Links à la Mode: Fashion's Bold Step Forward

Tis a lovely rainy day for some great reading. So here's a list of the 20 best posts of the week from IFB members, compiled just for you! You should have already read my contribution (my interview with the lovely Amanda deLeon), but I think the other 19 should keep you busy for at least a cup of tea or two. Mmm...tea...

Fashion’s Bold Step Forward

Edited by Ashe/Mischief Dramatis Personae

To be honest, I’ve been really excited about the content on the web lately… because each week, it seems that fashion & style bloggers are making a bold step forward. In a niche that was once dominated by runway photographs and personal style posts, we’re evolving to include daring, thoughtful, provocative posts as well. I am continually shocked and amazed by the range of posts… from wearabout’s post on androgynous Indian men and Style Amor’s post on Arab women in fashion to posts about fashion blogging as a career at Style Eyes fashion blog.

Images via The Curvy Fashionista, The Coveted, Hello Beauty, and Wearabout

Links à la Mode : May 20th

• Awakened Aesthetic – Giveaway! Enter to win a hand-embellished floral top by independent designer Eliza + Axel and take the floral trend in a different direction.
• CMYKaboom! – New York Fashion Week Coverage: IFB “Evolving Influence” Conference
• fete a fete – Clarins Instant Sun Light summer makeup
• Guacamole & Toast – What makes a good fashion blog? How can we avoid turning into one of the minority of superficial fashion bloggers that everyone stereotypes us to be?
• hello beauty! – we have a new makeup lesson video with Guerlain’s top makeup artist and a review of the Guerlain Summer 2010 Collection.
• Holier Than Now – How to fall in love with last year’s summer essential, all over again.
• Independent Fashion Bloggers – Skills Bloggers Can Use to Get Hired
• Jewelry Whore – Designer You Should Know: Elsa Schiaparelli
• kaKofonie Of si(gh)lenS – An exclusive interview with Amanda deLeon, a fabulous avant garde designer from North Carolina, and personal favorite of Kat Von D!
• M.I.S.S. – TV: Follow the Leader: A New Style Series Promo! | M.I.S.S.
• Pretty Shiny Sparkly – Exploring the trend of resin-coated black denim, with a best of the best roundup!
• Shoe-a-Day – How to Shop for Shoes when you’re living ohsofaraway from civilization.
• Style Amor – Celebrating the Beauty of Arab Women & Our Diverse Culture
• Style Eyes Fashion Blog: – A career as a fashion blogger – have you considered a career as a fashion blogger? Here are my experiences.
• Stylish Thought: – The Dressing Dilemma: Who do women really dress for?
• The Coveted – Anica boutique is the place to experiment with avant garde
• The Curvy Fashionista – Curves in the USA? A Question… The Elite of fashion magazines across the pond are fashioning the most fabulous spreads of full figured fashionista, bloggers, and models, will the US follow suit?
• The Recessionista – Jeans: We’re Spending More and Shopping Longer.  Does anyone recall the moment when jeans became a luxury item?
• The Thrifty Poet – “Why Should I Be Ashamed of My Shape” — Why I think classifying women into only 4 different body shapes (two of them fruit) isn’t right.
• wearabout – The luxury of not caring – a look inside an androgynous Indian male’s wardrobe.
• What 2 Wear Where – After the fab opportunity to preview the Met’s exhibit “American Woman: Fashioning a National Identity”, we looked at each of the perfectly portrayed eras and paired them with contemporary looks.