1. Decide what you want to do and pursue! – It’s sometimes easier said then done, but this is a key starting point. Design, visual merchandising and buying are completely different after all. Decide what you feel most enthusiastic about and where your skills and personality lie. For instance it will be tough to get into fashion design without a good BA in womenswear, print, menswear, knit, textiles etc. Without excellent drawing and other technical skills, you might struggle to get into a design department, so essential to know where your skills lie.

2. Gain experience early on – As today’s job market is so competitive gaining experience through internships is now the most regular route for those pursuing a career in fashion. There are so many fashion students graduating each year and there are only so many jobs. However, starting internships early during your studies can help you establish good relationships and connections.

3. Quality not quantity – It’s important to bear in mind that quality of experience counts for much more than quantity. Ask yourself whether the companies that you want to intern with are going to teach you skills that are relevant to your future career goals? Make a ‘target list’ of companies you think your style would suit, and ones that you think would be right fit for you. That way you will be more of an asset to them, and you’ll have much more chance of landing a job at the end of it.

4. Research, research, research – Before you apply for placements, try to find out as much as you can about the culture of the company – whether it’s asking people who already work there, suppliers, manufacturers, looking at blogs and customer comments.

5. Think outside the box – Often a lot of students/graduates look for internships with well-known companies that often don’t pay. On the other hand there are a host of small boutiques and independent designers who are looking for help, and this can be an amazing starting point as you are given more responsibility and ultimately gain more hands-on experience. The ideal would be to find a company that sits somewhere between the two.

6. Networking – At the beginning of your career it is important to be able to communicate well and not be shy in approaching businesses or contacts to start the networking process. Fashion is a very social industry and as well as studying it, getting out there and making yourself known and seen by the people can count. Join networking sites such as Linked in, Fashion Industry Network, Fashion United just to name a few. Remember that not all graduate design roles will be advertised, as most companies are looking to save money on advertising and recruitment. Therefore, lots of employers will consider utilizing their own contacts and direct applications. Apply to some fashion recruitment agencies. There are over 20 in the UK alone. Not all of them take on graduates, but try them all anyway.

7. Create a portfolio – A good portfolio that shows an understanding of the job you are applying for is key. Join as many portfolio sites as you can to get your work seen. Good ones are Artsthread, Coroflot, and StylePortfolios.

8. Perseverance – It is a hugely competitive market place out there, but those that are truly passionate about fashion should not be deterred to follow their dream career. You definitely need to be resilient though. For example, if you want to work in design, but lack certain skills and a relevant degree, you could try for a position as PA (secretary) to senior designer or creative director, or in the fabric & accessories research/buying department, or collection management office. Any foot in the door is better than none. Retail is another good avenue to get into the industry, and is a great way to work you way up from the bottom, especially if you want to go pursue a career in buying. If you feel that you lack the qualifications that should not necessarily mean giving up!

9. Best of the pack – It’s important to separate yourself from the pack. What are you strengths? What have you achieved? Be sure to know your strengths and how to vent your passion for the industry. Enter competitions, or take on any opportunities; be it dressing backstage at a fashion show, helping organise events, or helping out smaller companies a few days a week. Employers will see all of this as an enthusiasm for your chosen career and a determination to pursue it, as well as boosting your CV to stand out against your competitors.

This was a guest blog brought to you by the UK job search engine Adzuna.

Written by Binita – Birmingham University

Going out, getting dressed up, maybe even anticipating a night of passion? Either way, good lingerie is essential for comfort, enhancing ones assets, or just being suitable with a certain dress or outfit. All good dresses can be made or ruined with the wrong bra; we all shudder at the pictures on facebook of straps hanging out of a bandeau dress, or the backless dress with a huge strap across the middle of it.

Fear not!

Lingerie has so many varieties, styles and colours – not like the old days! There are numerous websites and stores that specialise in lingerie; those that are for kinkier motives (Ann Summers) and even those for bigger busted women who need larger sizes (Bravissmo) but for everyday use, lingerie can be found in most high street stores at prices that don’t break the bank (Matalan for example).

High Waisted Control Brief in Black £6 Matalan

It isn’t just bras that have advanced, with variations such a plunge, push up, enhancing, or just your standard t-shirt bra – but knickers and thongs have also surpassed the imaginations of even the most wide-eyed teenage boys! There is no excuse for bulging bellies in what I like to call the ‘Bridget Jones pants’; yet even these have advanced from the ugly ones that she portrayed, to ones such as this tummy control brief from Matalan – no excuse to avoid the bandeau dresses, ladies!

My advice is buy what is comfortable and also looks good with everyday clothing. Every girl should have a good strapless, t-shirt and “going out” bra… and it’s up to you whether you want to buy something for the bedroom too….

A big contender for hottest fashion item of the year is once again, the maxi dress. Versatile, elegant, chic – a must-have for your wardrobe. Who says you can’t look stylish whilst away traveling? Stow one of these away in your suitcase for ultimate summer time chic. Team it with a cute pair of summery strappy sandals for a great look, all with very little effort! Even if you’re not jetting off to some tropical destination, a maxi is a great investment piece for summer; wear whilst chilling out in the park or dress up with a pair of wedges for evening wear.

If you’re on the hunt for a maxi dress this summer, check out Zalando; an online fashion website, which has a couple of hundred different maxis to choose from! Their in-house collection, Zalando Collection, features this beautiful maxi dress.

Price: £45 (Includes free shipping)

There are lots of other maxi styles to choose from, dresses in bold colours to dresses complete with exciting prints, from fashion giants French Connection to Zalando’s very own collection designed by their in-house creative team.

Inspired by the latest catwalk trends, the Zalando Collection (launched in March this year) channels key spring/summer ’12 trends. Look out for ethnic prints, 50s pastels and 90s neon brights.

Hot fashion tip: If you sign up for the Zalando Newsletter, as well as getting updates on the latest fashion trends and offers you’ll also get £5 off your first purchase!

Image sourced from Zalando.

Fashion consists of several features: the hair, the dresses, shoes, make-up, perfumes and of course jewelry all belong to this concept. In this sense, the history of fashion can be traced back to very old times.

However, as far as it is known, the first designs and designers emerged in the 19th century. Since then, the history of womens’ dressings has evolved through significant changes and innovations as well as ‘flash-backs’.

London has it!

London's middle-class interact with designers more

There are some centers of fashion which have highly contributed to the creation of the world‘s mainstream trends over the years. Mega cities like Paris, London, New York, and Istanbul which host countless designers and creators are among the first ones that one can think of.

However, London holds a special place in this list. Although it has never been as popular as Paris, London has always represented a unique part of Europe in the world’s fashion stage. Contrary to Paris’ utopic designers, British realism has affected the evolvement of fashion as well.

The interaction between middle-class society and designers is stronger than in the fashion from New York or Paris because design is on the street, combined with realistic personal styles.

Still, the best of British fashion can be seen on the streets of London. Quality and casualness are the main codes for Londeners no matter what the trend is. It is not torturing yourself, but discovering yourself through the light of the latest trends. That is why on the streets of London one can see trends and individual style going hand in hand.

Know your body shape
Generally, certain dress styles flatter certain body shapes, and not all styles in fashion at any given time will suit everybody. Very slim girls will suit floaty fabrics, sheath-style dresses and small patterns, but a tiny frame will be swamped by large patterns, heavy fabrics or voluminous cuts. Curvier ladies should look at more tailored cuts and slightly larger prints. Avoid anything too loose or too tight, you want to skim your curves with fabric. Areas you wish to disguise should be in a solid colour and you can draw the eye to another area with patterns or detail – for example if you wish to disguise heavy hips but emphasise a nice décolleté, wear a colour-block dress with a dark skirt area and a printed of ruffled top area.

Think carefully about colour and style
You may have a colour you know you look good in or simply a favourite colour, but it may be worth taking into account the robe and sash colours you will graduate in. For example if your robe is black and your collar/sash will be orange and yellow, a violet or bright blue dress will clash with your robe. Similarly, you want to look back on your graduation photos for years to come, so choose a dress that is a classic style and will not date badly. With a black formal shift dress you can never go wrong and would not clash with your gown or collar colours.

Black linen shift dress

Above all – comfort
Dresses can be a little uncomfortable to wear if something is not quite right  e.g. it’s a little too loose or too tight, the fabric is itchy, or it needs rearranging every time you sit down or stand up. If possible, make a shortlist of dresses and try each one on with the shoes you have chosen to wear with it. Stand in it, pose in it, sit in it and get a feel for how it will feel on your body on graduation day. You will be wearing it for quite some time so you need to be comfortable – you don’t want to look strained in all your photographs! Graduation should be an exciting, happy event and you will want to go through it in style and comfort. Choose your dress carefully and it will help you have a great day and some lovely memories and photographs to look back on.

Basics Fashion Design 08: Styling explains how to analyze and translate fashion collections. Richly illustrated with styled shots that have been created by both professionals and undergraduates, this book proves that even on a limited budget, with tremendous imagination and drive it is possible to create beautiful and innovative work.

This book is relevant to students and anyone interested in pursuing a career in this popular area of fashion, and also to designers who may use it as a handy reference point or source book.

 Basics Fashion Design 07: Menswear provides a broad introduction to menswear by considering a range of social and historical contexts that have served to define and redefine this fascinating area of fashion through the ages.

All topics are considered and presented in context with fashion drawings and presentation formats – from students and recent graduates as well as more established design labels. Interviews with contemporary menswear labels, stylists and designers also provide valuable insights into the different styles and role models who continue to influence and define menswear in the twenty-first century.

This is an endorsed post from styling experts, GHD.

As we move towards those summery months when woolly hats are way at the back of the wardrobe, thoughts turn to spring and summer hair. There are a number of new hair trends for this season, one of them being adding beautiful head scarves and head wraps to accent the hair. These can really spice up an outfit and allow you to ring the changes with your wardrobe pieces. Some fashion catwalks were showing huge scarf headbands above thick long fringes, really accenting the face.

Another trend is masculine but sexy slicked back hair, with this season’s accent on a ‘wet look’ to your style.

Other designer’s models were wearing loose hair with a centre parting, which, if this doesn’t suit you, can be swapped for an extreme right or left parting to update your look.

The high bun has also made a comeback, revised to a knotted bun, achieved by plaiting hair before coiling on top of the head.

Good styling aids always make achieving your perfect hair styling easier to achieve at home and investing in a good hairbrush is always the best place to start. The ghd website produces a good range of hairbrushes suitable for general hair care and precision styling, including their Oval Dressing Brush, which is an excellent daily grooming hairbrush. Designed for mid to long-length hair, it has natural bristles. These help the hair’s own oils to be evenly spread along the hair shafts and ensure the scalp is massaged to promote healthy hair growth. It can be used with ghd’s Final Fix Hairspray to give your style, whether tousled or sleek, some on-going support throughout the day. There are a variety of on trend hair looks this summer to choose from; go with one that matches your overall look and gets those compliments rolling in.

This an endorsed post from lingerie experts, Panache-lingerie.

The thought of wearing sexy lingerie for plus size girls might seem a little daunting but, if you choose the right style, you can find a look that is very flattering for your size.

Start by looking at what, if anything, you want to hide and what you want to enhance. Always get measured properly or have someone give you a hand with a measuring tape so your numbers are accurate. You can find out how to measure your bra size online or at a lingerie shop. Ill-fitting underwear or any clothing for that matter can create curves in the wrong places so this is something you really want to avoid.

Having figured out what size you are, start by trying on underwear you think suits you and go for styles you feel comfortable in. Never go for something that makes you feel uncomfortable as this will be evident in your body language. Your posture for example, will scream insecurity if you do not feel happy in what you are wearing.

Designers have started to listen to curvier girls and many brands now have plus size lingerie that is sexy, as well as supportive, something it tended not to be in the past; concentrating on support and not appearance. Now curvier girls can enjoy attractive looking underwear that does a good job of holding everything together to create enviable hourglass figures.

Fuller figures will benefit from lacy, block coloured underwear. Avoid anything too tight, floral patterns and ensure you are fully supported to get the best outcome from the pieces you choose. Good underwear will also help the appearance of your figure once you are clothed. A smoothed, uplifted silhouette will ooze confidence and show the world you are happy in your body.

The competition is now closed. Congratulations to the winner, @Isabellee1992.

This week, we have been lucky and managed to get hold of £60 worth of Groupon vouchers. And of course, we would love to share this fortune with you!

So to be in with a chance of winning, simply follow the instructions below:

How to Enter in Just Seconds!

• To enter, simply follow us on Twitter.
• All our current followers will automatically be entered.
• A winner will be chosen at random and announced when the competition ends.
• The voucher will be sent electronically and the code(s) can be applied at checkout on Groupon.
• The closing date is Saturday 7 April 2012 at 12.00pm UK time.
• So what are you waiting for? Enter with by following us.
• Good luck!

This is a sponsored post.

For a lot of students, the next term is the last term of university, ever! If it’s your final year you may want a way to commemorate the time you and your friends have had and the institution you’ve been at.

A popular way is a leavers’ hoodie.  Leavers hoodies are a way to show who you are and where you come from. Choose a style of hoodie that you enjoy and then design it with the utmost care to create a leavers’ hoodie that you will wear for years to come.

Styles

Leavers’ hoodies come in a variety of styles: pullover, rugby and zip-front are popular choices.

Colours

There are many colours available to choose from, so make sure that you pick a colour that you absolutely love. If you can’t decide on one colour, choose a neutral colour such as black or grey.

Choose a lining in a plaid or plain colour that accents the colour on the outside of the hoodie. It is easy to have them match each other perfectly so that you will be happy with your end product.

Design

The next step is to decide which type of design you would like on the back of the hoodie. There are many different designs to choose from, for example, the last two numbers of the year that you graduated along with your school name.

You could choose something more complex if you prefer, such as the names of the members of your graduating class, a unique style of lettering or roman numerals in place of numbers. In some cases the names of the members of the class are placed into the numbers, which looks unique and exciting.

Group Orders

In some cases the entire class decides what the leavers hoodie should look like each year. If this is the case, it is important to come to a consensus that makes everyone happy.

If you are designing a personal leavers hoodie just for yourself you have more freedom to be creative and you can explore different options.

Memories

Remember that the most important part of creating a perfect leavers hoodie is having an item that will help you remember the wonderful people and time that you spent at your school. Have fun with the design and you will come up with something that you will absolutely adore.