Stop (Trouser) Press: Parisian Women Can Now Legally Wear Trousers

Here in Britain, we're used to some barmy antiquated laws, from the one where you can kill a Scotsman in York with a bow and arrow to the one about slapping people seen willfully wearing Crocs (okay, so I made that last one up, but it should be enforced). But the Parisians have just outdone us with their 200-year-old piece of legislation, stating that women should not be permitted to wear trousers. 

 Jane Avril, as depicted by Toulouse-Lautrec, secretly wishing she was wearing jeans.

When the law was enforced in 1800 it was designed to limit the number of professions that a woman could take on, but it became more and more outdated as bikes soon proved popular and then women had to take on men's jobs during World War I. However, without it being officially overturned, there was theoretically nothing stopping a police officer from arresting and detaining a woman just for wearing trousers - until today. 

Strangely enough, it was a conservative politician from France's UMP party who applied for the law to be revoked; it was then championed today by the Minister for Women's Rights, Najat Vallaud-Belkacem. She pointed out that the old-fashioned law didn't fit with the constitution and equal rights principles, so it was thankfully ditched in favour of common sense. 

Vive le pantalon (think I've got that one right - because it's singular in French, like when you read about 'a great pant' in fashion magazines) and here's to some serious trouser displays at Paris Fashion Week later this month.

How to Approach Fashion Bloggers: An Outreach Guide for PRs

 You need to stand out against the competition and be unique.

[Image my own, taken at London Fashion Week S/S13].

'Tis the season to be bombarded by PRs and marketing departments... yes, Christmas is upon us and many agencies and companies are approaching bloggers and needing their press release to be noticed. I've sat in both camps, PR/outreach and blogger, and I can safely say that it's easy to forget what it's like to be at the receiving end of your emails when you've spent ages working on a campaign and you have a never-ending list of people to contact. I totally get it. With this in mind, I've put together a few tips to make it a bit less stressful as you make your way through that blog list, and hopefully help you to achieve great results. 

1. DO make it personal

One of the laziest things you can do is to email without finding out the name of the blogger. Presumably you spent a few milliseconds/seconds/minutes looking at their posts, so it shouldn't take long to figure out their name, unless they deliberately prefer to remain anonymous. Simply writing: 'Hi, I love your great blog!' means you might as well admit that you're copying and pasting the same template email over and over again, and it doesn't matter how many kisses you put at the end to soften the impact (preferably none). Which blog do you love? Who has a bloody clue?! If you really loved their writing or photography so much then spend an extra two seconds referencing the post that caught your attention.

Most importantly, remember how annoying it is to receive post through your letterbox that's addressed to 'The Homeowner', because that's what you're effectively sending to the blogger. It's even worse if you don't even put any kind of greeting on the email at all, because that is being rude as well as being spam.

2. DON'T make us watch the party without an invite

Some PRs have an unusual strategy which is to prey on the Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) culture by sending bloggers images of press launches that they were not invited to. Perhaps the target audience will be so impressed by the sheer coolness of the fashion party that they were not cool enough to attend that they will be spurred on to create a brilliant blog post about the ones who were invited? The more likely option is that they will just stare in bemusement at the sheer audacity of the PR. 

Let's put it in a scenario: the most popular girl in your school hosts a party but doesn't invite you, then asks you to help distribute her photos from the night, as you might just be lusting over what some of her chosen few guests were wearing. Madness. The difference between these events and the ones that we willingly write about without the chance of an invite (such as the Met Ball in New York) is that I know the organisers of the Met Ball are not trying to squeeze me for publicity; I can look from afar and admire, without having my face rubbed in it that I'm at home in my pyjamas. I knew I wouldn't be walking the red carpet in New York but I was happy to go along for the ride.

3. DO make sure your product is right for the blog

The scatter-gun approach of targeting contacts may get you points for enthusiasm but it doesn't get you anywhere in the long run. If you're flogging anything and everything then don't send out a press release that covers your extensive range of gifts for babies and husbands unless your bloggers write about families and marriage. Seriously, I don't care how bespoke your Christmas presents are, I cannot feasibly write about them unless I become pregnant or engaged overnight which, let's face it, would be highly unlikely on both counts (though that would be a show-stopping blog post). 

Doing that little bit of research can save you a wasted email and will allow you to stop getting distracted with the pursuit of easy targets when you should be focusing on building quality relationships with interested bloggers who you can work with again in the future. And remember, you can be more specific with your target audience, so don't aim at a die-hard vintage blogger if your client's product is brand new and smells slightly of plastic. It's okay to be picky in order to cut out all those irrelevant pitches, because you're unlikely to get a great uptake rate if you're barking up the wrong tree in the style stakes.

4. DON'T forget the geography

It's an obvious one, but you'd be surprised how many emails I receive that are geographically irrelevant to me, bearing in mind that I don't make a secret of the fact that I'm based near London. New York Fashion Week looks fantastic and I'd love to go, but inviting me with a week's notice means that there's no way I can scrape together the money for a hotel, let alone a flight, much as I'd like to accept the invitation. Closer to home, I've been invited to events on the other side of London at short notice - presumably as a last resort, I'm under no illusions here - which are basically impossible for me to get to without arriving as the last revellers are heading home. I know a lot of my peers are in the same position, wondering why they've been asked to go to a city that is hundreds of miles away without much warning, and it is much more common in the travel industry where I work, but then that comes with the territory as travel is now full of adaptable digital nomads. Fashion? We're a bit more settled.

By all means ask someone on the off-chance if they can attend your event, as you never know when people might be travelling, but be honest and admit if you know it will be out of their way ("Paris to Edinburgh? Yeah, should be a doddle. Dunno why she's making a fuss."). All it takes is a quick look at their author bio or their Twitter feed to see where they're based and then you can work out if they should be able to attend without setting out on a two-day trek to reach you.

I honestly hope these tips help to reduce some of the mad panic surrounding this time of year for those of you in PR and outreach. If you want to share your own tips or insight then get in touch, as I'd love to hear your suggestions.

Fashion Blogger Photography in Shops - What are the Rules?

Yesterday I was up in London for some family time and managed to squeeze in a bit of shopping (well, ok, I deliberately scheduled some in). Was happily browsing through the rails of H&M in Oxford Circus and managed to find a totally amazing collection hidden downstairs in the main womenswear section. Of course, I automatically reached for my camera, as there was no way I was going to miss the opportunity to document this - the range was basically a mash-up of fetish and sportswear, which somehow worked brilliantly. I was lusting after most of the items and was merrily snapping away, when a slightly blunt shop assistant interjected with, "Excuse me, NO PHOTOS,". Naturally I stopped and apologised, but then I thought about the situation afterwards and couldn't work out why it was such a negative thing for a mainstream high street fashion brand not to have people talking about them on a grass-roots level. I didn't want to hassle the assistant by asking specifically why I couldn't take more photos (okay, she scared me), so I've worked through a few thoughts around her comment, and why I don't agree with the no photos policy.

1. Fear of Copyright Infringement - "What if that woman steals our designs?"

This is a valid question, really. Brands are always going to be afraid of copycats and people who will rip off their products at a cut rate - I get that. What I don't understand is why a massive fashion chain that can afford to sell at brilliant prices would ever think that a lowly average Joe could compete with them? How could I produce a top for £7.99 with such a quick turnaround and a certain standard of sewing? What's more, if I was a fashion design student, why would I want to reference a high street store and not a legendary designer or fashion house? It's also slightly futile for H&M to be worried about copies of their designs when they already base large amounts of their collections on Couture and Ready-to-Wear pieces from Fashion Weeks around the world. They do not pay the designers that they have imitated, or acknowledge the link between the original and the H&M version. How exactly could they challenge me morally, even if I was planning on churning out copies of their clothing?

2. The H&M Website Has Hardly Any Stock

One of the reasons why I was so desperate to get out my camera was that there is too much disparity between the range of clothing on offer in stores and online. The website always seems to have a pitifully small selection of items and it's very rare for me to find one that I liked in store and can share with my friends via the internet. Basically I want to have a record of the pieces I covet if I can't afford them, so that I can start saving now, or send an image to my friends asking for their opinions. If I am not allowed to take photos then I will just have to end up mumbling vaguely about 'that top with the peplum thing and the sort of weird sleeves'. If the brand took a leaf out of its sister company COS' book, it would constantly update the site with lookbook images, visual inspiration and examples of as many key styles as possible. It's really not that hard to give your customers what they want.

3. Social Sharing Benefits the Brand

If I did want to rave about a particular object from the collection then I don't see how that can be a negative thing. What's more, being a fashion blogger, I am essentially giving H&M free publicity by telling everyone to go and buy into their new line, without any inkling of corporate sponsorship (rest assured, if I was paid by a brand to publicise something, you'd know). H&M must get this kind of thing all the time, especially in the Oxford Circus store, as it's a stone's throw away from the main campus of the London College of Fashion, my alma mater. I find it hard to believe that they would consistently discourage bloggers or members of the public who love fashion from taking photos. It's not like I was messing around in a silly hat with a group of mates - I was genuinely excited about this collection and I wanted to spread the word. What's more, not all of the pieces were suitable for my body shape, so I never could have bought them, but I was still keen to show people how great they were.

4. If I'd Had a Sketchbook I'd Be a Bloody Nuisance

Let's say I didn't use my camera. Instead I produced my trusty sketchbook and pens and proceeded to set up camp in the middle of an aisle to draw a certain dress in detail. Arguably this would be more disruptive to the running of the store (blocking everyone else from getting to the stock) and it could be quite messy - let's say my artist's permanent marker pen falls onto a top or a pair of shoes. Product ruined. In this situation, a quick photo is surely the better option.

Basically I've felt a bit flat after yesterday's trip to H&M, but I do have some nice photos of the collection which I would like to share with you, unless another shop assistant would like to accost me. Stay tuned for the images, and let me know if you have any thoughts on the issue.

Workwear Dilemma: There is no dress code!

Today I started my new job (though obviously won't be discussing the company, as this is my personal blog, and I always think it's important to keep my professional life separate). The people seem nice, the desk is wonderfully shiny, but I am utterly baffled by the sartorial side of things. Why? Because there are no regulations on dress code. Although we deal with the public, this involves using the internet and social media rather than face-to-face encounters, so most of the staff have decided that they'd rather opt for something a little more casual than your standard 'career woman/man' look.

Obviously comfort is a key factor, and it should take precedence over style if you really want to be relaxed, but I find that there's something psychologically positive about making an effort before you head to the office. You just feel official and organised in knee high boots; you always get a buzz from applying red lipstick. You feel like someone with a vocation, rather than just a role. I didn't quite understand how some of the team members could stroll in with hoodies, 'cosy' shoes and jeans, but clearly it's not affecting their performance so they must be doing something right, and maybe I am too preoccupied with stereotypical ideas about employment and regulations.

The question is: will I be sloping into work in six weeks' time in my pyjamas, having been a little too inspired by the lack of regulations? And will anyone be able to criticise it? I'll let you know, should it come to that. In the mean time, I'm still enjoying the composition of an outfit and I've got about half a wardrobe full of 'smart' clothes that need to get an airing, so I'll stick with making an effort, thanks.

The Battle for SS13 Fashion Week - Clashing Schedules and Ignored Letters

[Image via Google, not attributed to any photographer].

You may have heard about the rumblings of discontent surrounding next September's Fashion Week, where the Spring/Summer 2013 collections will be shown, as there are due to be significant clashes between the core four cities of London, Milan, New York and Paris. In case you've got a little lost on the current situation, here's how things are looking at the moment.

The difficulties have arisen due to Milan and Paris going against a pre-arranged schedule that has served the industry since 2008, which means that people attending the shows and meeting designers will now be left torn between which country to pick. Irritatingly, Milan will now run parallel to two days of New York and a staggering four days of London (that's pretty big, considering the entire length of LFW is five days for womenswear and one for menswear). We're looking at a schedule which shapes up to be as follows:

New York (Mercedes Benz) Fashion Week, organised by the Council of Fashion Designers of America: 13th September
Milan Fashion Week, organised by rhe Camera Nazionale della Moda: 19th September
London Fashion Week, organised by the British Fashion Council: 21st September
Paris Fashion Week, organised by the Chambre Syndicale: 25th September.

In light of the situation, Diane von Furstenberg (a.k.a President of the CFDA) and Harold Tillman (Chairman of the BFC) wrote a polite but firm letter to the other bigwigs, the Camera Nazionale della Moda of Milan and the Chambre Syndicale of Paris, reminding them that everything has gone swimmingly before, so if it ain't broke then don't try and fix it. Their argument was that the pre-existing agreement worked well, giving every fashion capital 'its own slot whist respecting each of the other's places on the calendar', and they claimed that the CNM was wrong to assume that those dates would only be used for three years. Furthermore, to jeopardise the success of each other's Fashion Weeks undermines 'the delicate balance that has worked so effectively' and that they need to think about 'the greater good of the industry'. It's a very persuasive and sensible statement, and one which focuses on the fairness and compromise that all of the cities had to make in order to develop a schedule which worked for everyone.

So what was the verdict from the CNM and the CS? Well, the head of Milan's CNM petulantly replied, 'Let the best one win,' which hardly helped matters. Paris has been less intrusive to the scheduling and less vocal, whereas Milan has continued to stand firm with its decision of double overlapping. British Vogue editor Alexandra Shulman was interviewed about the fiasco and staunchly defended London Fashion Week for being 'one of the biggest fashion capitals in the world' and suggested that many would prefer to see the shows here over a trip to Italy. Meanwhile the Telegraph newspaper pointed out the difficult logistics for designers such as Christopher Kane, who has his own brand of clothing at LFW and an ever-popular show in Milan with his Versus line for Versace. He must be tearing his hair out at the thought of even more stress during an already tense part of the year as a key industry player.

I think the real problem lies in Milan's bullishness regarding the whole situation. There seems to be no room for compromise, which is strange considering their 2008 agreement with the other cities did last three whole years. I don't understand why it is so important for them to choose the week of the 19th, and why they want to jeopardise the potential of their homegrown talent. If buyers and journalists are forced to choose, there will always be losers, and they will be the designers, who have invested so much time, creativity and money into the shows. Strangely the CNM has stated that all levels in the designer hierarchy 'unanimously agreed on the schedule', which shows 'Italian pride' - is that pride really worth the anger of the three other giants in the fashion calendar? I'm sure that, were the clash of dates to mean that Milanese fashion brands failed due to lack of interest, they would not be so keen to boast of Italian pride. The industry needs to remember that co-operation and compromise are not dirty words, and there can be a way of keeping everyone happy without all of this mess.

UPDATE:

In mid-January it emerged that London and New York were the ones to back down. The new schedule looks like this:

New York (Mercedes Benz) Fashion Week: 6th - 13th September 2012.

London Fashion Week: 14th - 18th September 2012 (though from June 2012 there will be a separate Menswear event, as opposed to just one day, so we can expect this to follow suit for the S/S 2013 season as well).

Milan Fashion Week: 18th - 25th September 2012.

Paris Fashion Week: 25th September - 2nd October 2012.

Personally, although I'm annoyed that New York and London had to be the ones to back down, I am now not-so-secretly thrilled that my friend's wedding no longer clashes with Fashion Week here in the UK, so I didn't spend the entire wedding reception checking Twitter for updates and wondering if I could sneakily blog from my phone. Yes, fashion news addiction is a powerful and drug-like thing...

COS and classic British school uniforms

COS (the sister brand of H&M) is now available to buy online, which has excited me but not my bank balance. In fact, the bank staff are probably rubbing their hands with glee at the thought of my over-spending, so I'm trying to just window shop at the moment (if you want to have a look, it's www.cosstores.com/Store). The simplicity of the garments really struck me, but I also found a strong similarity between the tailoring of a certain dress and belt and the uniform of a private school, Christ's Hospital, near my home town. The belt from COS, seen above, is about £9, and uses the same lurid mustard as the Christ's Hospital socks, although they prefer their belts in tan. The fastening is similar to the gold buttons that Christ's Hospital pupils have on their trademark coats.

Here's the COS dress in all its glory. With a simple cut, slightly A-line, it's wearable and forgiving. The zip detail on the waist is much like a belt, in that it draws the eye to the centre of the figure. Retailing at over £100, it's not an impulse buy, but it's certainly bound to last you a long time.

The Christ's Hospital uniform, seen above (taken from the Independent online), gave the rise to its nickname, The Bluecoat School, as the coats were dark wool and much bluer in origin. Now in a sleek black, they are loved and loathed by its pupils - great for covering up in winter, but not so useful in a heatwave. It's a lot more traditional than most British school uniforms, and I'd never really thought of it as trendsetting until now, but it fits in nicely with AW/11-12's key trends of minimalism, mustard, heritage and classic tailoring. It seems that we could all learn something more from school, then.

Even seaside caffs have dress codes

[Image my own. Please ask permission before reproducing].

I know that this sign is probably addressing the practicalities of walking around in a soggy piece of neoprene, but I'd prefer to think that it's just an irate and sartorially stubborn cafe owner who finds wetsuits distasteful. (I don't have anything against them myself - have outgrown my old one, though, so it would be pretty shocking if I squeezed into it and attempted a cake-related cafe trip).