Une Boutique Très Chic

Scares Me!

Kate Moss looking tres chic and very French in the new Longchamp advertisements

Primark is a clothing store that originates from Ireland, but now primarily operates in the United Kingdom. There are roughly 125 stores in the UK employing nearly 26,000 people (it is easily comparable to Target in the USA). UK consumers are now demanding what is known as ’fast fashion’. In other words, once luxury designers have runway shows, consumers expect the lower cost high street shops to stock similar mock items. Stores such has H&M, Topshop, and Primark (to name a few) are in a race with each other to get the items made and delivered to the stores for immediate purchase by consumers.

Last night the BBC had a program called Primark: On The Rack. Recently there have been major concerns and criticism against the company in regards to its supply chain in India. This BBC program was aired yesterday to expose Primark and tell the public the truth about who is actually supplying the company’s clothing. It is important to note that in every Primark store there are signs throughout stating that all of the clothing is creating using completely ethical and fair trade/labor practices.

Undercover reporters found that there was unethical labor and child labor practices in three of Primark’s subcontracted factories in India. Not just that, in the slums of India, outside the factories children were hand sewing clothing in unsightly working conditions such has in streets, basements and kitchens of homes. The footage was very disturbing and the BBC let Primark know about their findings in which Primark’s response was “Under no circumstances would Primark ever knowingly permit such activities”. Primark has since claimed to have halted business with those suppliers.

Here is the video of last nights program:

Hello Lover! Welcome to Carrie’s old apartment. A one bedroom apartment in the Upper East Side. Considering that the majority of New York lives in apartments the size of tiny shoe boxes this one is not that bad, and fairly believable. What I love about this apartment is that its style in no way, shape, or form represents her fashion style. It is quite the opposite of how you would expect her to decorate it. I love the old vintage feel of the space. The designers of the set said they bought items that you would find at a flea market.

Carrie obviously has plenty of ‘things’ around her apartment: books, magazines, candles, vases, small tables and chairs, and other trinkets.

The designers purposely created cracks and faults in the structure of the apartment to make it more realistic!

The kitchen she never used painted in the color ‘Eggshell’

pictures: hbo.com

AND THE NEW! The color is beautiful.

There are many movies that have influenced me in regards to my style. As I have said before, I was obviously born in the wrong decade because most of my favorite movies and styles came out of the 1950s and 1960s. Actually, I couldn’t have been born in a more dreadful decade as far as style goes, the 80s.  I don’t care what anyone says either: shoulder pads, acid-stone washed jeans, teased hair, fish net stockings (and the list can go on) are all wrong and not by any means fabulous. The only good fashion trend then was leggings, which thank goodness they made a comeback because they are very comfortable, but even in the 80s they were wore completely wrong…Shoulda, Woulda, Coulda I guess!

Anyway, here are some of my favorite fashionable movies.

Breakfast at Tiffany’s  1961

And God Created Women (1956)

To Catch a Thief (1955)

Belle Du Jour (1967)

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)

More to come…!