How to Choose a Fashion Design School

The big question is whether Fashion Design School is for you - and if so, how to choose the best from all the rest.

Is sewing one of your skills?

Do you find creating designs enjoyable?

Do you love to change patterns to create different garments from the original?

If your passion is fashion, a fashion design school just might be the right place for you.

Below are some of the reasons that should influence you to attend a fashion design school:

. Up-to-date styles that people buy is one of the things you will learn about.

. Earning your degree will greatly increased your level of confidence about making a living in the fashion industry.

. The rewarding experience of studying and working in a field you love.

. The various principles of the patterns you have worked on and will work on is an area you will learn much about

. Magnifying the shape and cut of your designs with the mixing and matching of color will be something you will become knowledgeable about.

. You will learn how to mix, match and accessorize to stunning effect. This will show you that there are endless possibilities.

. In fashion design school, the people you work with, share ideas with and form relationships with will be of many different kinds but with the shared passion for fashion.

. These relationships will set the foundation you need to start your career in the fashion world in meeting key people such as business partners, employees or employers, begins with the relationships you form in fashion design school.

There are quite a number of fashion design schools around the world. Located in London, the central Saint Martins College of Art and Design is one of the most famous. Other famous schools in London are The Royal College of Arts and the London College of Fashion. In other locations are such famous schools as the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, Parsons The New School for Design in New York City and AIU in Los Angeles.

In the schools listed above, most of the course studies last for about three years.

Now, how are you going to choose the school that is best for you?

The ten tips below may be of help to you in making your decision:

Tip#1 Decide what area of fashion you would most like to go into. Then compare the schools to see which has the program that fills your needs

Tip#2 Make a list of things you will need to look into, such as tuition, location, programs offered, degree levels offered, placement record and many more that you might think of. Use this list in your search to find the right school.

Tip#3 Compile a list of fashion design schools that you wish to consider.

Tip#4 Find out everything you can about each school at their websites and list the pros and cons of each one.

Tip#5 Apply your list to the schools you are considering to narrow the field.

Tip#6 If possible, visit the schools that are left on your list. If a personal visit isn't possible, a video or virtual tour online may suffice.

Tip#7 Submit your application to those schools that remain on your list and meet your criteria.

Tip#8 Search the Internet and apply for grants and scholarships you may be eligible for while you wait to hear from the schools applied to.

Tip#9 Once you receive responses from the schools you applied to and from scholarship grantors, carefully review and compare, then make your final decision.

Tip #10 Now prepare for a journey in life like you have never experienced and enjoy!

You are on your way to one of the best fashion design schools the world has to offer!

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The Secret of Perfect Fitting and Custom Made Clothes

Fashion can refer to the style or custom of dress that prevails at a given time. It can also refer to the garment that that is in style or the making of it. So, you can fashion your fashions in the fashion of the current trends. Well, you get the idea.

There are many variations in fashion around the world. Often, these variations are determined by the culture of the different regions. Variations can be very distinct, such as the Japanese kimono or the sari in India. Others are not quite as distinct. It is harder to distinguish the difference between British fashion and French fashion.

Other things influence the variations in fashion as well, such as age, occupation, social class and generation. The fashions worn by a young person might look less than appealing when worn by an older person, etc. But there are many crossovers. Often, it is the way different items of clothing are combined or accessorized that makes the 'fashion statement' unique to a particular group.

Fashion is in a continual state of flux. The changes can occur from year to year or even within a year. The nature of fashion is also very cyclical. What was in fashion ten or twenty years ago, is now or will be in fashion again. An example of this is hip-hugger jeans. They were in fashion in the late 60s and early 70s and have now come back into fashion.

The socioeconomic and/or politic framework that exists in a particular region often influences current fashions. 'Mao suits' were the result of the move to enforce uniformity in mainland China. Designers around the world picked up on this and created variations to fit into their cultural arenas.

Not matter what the styles are, everyone would like to dress in the current fashions or, at least, close to them. But it can often be too expensive for many women. There is a way to dress very fashionably and maybe even start a new trend or two yourself. Make your own fashions!

Even if you have never sewn a stitch before, you can learn to put together some great fashions. Start with a basic, easy pattern and make it similar to designer fashions by adding embellishments. As you become more proficient, you can use more complicated patterns or even make your own patterns based on designer fashions. A big advantage to making your own fashions is that you can make them uniquely yours.

There are so many benefits in making your own clothes. You can choose the colors, prints, patterns and textures for fabrics that you prefer. And, as I stated before, you can make your clothes uniquely yours with one-of-a-kind fashions. Each garment will be custom made just for you and made so that the fit is perfect.

No more wearing clothes that come close, but not quite, to fitting right. Best of all, you can save money making your own clothes. For about the same cost as buying one designer outfit, you can easily make two or more outfits.

Making your own clothes will give you so much satisfaction, not to mention making you the envy of your circle of friends.

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Top 3 Most Loved Fashion Accessories

Everyone agrees that clothes can greatly enhance your looks and turn you out to be a fashionable individual most especially if they are perfectly fit to your figure. However, achieving such look doesn't mean that your search and desire to look best is over. This is for the reason that clothes are not just enough to make your outfit complete and form an astounding fashion statement. Let's admit the fact that there are also other significant things to consider in reaching the desired look to stand out from the crowd. This satisfaction can be attained through wearing some additional distinguishing pieces that will complement your outfit and these are fashion accessories.

Fashion accessories are things that are mostly used by women as well as men to add some detail and style to their outfit. They are also worn out to complement their clothes and create such new and extraordinary look that will surely get other people's attention. Nowadays, they have become so popular and in demand because these items are not just considered as essential for fashion but also part of basic necessity. Especially for those women, it's for sure that you'll see them wearing accessories wherever they go because they consider them as part of their daily lifestyle. Aside from this, these things have also certain place in their hearts, that's why they recognize them as extremely valuable possessions that must be always close to them.

To give you a guide on what accessories that are hot this year, here is the list of the Top 3 Fashion Accessories most loved and used by people.

1. Jewelries

These glittering items are the most well-known fashion accessories because they are meant for all ages. Even teens and other children are also fond of wearing these accessories because of its bright colors that make them become fascinated. Jewelries are also intended for both gender, that's why most men also wear these accessories such as watches and rings. Women are very much enchanted with jewelries such as necklaces, earrings and bracelets because they use them primarily for fashion to make them more beautiful and attractive.

2. Handbags and Purses

Handbags are also popular fashion accessories for most women and teenage girls because they consider them as one of their compulsory accessories. Since most of them need to bring large amount of necessary things for their office or school, they have to use handbags to carry their stuffs in a more convenient way. Aside from that, they also need a handbag where they can keep their make up to keep them stay fresh and beautiful all day long.

3. Shoes and Sandals

Shoes or sandals are also one of the most sought fashion accessories among women. Most of them own numerous pair of shoes with different styles and colors intended for complementing their different clothes.

Wearing fashion accessories is indeed a good way of enhancing your wardrobe and transforming your ordinary appearance into such stunning and surprising look. However, not all trendy accessories work best with your clothes as well as with your figure. So you must be careful in choosing your accessories because they can also turn you down if they are not well-complemented with your outfit and body type. Just learn how to accessorize and it's for sure that you'll shine best with your chosen fashion accessories

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The Advantage of Buying and Wearing Fashion Jewelry

The times are really getting harder and harsher. Because there is a pending and apparent economic crunch anywhere in the world, it is easy to realize that the number of robbers and thieves is really rising. But because there is a constant need to be fashionable, there is a need to wear jewelry, especially for the fashionably conscious people. But how secure and safe could you be when you decide to wear jewelries during important occasions? Do not fret. There surely is a fashion jewelry that would suit your taste.

What is fashion jewelry? Those who are not familiar with the word would readily assume that fashion jewelry is a piece of fashionable jewelry. Yes, it is true. Fashion jewelry entails fashion and beauty. But more than that, fashion jewelry is a piece of accessory that has less actual valuation that it really looks like. In other words, the words may be harsh, fashion jewelries are fake jewelries.

When you say fake, that means the materials by which every fashion jewelry is made up is fake or is not really expensive. For example, a gold necklace would not really be a gold necklace if it is a fashion jewelry. In such case, the gold in the necklace is not really gold but a material that is tarnished or colored to make it appear like it is actually and genuinely gold.

Buying fashion jewelry

There is a market for fashion jewelry. That is because as long as there are budget conscious people, as long as there are wise and fashionable consumers, there would always be buyers of fake jewelries. As long as there are fashionable and extravagant people who could not really afford expensive and premium priced jewelries, there would always be demand for fashion jewelry.

If you are aiming to buy a set of jewelries to suit you get up for an important occasion, why not consider buying fashion jewelry? Nowadays, people would not really care if somebody is wearing fashion jewelry. As long as the wearer could carry the items in fashion and he or she looks good and elegant on them, there would be no questions asked.

Buying fashion jewelry is also made easier nowadays. To make a purchase, all you have to do is to go the nearest and reliable jewelry store. You could easily spot a section of displays for fashion jewelry. Notice that modern fashion jewelries are exquisitely beautiful and gorgeous.

Online purchases of fashion jewelry is also made more feasible and convenient. To do so, all you have to do is to log on to the Website of an online jewelry store or online auctioneer or shopping store. Find and look for fashion jewelry brochures and presto, choose the design and styles you want. Consider the overall get up and design of the clothes you would wear before finally ordering and buying the appropriate fashion jewelry for you.

The advantage of wearing fashion jewelry

The first and primary advantage of wearing fashion jewelry is its relative low cost. Yes, because fashion jewelries are fake jewelries, it is expected and logical that the tag prices are not as significant and as expensive as the premium and genuine expensive jewelries. For example a gold fashion jewelry would naturally cost significantly cheaper than the actual market cost for real gold jewelry.

However, despite the big difference in pricing, it would be amazing that fashion jewelries are still looking as elegant, as gorgeous and as breath-taking as any other expensive jewelries in the market today. The dangling appeal and the fancy reception of bystanders and admirers to fashion jewelry is at the same magnitude as the adoration provided and paid to real and genuine expensive jewelries.

Another advantage of wearing fashion jewelry is that you would have a sense of safety and security. If ever you would be robbed while wearing the jewelry, you could be sure that you are not standing to lose a significant amount of money or asset. Fashion jewelries are cheap so you could easily buy hundreds of them anytime you desire. And you could easily dispose them if they already not usable.

Burglars and thieves certainly would not like it if people would heavily patronize fashion jewelry. That means that the robbers’ efforts to steal and forcefully take a precious jewelry would be futile if they would be robbing fashion jewelry.

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The Classic Chanel Quilted Handbag

Ooh la la¡­ The Chanel classic quilted handbag is true Parisian chic, it just
oozes class and sophistication and no matter what the current trends are,
has a classic timeless design that has lived through many a fashion era.
There's something about that soft stitched leather and gold metal chain
that has created a signature style icon for women all over the world.

So let's go back in time to when it first began¡­

In 1955, Chanel introduced the Classic Quilted bag with the shoulder strap,
THE bag that shook the fashion world. It became so popular the first year
she had to decline numerous requests due to the lack of time to
painstakingly manufacture each one by her skilled artisans. The bag is
known in industry shorthand as the 2.55, after the month and year it was
introduced.

Chanel's signature quilted fabric has a "secret" quilting pattern sewn at the
back to keep the material strong. This material is used for clothing and
accessories alike.

Throughout the key fashion decades, the Chanel 2.55 handbag
miraculously hasn't changed much. Unlike other fashion design houses who
have altered their bag styles to appeal to the temporary whimsical
demands of fashion trends, the Classic Chanel 2.55 has stood it's ground.
In fact, in 2005, the fashion house celebrated by re-releasing the classic
just as it was.

The classic Chanel bag will never die. The latest versions out this year of
this classic bag are awe striking in lambskin and ostrich leather.

Can you believe that this bag is over 50 years old?

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Fashion Styles For All Tastes From The Same Clothing Companies

Fashion today is all pervasive and try as you might you cannot avoid it. Whether you live in the United States or Switzerland or Timbuktu, fashion will find you in some way or the other and have a say in your life. Even if you choose not to follow it you will see it all around you oozing from your television sets (I am sure you know that there are channels dedicated to only fashion!), your office colleagues, at a party; practically every place you can think of.

The epitome of a fashion statement is the Banana Republic range of clothing from Gap. It satisfies our need to look nice and be attractive for other people. Some people will go all the way and spend a fortune trying to look more fashionable than the next door neighbor.

To suit various style statements that different people want to make about themselves clothing companies launch sub brands or different types of clothing under different brand names. One brand for a particular style! While Old Navy (also from Gap) may be all about casual clothing and comfort, Banana Republic provides the stylishness that some consumers may be searching for. So the fashion and clothing companies resort to different brands for different styles, price range and purpose.

If you are looking to pick up something to make a high fashion statement then Banana Republic is the brand for you. It has an optimistic and fashionable modern look. It is range of clothing which will lure even those men who like to claim that they do not care about looks. Fight as they might men will need to admit today that even a schmuck looks better in a tuxedo and a gentleman can spoil his own image by making an appearance in torn, dirty jeans.

Most women also like the wide range offered by Banana Republic. It has a business look and a nice club look. It gives a nice elegant look and though the prices may seem higher the price to value equation works out very fine. One only has to remember the t-shirt one purchased a few weeks back at bargain prices that faded in a single wash.

If you want to look good and be seen in the latest a la mode styles and fashions, then my dear friend you will need to spend lavishly to obtain that look. There are no free lunches in life.

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Where Mary Jane Shoes Come From And Why They Are Still Popular

Mary Jane shoes are among the most popular styles of shoes for girls and women. They're traditionally viewed as shoes for children, but modern buyers know better.

Mary Jane shoes are an American invention. Actually, it's more accurate to say that the label "Mary Jane" is an American one applied to a style of shoe which had already been around for quite some time. This style of shoe has a low heel, closed rounded toe, a strap, and a buckle. The name Mary Jane comes from the name of a character invented by Brown Shoe Company in the early 20th century to accompany their boys brand, Buster Brown. The original Mary Jane was Buster Brown's friend, and the type of shoes she wore came to be known as Mary Janes. Because of this origin in America, Mary Janes came to be identified with children, though there is nothing inherently childish about their design.

Mary Janes are a terrific, youthful shoe. They make a great choice for young girls. They can be worn with dresses and pants. Parents will appreciate their versatile nature.

For grown-ups, the versatility of Mary Janes also makes them an excellent addition to your shoe collection. Because they can be worn with a variety of a fashions, they make a great all-around shoe. Mary Janes made specially for adults often feature taller, clunkier heels. Some are as big as 3". That's quite a change from the low heels you remember from your childhood.

Another contemporary update of the old classic are Mary Jane mules. Yes, now you can get the style of the Mary Jane without that irritating back. The mule adds a more squarish toe which may be more suitable for the professional environment. If you're looking for a Mary Jane with an even more contemporary look, you have to check out Josef Seibel's "Maddie". This unique take on the Mary Jane fuses the classic style with a look reminiscent of casual athletic shoes.

It's hard to do these shoes justice with mere words. You have to check them out online or at your favorite Josef Seibel retailer. I guarantee you'll get all sorts of comments on them if you decide to get a pair.

One of the scenes encouraging the popularity of Mary Janes is the rockabilly music scene. Some other fashion subcultures are perpetuating their popularity as well. They're popular with punk fans and people in the Lolita fashion underground.

Mary Jane shoes are not just for little girls anymore. While Brown Shoe Company may have popularized them for girls in the early 20th century, modern adult female shoe buyers(and some guys, too) have claimed them as their own. As with so many other popular fashion trends, the resurgence of the Mary Jane was catalyzed by lesser known fashion subcultures.

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Guide to Choosing Islamic Designer Fashion Clothing

Islamic fashion & Thuabs are popular among Muslims and people from a variety of religions and cultures worldwide. The styles are often very minimalist with Islamic clothing & Jubbas being a good example. Islamic Men designer fashion is usually very comfortable too, and suitable for warm and humid conditions, as well as cold conditions.

Where do you find Islamic Urban Wear?

Islamic urban wear is Islamic fashion & thuabs as well as Islamic clothing & Jubbas, and can be found online through shopping search engines such as shopping.com and the Google Product search. When you use a shopping comparison product not only will you be able to view a variety of merchants offering the products you require, you will also be able to compare and contrast them, ensuring that you will be able to find who offers the best prices, the quickest deliveries, and the payment method that you are looking for. You can also find Islamic mens designer fashion and womens Islamic urban wear on the high street. There are specialist shops that provide Islamic fashion & thuabs as well as many general fashion retailers that stock Islamic urban wear.

What should you look for in an Islamic Mens Designer Fashion Retailer?

When choosing which Islamic mens designer fashion retailer to shop from one consideration is naturally price. You should look for who offers competitive pricing; however that is not the only thing. You also need to look for who is reliable and likely to deliver good customer service. If you are buying on the web for example, look for someone who has a telephone number on their website, as you may need to contact them if there is a problem with the order. You should also do a search for their company name on the web and see if there is any negative publicity associated with them. Should you be unsure about your order, it is also a wise idea to ensure they have a refund policy just in case.

How do you know what Islamic Fashion & thuabs are right for you?

With Islamic mens designer fashions and any fashion for that matter, you should wear clothing that you feel comfortable with and that you feel encapsulates your personality. Those that merely follow fashion are not the kind of people who wear Islamic fashion & thuabs. It is those that wish to stand out from the crowd and really make an impression.

How do you know what Islamic Clothing & Jubbas are right for you?

Islamic clothing & Jubbas are right for you if you feel they are a good match with your personality. If you feel that they are a means by which to express the way you feel, act and want to be perceived then it is likely that they are right for you. You should also chose Islamic clothing & Jubbas that fit your taste in music and other passions; whether it is sport, dancing or film.

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The Bulga Handbags; Hot, Popular, And Affordable

Natalia Konovalova fell in love with fashion because of the inspiration of her mother. After winning the Princess Kazulkum contest, Natalia made her way to the US where she began a modeling career. Her introduction to the American fashion circuit brought out her love of fashion even more. It allowed her to be expressive, and creative. Natalia studied women?s fashion at the Fashion Institute of Technology in NY, and graduated with her Bachelors of Arts degree. Once her schooling had ended, Natalia was hit with the realization that the fashion market was absolutely filled to overflowing with handbags that were so expensive people didn't have the money left over after buying them to put any in the bags.

She decided to try her hand at making handbags. At first she worked under the name, Kono Valova, but decided later that she wanted a name for her bags that was more unique. She came up with the name, Bulga, which is Latin for bag, and the Bulga Handbag was born.

This product was created for the confident, independent woman and invokes a feeling of sophistication, culture, and art. The Bulga handbag is fashioned with Natalia's favorite material: leather. Because they are made with leather, the bags seem ageless, and only grow in elegance. These come in a variety of colors: fuchsia, purple, white, teal, yellow sand, safari yellow, and taupe. Bulga bags also have flair of rock and roll; many bags fringed in tassels, studs, and hardware that blend magnificently with the well tailored leather. Thank heavens that there is plenty of room in the bag, making it practical as well as beautiful, but not a pain in the pocket.

Called the "it bags"; Bulga Handbags are toted, carried, and supported by female celebrities from all over. The popularity of the product can be easily seen by the magazine reading public, as well as being featured in People Magazine.

Even though the Bulga handbag has had monumental success, Natalia hasn't stopped dreaming of grander, more beautiful bags. She has her future ahead of her and is intelligent enough to know that she is a success now and should continue being one, deciding to eventually carry over into a clothing line. Natalia creates, not just to express herself, but to also help every woman with their expression.

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Starting your own Fashion Design Business

What a lot of people don't realise is that many fashion design businesses have started out as just a small home business. In a lot of cases these businesses would even have been started from their kitchen table or spare bedroom. The fashion business is definitely a business which could be started from home and on a very small budget.

Laura Ashley was one such designer who started her design business on her kitchen table in London. She went on to build a very successful international design business.

Another international fashion designer whose fashion design talent was sown in his own home and at a very early age was the designer, Bruce Oldfield.

They, amongst other designers, have inspired many to live out their dream of owning their own fashion design business and following their footsteps to success.

The fun and pleasure of creating your own designs can start at any age. Once the fashion bug takes hold, it can be a very exciting and exhilarating time. The
adrenaline will constantly being stirred by the creation and completion of new designs. These designs may have been inspired by the most unusual items, such as a brick, the sunset, an old pattern, an architectural building, or any item.

If you find yourself sketching or doodling designs on every spare piece of paper, then you most likely have a hidden talent yourself for being a fashion designer.

Why not give yourself the opportunity to start a fashion business from your own home?

You could specialise in various niches, including women's clothing, full size clothing, gothic clothing etc. One way of starting your business would be to create a few samples of your designs and then promote them with the help of friends at house parties to find out if they are marketable.

When you have completed this initial research, you should then take your new business to the next level, which would be to prepare your business plan.

There are certain qualities required to run a fashion design business and two of the most important ones are, tenacity and determination. There will be many times when

working on your fashion business that you will feel like giving up and this will be entirely because of the enormous amount of work involved. This is when the tenacity quality will be required. You will have to have enough determination to achieve all the dreams you have for your fashion business success.

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Where to Find Hot Fashion Trends

The fashion world is highly fickle. There is an extremely fine line between wearing clothing that is so trendy that it will be out of style in a week and finding a nice, modern look that will be around for at least a few years or so. While the world of mens fashion does indeed change little by little, it is nowhere near as erratic as the world of womens fashion. In fact, if a girl is to stay on top of the fashion world week after week, she may end up spending thousands of dollars in clothes each and every month. So, no matter if you are a guy or a girl, in order to stay on top of the hottest movements without allowing your clothing to look dated or too trendy, you will want to consult every resource you possibly can to figure out what will look best on you. Currently, the best resources out there appear in three branches of media the Internet, the television and printed books and magazines.

If you do not want to end up like one of the bad dressers on a show like What Not to Wear, then you will want to make sure that you constantly keep up with the current fashion . The Internet will provide you with a valuable tool to keep you up to date with the latest fashion trends by showing you hot looks that are for sale in department stores around the country as well as hundreds of pictures of models and movie stars with their daily wardrobes. From these resources for fashion trends, you can easily make up your own mind about what you think you would look good in and what will obviously be out of style in the coming months.

Television functions much like the internet when it comes to fashion trends. Unless you live in Los Angeles or New York, chances are that you are completely out of the loop when it comes to the most stylish fashion trends. Year after year, LA and NY set many of the most interesting fashion trends thanks to the celebrities, designers and generally wealthy people that live in these cities. Whenever you turn your television to a show that takes place in one of these hip cities, you can easily check out what the stars are wearing.

Finally, you can use print media to determine which fashion trends are right for you. Celebrity magazines, fashion magazines and even catalogues from clothing stores are all valuable if you are looking for the freshest fashion trends on the market. However, magazines have a tendency to focus on clothing that is out of most peoples price range, so be sure to take a magazines recommendation on fashion trends with a grain of salt.

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Who Are You? What Back-to-School Fashion Choices Say

We use various ways to express ourselves. We either use words or we use other symbols. We make use of signals, we make use of gestures and we also make use of fashion to tell the world what we want to say. When we put on our clothes for the day, it is like we are declaring to the world our attitude for the day. This is the reason why it is so interesting to observe the back-to-school fashion preferences of people. The back to school fashion preference of a person shows who he will be for the whole term in a nutshell.

There are those people who wear practically the same thing they did in the last term. The bad thing about this is that this could be an indication of little to no personal growth in the past term. This could be an indication that the person did not mature in the past year. What could make this worse is if that person had been wearing the same fashion for more than 5 years. That could be an indicator of a serious problem.

The positive interpretation of this could be that the person has matured enough to have found his or her identity in life. This type of back-to-school fashion could indicate that a person is already perfectly happy with the image that he or she presents and that they feel no urge to change. It could also be an indication that the person has had a great past year and wishes to recapture that year.

There are people who exhibit great changes in their back to school fashion. There is also a good side and a bad side to this. The good interpretation of this is that the person has experienced an epiphany. A change in back-to-school fashion could be an indicator that a person has reached a new level of maturity and is ready to face the world with a new attitude. He or she could be declaring to the world that he or she is a new person, changed for the better and willing to tackle the world head on.

There is also a dark side to this change in back-to-school fashion. A person could have suffered from an event so cataclysmic that it required the person to reject his or her old personality entirely. A drastic change in back-to-school fashion could be akin to a person screaming, "I am not who I used to be. It will not happen to me anymore!". Not all changes are 100% good or 100% bad, though - life is rarely that simple!

There are students whose back to school fashion is based on what a certain group is wearing. The positive side to this is that it indicates social acceptance. A person who has this type of back to school fashion shows that he or she is sociable and knows how to make friends with at least a certain group of people. However, this could also be an indication of a lack of initiative. People who dress the way others do may do so because they don't really have any idea of what to wear. They let their groups decide their fashion because without the group, they really have no idea who they are.

So you can see that back to school fashion is a great indicator of who a person is (or thinks they are!)

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Shoppping for Women's Clothes in Paris

Paris has become synonymous with women's fashion. From the late 19th century, the world has looked to the City of Light for its fashion direction. To take home a piece of Paris fashion, consider the following:

Department Stores

Don't dismiss Parisian department stores as a source of fashion. They can be a great place to see a wide range of styles and designers - all under one roof. The larger stores even have a number of mini-boutiques representing the "big name" designers within the store.

* Galeries Lafayette - Built in 1906, this belle epoque multi-level shopping palace is as much fun to look at as it is to shop in. Each floor circles an atrium overlooking the bustling main cosmetics floor. The store specializes in women's clothing and accessories. The view from the tea shop on the top floor is worth the visit. The Galeries Lafayette offers free fashion shows on Wednesdays.

* Le Printemps - Located near the Palais Garnier, this huge store is noted for its household goods as well as its fashion. The store offers many services for American visitors, including shipping, translation, and a personal shopping service. Printemps offers several free fashion shows each week.

* Bon Marche - Located on the Left Bank, this stylish store was Paris' first department store. Designed by Gustave Eiffel (of Eiffel Tower fame), it is particularly known for its younger, slightly off-beat fashion.

Haute Couture

Since the late 19th century, Paris has been the undisputed Queen of fashion. Designers, such as Chanel, Dior, Givenchy, Balenciaga, and Schiaparelli have all contributed to making the Parisian Haute Couture industry the best in the world. More recently, Christian LaCroix and Karl Lagerfeld have helped to perpetuate that status. Many of the great fashion houses are located in side streets jutting off of the Champs Elysees near the Place de la Concorde.

Getting into a fashion show at one of the major houses can be difficult if you're not an A-list celebrity or have a seven-figure checking account. Your best bet is to enlist your hotel's concierge. (Remember to tip him well.) Failing that, most of the most famous houses have adjacent pret-a-porter (ready to wear) stores, where you can find manufactured versions (but still well-made and tailored) of the singular haute couture fashions.

Les Boutiques

The younger and more modern French designers have mostly opted to open their own retail stores and forego expensive haute couture operations. These stores, with names such as Sonia Rykiel, Thierry Mugler, and Kenzo are largely concentrated in the area surrounding the Right Bank fashion houses, along the Left Bank, and around the Place de la Victoire. Prices are still somewhat steep, but generally much less than those at the "big name" houses.

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