfortable, flattering sleepwear but her only choices were uncomfortable, sexy lingerie or frumpy, traditional PJ's. The sleepwear options available didn’t match the woman Ashley wanted to be, an effortlessly cool, confident, and comfortable woman.

Ashley Merrill launched Lunya in 2014 with a clear conviction that women’s sleepwear was overdue for a fresh, modern perspective. She was a business leader with no clothing industry experience, but in October of 2012, she decided to take a leap and fulfill her longtime dream of becoming an entrepreneur.

America's Color Preferences

The following article about color is primarily about "home decor" colors. However, we thought that this may be helpful for those of you planning colors for your fashion projects as well.

Creative Study Reveals America's Favorite Colors. 

Newly launched study that reveals the favorite colors of specific U.S. states and bigger cities -- based on home decor product purchases.

America's true colors are not red, white and blue, after all, but blue, b lack and gray, according to a new study ranking the U.S.'s favorite colors based on home décor purchases. 

There are also strong regional differences in color preferences, reveals the study conducted by Spoonflower- www.spoonflower.com - which allows customers to design, print and sell their own fabric, wallpaper and gift wrap. California and the West buy black décor most; the South likes gray; the rest of America prefers blue.

A few results:

The top six colors nationally are blue, black, gray, pink, white and green.

The study's surprise findings for color experts include: the dismal ranking of red, in just seventh place; the high ranking of neutral colors, with black, gray and white all in the national top five; and the popularity of pink, which ranks fourth nationally and is the most bought color in no less than five major U.S. cities.

The study reveals the most popular color in every state and 74 U.S. cities, based on data from nearly 200,000 purchases on Spoonflower over two years.

Since we are in an election cycle, consider this political slant...

Blue is the top color in 41 states and just over half the cities, while red ranks top in none of either.

"Blue states have wiped red off the map," says Allison Polish, President of Spoonflower.

Black, however, ranks top in a block of five neighboring Western states (California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming), while gray does so in a swathe of three adjacent Southern states (Arkansas, Mississippi, Oklahoma), plus North Dakota.

"The popularity of blue doesn’t surprise me," says Ethel Rompilla, professor of color theory at New York School of Interior Design, and author with Stefan Steil of a new online course, on Color for Interiors. “The reason for the universal popularity of blue, say color theorists, is likely the connection to sky and sea. There's nothing more uplifting than a clear blue sky on a sunny day."

W hat does surprise Rompilla is both the low ranking of red and the high ranking of so many neutral colors, like black, gray and white. "The latter may be because as color becomes more popular, the relief of neutrals is more needed.”

The traditional favorites of her own students, in informal surveys Rompilla has conducted over the years, have been blue, closely followed by red and green. “But more recently red and green have given way to other colors.”

Rompilla, however, is less surprised that gray is most popular in the South and black in the West. "My guess is that it may relate to the architecture, furniture and interiors, which are generally more traditional – hence graceful – in the South, while in the West homes can be more contemporary. In the latter case, the geometric scale and lack of decorative details may better support the boldness of black."

California is the largest "black décor" state, while both Los Angeles, its largest city, and Sacramen to, its capital, are both black décor towns.

San Francisco and Oakland, however, are both blue décor towns, as are New York, Washington DC, Miami, Houston and Dallas, among just over half (55%) of major U.S. cities – 41 of 74 in Spoonflower’s study. 18 cities (13%) buy black décor most; seven (5%), including Chicago and Boston, buy gray most, while pink ranks top in five (4%) cities – Detroit, El Paso, Indianapolis, Long Beach, Phoenix.

Who knew? "I’ve always found pink to be controversial," says Ethel Rompilla, surprised that pink ranks as high as fourth nationally. "People either love it or hate it. Although times are changing, it still is perceived as a feminine color."

White ranks top in two cities and green in one (Charleston).

None, however, of the three main “warm colors” – red, yellow, orange – rank top in either a single state or city, or among Spoonflower’s top six colors nationally. They come instead a lowly seventh, eighth and ninth respect ively in the national rankings and account between them for barely 8.5% of Spoonflower purchases.

"Not only have blue states wiped red ones off the map," says Allison Polish, "but cool (blue, green) and neutral (black, gray, white) colors have left warm ones in the cold."

Spoonflower's map of America's true colors + the top color in every state

http://www.spoonflower.com/americas_true_colors

METHODOLOGY: Spoonflower crunched the data from nearly 200,000 purchases of custom fabric, wallpaper and gift wrap by its customers over a two-year period and organized them under 15 color categories. It then weighted the scores by first identifying the number of customers buying a particular color in any given state or city and then dividing that number by the total number of Spoonflower customers in that state or city. That gave a better measure of the popularity for each color in any city or state and so identified the most popular/most purch ased col or in each state and city.

ABOUT SPOONFLOWER: Spoonflower - www.spoonflower.com - lets users design, print and sell their own fabric, wallpaper and gift wrap. Founded in 2008, it was the world's first web-based service for custom fabric creation and has become the world’s largest community of independent fabric designers. With over 350,000 designs for fabric, wallpaper and gift wrap, and more added every day, the Spoonflower Marketplace is also the world’s largest design collection of its kind. Making things with Spoonflower is the subject of a new title from Abrams Books, The Spoonflower Handbook: A DIY Guide to Designing Fabric, Wallpaper & Gift Wrap with 30+ Projects. For more information visit www.Spoonflower.com/welcome

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.

Spectra Jacket Carbon

Spectra Jacket Carbon by Nicholas K

HOODED JACKET/OPEN FRONT WITH DRAWSTRING CLOSURE AT THE WAIST/ WORN OPEN OR CLOSED/100% NYLON/ WATER REPELLENT

Learn more about Nicholas K fashion.

See more Nicholas K fashion here on our blog.

Stetson Outback Soka

Let me introduce to you Dorfman Pacific, each year in the US, over 5.4 million cases of non-melanoma skin cancer are treated in more than 3.3 million people. During the summer, the sun is out, skin that is overexposed to the sun or UV is far more prone to sunburn, skin conditions and premature ageing. While the sun is vital in providing us vitamins and minerals that we need to be healthy, overexposure can be dangerous and even life threatening. The Stetson has is a prime example of how being cautious can be fashionable during the summer.

Stetson has created a functional and safe product that will help you stay cool and protected against the sun while on vacation. The Stetson Outback Soka has a CoolMax fabric which is the industry leader when it comes to moisture management.  Many customers rely on CoolMax fabric for their active wear needs. The hats also incorporate CoolMesh EVAPORATIVE COOLING TECHNOLOGY this means when this hat is worn you will feel the evaporative cooling technology at work. It’s like a swamp cooler on your head. Feeling the benefit of the wick-away moisture control, the CoolMax and CoolMesh collection comes in sizes small-2XL.

For more information on Stetson Outback Soka, or Dorfman-Pacific, please visit www.dorfman-pacific.com  

Dorfman Pacific prides itself in being one of the largest full-line, in-stock headwear and handbag companies in the world. Our company began in 1921 as Dorfman Hat & Cap Company in a 5,000 square foot facility in Oakland, California. We recently celebrated our 90th year in business at our 275,000 square foot facility in Stockton, California.

Learn more about Stetson hats in our headwear definitions section.  You can also learn about Stetson in our clothing industry company section of our site.  

Alexandra Koumba Handbags

Let me introduce to you the newest accessory line that you will fall in love with called Alexandra Koumba who is taking the handbag industry by storm. Designed from recycled materials such as swimming suit lucre and cotton, Alexandra is known for her quality in craftsmanship and all of her bags are handmade in Greece by local artisans. 

Alexandra's background is in jewelry design and objects and her work is ancient inspired and organic; her designs currently are exhibited in major US museums.

Coming up in May, Alexandra  begins her "road show Americana" of trunk shows in a major department store touring east and west coast.

To follow up with all things Alexandra Koumba, her collections are available at her site at www.alexandrakoumba.com

SanMar to Distribute Alternative Apparel

SanMar announced that they will start selling products from Alternative Apparel. We have heard that the supplier will carry 41 items in total from Alternative, including 11 exclusive styles that were jointly developed between the two companies.

SanMar will begin offering the collection on Friday, April 15. The collection will feature a mix of Alternative’s best-sellers (including its newly introduced Vintage 50/50 fabrications) in T-shirts, tank tops, hoodies, sweatshirts and fleece pants.

Family-owned since 1971, Seattle-based SanMar is an award-winning supplier of 21 retail, private label and mill brands. They supply apparel and accessories to screen printers, embroiderers, promotional products distributors, athletic dealers, industrial launderers and more – whether they are outfitting a Fortune 500 corporation or the local bowling team.

SanMar is the exclusive distributor of Nike Golf, OGIO®, OGIO Endurance, Eddie Bauer®, Red Kap® , Bulwark® and New Era®. Our other retail brands include Gildan®, Anvil®, Jerzees®, Hanes®, Fruit of the Loom® and Russell Outdoors™.

Learn more about SanMar

Learn about promotional apparel distributors.

Do you know the other meaning of alternative apparel?

Note: the image above is Alternative Apparel clothing just as an example.  It is not necessarily the product that SanMar will be selling.

Taylor Swift Wearing Peggy Moffitt Activewear

Taylor Swift and bestie Karlie Kloss hit the gym in LA last week. Always the trendsetter, Taylor was sporting head-to-toe Peggy Moffitt, LA’s newest activewear line taking over athleisure! Wearing the Dharma collection in grey, Taylor was a sight to be seen in monochrome giving us a major dose of fitspo!

Want to recreate Taylor’s look? Check out PeggyMoffitt.com for more of the line’s amazing athleisure ensembles!

See more of the Peggy Moffitt Activewear Collection here on the Fashion Blog.

And yes, we Apparel Search "loves" Taylor Swift.

White Shirt Styles for Women

The important thing to consider when selecting a shirt style is, "which ones are currently trendy?".  As you most likely are already aware, their are numerous different styles of shirts for women.  If you take a moment to try and name each style in your head, you may not think of them all (shirt style hints).

Theory has a collection of white shirts in the following options:  Off-the-shoulder, The Boyfriend, The Wrap, The Ruffle, The Boatneck and The Tie-front.

Fortunately, we know that these particular styles are currently in style because they are being sold at Saks.

Selly Raby Kane Fashion Collection

This winter the Selly Raby kane woman reconnects with her dreams, and re-imagines her interactions with the world through bright colors, high contrasts and surreal embroidery.

This collection is an ode to taking a step within and reconnecting with one's inner architecture which involves,  childhood , playfulness and constant motion.

About Selly-Raby Kane:

Selly Raby Kane is a clothing line created in 2008 by Senegalese designer Selly Raby. The designs embody a mix of urban, Afro and pop.  While offering contemporary clothing to the international fashion forward person, Selly Raby Kane’s signature is a mixture of modern and trendy ,while partnering traditional and contemporary fabrics.

The brand expresses the spirit of a new generation: assertive, rebellious, free spirited and sophisticated.

The designs embody the ultimate blend of a strong urban color pallet with worldly details. It is a mix of influences and trends for a unique and uninhibited style with attention to detail and a passion for accessories.

Learn more about Selly Raby Kane.

Saint Laurent at Saks Fifth Avenue

Shop for Saint Laurent at Saks Fifth Avenue.  Find luxurious handbags, shoes, and more.

In March 2012, Yves Saint Laurent appoints Hedi Slimane as Creative Director assuming total responsibility for the brand image and all its collections.

Born in Paris in 1968, Hedi Slimane lives in Los Angeles. He is a photographer and a fashion designer. He has published several books including Anthology of a Decade 2011 by JRP-Ringier, a comprehensive lexicon of his years of music, fashion and photography. He also exhibited his photographic work widely in Europe and the US.

Shop the Spring 2016 Saint Laurent collection at Saks.

Learn more about YSL.

Laurelle Ugg Sneakers

The new Laurelle packs all the comfort of a Classic Boot and all the versatility of a sneaker, making your transition from winter to spring a breeze.

MODEL: 1013034

The Laurelle fuses the Classic Boot with a sporty high top, and the result is undeniably fashion forward. Crafted from rich leather and water-resistant suede, this style is fully lined with natural wool and finished with our exclusive Treadlite by UGG™ outsole for lightweight cushioning and durability.  Comes in chestnut color or black.

Below are a few of the sneaker options from the UGG collection.

Learn about UGG shoe quality from our previous post about Ugg Australia footwear.