Fashion Me Fabulous

We here at FMF love supporting independent designers and upstart fashion ideas. That's why we've long featured Etsy shops. Kickstarter has created another way for designers and creators to bring their fashion to the world. Here are for fun fashion Kickstarters route for funding now. Counting on style Fabienne, the knitter behind KnitYak, is a knitter and lover of math. When she got her first knitting machine, she modified it and started knitting algorithmic computer generated designs. Now she wants to upgrade to an industrial set up for everyone can have their own mathematical scarf. Click here to learn more or back the project . Walk and Talk Alright, this is another sock Kickstarter, but it's a great one. There's socks are fully functional footwear that doubles as a puppet! They are fun socks and fun socks puppets. The socks are printed so the design easily translates to a hand puppet, no stick-on eyes required. If this gets funded, they better c...

- A creative design student made "sketches" of dresses using flower petals . (Dose)  - Is 3D printing the answer for women who can't find makeup for their skin tone? (The Cut) - The Hairpin looks at how successful You Tube beauty channels work. - Love the menswear look? You can turn silk ties into cute headbands. (A Red Ribbon) - I love Erte's illustrations and had no idea he designed theater costumes . (Retronaut) - Could you pare your closet down to only 40 hangable items ? (Living Well, Spending Less) - Esther Honing asked people around the world to photoshop her into a "beautiful" woman . The United States one is kinda freaky.  - Makeup artist Nick Barose speaks my mind about contouring and other celebrity makeup tricks. (The Cut)

Brittney Lee is an artist for Disney Animation studios. On her blog , she outlines her thought process for demonstrating character traits through the costumes in Frozen . (She's a fabulous paper artist too!) Would you ever quit shampoo ? (The Hairpin) This American Life looks at the "science" behind People magazine's "Most Beautiful" search. Jezebel takes a look back at the unfortunately classic 1977 book Dress for Success . Plaid tests well. Speaking of how to dress for work, the thin, imaginary line for female lawyers is tricky. ( Slate ) The Cut tackles the sensitive subject of pink . Are you lazy but you don't want to look lazy? Me too! Buzzfeed rounded up 26 hair tips for lazy girls like us. Enjoy some fashion shots, many of which are candid, from 1960s London . Then behold the 1990 J. C. Penney catalog offerings . Weep. (Retronaut) Jon our Facebook discussion about terrible TV wedding dresses.

The Awkward Years Project celebrates the transformation from awkward teenager to adult who has has it together. How the fabulous Coco Rocha made it as a model. (Buzzfeed) The Toast tears apart writers's descriptions of " not a beautiful woman " who was actually super hot. Hairpin and I are in agreement about The Tyranny of the T-Shirt Bra . Let's take a moment to appreciate Edwardian women in occasionally questionable hats . (Retronaut) The NFL is trying to market merchandise to women and it is painful. Have you seen their "fashion" commercials for gear? (The Cut) Magazine beauty is all special effects , yet so many women still compare themselves to photo-magic. (Buzzfeed) 90s cartoons go to New York Fashion Week in style. I can't imagine Lisa Simpson in that particular Marc Jacobs. ( Swagger New York )

Go to British Vogue . Start typing up-up-down-down-left-right-left-right-b-a-ENTER. Watch. Yes, that just happened. Science fiction publisher Tor would like fantasy artists to abandon the cliche of "boob plate" armor . Designer Zandra Rhodes now has a digital collection of 500 pieces from her 50+ year career. If you are in love with Europe's royals and what they wear, you need to read The Royal Order of Sartorial Splendor . Speaking of royals, since Duchess Kate's not been making public appearances as she waits for the baby to get with being born, you may need to peruse her archives for a classy fashion fix. (The Cut) These gifs of celebrity photoshop before-and-afters need to be shown to every woman worried about her weight or wrinkles. Learn how Joseff of Hollywood became one of the biggest jewelers in classic film. (Collector's Weekly) Instead of spending money for a travel case for your jewelry, try this no-sew DIY roll using stuff you pr...

For $39, Coco Rocha will send you a box full of over $80 worth of things she finds fabulous. ( Fancy ) You know you want to read about the history of sequins . (Smithsonian) This photograph, composed and snapped by a teenager, is the most provocative essay I've ever seen regarding skirt lengths and perception. ( Rosea Posey ) Teens have told me 90s fashion is cool, but I remember these horrors of the past. (Buzzfeed) As a fashion-loving rabbit owner, I am crazy for Fifi Lapin and her illustrated bun in designer frocks. I just wish her Etsy shop was still open! Speaking of the intersection of fashion and art, Japan Lover Me has turned some of Tokyo Fashion 's street snaps into adorable illustrations. Who had the best figure in Hollywood in 1931 ? The article is a little weird for the modern reader.(Slate)

Drugstore Princess knows the best beauty products for the lowest prices. Let's talk trends in body image, more specifically, trends for body builders . (Smithsonian) For anyone who loved Grumpy Cat in a dress... ( Mouse Breath ) Relive the 90s -- both 18' and 19' -- with a retrospective of chokers . (Buzzf Feed) This is the best case for leggings-are-not-pants that I have ever seen. (Awesomely Luvvie) Beauty is subjective, and unibrows are popular in Tajikistan . (Global Post) The Cut was kind enough to provide actual color palettes from New York's Fall/Winter shows. Such givers.

You know you want to look at this slideshow of Katharine Hepburn . It goes from 1930 - 1988 and includes everything from costumes to off-set casual looks. (The Cut) Juicy Couture used cats to model their latest line of jewelry. (Refinery 29) Enjoy 30 beauty tips from the people who know. (Shape) The Hairpin looks at beautiful antique jewelry depicting scary things. Peek into the life of Bergdorf's top shoe saleman . (Fashionista) The Cut's article about the proliferation of the word "curvy" is one of those articles you forward to your girlfriends so you can talk about it over coffee. I'm surprised Lady Gaga hasn't been sporting any of these wild sunglasses of the 80s and 90s . (Retronaut)

Let's make glitter heels . (Could I Have That) Hairpin has a starter lesson on being " less crazy about your body." Hairpin is also trying all the mascara . Yes, all. Closet a mess? Here are some tips from a professional organizer . (Jeri's Organizing and Decluttering News) Still struggling with matching colors? Enter the url of a picture with colors you like to DeGraeve, they'll make a palette of matching colors. ( DeGraeve ) All I need to say is: dresses made of candy . (Lovelyish) Everyone wore skirts for thousands of years, so pants are relatively new to the fashion scene. The origin of the garment is so glaringly obvious that your mind will now blank, you'll click on this article , then say duh because you're 90s like that. (The Atlantic) 

See this teen's three prom dresses made from trash . (NPR) While I love books and I love being girly, the people who did these literary manicures have too much time on their hands. No pun intended. (Flavorwire) Models, designers, and the residents of Sesame Street, did an editorial for Harper's Bazaar in 2009. I think it could have been cooler. ( MYFDB ) Satinee, one of Polyvore's best contributors, made a gallery of runway gowns with the models extracted juxtaposed with celebrities in the dresses for various events and photo shoots. It's a jarring look at how people wear clothes and how we let the wearer color our perceptions. ( Polyvore ) Susie Bubble has to plug her shoes in at night. Of course, they're awesome shoes. (Style Bubble) Finally! A fashion critic is ready to declare that Karl Lagerfeld is talented but not infallible. (Daily Beast) Read this tongue-in-cheek guide to finding sunglasses for your face shape . (Hairpin)

I recently watched the below TED Talk by Jessi Arrington of Lucky So and So . She is a Brooklyn based designer who buys all of her clothing at thrift stores, loves color and once spent an entire year researching and writing about the color pink. I love the creativity and playfulness she brings to her wardrobe by taking risks and embracing what she loves. She plays with bold colors and isn't afraid to rock her own style. I also love her project because she uses fashion to express herself and find joy in the everyday activity of getting dressed. In fact, she lists several life lessons learned from her "Wearing Nothing New" project. 1. You do not have to spend a lot of money to look great. We talk about this a lot here at FMF. It's why we do features like the $150 Challenge and budget shopping posts. 2. Color is powerful. Color moves us, which is why it can be a little daunting to wear sometimes, but it's worth experimenting because it really adds to your look. (Ch...

DIY your own glitter boots (or anything really) without leaving a shiny trail in your wake. (Pretty Shiny Sparkly) i-D 's covers for Chinese New Year do a lovely job of showcasing China's diversity. (The Cut) Get 30 manicure ideas from fashion week (Bella Sugar) In a swoon over Downtown Abbey? Then you'll love this exhaustive collection of Edwardian clothing . (Photobucket) Watch 100 years of fashion dance by in 100 seconds. ( Retronaut ) Learn how to make your own zipper flowers . (Instructables) Susie Bubble has detail photos of the McQ show and the scoop on the after party. (Style Bubble) Japan has a holiday called Coming of Age Day ,which is essentially a suits and kimono dress-up birthday party for everyone who turned 20 that year. (Tokyo Fashion)

I love getting dressed up, but I hate buying clothes and accessories especially for an event. It costs so much money, and things often never get used again. To remedy the closet wastelands of bridesmaid and prom dresses, many web companies have popped up with rental services for everything from designer handbags to wedding dresses. (Best of all, most of the companies do professional cleaning so you get out of laundry and dry clean duty too!) Special Occasion Dresses Rent the Runway: This service has the largest selection of dresses. Rent the Runway offers designer looks perfect for prom, bridesmaids, weddings, galas, balls, New Year's Eve, a really important interview (dress for the job you want not the job you have!) and any other special event you can think of. The rental price varies based on the retail cost of the gown. If you want to wow in this $745 Carmen Marc Valvo gown (pictured top right), you can do so for a $125 rental fee. Sadly, sizes top out at a 12 for most items....

Armani Prive is usually one of my favorite couture shows, but this..? If the fabric isn't overly shiny and cheap-looking (for the third season) then the print photographs terribly. The pic factor shouldn't be an issue for a designer, except these clothes need to appeal to both fashion editors, celebrities, and rich women who will be photographed for the society pages. So while the colors are great and I enjoy the overall reptilian vibe and accessories, this show is a miss for me. Jean Paul Gaultier was a gritty comic book with an ensemble cast of 1960s teenage femme fatals. I looked at all the outfits in all the couture shows and there's little to stir the imagination. (Givenchy may be nice, but I can't tell from the photos.) These are dark fashion times. Thankfully, I tripped across Flip-Zone the other day. Not only do they cover many designers whose work you've seen (like Zuhair Murhad and Nicolas Jebran ) but they also cover independent designers and thos...

Can I please be as cool as Iris Apfel when I'm in my 90s? (Into the Gloss) Crochet Cloud has so many amazing designer-inspired DIYs , I can't pick just one to share (although I'm going to try the Miu Miu socks). In 1902, someone made post cards depicting " women of the future ." My cousin the firefighter may disagree with the lady fireman in the corset, but I think I have one of the military jackets. (Retronaut) Hairpin explains how to make your own solid perfume . Make your own hardware-trimmed clutch a'la Alexander Wang for under $30. (Runway DIY) How will the newly launched Plus Model Magazine impact fashion? (Fly & Mighty) Into studs and other metal accessories? Here's a gallery to inspire you. (Outsa Pop)

Do you love great design? Has the lack of innovation and fabric drama disappointed you these last few seasons of Project Runway ? Does Lady Gaga appeal to you simply because you know she won't be wearing a mermaid gown? Then you need to discover the time-suck of Not Just a Label , a website selling the work of independent, avant garde fashion designers from around the world. Dinu Bodiciu Mira Hayek     Iimuahii Anomal Couture Joanna Hawrot  Ana Every First Kiss Fannieschiavino If you're interested in supporting independent designers, there are some more affordable items but otherwise your pockets had better be generous. Looking, however, is free.

Where can I get tickets to Chinese Fashion Week, because these outfits are awesomely insane . Two things I love have joined forces! Photographer Peter Lippman staged photo replicas of  old paintings, and he added some Louboutins to each. (NSFW) The Hairpin (which I'm loving) has a column called "Ask A Clean Person" (which is revolutionizing my dirty life) and said Clean Person has much to say about your smelly, scuffy, dirty shoes . Conquer the beehive hairdo with tips from A Beautiful Mess. Tea With The Vintage Baroness shares my love of Miss Lemon's spot on 1930s wardrobe in Poirot . If you want to follow my sewing adventures, I'm posting weekly lessons learned and projects finished at In Which Paris Sews .

If your feet fall outside of the 6 to 10 range, you may have trouble finding shoes in your size. I know I lot of women under size 6 or over size 10 who get frustrated with the availability of shoes in their size. (The fringe sizes of 6 and 10 can even be rare). When shoe makers do make these sizes, they often make less of them, which means they sell out quickly. For the petite feet of the world, The Odd Slipper has just launched user driven shoe shopping site that creates exactly what you, the small footed customer, wants in sizes 4 to 5.5. Each week, three shoe designs are put to a vote. The top shoes are then put into production. This way, they are sure to make the shoes you want, and you have constant control over the selection available to you. They will even be featuring different guest designers as time goes on so the mix is sure to be constantly evolving. The quality and pricing is yet to be seen, but the change to player buyer for the company is a really cool feature. (Picture...

Want big curls without frying your hair? Here's a video how-to . (thelipstickdiaries on YouTube) If you're European, love handmade goods, but don't love international shipping, check out DaWanda . It's Etsy for the other side of the pond. For obvious reasons, I'm in love with this McQueen themed tumblr . (leemcqueen.tumblr) I recently stumbled across a book of vintage advertisements and was going to scan in the craz-mazing Maidenform ads for your bemusement, but Millicent and Carla Fran saved me the trouble. Disney princesses get sartorially corrected about their historical accuracy . ( shoomlah ) The princesses also do Vogue . (DeviantArt)

For the record, celebrities, makeover subjects, and pretty much everyone else you see on a screen gets their off-the-rack clothes tailored . Your body is not the problem. (Whatever, etc.) Did the sartorial fails of the VMAs signify an imbalance between fashion and music ? (Vulture) Large footed ladies, there's a blog just for your shoe lusty needs. ( My Lovely Big Feet ) American Apparel (who should go bankrupt and belly-up faster) ran a patronizing and questionable plus-sized model search. This awesome woman entered as a joke on the company's treatment of plus-sized women and won . ( Jezebel ) Cats make fashion better --or at least less serious. (Fashionista) Susie Bubble is excited about turtlenecks as cravats . (Style Bubble) One Management put together some psychedelic cards promoting their models for fashion week. (Model.com)