Fashion Articles | News | and Trend your style - Cut-Away Swimwear / Bikinis

Taking their cues from the cutaway clothing trend, cutaway monokinis are the must have piece for 2010. Infrequently demure, this is the one bikini trend that isn't for the wall flower but can be styled to ooze both sex and sophistication without ever saying 'easy'.

1. Not as tightly fitting as other 'spray on' monokinis this season, Amanda Wakeley's white one-piece pairs a deep neck line with cut-away sides.
2. A two-piece with boob-tube, this bikini by Carmen Marc uses the cut-away trend with subtlety. All the same, these cutaway briefs are more than eye catching.
3. A monokini by Carmen Marc, this swimwear piece is equally as subtle as the aforementioned two-piece, but far more demure.
4. Similar to Amanda Wakeley's white one-piece (1) this screen-printed monokini is from Miss Sixty.
5. The most luxurious of the pieces featured, this almost-two-piece monokini from Gottex pairs a halter-neck top, joined briefs, and gold piping.
6. - 10. are all from the one catwalk which screamed sex, decadence, and youth; the one catwalk that really grabbed my eye at New York Fashion Week; Hervé Léger by Max Azria Spring/Summer 2009. With enough cut-away than you can possibly wear throughout Summer, these are knock-out pieces that you're not necessarily going to want to get wet.

A Shortcut to Financial News 2

It's been a stressful few weeks for US auto makers. Last week, they handed in their proposals to be reviewed by Congress. I'm not sure about the details, but it was along the lines of major cut backs, and the Ford CEO vowing to work for $1 a year if Ford had to take money from the government (they are currently only asking for a loan line for emergency). At the beginning of the week, the senate approved a bailout. On Thursday, it was blocked by opposing Republicans, who thinks that it will be better for the big 3 to pursue a prearranged bankruptcy instead and also because the Unions wouldn't back down from a wage cut (beggars really can't be choosers...). Supporters argue that no one wants to buy cars from a bankrupt car company, which is a very valid point (think of the warranty/repair issues!). On Friday, Bush had to step in vowing to save the automakers from collapsing, with the TARP money (which they originally didn't want to do). A lot is at stake. The automakers claim that 1 out of 10 jobs in the US is connected to the auto industry. That would be devastating to the already weak economy.

A very good example of this trickling effect, would be GMAC the auto financier, which just got approved to become a bank holding company last week. Unfortunately, becoming a bank holding company is not as easy as GS and MS makes it out to be and they're struggling to raise the capital needed to do so. They are trying to renegotiate with debt holders to swap the debt for a smaller amount of debt, cash and preferred shares. If this doesn't work then they are highly likely to go into bankruptcy.

The other big news this week was Bernie Madoff $50 billion fraud. This former chairman of the NASDAQ stock market and Wall Street legend, is allegedly the perpetrator of a $50 billion giant ponzi scheme. According to Wiki, a ponzie scheme is a fraudalent investment operation that pays abnormally high returns to investors using the money coming in from subsequent investors. Apparently lots of the super wealthy have been fooled by this scheme. It is amazing how much you can get away with, with a good reputation and an affable character!

It appears though that the markets is already immune to these scandals, because the markets ended (by a tiny bit) up this week!

A Shortcut to Financial News

After MUCH drama, the fall of the auto industry in the US has finally been avoided- at least temporarily anyway. In the end, Bush signed over $17.4 to Chrysler and GM on Friday in return for non voting warrants and more oversight on executive pay etc. In the end, they made a full circle and the money will be coming from the TARP fund, which brings up the really intriguing question of whether the government has opened the pandora box and now other industries will be lining up to get a share of the rest of the TARP fund. Paulson has already asked Congress to release the rest of the $350 billion TARP fund early, when just a few days ago he said that it will not be necessary. Just when we thought we figured out how the TARP is going to work, they change their minds. This does not bode well for the government, because it makes them look like they have no idea what they're doing. Maybe they don't! On the other hand, the wider purpose of TARP is to support the financial market stability, and I daresay, it will probably not be very stable if the auto industry went bankrupt!

On the sidelines, the Madoff scandal continues to unfold, revealing many influential individuals exposed to this fraud. The S&P cut the rating of 11 US and EU banks, including Bank of America, Barclays Bank, Citibank, Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase Bank, Morgan Stanley, Royal Bank of Scotland, UBS and Wells Fargo Bank. I guess if ratings must be cut, at least there is safety in numbers. What are you going to do when everyone goes down?

Outside of the States, it looks like the land of chocolate and waffles is not doing very well. Belgium's attempt to bailout Fortis got frozen as Prime Minister Yves Leterme tendered his resignation after having reportedly politically meddling to sway a court ruling. Apparently this is the third time their government collapsed. I had no idea.

On a Final Note

As some of you may have noticed, we haven’t been blogging much lately.

We started blogging back in 2004, when we began college. We wanted a simple girly website where we can share our thoughts on fashion with other fashion lovers. We finally settled on blogspot, because we were both technically challenged and it was easy. It was really exciting at first. We religiously stalked our blog and our heart would skip a beat whenever we get a comment. It gave us a warm and fuzzy feeling each time.

We just graduated last summer and since then, we’ve been struggling to carry our blog into the ‘real world’ with us. When you’re a student, you’re surrounded by inspirations and you have all the time in the world to take it in and read up on the latest styles and celebrity trends. In the real world, you get so caught up with life that you barely have time to stop and admire your surroundings and be inspired and excited by it. Now don’t get us wrong, we still love to drool over gorgeous dresses and new bags and debate over the merits of the latest trends- just not as often anymore. Blogging started to become a chore instead of something we loved doing. That was when we knew that it was time to move on, even though it took us a few months of thinking and debating with ourselves and each other to realize it, and another few months overcoming self denial to act on it. It’s not easy to give up something we’ve been doing for the last four years, knowing that once we stop, there is no going back.

A little over 4 years ago, we had no idea what blogs were, and we certainly didn’t know fashion blogs will become such a big phenomenon. We didn’t really know where we were heading when we started I am Fashion, but it became something we loved. We considered taking I am Fashion further, developing it into something bigger as so many other fashion blogs have done. But alas, as hard as we racked our brains, we couldn’t come up with a vision of where it can go. And so, we've decided that it was time to make a graceful exit and let I am Fashion go.

We’d like to thank all the readers who have stuck with us throughout the last four years. It was your comments, emails and continued presence that have kept us going for so long. We’d also like to thank our guest blogger E, who has helped us immensely in the last few months through this difficult transition period. It’s been an unexpectedly rewarding experience, which will always have a special place in our hearts.

Find us at our NEW BLOGs:

Tea with BG -http://teawithbg.com/

BG’s new personal blog, where she will continue to explore fashion, with a sprinkle of finance, travel, dining and other random musings on life.

Coffee with HG -http://www.lifestyleasia.com/coffeewithhg

HG’s new fashion blog, where she will blog about fashion, beauty and all girly things. And yes, she will continue to self-debate endlessly on whether to buy something as affordable as a pair of Zara shoes, or something as wallet-breaking as a Balenciaga bag. 

XOXO

BG and HG

Taking Over the Catwalk: Plus Size Model

Thin, gaunt and vertically endowed models no longer have the whole runway to themselves. Today, plus-size, thick, and horizontally endowed models are also strutting their catwalks fiercely. The birth of the plus-size industry actually marks the return of idea of Classical beauty, where being voluptuous and full is attractive.

A plus-size model wears apparels that are larger than size 8, which is the standard size in the US. She models big-size clothing for women customers locally or internationally. As the modeling industry responds to how the garment industry moves, the area of plus-size modeling has grown around the world due to increasing demand for plus-size clothing. In fact, modeling agencies have become active on scouting potential Plus Size Model.

The comeback of this idea was propelled by the increasing number of women who demand plus-size clothing. This demand, in turn, also affected the modeling industry with the creation of a division for plus-size models. These models wear garments larger than the standard size 8 in America.

As you can notice in advertisements, promotions, and even in TV shows, this concept developed and became very much accepted primarily in North America. As people are diverse and media are influential, this area has also grown and expanded internationally. Fashion and garments experts regard this industry as a potentially high-earning across many countries. Modeling agencies, reality TV shows, and projects have all opened their doors on large women models.

Many magazines and advertising campaigns show plus-size models as women who represent the return of the voluptuous, Classical ideal of what beauty is, shown in the old sculptures like the Venus de Medici and the Winged Victory of Samothrace. This is the type of beauty that was popular in the West until the 20th century.

Though their bust-hip-waist ratios differ, there is not much difference when it comes to what a plus-size and a normal model does. Both have photo shoots for magazines, runway shows and also live TV campaigns. Plus-size models, however, also participate in or stimulate talks and forums about overly thin and sometimes anorexic or bulimic models in the modeling industry. Body image and self-esteem issues are also addressed.


By Jimmy carter