This week we’ve got Beyonce in Gareth Pugh on Respectfully Yours, Perez in Levis on Petite Bourgeois, the CDG for H&M lowdown on Fashion Pulse Daily… the mystical fashion 8ball reveals the future of lace on Mademoiselle Robot. For the men we discuss man jewels on The Sunday Best, Amsterdam Fashion Week (its’ goood) on The Live and Times of a Problem Child, Mens’ Vintage on The Poste Office… and sooo much more, check it out.

If you’ve missed this weeks round, no worries, there is always next week, you can sign up in the forums by clicking here. Links à la Mode keep getting better and better, the more you participate the better everyone gets.

Links à la Mode : November 13th

• 39thandbroadway - A rant regarding overused and annoying industry terms overused in the fashion business
• A Few Goody GumDrops - A Few Goody Gumdrops can’t decide if the latest Pierre Hardy is a pet or a shoe!
• Add Bubbles To Taste - How To Shop: A Sale!
• Capitola Girl Jewelry Blog - A couture-inspired jewelry collection from a San Francisco artist that is filled with fanciful fun–and made out of LEGOs.
• Diary of a Style Addict - sharing beauty secrets by giving away a free copy of Cosmopolitan’s new book
• Dirty Laundry - The elusive and other-worldly effect of unraveling a t-shirt and why t-shirt deconstruction is amazing.
• Dogmom’s Dish - Five Fab Books For Your Favorite Fashionista Be a haute holiday heroine with these picks!
• Dress Me Up Dollie - Mini loves plaid. A lot!
• eye4style - eye4style reports back on the fab LuckyShops event in NYC - Botkier, Foley & Corinna, Rebecca Minkoff and more…
• fashion in my eyes - Sex on Legs
• Fashion Pulse Daily - We’ll be at the stampede, getting trampled for fashion at one of the 8 locations carrying Comme des Garcons for H&M — stay tuned for our updates!
• Flights of Fab Fashion Fancy - See Tina Fey’s working girl style- recreated by USA TODAY’S “Celeb Style” at Ann Taylor in Manhattan!
• Hello, Lover… Shoe Daydreams - Because most bloggers aren’t traditional media outlets,companies should learn a new, more personal way to approach them.
• Independent Fashion Bloggers - How to Social Networks to Scout Content
• Iole in fashion - Fur…
• Little Black Book - Canine Couture:is it the right way to go or has it gone too far?
• Mademoiselle Robot - This week the Mademoiselle Robot ball answers questions about blogging. If you have questions, come & ask!
• Or False Glitter - Sister style swap: what happens when you mix two sisters with two very different styles?
• Petite Bourgeoisie - Perez Hilton for Levi…
• PR COUTURE - Fashion PR Interview: Tierra Wilson on Social Media Optimization Tips and Life as Full-Time Fashion Techie
• respectfully yours - beyonce in gareth pugh, britney in rodarte: universe has a sense of humor.
• Shopping and Info - Shopping and Info wants you to check out the one shoulder dress Leighton Meester wore at the Lucky Shops event plus more great one shoulder dress options.
• Style Discovery - Have you ever wondered if you needed to buy Photoshop? Songy gives you (fashion bloggers) the answer you’ve been looking for. Picasa 3 is here to help and it’s of course free!
• Style Tabloid - Take a look at Gossip Girl’s Jenny Humphrey’s past looks that we love (a lot more than her style now).
• The Bare Skinny - Be cute simple & chic! Fashion cues from Audrey Hepburn
• THE COVETED - Defeating Envy: When Coveting Goes Too Far
• The Life and Times of a Problem Child - Going through some of the most captivating menswear at Amsterdam Fashion Week…
• The Poste Office - Discovers Vintage Menswear… Cotton Love
• The Sunday Best - A brief look at the perils involved with men wearing jewelry who are not pirates.
• Your Style Star - Clutch Worthy Clutches

We have yet another wonderful week in the IFB roundups…

You may need to set aside some time to get through all these links, because there are some really wonderful posts. Fashion Therapy delves into her closet, we’ve got some great interviews with model Kathleen Burbridge  (PonyRyder) Alix the Cherry Blossom Girl (Mademoiselle Robot), Satanic Schoolgirls on  Agent Lover, sexy t-shirt surgery on Dirty Laundry… and so much more…

Links à la Mode : October 9th

• Agent Lover - Satanic Schoolgirl Style: A guide for those who want to cross over to the dark side of knee highs.
• couturee yourself: - Just cant get enough Givenchy
• Dirty Laundry - How to revamp tired, old, boxy t-shirts into stylish, wearable tops.
• Fab Fashion Blog - Wearing slouch boots-here are some fabulous looks!
• fashion in my eyes - Natalia Vodianova in Numéro phothographed by Karl Lagerfeld
• Fashion Pulse Daily - Fashion Pulse reviews the latest Dolce & Gabbana collection recently shown in Milano.
• Little Black Book - DIY:bracelet, its just so easy!
• Logical Harmony - Fall Fashion From Rachel Bilson
• Mademoiselle Robot - An interview with The Cherry Blossom Girl celebrating the launch of her first collection, By Alix.
• Or False Glitter - Holy Hosiery: Wearing tights Rodarte style
• PONY RYDER - exclusive interview with fashion model kathleen burbridge.
• reLYME - A post featuring my boot picks for fall, and hopefully, a forum to features yours, too!
• Retro Chick - Can Earplugs be cool?
• SwanDiamondRose - Does this look like my Louche? Small businesses, copyright, & crafting.
• Tainted & Sweet…: - Fly Girls of the week we all want to be like…
• THE COVETED - Easy DIY trends.. the whole hearted half skirt

If you’ve missed this weeks round, no worries, there is always next week, you can sign up in the forums by clicking here. Links à la Mode keep getting better and better, the more you  participate the better everyone gets.

rebeldnce.com

Past a certain age, to paraphrase iconic French actress Catherine Deneuve, it’s either your face or your figure.

In the late 70s, a woman of a certain age was probably between 35 and 40. The phrase was popularized by psychotherapist Lillian B. Rubin in “Women of a Certain Age: The Midlife Search for Self. Today’s ‘certain age’ is likely much older, although with the proliferation of botox and volumizing injectables , who knows?

Seriously though, as we age (and are no longer in our dewy 20s) striving to maintain a runway-model-thin or elite-athlete-fit body can make you look gaunt and older than you really are.

Why yo-yo dieting is bad

It’s no shocker that tanning, puffing on American Spirits and downing cocktails is a recipe for lackluster skin and wrinkles (not to mention serious health consequences). Another way to court lines and sags is to keep gaining and losing the same 10-20 pounds. When women lose weight, it comes off their face and breasts first, leading to slackened, inelastic and damaged skin.

You are what you eat

Nutritionists, doctors, your healthiest friend at work all believe that eating whole organic whole foods benefits skin. Your diet should also include good fats like salmon, avocados, olive oil and almonds that keep skin supple and safeguards against inflammation. According to uber-derm, Dr. Perricone, controlling inflammation can help delay and reverse premature aging in skin.

Exercise smarter, not harder

High-impact exercise- like running- increases stress on the skin with constant repetitive motion. Over time, this leads to too much facial fast loss. I’m talking grueling, long distance runs more than thrice weekly. Jogging is fine– just be sure to wear sunscreen if you jog outside during daylight. Yoga, biking and walking (my favorite) also give good glow.

In addition to maintaining a healthy weight (for you), follow these practical tips for lovely, covetable skin<

• When possible, avoid excess amounts of stress and get plenty of sleep (I know– easier said than done…)
  

• Shun the sun during peak hours—10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and protect your skin with SPF daily

• Don’t smoke. It’ll kill you and make you look old fast
  

• Drink lots of water—hydrated skin looks plumper is less prone to wrinkling.

Image from La Chamade via Cafe Mode

One of the rising stars of German fashion, Marcel Ostertag, still in his 20’s is certainly a force to be reckoned with. Producing entire 50 piece collections on his own, hard labor, doesn’t come without benefits, after all he is the winner of the Karstadt New Generation Award during Berlin Fashion Week, this is only the beginning of his career. The other day, we sat down together in his Munich studio/shop to have a chat about his inspirations, what it’s like to be an independent designer…

Inspiration

“I’m not one to design something practical”

While at Central St. Martins, Marcel Ostertag studied Menswear, but moved towards womens clothing, because women are more keen to wear more daring things… “I’m not one to design something practical.” He then found himself going through old Vogue magazines, particularly the issues from the late 1970’s, dramatic, opulent silhouettes. Of course, the collection isn’t merely repeat the past, it has a modern twist, metallic fabrics, sequins, and a high contrast color palette.

Being Independent

Being an independent designer is tough work, there is a lot to compete with these days, but the challenge doesn’t deter Ostertag. It’s difficult because often you’re on your own while big design houses have research teams, checking trends, inspiration… etc. As an independent designer Ostertag, will have a student studio assistant for two months and by the time he gets to know them and get a good report it’s time for them to move on. Then there’s the pressure to produce a large collection of 50 pieces or so, because no one wants to look at a designer with 10 or so pieces. The samples is produced in the studio, from inspiration, to the patterns, to what you see on the runway. Then the rest of the collection for sale is produced in Germany, so the profit margins can be really tight.

Munich

When so many designers try to move to the big fashion cities like London, Paris, New York, Marcel moved away out of the mainstream centers. After five years in London, it was time to move back home, where the quality of life is higher and one can really concentrate on the important design aspect of fashion. Besides, being outside the mainstream has it’s fringe benefits… Marcel Ostertag, is frequently noted as one of the hottest designers in Germany, and he gets a lot of attention in the German press, and you can just tell he has the drive to expand his brand to international status.

You can find him at MarcelOstertag.com
Photographer: Oliver Rau

Can you even call plaid a trend? I don’t really think so… some years it’s more favorable than others, but let’s be honest here, we all have a little tartan in our wardrobe. Every now and then a few designers will come out with some exciting plaids in their collection, this year there’s Matthew Williamson, House of Holland, and Dolce&Gabbana. In lieu of the fast approaching autumn (September’s just little over a week away!) I’ve been noticing a few bits of tartan pop up on the likes of Susie Bubble and in Wardrobe Remixers like AudiSF. It’s just enough to get me coveting this classic pattern… It’s really great to see plaid mixed with other patterns like florals and polkadots, nowadays anything goes, and it’s better not to be too matchy-matchy else there’s the danger of falling into the Mr. Rogers trap (which I do quite often).

Here are some bits that I found just poking around the internet…

60’s Plaid Shift Dress $9.99 auction ends 22/08/08

Zipper Punk Tartan Slip Dress

60’s Mod Scooter Dress $24

70’s Tartan Blazer $49

50’s Pin-up Tartan Halter $39

Primark Vivienne Dress £15 auction ends 23/08/08

Now all I need to do is pull my tartans out!

Earlier this week, I was fortunate enough to have coffee with the editors Thomas and Andrea who were passing through town, I had written a few articles for them before, so it was great to meet them in person. And of course it was lovely to get my hands some of their back issues, as they’ve yet to distribute in San Francisco. I have to say that the issues were loaded with interesting pieces about emerging designers like Pamela Thompson, Manish Arora, Felippe Oliveira Baptista, and a few more I want to keep to myself just a little bit longer (sorry). This just might reignite up my magazine junkie addiction… at least now the inspiration won’t get lost in the back files of my mind.

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Left: Hat: Louis Mariette; Right: Hat: Louis Mariette, Dress: Paola Frani

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Left: Bolero: Georges Chakra; Right: Dress: Felippe Oliveira Baptista

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Left: Dress: Jun Okamoto, Hat Perrin; Right: Jacket: Hamish Morrow

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Left: Headdress: Moods of Norway; Right: Highwaisted shorts: Paule Ka

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Left: Bikini: Modernist, Belt suit: Agent Provocateur; Right: Manish Arora

As you can see.. there’s a lot to go through in these magazines… I’m going to be quite busy.

If you thought the Manish Arora mask looked familiar, it’s because it’s worn by Kate Moss the cover of Interview Magazine.

Wow, time is flying by so quickly…I didn’t eve realize it’ been a few weeks since I put anything new in the shop… but I’ve been finding great little pieces here and there, much were too heavy to even think about in summer heat. But now as it gets closer to the fall, we can start thinking about things like boots and cashmere.

I was lucky enough to find a Hugo Boss cashmere sportcoat. The texture of the blazer is so lovely, it was impossible to pass up even if it’s squarely a menswear piece. Luckily when I got home it was fun to play with, since belts and slouchy blazers are going hand in hand this season. As for the Laredo fringe cowboy boots? You better believe I wish I was a US size 10… because these are awesome.

Click on the images to view listing

To me, not fitting into clothes that were loose on me a mere two years ago and having a BMI (body mass index) a smidge over 25 (that’s in the unhealthy range) means something needs to change. I hesitated before blogging about this for a couple of reasons. First of all, it’s boring. I’ve never wanted to be one of those women who are always talking about their diet or sugar intake. Second, body image is a touchy subject with lots of women. I can be a bit flippant when I talk about it and I don’t want to make anyone feel bad.

That said, guess what? I’m on a diet. Oops—I mean I’m changing the way I eat and exercise. Most of my new has gone straight to my boobs and belly, which is why I decided to try the embarrassingly-named Flat Belly Diet (FTB).

Get Sassy!

Confession: until recently diet coke was my beverage of choice. It may be calorie free, but the fake sugar in it makes you crave the real stuff. Plus, it’s loaded with freaky chemicals and makes you bloated. Not surprisingly, soda isn’t allowed on the FTB. Instead, we get “Sassy Water.”

It’s called Sassy Water for its creator, Prevention nutrition director Cynthia Sass. The sassy ingredients include fresh ginger to calm and soothe your GI tract. Luckily, I totally love it and don’t mind drinking all day. I’ve been off Diet Coke for 6 days and my tummy is definitely less bloated. If you’ve been looking for way to up your water intake and reduce bloat, this is it.

Here’s the recipe:

• 8.5 cups water
• 1 TSP Grated ginger
• 1 Medium cucumber, peeled and sliced
• 1 Small or Medium Lemon, sliced
• 12 Spearmint leaves
• Combine everything in a pitcher and let stand overnight

I miss seeing Jennine in the real world. Sure, she’s but a click or call (with Skype) away, but still… Without Jennine, my trips to Walgreens just aren’t the same. Our love of Walgreens was so intense that sometimes we’d net 15+ visits a week between us. As Jennine says, fondling beauty products alone just isn’t as fun!

Speaking of drugstore chains, I was exicted to see a brand new Longs right by my work shuttle stop. Until, that is, I noticed the sign-wielding picketers. My late step-father was a proud Union electrician and say what you will about unions, I’ll never cross a picket line. It’s Walgreens forever for me.

Photo credit: John P. on Flickr via Creative Commons.

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