Finding Unique Items Online

Do you love finding new, unique and original clothing? Can't find them in your city?

Try online shopping! Online shopping can be a great way to find one-of-a-kind pieces

for a look that will have people asking "where'd you get that?" There's nothing better

then feeling like you have a unique piece that you know people everywhere won't be

walking around in locally.

Here are a few of my favorite online stores:

www.ebay.com

Yes, Ebay! Who would have thought? Ebay offers great hard to find, vintage items that can be relatively cheap if you spend on a budget!

www.etsy.com

Etsy carries vintage and hand made items! A sure treat when you receive your items in the mail.

www.modcloth.com

Modcloth also offers vintage items, however, there are very few and you must buy them while they're newly added to the website! They offer great must-have's! They also carry similar clothing to Urban Outfitters and frequently I see an item that both stores carry. Be sure compare prices.

www.nextdirect.com

Next Direct is a new favorite of mine, it offers a wide range of clothes at relatively decent prices for the style and ships anything you want at just $5!

These are just a few of my favorite shops for finding unique items. For offline treasure hunting, try yard sales. You might think yard sales are all junk, but you can sometimes find great used vintage pieces that someone decided to get rid of. Also, try thrift stores, antique stores, and your local boutiques to find unique items to add to your wardrobe!

Fashionable Books: Interested in Designing?

If you're anything like me, you love books. You go in your local bookstore, run to the fashion section, and grab something with a fashionable cover. You find yourself flipping through the pages of a book on Chanel's designs or through a Vogue magazine for a new trend to look for on your next shopping trip.

Lets face it, there are so many fashion books out there that sometimes there are "bad" ones. When you're shopping online you don't exactly know which are the "good" ones because you can't flip through the pages online.

Here's a good book if you're interested in fashion design but have never known where to start, or maybe you already design but would love inspiration for new projects this is the book for you!

I originally bought it because I wanted several projects to keep improving my skills. But I have found this book to be great for all levels of fashion designers even if you're completely new to designing.

The book starts out by teaching you about tools designers use with pictures and descriptions. It also teaches you how to pick out a sketchbook and research fashion via color, shapes, patterns, etc. It teaches you the basics about drawing fashion figures and fashion figure faces, as well as drawing with many different medias. Later in the book it even teaches you the basics of sewing to get you started in the process of bringing your designs to life. Lastly, the book teaches you about promotion with styling, photography in presenting your work, and creating an impressive portfolio.

I have come to really love this book for its ability to inspire me to try out new things. If you are the least bit interested in fashion design, I highly recommend this book as a starting point to your fashion designing adventure!

You can buy it at half.com for less than $10!

http://product.half.ebay.com/_W0QQprZ70931993

Fashion With A Cause

It's not every day that we can help support a good cause while looking cute!

With spring/summer on the way, what girl doesn't need a new t-shirt for her wardrobe?

Below are some fashionable tees that help support the

red cross disaster relief effort for Japan.

Simdog Apparel $25

Simdog Apparel's Designer is Amanda Simonian, an alumni of Fresno State University.

Neena Creates $17

KLP $20

This spring/summer take a tee and pair it up with trendy accessories!

Fashion starts here.

This blog is brought to you by the members of Fashion Inc. Fashion Inc. is Fresno State University’s fashion merchandising club. In spring of 2010 the club was reactivated. Our mission is to support, promote, and grow the Fashion Merchandising program at California State University Fresno. We offer hands on experience through design and business activities and events, networking with professionals in the fashion industry, internships, field trips, guest speakers, and more. Fashion Inc. is open to all Fresno State students, regardless of major. We try to fulfill the needs and interests of our members each semester. It’s a place for those that have a love of fashion in some shape or form.

Our first semester, after reactivation, we were able to have the designer Thai Nguyen, from Bravo’s TV show Launch My Line as a guest speaker. For fall of 2010, we incorporated more hands on design activities: jewelry making, knitting, and screen printing. Each semester we grow and become more established in what are to become Fashion Inc. traditions; such as, member charm bracelets, club shirts for the semester, and the potluck with a game of Fashion Jeopardy.

Fashion Inc. looks forward to many more semesters full of fabulous fashion. This blog is our chance to connect with everyone else in the world that enjoys fashion like we do. We have fashion in our hearts and we hope you’ll follow with us as we explore the world of fashion.

Meet the writers of the blog:

“Hey Dolls, I am very excited in my participation this semester in The Fashion Inc. Blog! I finally have a place to vent and let flow all of my ideas that have been building up for years! I’ve always had a sweet tooth for fashion; although it might sound cliché, I have had it in me probably since birth. At three years old I asked my Dad to paint my plain black shoes gold. What can I say? I like to stand out. My personal style does not necessarily consist of a certain theme. I love variety. I dress accordingly to the way I feel a certain day or given occasion. I like anything from boho chic to classy pin up. Yup, very different styles and I love them both! I keep up with trends because I think they are fun.To me, fashion is about letting your inner self get creative! To some extent I believe what you wear lets you express the colors of your soul. With that said I will do my best to keep you guys informed in the latest trends and Fashion Inc.!”

“Hi fellow fashion lovers! I’m Heather and vice president of Fashion Inc. I have always loved fashion. I remember first loving fashion when I decided Barbie didn't have enough clothes. I used a needle and thread on Ken’s clothes to make new styles for Barbie. I have to admit, eventually Ken only had one outfit. I continued this love of fashion through drawing, when I started designing clothes for the anime characters in my sketchbook. I found this to be my favorite thing to do and I would spend hours of my childhood designing clothes. I eventually learned to sew and here I am a fashion student at Fresno State University hoping to open up my own business one day. So that’s it about me and I can’t wait to talk fashion with you. I hope you’ll come to fave us as your top source for fashion news with a collage of different fashion updates!"

“Hello, my name is Marisol Hernandez. I’m a very athletic girl and I can be a girly girl if I want to. My major is Graphic Design but I also love to take pictures like model status. I’m addicted to America’s Next Top Model. I love Tyra because she truly has my meaning of beauty because I do not believe in the word ugly; everyone is beautiful in their own way. I’m also a very caring person and I’m a good listener. Love to meet new people and I talk if I am spoken to or if I feel brave enough I’ll start a conversation lol. I’m also a creative person and a curious person. That’s all I have for now peace and love.”

“Hi Sweet Fashion lovers, I'm Catherine. I love fashion for what it is...crazy, fun, and fantasy. So here's a little insight of who I am; My favorite guilty pleasure is reading and devouring fashion magazines, I love flipping thru the pages of Vogue, Vivi, Nippon Vogue, and Glamourous. If I have to describe my personal style, i have one word...unrestricted. I love all styles but my favorite look on me is definitely a white t-shirt, and jeans BUT with heels and of course a LEATHER JACKET. It's simple but tough at the same time.“

catherine