Drop the high street drag - shop for style online!Written by Katharine Edmondson
Surely it’s considered a major fashion faux pas – turning up somewhere in same outfit as someone else. If current crop of high street shops are anything to go by, however, you’d be forgiven for thinking that clothing conformity is something we’re all striving towards.Let’s face it, for those of us looking for something a little bit ‘different’, high street shopping can be a pretty dreary and dispiriting experience. Just imagine that you’re blindfolded and parachuted into a UK city’s shopping street – your blindfold is removed – do you know where you are? The answer is that there will probably be very few clues, as you will find exactly same shops wherever you go. The ‘usual suspects’ will be side by side, churning out similar-styled garments and cashing in on latest ‘celebrity style’ craze with cheap copies of couture pieces. To those who crave individualism and want to dress with a bit of flair and originality, this copycat culture is depressing. Kate Moss only has to appear looking stunning dressed in her own inimitable style – inimitable being moot point here - and suddenly we’re being bombarded by ‘where to get latest look’ articles and fooled into spending our hard earned cash on faked fashion which isn’t going to make us look a million dollars, and won’t make us look like Kate in a million years. When it comes to mock fashion real mockery is one we make of ourselves. Don’t despair! The internet is a fantastic resource for anyone seeking their own unique style. There are plenty of places to shop online offering distinctive, desirable apparel and accessories which will set you apart from ‘clothing clones’ without breaking bank. The benefits of buying online are many; no more trooping round town elbowing others out of way, no queues, and no last minute buying because shop’s about to shut, only to get home and discover your panic purchase looks terrible on or has traces of cosmetics on collar. Instead you can shop from comfort of your home, browsing and buying at your leisure. Small businesses and solo fashion designers use web to showcase their products, and because their overheads are lower (no huge retail premises to maintain and large staff to pay) you have a real opportunity to purchase gorgeous garments and attractive accessories which won’t cost earth. There are also sites selling quality second-hand and vintage fashion pieces, allowing you to track down your own style statement for a fraction of price of buying new. If something is described as ‘hand made’ don’t let memories of Auntie Dot’s amazing asymmetrical unravelling knitwear cloud your judgment – handmade usually means lovingly crafted with great attention to quality and detail, and can definitely denote a one-off, original clothing item which will be envy of others and a fashion favourite for years to come.
| | A Friend in NeedWritten by Denni Gill
Here’s scenario: Julie, a hardworking secretary, lent money to her good friend Ray; $1300 to be exact. Ray had just moved to a new town and claimed that he needed two new suits: one for an upcoming wedding and one to wear on job interviews. Ray lived in a beautiful penthouse. He had a degree in Computer Science and was accustomed to finer things in life – designer labels, frequent travel, and spa week-ends. When Ray told Julie he would repay her and signed a paper promising to do so, Julie didn’t think anything of it. A couple of weeks later, Ray tried to hit Julie up for more money; this time to furnish his new home. When she told him that she wouldn’t be able to help him out this time, he accused her of being cold and hung up phone on her. Julie suddenly realized that she was being taken advantage of. Her hurt quickly turned to rage. She wanted to know how someone could be so self-serving and inconsiderate. If Julie had been weak enough to lend Ray another several hundred dollars for furniture, how could he sleep at night knowing that she had expenses of her own to look after? We as women have an innate desire to nurture whenever possible. Many of us have learned hard way we must always keep our guard up – spot when we may be being misled or taken advantage of. It is a common belief that a woman who is eager to lend money to a man, suffers from niavity, desperation, or poor self-esteem. But in this case it was a loan not a gift, and a friendship not a romantic relationship.
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