Style Sample Magazine.com

Issue #9 released Sept. 7th!

admin — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 13:00:12 +0000

Issue 9 of Style Sample magazine will be released in less than a week! Expect interesting articles, beautiful photos, the best shopping, and useful advice about fashion, blogging, and everything in between, including:

Inspirational interviews with your favorite (and future favorite) bloggers

Step-by-step instructions on how to create a badge for your blog

An in-depth look at the world of fashion marketing–and how to get your foot in the door.

The issue will be released on September 7th, but in the meantime, here’s a peek at the cover:

You can also follow the Twitter list of Issue #9 contributors and get to know everyone!

IFB Evolving Influence & Fashion’s Night Out

Attending the Independent Fashion Bloggers Evolving Influence Conference? We’re looking for people to write about the sessions (and the after party, of course)! If you’re interested, email editor(at)stylesamplemag.com.

Whether you’ll be in NYC for the Fashion’s Night Out festivities or have something special going on in your own city, we want to hear how much fun you’re having and what you’re buying (’cause you know you will)! Blog about your #FNO experience on your site, then add the link to the collection. More info will be posted as the event draws near.

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Visit StyleSampleMag.com to read more!

Blogger, WordPress, or Tumblr for your fashion blog?

admin — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 17:33:15 +0000

This is a guest post by Josephine of Basic Expressions. If you’d like to write a guest post for Style Sample, check out the guidelines and submit your idea.

When it comes to blogging, especially about fashion, there are three blogging networks that bloggers turn to: Blogger, WordPress and Tumblr. But which one should you use?

I have used all three platforms, and am here to tell you the pros and cons of each so you can decide for yourself:

Blogger

Pros:

Blogger is the most popular blogging network. Putting anything on this website is very simple because most other websites and applications consider Blogger and make it possible to connect.

Since it’s owned by Google, there are many features you can add to enhance and promote your page like Google Reader, Google Friend Connect, and Google Adsense.

Blogger is easy. If you’re new to blogging, Blogger lays out everything for you.

Cons:

There are a few technical issues with Blogger, like the clock or even uploading photos to your page. Different blogs experience different difficulties using this platform.

Template choice is limited. You can change the backgrounds and colors, but it comes down to pretty much the same thing using the standard templates.

Blogger has the right to delete your blog without any warning if they don’t like your content or think it is spam.

WordPress.com

Pros:

WordPress is a bit more advanced, and includes integrated blog statistics (so you know how many people are visiting, and when), as well as built-in spam protection for comments.

Plenty of attractive themes available.

Tech support in the form of helpful user forums–if you have a problem, there’s probably someone out there with a solution!

Cons:

Some bloggers find it difficult to use at first, but with time you will learn it and enjoy the benefits!

Customizing your template requires a small yearly fee and some knowledge of CSS.

Looking for publicity? Find it somewhere else. WordPress is a popular site but unlike Blogger, you will have to publicize your blog on your own.

*Ed. Note: There is a difference between WordPress.com and the blogging software available for free at WordPress.org (self-installed WordPress).

Tumblr

Pros:

Easiest place to share tons of pictures of your outfit–and you can get reblogged on the site easily!

Large variety of free templates.

Easy-as-pie posting.

Cons:

A place mostly for just pictures, videos, quotes or short pieces of inspiration, not long-form writing.

A picture that you posted today could be posted by someone else the next day, and you may not be credited as the original poster.

It can be repetitive. Most of the supposed new and original art, photos and etc on Tumblr are often re-blogged.

Comment boxes are not automatically a given. You have to create your own through Disqus or another third-party application, then add it to your Tumblog.

I don’t use any of the major blogging networks anymore (though I refer to Blogger for other needs). I have switched to the OnSugar network, which was created for fashion blogging. It has served me as a good blogging platform just as Blogger and WordPress would. I do have my complaints, but what site doesn’t have its pros and cons?

It’s up to you to check out these blogging networks to determine the best place for you and your ideas. It’s your blog!

By Josephine

About the author: My name is Josephine from Basic Expressions. I am 18 years old and from New York City. I love writing, reading, traveling, shopping, and the color pink. You can follow me on Twitter @basicexpression.

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8 fashion + interior decorating blogs to inspire you

admin — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 16:14:28 +0000

Given the similarities between the highly stylized worlds of fashion and home interiors, it’s not surprising that people interested in fashion are often intrigued by interior decorating, and vice versa. Here are some well-edited blogs that address both disciplines–with beautiful results:

Coco+Kelley

“Stunning interiors, brilliant fashion, inspired tabletops and original color palettes – always with a touch of glamour.”

Design Scene

“Your daily fashion, style and design update.”

sfgirlbybay

“Bohemian modern style from a San Francisco girl.”

Elements of Style

“A touchstone for readers all over the world in search of design inspiration, advice and a few laughs.”

Scandinavian Chic

“Scandinavian Chic will guide you through the Scandinavian jungle of interior design and fashion.”

This is Glamorous

“Conceived as a place of inspiration, the assemblage of decor and fashion images is an ode to feminine, French, and, yes, glamorous style.”

Carrie Leber PR

“We work with clients from the home furnishings, design, beauty, fashion, and retail industries, offering remarkable PR, branding, and event planning.”

ish and chi

“I’ll share things that inspire me, decorating ideas, fashion and my love of the circus. “

Who are your favorites? Anyone to add to the list?

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5 ways to increase your Twitter followers

admin — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 16:33:59 +0000

Most fashion and style bloggers are familiar with the online world and social media–after all, we’re posting our looks and our lives on the web on a regular basis. One way to complement your main blog is to use microblogging service Twitter, which offers an easy way to connect with online friends, network with people who have similar interests, broadcast to your audience, and keep up with events happening around the world–all in real time.

So how do you get people to actually follow you on Twitter?

The most important way is by engaging with other people and organizations using the service. If you’re new to the game or just want to increase the number of people following you, try a few of the following techniques:

1. Follow more people

This sounds simple, but when I first started using Twitter a few years ago, I just posted random stuff and wasn’t really following anyone. That’s not the point of the service. Making connections is a two-way street, so go forth and follow! Research shows that most people have a roughly equal number of follows and followers.

If you’re not sure who to follow, try these fashion lists:

You should also check out who other people are following–it takes a bit of time, but it’s a great way to find less well-known individuals who have a fun and interesting perspective.

2. Connect and respond

One of the great things about Twitter is the fact that two-way (and often three- and four-way) communication is so easy. If you see a tweet asking a question relevant to you, respond. Ask for help and give help when asked. Use Search.Twitter.com to find people talking about the subjects that interest you, and respond to them. Interaction is the most genuine, organic way to grow your following.

3. Be visible

Make sure your Twitter profile is part of your email address, your message board signature, on your business cards, linked to your Facebook, LinkedIn, and other social media accounts, and prominent on your blog’s homepage. Include your Twitter handle (ie @StyleSample) so people can immediately see what you’re called, and link it to your Twitter page so people can easily find and follow you.

Add yourself to Twitter directories so people who are interested in similar topics can find you. Try:

4. Re-tweet

Use Search.Twitter.com or an application like HootSuite to see which of your tweets are the most popular, and then re-tweet them at various times during the day. This increases the possibility that different people–and new people, see your best tweets. Those people will then either re-tweet those posts, or start to follow you.

and, last yet most important:

5. Create and post good content

Even though it’s limited to 140 characters, Twitter is still considered blogging. Do what you do to keep your long-form blog fresh–create and post interesting content. Share article links, retweet quality posts, ask insightful questions, and don’t be afraid to include a bit of humor!

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Quick tip: Cross process-Lomo photo effect

admin — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 12:00:08 +0000

If you’ve ever browsed photographic inspiration on sites like ffffound! and WeHeartIt, you’ve probably seen and admired pictures with the dramatic colors and contrast characteristic of cross processing and Lomography.

While you could achieve these effects using expensive photography equipment or by making multiple adjustments in Photoshop, there’s an easier way: Phixr. It’s free, it’s fast, and the results look pretty good!

Original photo

Upload your photo at Phixr.com. You don’t have to register–just click the green “Get started” arrow and start your upload from your computer or via a link to a photo online.

Once your photo is uploaded, select the Color Effects button, then choose Cross Process. Check the preview and adjust brightness, contrast and opacity as needed. Click Execute when it looks the way you want.

To add the Lomo effect, select Camera and Lens Effects from the left-hand menu, then choose Lomo effect. Adjust the intensity, saturation, brightness, and opacity until it looks the way you want, then click Execute.

How very Mad Men!

When you’re finished, just download your stylized picture et voila! Let us know if you try it!

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How to: Become a fashion magazine intern

admin — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 12:00:02 +0000

This is a guest post by Michelle Chai of Daisybutter. If you’d like to write a guest post for Style Sample, check out the guidelines and submit your idea.

“Oh, don’t be silly. Everyone wants this. Everyone wants to be ‘us’.”

With the lines between fashion and journalism becoming increasingly blurred in one of the fastest growing industries today, fashion internships have become the ‘job a million girls would kill for’. An internship is one of the only ways to get noticed at the moment–crucial to getting your foot in the door of the fashion world. Finding an internship can be a scary and daunting experience, and so many people are simply terrified of being in a Devil Wears Prada-esque situation.

My first interning experience was with more! magazine, a fast-growing, young women’s fashion weekly, and it was just as rewarding, hectic and exhausting as I had expected, if not more. There aren’t words to describe the whole experience as it really is something you have to try first-hand, but I learnt quickly about being independent, fast-thinking, organised and innovative in the industry.

Embrace every task with enthusiasm, even post collections and return duty; some interns that I worked with would outspokenly refuse to do these! Not cool. Although nothing is as glamorous as they make it look in movies, no two days are the same, and it is definitely not a typical 9-to-5 job. Everyone has to start somewhere, right?

Finding an Internship

Perfect your resume/CV.

Sending your CV online can be tricky. Convert it to PDF format so it can be easily read–many editors won’t bother struggling to open a CV when others are readily available. Put a sharp profile statement at the top under your personal details to catch the employer’s attention.

Prepare for initial disappointment.

Not every magazine or company you apply to will take you on. Many companies are booked up about six months in advance.

Be determined.

Think of ways that you stand out from all the hundreds of other people looking for the same thing as you. Write specific cover letters to each publication, perhaps congratulating them on features in recent issues.

Think outside the box.

So what if your dream career is to be Anna Wintour’s assistant? Think outside the box and apply to smaller publications, or even your local newspaper! Newspapers are an excellent way to gain experience, and you are much more likely to be taken out on a ‘job’ – perfect for your CV!

Address it to the right person.

Nothing puts off a potential employer like having emails addressed or spelled incorrectly. Take the time to check the magazine’s masthead (the page with all the names on!) and look for the appropriate recipient; if none is readily available, address your communication to the Managing Editor.

If you’re in the market for a fashion magazine internship, make sure you check out the following resources:

Have you ever interned at a fashion magazine? Share your experience!

By Michelle Chai

About the author: Michelle Chai is a university student and fashion blogger. When she’s not studying (ahem) for university assignments, she is constantly thinking of ways to style up a budget wardrobe and of course, blogging about the process. Visit Michelle online at Daisybutter.blogspot.com, and follow @winyeemichelle on Twitter.

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Blogger, WordPress, or Tumblr for your fashion blog?