CHANEL, VERSACE, DOLCE & GABBANA, VUITTON, GUCCI, DIOR, FENDI, PRADA, COACH, MARC JACOBS et al
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As the holiday shopping season kicks into high gear, these are the brand-name clothing and fashion accessories that women will expect. But with the average cost of these items ranging from hundreds to thousands of dollars, how can the average woman afford these at all?

Add to the mix the celebrity endorsements. Paris Hilton wears CHANEL sunglasses, Jessica Simpson totes a VUITTON Speedy bag, Jennifer Lopez wears a DOLCE & GABBANA dress. “What’s Jennifer Aniston got on?” “Oooh what’s Madonna wearing?” Stars don’t have to worry about scrimping and saving to buy high-priced designer items; in most cases they don’t even have to pay anything, the companies freely give them the merchandise. Designers know that just having their products displayed by pop icons translates into millions of dollars in increased sales.

The celebrities are having a fashion party to which the average working woman is not invited.

So what is a woman of modest means to do?

Enter the knock-off. The fashion industry has created a need that the replica industry fulfills, designer clothing and accessories within the reach of the middle class budget.

By pricing their wares in the stratosphere, designers are essentially causing the knock-off market to thrive. Women see these must have fashion accessories in magazines like VOGUE and ELLE and want them. But when a handbag costs what the average middle class woman makes in a year, what choice does she have? She can’t afford the real thing so she buys a copy, much the same way that an art lover who desires a Picasso will hang a lithograph on his wall.

Each day on Canal Street in New York City, tour buses deliver scores of consumers who descend like vultures upon the rows of merchants who sell designer look-alikes. At the behest of the above mentioned designer corporations, the NYPD is constantly shutting down sellers and confiscating their merchandise, forcing these vendors underground as they try to keep up with the insatiable demand for replicas. Commenting on the public’s maniacal desire to own designer accessories, Tommy Y. a 20 something vendor sagely notes “We make them famous, and then they arrest us.”

The real irony comes when the fashion giant out sources the manufacture of their product to the very same company in China that is producing the copies. If the item is made by the same factory, how does one apply the “genuine” rule? Genuine as in “sanctioned by the manufacturer”?

A great deal of the blame must be placed squarely on the shoulders of the designers themselves. How can they justify such outrageous prices? VUITTON has a leather coin purse that sells for $275! MARC JACOBS has a $9,995 tote bag! HERMES’ bags start at $5,000 and rise steadily from there. CHANEL sunglasses average $300 per pair, non-prescription! Regardless of how loudly these companies cry foul, and hide behind trademark infringement laws, it’s all too obvious that they are greedily profiting from their media generated envy.

Gregory Lions is a former financial analyst for Dun & Bradstreet Inc. He is currently the CEO of BUYHEREBUYNOW.COM http://buyherebuynow.com

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Catherine Aitken a kind of time-honored traditional classic of fabrics which are an evocative of an old-fashioned Scottish childhood.

Catherine Aitken’s handbags are made using the softest mohair, coarse and smooth harris tweeds and an array point admired at vintage Scottish fabrics. Catherine Aitkens fabrics are clearly reflected in her debut collection which is the designer’s love of Scottish images like Highland Cows and romantic castles. Catherine Aitkens handbags are then crafted in beautiful designs that bring a trendy fashion edge to the traditional fabrics. The handbags are all limited edition, and on some occasions, one-off creations - and apart from image handbags in the Bliss range, no more than 10 of each handbag is produced. This means the Catherine Aitken Scotland collection is constantly changing and there is no mass production.

However Vogue these bags are stalwart in structure, Catherine Aitken handbags are also soft and tactile. Catherine Aikens handbags look and feel as good inside as out, usually lined with vibrantly colored silk or the softest moleskin, and often modest exotic trims are added to the pockets. 　Each comes with an aromatic pocket of Scottish lavender tucked inside; Catherine Aitkens handbags are delightfully fragrant too. It’s all about texture and touch, lavishness and chic. www.catherineaitken.com delivers to anywhere in the world - an original collection that combines conventional tradition with VOGUE.

A delightfully，charmingly handbag that any hipster would want on her shoulder. These hip handbags sophisticates and screams VOGUE

Senior Chief Editor For She Unlimited Magazine
Marie V.K.O.
M.W.J.B.

Marie V.K.O. is Editor-in-Chief for She Unlimited Magazine. http://www.sheunlimited.com and heads up the community at http://www.sheunlimited.com/forums.

Marie V.K.O. is committed to making a difference. Making a difference in the Women sectors online, media and print.

Marie believes that individual style is a form of self-expression. Marie knows the trends and where to find them. Her expertise and knowledge give consumers everywhere the insight they need to get the latest styles and products that fit everyone and every budget, both online and off.

For More information or how to become and editor for She Unlimited Magazine please e-mail: admin@sheunlimited.com

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For those who want to be on top of this fall and winter’s fashion trend, you should definitely familiarize yourself with the following three fashion movements. They are the Victorian Charm, Sophisticated Classic, and Military Style. They’re also our main focus for the upcoming seasons. These trendy fashions have been previewed on the runways of Milan, London, Paris and New York City by some of the most famous and popular designers of our generation.

Sophisticated Classic

The gratuitous use of velvet and suede, two of the most elegant and stylish materials created, gives the Sophisticated Classic collection its charm. These materials are particularly popular on coats and business suits. Dark purple and dark blue are the prevailing colors of choice by clothing designers who use them to set a classy and romantic tone. To add a more dazzling attitude, designers like John Galliano include a touch of bright yellow in his dark blue collections. This intense color contrast creates a fabulous and stunning effect. A brightly colored handbag can also give you the same alluring effect throughout the fall and winter. In addition, lime green, remains a very popular color for the upcoming seasons and can be the perfect accent accessory.

Victorian Charm

Lace, the focal point of in this design, is widely used by many popular designers. For the “Victorian Charm” effect, silk floral laces are used in abundance to embellish the neckband and the sleeve cuff on for dresses and blouses. Mixing and matching is the key to wearing laces. In this season, designers will match lace blouses and dresses with cowboy jackets, military coats, leather caps and jeans. Mixing and matching adds a playful and casual touch and it also preserves the glamour of the Victorian era.

Military Style

Although the military style was already popular on last fall season, it is still a big hit this coming fall. However, designers this year are trying even harder to reduce the cold military feeling. For example, in Burberry Prorsum collections, you see military style coats that come with simple metal buckles and smaller collars. You will find this fall season’s military style collections are more feminine than those you saw last year. One thing to notice, buckle on jeans seems to be a big hit in the world of fashion this fall.

Gabrielle Chan, founder of UpTown Bella, is the woman responsible for the new line of chic and sassy laptop bags that has been a hit among career women.

Be sure to check out Bella’s Corner for practical style and beauty tips to look attractive at and off work

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