Promote Your Own Clothing Brand - Top Fashion Networking Sites By Chris Odell

Fashion marketing is undergoing a quiet revolution at the moment. Traditionally new fashion designers have had to compete with the major corporate labels through magazine advertising, direct mail, events promotions and if the budget is there, television ad campaigns. The Internet has for a long time been a useful tool for introducing sales leads to your clothing range, but until recently, budget dictated your site's popularity on the net.

Things are rapidly changing, and it is almost all due to the Social Networking phenomenon. You will have no doubt heard of Facebook and MySpace, however over the past couple of years there has been a distinct increase in social community sites that have geared themselves towards the consumer lifestyle market, and in particularly fashion. Many of these online communities run on a democratic principle. Ideally, if enough people vote or bookmark a particular product, say a t-shirt for example, the product and designer's popularity increases. Within a relatively short time. Using tools such as bookmark sharing and recommendations, a relatively unknown designer can attract an enormous amount of positive publicity.

I have researched and collated a list of the most popular and useful fashion social networks for you to browse at your own leisure. You will find there is a wide variety and scope offered by these fashion-related communities. The larger and more established sites are great for breaking new products in to the fashion consumer market, others will provide invaluable assistance from fellow designers, retailers and manufacturers. Most of whom I am sure will be more than willing to guide you through the next stages of your burgeoning fashion career.

Fashionising.com is dedicated to fashion, this social fashion community offering a news, photo and video service for upcoming and established designers, labels, models and more. Very friendly and welcoming community, mainly professionals in all fields of fashion.

Stylehive.com is an online style portal for people who love and/or work in fashion, design and retail. You can connect with fellow style addicts and share all of your new design discoveries and latest finds together. A trend-setters social-networking club, part pop-culture lab, Stylehive.com is one big ensemble cast of trend-setters creating, discovering and buying the next big thing!

Kaboodle.com is a social shopping network where people discover, recommend and share products. Kaboodle's excellent range of shopping widgets mean you can begin organizing all your favorite items in shared lists, discovering new things from people with similar style. Easy to find the best prices and discounts on the most popular products. This site offers fashion products amongst many others including gadgets, soft furnishings, art and more.

ThisNext.com focuses its online and social-shopping community more towards the next big trends. Your popular votes count, everyone recommends their favorite up and coming products for others to discover and purchase online. This global community is in the pursuit of cross-cultural shopping habits for the year to come. This site is laden with more branded advertising and e-commerce solutions making it a more attractive media platform for corporate marketing. The system encompasses each product in a process of discovery, consideration, trial and purchase. Fashion is a big favorite here.

StyleFeeder.com is a personal shopping engine that uses a unique matchmaking system to offer daily personal recommendations, just for you. It's a great way to find new clothes, shoes, in fact anything stylish and keep track of what you're shopping for online, using visual their bookmark options. Great widgets for incorporating your style-feeds in to your personal blogs or commercial sites. I regularly use this site to promote my own fashion -- a great resource for designers.

ShareYourLook.com is a new fashion community for all trends-setters, shoppers and designers, (currently in beta). If you read articles New York Times, Harper's Bazaar and Vogue , you will probably recognize the co-founder's name - fashion have appeared in The New York Times, Harper's Bazaar and Vogue, fashion journalist Melissa Ceria. The format is easy to use and on the eye: upload photos of you modeling your favorite outfits, and let other members rate your look and leave you comments. Don't worry, there is a policy of fair and objective criticism, even compliments and most of all useful style tips. The whole site relies on a great blog style tagging process, plus a great feature where you'll be able to post favourite 'looks' to your network of fashion friends. You even get your own styleblog.

OsoYou.com is the UK's first social networking and fashion website. Focusing more on High Street fashion and all the latest clothing items, plus features on the hottest celebrity styles and a chance to share fashion with your friends via some innovative social networking options.

Avenue7.com should be classed as up and coming. From my research it seems to be aimed at a younger audience. They already use some rather clever programming to help you create your own perfect outfit and also offer fashion scouts. However there are some even more promising features in the pipeline including 'The Fashion Show' and 'Start a Makeover'. This is more of a hot or not direction for the field of fashion social networking, but it's bright, bold and adventurous and I'll take a punt it will do well in the future.

StyleMob.com is rather funky looking (though corporate owned) street style community StyleMob offering a service that is part Hot or Not, part fashion magazine and part MySpace.

TeamSugar.com is one of the latest contributions to the market. Backed by the Sugar Network, this series of blogs primarily targets fashion-conscious women. The most popular is PopSugar.com, where celebrity gossip and fashion come together in a hedonistic mix. TeamSugar.com pro-actively promote their content, encouraging their community to form around it. Blog syndication integrates the network -- PopSugar.com, DearSugar.com, TeamSugar.com and FabSugar.com, encouraging users to switch sites to see the latest news on each one. Ultra intelligent marketing - helping to boost the popularity of the whole network at the same time. Standard social networking features friends list, leave comments, send messages, write a blog and voting in polls.

This supplemental list offers links to more general/shopping social networks that feature some fashion content, and a few to keep an eye out for in the future:

TheFind.com is the leading shopping search engine to find stores, brands and products, bigger than any other product finder online.

ShopWiki.com is a shopping search engine designed to help consumers find specific products on the Internet with ease. It is the only shopping search engine that combines advanced Web-crawling technology with a consumer-written wiki.

Etsy.com is an online marketplace for buying & selling all things handmade and only handmade.

Fastmatch.com Very new and more social model, however the site is currently still in beta and the interface needs some serious work.

Whatsbuzzing.com
Productwiki.com
Yub.com
Selfploitation.com A brand new site for artists to help each other to promote/sell their products.

Fashion Accessories - How to Update Your Look Fashion Accessories - How to Update Your Look

Are you interested in updating your appearance, at least in terms of your fashion? If you are, you may not only want to examine the latest in clothing fashion trends, but also the latest trends in fashion accessories. Fashion accessories are rapidly increasing in popularity, particularly in our celebrity-obsessed culture. But many of us still do not know exactly how to use them to our best advantage.
The term "fashion accessories" is very broad and includes a number of products. Just like fashion clothing pieces, accessories come in virtually every size, shape and style under the sun. There are fashion accessories that are designed for children, teens, men, women, petite sized, and plus sized individuals. Below are a few of the major fashion accessory items you might want consider in order to keep your look current and expand your coordination options.
The most well known fashion accessory is of course, jewellery. For teenagers and children, fashion jewelry pieces that are popular often include colourful, oversized pieces, as well as charm necklaces or charm bracelets. For men, a popular piece of jewellery often includes large pendant necklaces, many of which display a cross or another popular or meaningful symbol. As for women, popular pieces of fashion jewelry include watches, earnings, rings, necklaces, bracelets, pins, and so forth.
Another major fashion accessory that you might want to look at is a new handbag. While purses can also be trendy, it is the handbag that has become a real status symbol and major fashion accessory. They come in a huge array of different styles so it is common to own more than one if your budget allows. In fact, many women out there like to match their fashion accessories, including their purses and handbags, with the clothing that they wear.
Updating your handbag every season can be an easy and relatively inexpensive way to update your whole look. If your wardrobe is filled with classic pieces that flatter your body shape and suit your colouring, then simply choosing a new trendy handbag can instantly bring your look up to the minute.
Travel bags are also considered a fashion accessory, but differ from handbags in that a lot of them are designed for both sexes. A travel bag is generally a small bag that can be used as carry-on luggage for a plane ride, a nappy/diaper bag or a laptop carrying case. It can also be the so called "man bag" that is increasing in popularity all the time. Many major fashion labels also have their own luggage line as well.
Shoes are also a fashion accessory, although many do not necessarily consider them to be. Most often, women's shoes are associated as fashion accessories, as opposed to men's shoes. One of the reasons for this is the amazing array of women's shoe style available, for example: athletic shoes, casual sandals, elegant sandals, flat dress shoes, stilettos, kitten heels, sling backs, mules, pumps and the list goes on. As with handbags and purses, most women own multiple pairs of shoes and aim to coordinate their shoes, especially for work, with the rest of their ensemble. Shoes can make or break an outfit, so think about the type of image you want to portray and make sure your shoes fit with that theme.
Belts are also a major fashion accessory. While for many men and boys, belts are not necessarily a fashion accessory as much as a fashion necessity to hold their pants up; the same isn't true for women. Women's belts come in a number of different sizes, shapes, and styles and virtually every season there is a new "must-have" style. There is everything from casual, crocheted belts to wear with jeans, to elegant, black leather belts as a pair of slimline black trousers for work.
Belts, handbags, purses, travel bags, jewellery and shoes are just a few of the many fashion accessories that you can use to make a good outfit into a great one. Accessories can be real statement pieces and a way to show your personality in an otherwise classic outfit. Fashion accessories are a great way to spice up any wardrobe, especially one that could use an updating.

How To Become A Fashion Merchandiser By Amanda King

Many dream of entering into the glamour of a fashion career. Most dreams of such careers as fashion model or fashion designer. However a career in fashion merchandising can be very rewarding and self satisfying. It may not be easy to become a fashion merchandiser however with the right training and experience it can come about without much trouble for those who are willing to dedicate themselves to their career.
You might have a natural flair for being a fashion merchandiser. You will normally know if such a career is right for you. You may have felt it from a very young age as you have entered into dress shops or other clothing retail outlets. You have admired the way the clothes were put on display and respected the sales girl at the counter. Your friends may have admired your taste in clothing and frequently asked for your advice on what type of clothing they should wear.
If you are thinking of a career in fashion you might also want to think of ways in which you can be educated in the finer details of fashion merchandising. Often if you want to get into the high end of the market you may be expected to have a degree, diploma or at least a certificate to indicate that you have studied some of the more complex issues related to fashion merchandising.
From a perspective of fashion you might study areas of fashion designs, running a fashion boutique, textiles and the history of fashion. From a business perspective you might learn how to manage a business, including accounting, analyse market trends and how to make sales. You might even study human resources so that you might know how to recruit, train and manage your staff. Personal development courses will also be of interest and most beneficial in an area which concerns customer relations.
If you are taking fashion merchandising seriously you will want to keep up with the latest trends in the world of fashion. The world of fashion is in a constant state of change. Perhaps the most significant change over the last ten years is the introduction of the internet. Online marketing has become vital. Even those who do most of their work offline will normally need to know something of what is happening online. Many fashion gurus are now using the internet to assist them in their occupation. Indeed internet marketing has opened up a completely new world of how fashion is promoted and sold.
A career in fashion can open up many doors to other related occupations. One such occupation is that of being a webmaster. By webmaster it is meant that the owner promotes a website. It can be quite easy for you to set yourself up on a website as long as you make yourself aware and educated in emarketing. On the internet you can display your own products or you can become an affiliate marketer and promote other people's products. There can be a lot of satisfaction in setting up your own website and displaying your own range of products or products owned by those you represent.
To get started with fashion merchandising on the internet it is good to become aware of available resources. There are sites that can provide you with an online education, sites that can provide you with the necessary infrastructure and sites, which will enable you to promote your products online. You can even extend yourself from the internet to off line activities and promotions. There is a lot of variety and a lot of opportunity to extend yourself into a lucrative and satisfying online fashion merchandising career.

Is Fashion Your Passion? Make Fashion Your Career By Steven Henderson

Do you live and breathe fashion? Would a fashion career suit your style and aspirations?

For fashion enthusiasts, a fashion career can seem like a dream job; an opportunity to influence society and change the way a nation dresses for the day and evening. Read on to see which fashion career might be right for you.

Fashion careers are essentially of two types - those in fashion design and those in the sales and marketing side of the industry (fashion merchandising). You can further customize your fashion career by choosing to focus on a particular style or kind of garment.

Other fashion career opportunities include costume design for TV, film and theater productions; personal stylist positions with high-end department stores and private clients, fashion photography; and modeling work for everything from newspapers ads to strutting the catwalk in Milan or Paris.

But to turn your passion for fashion into a lucrative fashion career you need more than just the ideas and enthusiasm; you need technical and industry expertise to turn your creative energies into saleable apparel.

One thing fashion careers share, aside from being a rewarding outlet for your creative talents, is their starting point - fashion school. A fashion design education should prepare you for a fashion career, even if you find yourself working in a supporting role as you start out in the business.

Entering a fashion career begins with an innate ability to create unique and functional clothing styles and effectively communicate them on paper.

If you decide to study for a fashion career, you'll learn to design clothing and accessories or the fabrics and materials they're made of.

It is essential that anyone interested in a fashion career attend an accredited fashion schooling program that will address the fundamentals of fashion including design, drawing, textiles, sewing, and manufacturing. This fashion career education will be the core of your training on which you can lay the groundwork for experience.

Experience is ultimately the key when it comes to a fashion career.
Following school or even during it is imperative that you begin a fashion career with an internship or apprenticeship with an established design house. Building experience such as this can often jump start your fashion career and allow you to begin working on independent projects.

For those who have the ability, drive, and determination, a fashion career can be an amazing journey filled with success, self-satisfaction and great clothes. But dont let it ever be said that a fashion career does not require a significant amount of hard work and a vast amount of skill.

CONCLUSION

A fashion career can take many different forms, reflecting the various aspects of the fashion industry.
No matter what area or areas you're interested in, there is a fashion career specifically designed to suit your tastes.

To get your fashion career off the ground, it helps to decide at the outset which of the many fashion industry jobs you want to attain.

A starting point for your fashion career could be to study some of the articles about training and careers in fashion collected at the author's website. Your fashion career could be just a few mouse clicks away.

Careers In The Fashion Industry By Tony Jacowski

A thing of beauty is a joy forever! This thought holds complete significance in the fashion industry. It is an exciting industry that attracts many brilliant, ambitious, creative, talented, committed and hard working people. Success in the fashion industry calls for an ultimate passion and enthusiasm to achieve set targets. The desires to create, see, explore and appreciate beauty must be inherent. It’s a creative field and one needs to possess as well as acquire certain skills that are indispensable, such as thinking creatively beyond the obvious and the ability to carve a niche in almost all the possible projects by making it different yet stunning than the previous one.

Careers in the fashion industry revolve around beauty. In order to be successful in this field you should have the unquenchable thirst for beauty in its all-relevant forms. Changing fashion statements determine the change in the trend of clothing, ornamenting and above all, adopting new ways of carrying oneself.

It is the style that brings elegance with a difference in different designs. Style is an individual aspect. No two people can have exactly the same style statement because every person has a unique style of their own. Therefore, the concepts related to fashion are also different. Some people feel that fashion is the passion of the slaves and that is why they try to dress and carry themselves in a manner similar to that of models walking on the ramp. This thought is challenged by a different thought – those who go against the fashion trends are themselves the slaves of the fashion.

No matter what different concepts abound, fashion is a career industry that is never going to fade. There are immense opportunities in this field, as you can opt for any of the following job prospects pertaining to your areas of interest: modeling, catwalk choreography, fashion photography, designing, merchandising, make- up artists, hair styling, and accessory designing.

Modeling: Modeling is a promising career that requires having a certain confidence and a pleasing appearance that needs to confirm to the basic standards of fashion designers. One needs to have an inclination towards glitz and glamour, as it is part and parcel of this industry.

Catwalk Choreography: Catwalk Choreography aims at training models to present their attire in an appealing and professional way. Designers hire talented choreographers because they know that every movement with the background music counts on the ramp. It can make or break an entire fashion show.

Fashion Photography: Fashion Photography is a very demanding career that requires the utmost dedication, sincerity, sensitivity and at the same time objectivity towards the subjects. It is the job of the fashion photographer to present clear expression to almost all the possible facets of style such as fabric, design, designer, model and the like.

Fashion Designing: Fashion designing is one of the most promising careers in fashion industry. It needs to have the ability to think, comprehend and implement the latest and original ideas in order to be successful in this field. Designers can specialize in apparel, textile, accessory designer and many more.

Fashion Coordinator: A fashion coordinator is responsible for coordinating fabrics and trimmings, quality and design. He/she needs to keep a constant track of production schedules and needs to be aware of the status of buyers’ orders.

There are several career options that need to be explored by aspiring students. You can certainly excel in this field provided you believe in the proverb – “work is worship” and have immense potential to rise and make your mark in the fashion industry.

Inspiring careers in the Fashion Industry

Interest in this industry is on the up-rise, and so are the opportunities therein – and the competition. It is considerably easy to earn a degree in fashion design, fashion marketing and merchandising. Each of these areas focuses on a different aspect of the fashion industry. As the fashion industry continues to experience growth, there is an increased need for educated and specialized staff in the fashion world. Those who have the appropriate fashion degree education will find that they are more marketable in this competitive industry. You will find that a fashion degree education offers programs that are tailored to what specific field you are interested in. The three main opportunities with a fashion degree are fashion design, fashion marketing and fashion merchandising.
Becoming a fashion designer is a dream for many people. But only those with artistic ability and serious determination will succeed in this competitive industry. A fashion designer has an eye for lines, textures and color and brings their vision to life through drafting. Once a final sketch is complete, the designer must choose materials to be used in the final product. After the fabric is chosen, a pattern is cut from the fabric and sewn together.
Fashion Marketing involves the advertising, design and business side of the fashion business. A fashion marketer has to have a comprehensive knowledge of the fashion industry to be able to identify what will be stylish and appealing to their target markets. They are responsible for recognizing and tracking upcoming trends as well as being familiar with the various consumer groups. Fashion marketing connects the designers to the public by tracking consumer-buying habits. The fashion marketers then come up with advertising campaigns to target specific groups that might be interested in the products.
Fashion Merchandising and marketing work hand in hand. Fashion merchandisers are responsible for buying the clothes and presenting them to stores. One of the largest parts of fashion merchandising is creating displays to help consumers want to buy the products. Fashion marketing is basically the selecting of clothing lines and choosing how the will be presented to the market.
Have you considering picking a career in the fashion industry and if any of the above field’s appeals to you then give it a shot. Fashion is a career that gives room for business aptitude and artistic eye. When you have a degree in fashion, you will make more money and hold higher positions than those without formal training.