The Elements of Style

Edited by Retro Chick

Whether it’s Winter or Summer, relentless rain or an unceasing heatwave where you are, this weeks Links a la Mode is packed with entertainment to keep you out of the sun/rain/wind.

If you plan to travel to escape your current weather conditions then Hi Fashion has some great travel tips and Idiosyncratic Style has some ideas for easy fashion DIY projects you can take with you.
Other highlights this week include a hilarious mans view on some Celebrity Fashion choices from Unfunded, Our Ocean’s coverage of Vivienne Westwood’s appearance on Jonathan Ross and Style Amor’s refusal to buy a wedding dress, as well as some insightful interviews and gorgeous give-aways.

Choosing just 20 links from the number of fantastic submissions is a challenging task and this week I found it particularly hard to whittle down the numbers so be sure to go and check out the rest of the links in the full Links a la Mode thread.

Links à la Mode : July 30th

• Breakfast at Saks – Aschobi: Sierra Leone Couture
• Brick My Lane – Interview with Christian Joy, the genius behind the costumes worn by Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs
• by Hillary – Deciding if you really need to dry clean that dress that says “dry clean”
• Culturistas – The Culturistas find a ‘Lust vs Must’ profile of the Romper Trend!
• Fashion Cents – Can you wear the romper trend? Fashion Cents helps you decide if and how to romp around
• Fashion Hippo – Fashion Hippo is having a fantastic giveaway: Mary Frances “Mercury Rising” wristlet bag.
• Fashion in my eyes – Interview: Fashion editor at 17
• HiFashion – Tips for fashionable travellers
• Idiosyncratic Style – A round up of 5 cool projects that are perfect for summer vacation, because they are light on supplies and low maintenance.
• Independent Fashion Bloggers – Rhythm is Gonna Getcha: Maintaining Consistency in Your Blog
• iStyle – The Lazy Girl’s Guide to Looking Fab: A real-life 5 minute make-up guide with unedited photos
• Mademoiselle Robot – An interview with headwear designer Jennifer Loiselle about films, motherhood and independent designers.
• Only Style Remains the Same – Offer an outfit idea to win a pair of Current/Elliott jeans from only style remains the same and chickdowntown.
• Our Ocean – An insanely inspiring interview with Vivienne Westwood on Jonathan Ross
• Pursed Lips – Lara Stone, size 4, heralded as bringing “curvy” back. But isn’t the bigger difference her C cup bra, and not her weight?
• Rags to Reverie – A look at the Stella McCartney Fall 2009 ad campaign + a couple of deals from the eponymous label
• reLYME – It’s Beka’s birthday, and in the spirit of birthday giving, reLYME is giving away SIX China Glaze nail lacquers from the Kicks collection!
• Retro Chick – Can I wear it? Yes, I can! Retro Chick gives Harem Pants a try with surprising results.
• Style Amor – Check out why I have given up buying a wedding gown from a traditional bridal boutique.
• Sweet Fuzz – Score one of a kind fashion treasures at your local thrift store and check out the insanely cheap items I snapped up at mine.
• The Coveted – Amsterdam Fashion Week bridges the gap between fashion students and industry at Lichting 2009
• Unfunded – Unfunded collaborates with J. Money from Budgets are Sexy to learn what guys really think of the things we wear.

Tweet This Post

In June, New York Magazine’s The Cut reported on Marc Jacobs’s upcoming back-to-school capsule collection, Don’t Miss the Marc.

The line, intended to appeal to the younger set, is an adorable range of denim jeans, leopard print leggings, and cutesy t-shirts adorned with the mantra, “Don’t Fret My Pet.” And best of all, it’s at an accessible price point!

All pieces in the collection are priced at under $200.

Sure, he may have had a different age group in mind, but I’m not opposed to not acting my age, and purchasing a piece or two!

Tweet This Post

Thank you all for entering the reLYME China Glaze Giveaway. I had a great response, and thoroughly enjoyed reading about how each of you like to spend YOUR birthdays.

Now, on to the main event:
The winner of the 6 China Glaze Kicks Collection Nail Lacquers is…

Michelle from Decline Designs.

Congratulations!

Thank you again for entering. There will be more random giveaways to come!

Tweet This Post

As the summer is winding down, and most likely so are your summer vacation plans, it’s time you start planning ahead for cooler days while looking for a way to unwind. (That’s kind of a pun…I’ll explain when you’re older, if you don’t figure it out by the end of the post.)

Why not try knitting?

Before you go out an over-indulge your need for chunky knits at overpriced department stores, consider this: you can make that yourself!

The Cup of Yarn Scarf Knitting Kit in Very Berry comes equipped with all you need to start your first purl stitch – wooden knitting needles, yarn, and instructions.

Best of all, it’s cheap and arrives in delectable packaging!

For even more adorable knitting ideas or for knitting help, check out Stitch ‘N Bitch Nation by Debbie Stoller and Knit Aid by Vickie Howell.

Tweet This Post

Unlike a lot of folks, I don’t hate on Hilary Duff. In fact, out of all of the celebs I witnessed pre-catwalk prepping at the Red Dress Heart Truth Show during NYFW Fall 2009, I was most excited to see Hilary.

So, it goes without saying, that I’m actually kind of looking forwarded to the release of her collection for DKNY Jeans called Femme.

Tweet This Post

Are you ready to really witness reLYME geeking out? OK, then. You asked for it:

I love art, I love fashion. So, when both come together in an exquisite way, well, let’s just say this girl is well pleased. A friend of mine introduced me to the art of Isabel and Ruben Toledo a few years back. My life was forever changed. And though I have yet to acquire authentic Toledo artwork of my own, I am still very much a fan.

Now, a former Literature major, there is NOTHING, and I mean NOTHING that makes my heart jump quite like the sight of classic literature novel. Quite honestly. Ask my boyfriend, who has accompanied me to many a squealing trips to Strand.

So, when art, fashion, and literature meet, my friends, I’m absolutely kvelling! Toledo’s latest project, combining his lovely illustrations with the covers of classic novels, is coming to bookstores on August 25.

The works of Jane Austen (Pride and Prejudice), Emily Brontë (Wuthering Heights), and Nathaniel Hawthore (The Scarlet Letter) are being redesigned, and will retail for $16. And you know I’ll own all three!

Tweet This Post

When you think of Avon, your initial thought might be the latest in greatest in beauty products sold at a fantastic price point. As I discovered at the Avon Beauty Plus Market Day event last week, Avon provides shoppers with so much more!

The summer collection of Beauty Plus, the fashion and accessories line of products at Avon, is rife with brightly colored sandals and jewelry at prices that won’t break the bank. 

Pictured above-
Sunset Embellished Thong, $19.99
Bright Faceted Collar Necklace, $9.99
Bright Bangle Watch, $19.99

Click here to find an Avon Representative.

Tweet This Post

Just thought I’d share the latest piece I wrote for Independent Fashion Bloggers about the importance of establishing a consistent rhythm with your blog posting. (reLYME is living proof!!!)

Once upon a time, I used to help bloggers expand their brand online. I watched tiny blogs grow to very big blogs, and very big blogs grow to take over the Web. All the while, I preached the gospel of consistency.

I would tell my clients that you must find your rhythm (frequency of posts, time posts occur, regular features, etc.) so that readers learn to trust you as a respected resource. Little did I know that my advice would come to bite me in the behind, so to speak.

Fast forward a few months, and I was living in a spacious studio apartment in Manhattan. My fashion blog, reLYME, had opened a lot of doors for me. However, in trying to get used to my busy New York life, I’d ended up closing the door on my blog.

I went from humble-and-not-ultra-impressive traffic (about 3,000 MUV, give or take), to having less than 200 monthly unique views. That’s nearly a 93% decrease in traffic for my math people. And how did this happen, you ask?

If you’re one of my fashion blogging buddies, you already know the answer: I disappeared! I wasn’t active in social media, I hadn’t posted on my blog in months, and I simply didn’t care.

These days, I’m burning the midnight oil, trying to post more regularly in hopes that I can, once again, rebuild my readership–and all of this with the realization that I won’t be attending this season’s NYFW

So, my point, fellow fashion bloggers, is this. You MUST find your rhythm! And here’s how:

• You’ve heard people mention editorial calendars. Make one! Stick to it. Decide what you’re going to write about and when. If you’ve committed topics to paper, you’re more likely to stick to deadlines. They’re not written in stone, so if a more pressing piece comes up (or you’re pitched by an amazing brand because you’re getting more traffic) you can just pull an ol’ switch-a-roo. You’re a journalist, so you should act the part.
• If you’d like to include regular features (link love posts, look of the day, must-have item of the week), choose a particular day you’ll include these features, and stay consistent.
• Plan a time of day people can expect to see your latest offerings. Do you want to reveal your masterpieces in the morning, in the afternoon? (This is why the automatic post feature that is inherent to most blogging platforms is magical!)
• Make sure you know how often you plan to write. For some, posting once or twice a day is a lofty goal. So, if you can only squeeze out a few posts a week, by all means, bust a move! But, try to consistently post around the same time every week.

Finding your rhythm and maintaining your consistency, helps your readers to know that you respect them, and that sharing your knowledge or insider scoop with them is important to you.

It can also open up a lot of doors as far as sponsorships and advertisers are concerned–they will be more likely to invest in a professional blog that maintains consistency.

And again, the more you post, the better your chances are of welcoming many new readers, and building a community!

So, even though it’s tough, and you might have to sacrifice a girls’ night out (or boys’ night out, as the case may be) every once in a while, it’s worth it. Trust me, I know first hand.

image by lanuiop

Tweet This Post

UPDATE: I’m so excited that reLYME has now met the minimum number of entries required for the contest! The contest is officially closing on July 31 at 11:59 p.m. EST.

There’s still time to enter. Good luck!

It’s my birthday, and being one who loves receiving presents, I love giving presents even more! So, I figured, why not share the spirit of birthday giving with reLYME readers?

I’m giving away SIX China Glaze nail lacquers from the Kicks collection!

What do you have to do to win these six fabulous colors?

All you have to do is leave a comment below telling me your favorite way to spend your birthday.

(Minimum of 26 entries)

Good luck!

-Beka

Tweet This Post

Hudson Jeans, the brand that offers the perfect marriage of London and California style, has just selected their newest muse, Georgia May Jagger. (If the last name sounds familiar, that’s because she’s the youngest daughter of American model/actress, Jerry Hall and Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones.)

Her British/American heritage makes her the perfect model for Hudson.

In more Hudson news – the brand is planning to expand their line to include pieces such as the ripped denim jeans and lace-back jeans Jagger wears in the campaign, as well as putting more emphasis on menswear.

Tweet This Post