With the proliferation of fashion 2.0 came the explosion of style sharing sites, communities where internet-savvy fashionistas post their photos and inspiration and bond over mutual sartorial longing. I fondly remember when MyStyleDiary started as a post in the old LuxuryFashion forums back in the proverbial day. I think most style bloggers are a part of at least one of these communities–which one is your favorite?

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You know those past issues you’ve been meaning to buy to show your contribution to grandma? Or to your well-meaning technophobic friend who can’t seem to figure out how to look at Style Sample on the interwebz? Maybe you want the tearsheets to add to your portfolio?

Well, there’s good news! MagCloud is offering 25% off all magazines ordered now through January 1st, 2010, so you can get past issues of Style Sample (they’re just five bucks) at discounted prices.

Issue #4

Issue #3

Issue #2

Issue #1

I guess mom and dad know what they’ll find under the tree this year…

After many, many hours of blood, sweat, and tears (seriously, there were tears), the new StyleSampleMag.com is finally here!

Feel free to take a look around–much is the same, but the design and layout has changed in hopes of making it easier to find what you need and provide a more consistent publishing platform.

There’s still plenty of work to be done, so things may be a bit “off” for a while. Be sure to let us know if you experience any technical issues with the site or the RSS feed, and as always, we’d love to hear your ideas and what you think!

We all know fashion blogging is fun and cool and sometimes you get free stuff as a result of all the hard work you put into it (woohoo!). But, as with anything else, there’s always more to learn.

Who doesn’t love a holiday that’s centered around an outfit? Halloween came early on some of the fashion runways this fall, so we thought we’d poke some fun at the seriousness of couture and call these designers out on their fashion tricks and treats!

Ann Demuelemeester: Zipped Up
Costumers don’t have to stretch their imaginations for creative new concepts of haunting masks–Demuelemeester’s zipper masks are a perfect fit for a villain in any slasher flick.

Betsey Johnson: Elvira-inspired
Her quirky feminine looks are enticing, but Betsey must have channeled the dark side for this cute but creepy get-up more appropriately suited for hanging on the arm of Frankenstein.

John Galliano:Wicked Witch of the Runway
Only Galliano could put a witchy look together that’s so fierce it makes me want to resort back to the tried and true classic costume choices this Halloween.
Rodarte: True Bloodsuckers
Looking deadly never looked so good (unless maybe your name is Edward Cullen), and this slashed ensemble makes her look like she’s just seen a ghost.

Alexander McQueen: Alien Encounters

With all the thrills of paranormal encounters overwhelming entertainment this season, McQueen reinvented the idea of what these mysterious creatures might really look like…we only hope they are just as stylish as he intended!
Images, Style.com

-Hayley

Style inspiration comes from many places, not the least of which include the dynamic images and dialogue in movies, television, music videos, and of course, on the runway. We took a break to share some of our favorite fashionable video picks and decided to share them with you, too. Enjoy ours and share your favorites in the comments!

The obvious choice would have been “Freedom ’90” as it features some of the biggest supermodels of the time, but Father Figure’s haunting melody and sensual imagery always got to me. Model Tania Coleridge is so cooly gorgeous and that white coat (look at those shoulders!) practically screams Tom Ford for Gucci. - Tamia

This early 90′s Herve Leger runway show includes a baby-faced Tyra and one of my favorite old-school supermodels, Yasmeen Ghauri. Plus, it proves the long-standing power of gorgeous Leger dresses–you know, before they were worn by every starlet within a stone’s throw of Fred Segal. Do you think Tyra and Naomi got into a catfight backstage? - Tamia

My name is not Alice but watching this video makes me feel like I am in Wonderland.  The gals’ wardrobes seem like a merger of the burlesque women placed in the renaissance with vampires and the guys gear came from a combination of the mad men three piece suits with a off color ties mating with the carnie ring leader.  I am a big fan of the Killers look in this video. -David

I am pretty sure there are many people out there that just scream “Born in the U.S.A.!” thinking this is a patriotic song but I know this song is a little anti-American, and a little anti-Vietnam war, so naturally being the son of Vietnamese war refugees born the U.S.A this song made me laugh, cry and hug my neighbor. Regardless, I love The Boss. Arigatou Gozaimasu! -David

I know Lady Gaga’s taste may be debatable on several levels, but when it comes to avant-garde artistic direction and creativity, you really can’t deny her thecrown. Despite her aversion to pants and love of dresses made of Muppets (poor Kermit!), Gaga’s look intrigues me every time.  I can’t take my eye off this video any time I see it…she just does what so many others are too afraid to do, and for that, I adore her. -Hayley

As enticing as it is eerie, I find Victoria Beckham’s Fall Collection ad campaign incredibly chic in its element of mystery. After all, isn’t the best beauty the kind that is debatable? Plus, I can’t help but wonder what it would be like to have a porch swing on my doorstep…-Hayley

You probably know this by now, but Style Sample magazine was created to recognize and promote fashion bloggers while providing a way to gain experience as writers, editors, photographers, and stylists. Which means if you run a blog that focuses on fashion and style, you can contribute!

If you’re interested in being a part of the magazine or guest posting on this site, complete the recently updated contributor form and let us know how–and why–you’re interested in contributing. Here’s some basic info to get you started:

Contribute to SSM.com
How to Pitch an Article to a Magazine
Article Ideas

Complete the form or send your pitch to editor@stylesamplemag.com. Hope to hear from you soon!

Welcome to the October/November issue of Style Sample! Get ready for 24 pages packed with fun interviews, gorgeous photos, helpful how-tos, and more!

Be sure to visit all of the wonderful bloggers who contributed to this issue–all links in the publication are active, so you can click and explore as you read!

If you prefer to flip through the glossy pages in person, print copies will be available on October 13th.

Here’s a peek at the cover for the upcoming issue of Style Sample Magazine, out October 6th:

It’s almost the end of the month, and Style Sample Magazine editors and contributors have been hard at work on Issue #4, out on October 6th! You can look forward to your favorite returning features like Blogs to Watch, Emerging Designer, and Day in the Life, as well as some exciting new ones.

Here’s the deal: We get so many submissions from great bloggers with great blogs, but haven’t really been able to fit them into the regular features currently in the magazine. So…we came up with some new ones! The upcoming issue will include three new features:

Point of View, where bloggers from different cities talk about style in their city, from their point of view–the best boutiques, local designers, places to be seen, and other unique aspects of their area.

Fashion is Art explores the more artistic side of fashion and focuses on fellow bloggers who combine style and art through illustration, painting, graphics, and other creative endeavors.

Singular Style highlights one blogger with exceptional style and provides insight into their thoughts with a fun–and sometimes revealing–Q&A.

Our goal is to recognize bloggers doing great things and create opportunities for everyone, so if you have news to share with the fashion blogging community or would like to contribute to a future issue, be sure to contact us.

Whew! There’s still a lot of work to do, but we hope to make this issue of Style Sample Magazine the best yet! More insider updates are coming soon, so be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss anything…

Salon Essentials Fashion Show

The SSM Team came out in full force to support the Salon Essentials Fashion show at the Contemporary Arts Center in downtown Cincinnati. First off, a big thanks goes out to Koree Thatcher owner of Salon Essentials for being such a great host and congratulations to her and her salon on their two year anniversary.

The night started off with a fashion show featuring the girls from Swey Modeling, Inc sporting their clothes from Missy & Jack Boutique and rocking to the beats of D.J Spam. Meanwhile, media providers JYS Productions and ShawnD Productions were diligently capturing the glorious night. Overall we were most impressed with the overwhelming positive attitudes of all the participants. Swey Modeling, Inc is part of a non-profit organization which provides mentor-mentee relationships with the girls to promote a sense of self worth through modeling, dancing and community service.

To end the night, a special fashion show was put on by those in attendance who wanted to strut their stuff. This was a great way to check out all the outfits without even moving!

The night ended with Hayley getting felt up by French restaurateur Jean-Robert after a late night at The Righteous Room. Umm…can we get some free steak frites?

Keeping up with the latest goings on during New York Fashion Week can be exhausting, but uber-popular microblogging platform Twitter makes it easy to get the scoop on what’s happening in the streets and on the runways! Here are some of the best fashion insiders to follow for up-to-the-minute updates:

Styledotcom
Modelinia
Racked
Littley
Teen Vogue
FashionPulse
Fashionista_com
Lobese
The Moment
Village Voice
WendyBrandes
Colleen Nika
C0URTNEY L0VE
Harpers Bazaar US
Shoe York City
The Mad Fashionista
NY Thread
Paper Magazine
Everyone from Inside the Tents
Joe Zee

Those are some of our favorites…Post yours in the comments!

I promised to introduce the new Style Sample Magazine editorial assistants, so after a fun evening spent going over the editorial calendar and battling crazy/weird computer issues, they created this post (the title was their idea)!

I’m Hayley, a recent fashion graduate following my creative drive and seeing where it takes me! I’ve been fortunate enough to dabble in a variety of fashion jobs, from a stylist’s assistant to a stint at a fashion magazine, which have only intensified my love of beautiful/interesting people, places and things (as well as teased me mercilessly by being surrounded by amazing designer pieces!). I believe that the most interesting forms of art are in the everyday–which probably explains my unyielding love of people-watching and playing dress-up whenever possible.

My name is Dave! What’s up all you glorious and fabulous people out there on Earth? Basically I would use those same very two words to describe myself along with “bad-a$$”. I am soul believer that style doesn’t require money or professional training but comes from each person’s soul. I spent most of my youth wanting to look like everyone else around me, now that’s my worst nightmare! I hope that I can reach out to all those who want live life one crazy outfit at a time. Much love and Crush the day! D Le

StyleSampleMag.com has been on hiatus for a while as we’ve been working on some exciting ideas and updates! Here’s a peek at some of the good stuff to come:

• Informative and interesting articles from your favorite bloggers, all exclusive to stylesamplemag.com. If you’re interested in contributing to the site, there’s more information here and some starter concepts here. Send an email with your idea pitch to editor@stylesamplemag.com and we’ll get started!

• Site makeover! We’ve been working on redesigning StyleSampleMag.com to include even more great content. Nothing too fancy-schmancy, just a little lipstick to liven things up. Look for the new design some time this month….(fingers crossed!)

• I have help! Notice how I keep saying “we”? Well, that’s because I found two wonderfully talented (and darn cute) editorial assistants to help with Style Sample Magazine and StyleSampleMag.com. I’ll introduce you to them later this week.

That’s not all, either! Stay tuned for info about new features coming in issue #4, behind-the-scenes updates, interesting developments, and more! Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss anything…

If you’re an aspiring fashion writer and you’d like some practice and exposure, here’s your chance! Maintaining two sites + publishing the magazine + interviews + writing for Examiner have all become a bit too much, so I’m opening up StyleSampleMag.com to include guest posts! Here’s the type of content we’re looking for:

• Tools (freeware/software) and resources for fashion bloggers
• Neat, fun, high quality blogs
• Tips and advice (design, content production, writing, design, marketing)
• Interviews with stylish trendsetters
• How-tos
• Fashion career advice
• Relevant news and tidbits

Guest posts can be up to 300 words and will include a contributor profile with a link to your site.

Interested? Got another idea? Contact me at magazine@thestylesample.com with “Site Contributor” in the title and let me know how you’d like to contribute!

Good news: The next issue of Style Sample Magazine is already in production!

Next week I’ll let you know about the amazing contributors in the upcoming issue–some of your favorite established and up-and-coming bloggers, designers, and writers are included, so subscribe to make sure you don’t miss anything!