About the Brand: Topshop

Owners: The Arcadia Group and Leonard Green and Partners

About the Brand: Founded in 1964, Topshop is a British brand catering to young women and men (Topman). The brand offers a wide variety of styles of clothing ranging from hipster to romantic. The brand has 300 stores in the UK and is now expanding into the US with four stores.

Materials: A collaboration with Izzy Lane and Topshop ensures their wool is humanly gathered from sheep who were saved from the slaughterhouse.  They also have began TOPSHOP Reclaim to Wear, saving materials which would have been considered pre-production waste.

Bangladesh: The Collapse of Ethics

Result of the collapse

On April 24th, a clothing factory in Bangladesh collapsed, killing over a thousand people (1127 at time of writing). Clothing brands, such as Mango and Joe Fresh, are receiving criticism as their clothing was produced in the collapsed factory. Other brands, like H&M and Zara, are teaming up in order to prevent things like this from happening. And while these brands are working to preserve their name and to create positive PR, I have seen less news about this than Kim Kardashian's fail of a Met Gala dress in the fashion world.

Am I saying I haven't read a lot on the Met Gala? I have read a fair share and even wrote a post about it. But so many people have turned a blind eye to this tragedy in the blogosphere and it's due to two things - guilt and payoff.

Guest Post: Your Personal Style

Hey everyone! Today I'm doing my first guest post which is more like a response to this small article about dressing appropriately and your age. Nicole is very honest and keeps her style "real" (my Cali-girl is showing, isn't it?).

 

I am so excited to be here on The Fitted Frame today. For those of you who don't know me, my name is Nicole Cushing, and I blog over at Nicole Kelly. While you can find real outfit posts and inspiration on my blog, you will also find tips and tricks for styling a great look and building a closet. Ally is a great blogger, and I was so excited when she asked for a guest post while she was studying (isn't she so sweet, stroking my ego like that -A). I've decided to share a little bit of advice with you all today, along the lines of staying true to you and our style!

We all know that The Fitted Frame is full of inspiration for the every day girl. But what happens when you start to wonder if what you’re wearing is not you? Or what if people around you start questioning the clothing you are wearing? Some of this just might happen to you throughout your life, so here are a few ways to stay true to your style!

Keepin' it Real(ly Appropriate)

Have you ever noticed how people never seem completely happy with their age and maybe, to a larger extent, happy with who they are? (That's a whole other issue, though) I notice this a lot among fashion bloggers through the way we all dress. While Madonna dressed twenty years younger, fashion bloggers dress twenty years older. And if we don't dress older, many dress to get pageviews.

Pageviews. The delicious, sweet nectar ever blogger wants to enjoy that not many get a large chance to try. So many bloggers sacrifice their style and voice in order to play to what seems to be popular in the here and now.

Met Gala: The Good, the Bad, the Really Not Fab

So, in an attempt to continue to be relevant, I'm offering up some mild snark and high praise for some looks from the Met Gala. "The Met Gala?" you say, slightly confused. "Why, what is that?" It's the Metropolitan Museum of Art's costume party (this year the theme being punk) where only the rich and famous are invited. And I, being so incredibly awesome, have picked out the most unique fashions from the evening so you don't have to sit through and look at all the pictures yourself. And I'm tellin' ya now, these punk dudes and gals were not so...well...they look pretty terrible if you ask me.

From left to right

Kerry Washington in Vera Wang
So, I give you kudos, Ms. Washington. You actually look punk. However, this dress is just way too busy for those gloves. Maybe would have benefited you to through your hair up? People have this on their best dressed and it just confuses me. Maybe I'm not high fashion enough.

Zandra Rhodes in a regretful ensemble
Looking like a confused bubblegum gypsy who used kool-aid to dye her hair has never been punk. Ok, the hair is punk, but paired with that outfit it is just crazy grandma.

Beyoncé in Givenchy 
I should have turned back now. It looks like Baroque threw up all over her legs. I mean that boot is pretty cool, but how is this punk? It's more gothic if anything. She has a great body, should have gone for something more flattering.

I Think I Blue Myself

I was goofing off, actually thought it was a bit cute. Even though it looks like I have to pee.

Featured, Featured - Me Oh My.

Beauty Positive

Real beauty comes from within. It's an old saying, and generally I find it to be true. Beautiful people have positive souls. But ... it never hurts to have good makeup and style to make your inner beauty shine. This week we have a great mix of beautifying tips on several levels to bring out the very best in you. From positive fashion quotes, owning your age & style, to nixing online bullying in the fashion community... body positive thinking and actual beauty tips galore. As a beauty junkie, I was delighted to read all the beauty tips! Of course, we have loads of style tips to get you started for the coming summer season!

Beauty Picks you MAY Like

Oh wow, oh my. It's time to look at my beauty favs. I don't really have a ton of money and I go for quality above quantity, so "favs" posts like these will be few and far between. Coincidentally the products I rave about can be used for a really simple makeup routine if you're in a hurry and don't have enough time to put on a full face.

ALSO, tread carefully as there are AFFILIATE LINKS (gasp). Yes, I have gone to the monetizing side and now use ShopSense. I'll try not to abuse it, as I really don't want to become one of those bloggers, but I am a college student and I do crave money and blah blah. If you don't want to click the links because you have a vendetta against affiliates, that's fine. None of these links are sneaky and the names of the products are given so you can Google them. I strive to write complete articles with a ton of information for my readers, so I apologize for the plethora of ShopSense.

The Skinny on Body Image

Let's say that ever since you were little you wanted to be a model. Not any model, but a high fashion model who posed for Valentino and walked for Prada. You've always been moderately attractive and slim, but not slim enough. Not to be strutting Alexander McQueen's newest avant-garde dress down the catwalk. So you stop eating in order to look like the models and before you can actually realize what you're doing, you've developed an eating disorder.

Anorexia nervosa and bulima nervosa are two eating disorders commonly associated with women and models. The National Eating Disorders Association estimates that roughly ten million women at any given time suffer from an eating disorder. Mirasol also reports that one in every 200 American women suffer from anorexia. Anorexia is also the most lethal mental illness (yes, even beating depression), killing 5%-10% of those who contract the illness in the first ten years, and 18-20% in the first 20 years.

Obviously aware of this problem, Star Models, a model agency based out of Brazil, created an ad campaign called "You Are Not A Sketch" with the goal of empowering women to be more than sticks and bones and to "say no to anorexia".

Picture from Star Models' campaign

The campaign has been getting positive reviews, showing most girls that it is not attractive to look like a fashion sketch.  It's a great way to disillusion women suffering from an eating disorder and stress that looking frail and bony is not as attractive as they may have thought. However, there are people who like how the model looks and could view it as a goal and not be disillusioned whatsoever and rather encouraged.

Trend Spotter : Tropical Prints

Shirts (L-R): Michael Kors & River Island Shorts (L-R): Current/Elliott & Scotch and Soda  Scarf: Banana Republic  Shoes: Corso Como  Bag: Brahmin 

Tropical prints have been going around this Spring as fast as B.O. at Comic-Con. Yes, this is a true trend that is sweeping blogger nation and I am here to help you, fellow trench enthusiast, in understanding the true ways of the Hawaiian Shirt and how to rock Grandma's Summer Bag.

I like this trend. I've seen many bloggers pull it off quite well. Unlike many trends featuring crazy prints, like snakeskin or army camo, I'm much more inclined to buy a shirt or shorts with this print. I don't know why, maybe it just speaks to my want to look like a middle aged woman saturated in stereotypical Tommy Bahama menswear.

Just belt it and, girl, you'll be the talk of the Fashion Police!

Jokes aside, this is a trend I seriously love. It's bright and loud and, if you actually know what you're doing, can be styled in sophisticated ways. This trend is seasonal and highly trendy. The likelihood of this exact trend being in style next year around this time is slim. Maybe get a couple pieces from Zara and you'll be set for the rest of spring and summer.

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Muscles & Leather

Shirt Urban Outfitters | Skirt Urban Outfitters | Shoes Lucky Brand | Earrings Nicole Miller | Nail Polish Essie

 

Look, an outfit post! I went out to a party last night with a few friends and we all decided it would be fun to dress up. Also sorry the background is very boring, I'm a bit limited when it comes to setting.

My friend and I being models, you know.

I'm also going to take this moment to talk about muscle tees, a small trend that I really like. Urban seems to be leading this trend in both quantity and aesthetic. Many muscle tees have edgier designs to them but I've included some more girly ones as well.

Truly Madly Deeply Tees · Lucca Couture Tees · R 13 Tees

-Ally

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Nude to Dark: Tom Ford Lipsticks and You

The holy grail of lipstick.

Tom Ford lipstick is amazing. Beautiful. Tear-jerking. I have three colors, but Nude Vanille and Black Orchid are my two favorites out of the collection. They add such life to outfits and to my face and the colors are so perfect...well, let me just show you.

N u d e  V a n i l l e

Nude Vanille (48 USD, Tom Ford) is a flattering nude with a soft pink undertone. It is long lasting and never feels heavy on the lips. It's creamy in consistency and the vanilla smell is lovely.  

When looking for a nude, make sure that it does not completely match your skintone as you will look washed out. Also, while this nude works for me, it may not work for you. Tom Ford has many other nudes for a variety of skintones.

I know 48 bucks is a ton to drop on lipstick, but I highly recommend it! However, if you can't spend the money, there is MAC Fleshpot. Fleshpot lacks the pink undertone that Vanille packs and isn't as smooth, but seems to be pretty alright for a dupe. I'm sure more colors are out there but Vanille's warm, rosy base is so unique I feel nothing will be able to compare to it.

B l a c k  O r c h i d

My skin color has changed from one photo to the other. It's part of the lipsticks' abilities.

Black Orchid (48 USD) is a deep purple lipstick reminiscent of sexy vampires and blackberry stains. It is extremely long lasting as the pigment dyes the lip when the lipstick eventually smears off.

I can't pull a bright color off very well, but I've been wanting a statement making color for such a long time. This color was a bit scary at first since it's not very natural, but it really goes well with my pale complexion and is an all around great purchase. It also goes with my Tom Ford nail color, which is just so great.

There are a couple dupes I found on the net. One is, once again, from MAC called Diva (20 USD).  It appears to be slightly more red but is an extremely solid dupe if you're  unwilling to spend fifty bucks.  There is also a Wet n Wild dupe, but I wouldn't recommend it personally since I'm not a huge fan of how cheaper lipsticks look or smell.

What's your favorite nude and plum lip? Also, follow me on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Tumblr for more fashion and beauty action!

Ok, but seriously

I've been up to much swag since I've been gone.

It's been a long time, guys. And after many, many months and high intentions I am finally going to be back to posting on this lovely blog! Now, I have a different direction I want to take it. I'll put it in lovely bullets so it's easier to read.

• The blog will be both fashion and beauty. I've grown to love makeup in my very long hiatus.
• The blog will be monetized. It has to be. I'm a college student and I don't have time for a steady job since I have rigorous classes. I'll help pay for my groceries and such.
• It'll be more fun. The posts will rang from an item I currently want to "deep", reflective posts.
• In turn, the layout will be getting a revamp!

Now, onto how to keep updated with this blog.

• Tumblr - This is a melting pot of all of my other social media sites. I'm always on Tumblr so it'll be very active!
• Twitter
• Instagram
• Facebook

I also really need some blog suggestions! Please leave some as comments.

First real post will be up soon - can't wait to talk to everyone again!