Summer Internship Fashion

So, we have posted a blog directing our readers in the most fashionable way when it comes to dressing to impress for your summer internship interview. Although the first impression is most dreaded, some may wonder how to upkeep their professional and cool look all summer long. Philadelphia is no stranger to summer heat waves, and walking our bustling blocks in the less than breezy weather has given even the most prepared interns fashionable despair.

Typically, dress code during the warm summer months is slightly more casual, but as an intern there is a fine line between warm weather comfort and work appropriate. Here are a few general rules to consider when dressing office-friendly this summer while trying to not melt right into your swivel chair:

1.      The most important rule must be the ever popular, “If you are unsure of what you’re wearing is appropriate, DO NOT WEAR IT!” If you even have to ask, doesn’t that already give you an answer? Think about it…

2.      Shorts are not necessarily an automatic no-no. Take Anne Taylor Loft’s shorts designed perfectly for a professional work environment. The length is appropriate and the fit does not draw the wrong attention. Summer skirts follow the same rule, but I must suggest ModCloth’s pleated collection. Their length is office ideal, yet they are light-weight for summertime - let’s not be skinterns!

3.      To show the toes, or not, that is the question. Flip flops/sandals are always questionable dependent upon where one is interning. Feel out the rest of your colleagues before bearing the bare feet. In the meantime, you can pair some of these vibrant Aldo flats with your length-appropriate shorts/skirt for a happy medium.

4.      Mix and matching colors and prints makes a few articles of clothing go a long way. Take these looks for example in Redbook Magazine of how to make over 50 outfits from 21 pieces of clothing/ accessories.

5.      When in doubt, simply ask. Your direct boss or HR would be happy to give you a few guidelines to follow, and I guarantee asking gains respect too!

This guest blog post was written by PRowl Staff Member Nicole Leo.

How To: Dress For A Summer Interview

With the temperature rising as we continue into the summer season, dressing for summer interviews gets a bit tricky. Summer is the season of bright colors, short-shorts, light tank tops and airy sundresses. Interviews call for dark hues, stiff blazers, long pants and stuffy button-down shirts.

The best advice I have ever received in regards to interview wardrobes was "Dress to impress," Even if you are interviewing with a company that tends to dress a little more casual, always stick to a business casual approach.

Although the summer weather may make dressing in a suit or blazer uncomfortable, it is always important to dress up instead of dressing down. You should always look well-groomed and neatly dressed for an interview, no matter what season. 

Here are three essentials of a summer interview outfit:

Blazer: Summer calls for blazers, which are more casual than suit jackets but are still professional. Try to choose a neutral color, perhaps a light color. 

Button Down Shirt: A white, cotton button down is key for any summer interview outfit.

Dress Pants: Pants should also be a neutral color. Khakis are key for summer interviews. Women can substitute pants with cropped pants or ankle-length skirts.  

Fashion PR No-No’s for the Rookie

We think it’s all glamour, lights, free goodies and celebrity events, but in reality, the fashion industry is much more. There are young ladies, and gents, across the nation looking to get their big break into the industry. While it is a very demanding and competitive field, Fashion PR can be very fun and exciting. 

However, there are many things you should not do when entering the field. While it is best to make an impression quickly in the industry, here are some tips on how to avoid common mistakes. 

• Make It Personal: Media want to feel exclusive. The worst mistake is to mass e-mail all media contacts with the same message. Take the time to address each outlet personally. They will be more likely to show interest in your alert. 
• Avoid Lagging:  Most media are on very strict deadlines. Taking a long time to reply is never a smart idea. Both industries are fast pace and require quick action. The sooner you get back to questions and concerns, the happier your clients will be. 
• Don’t Be Dull: Fashion is such a creative and fun industry. Use your creativity and stellar writing skills to draw in your audience. Avoid cliché terms and phrases and take the time to think of different ideas that will benefit the brand. 
• Be Relevant: Avoid sending pitches to outlets that have no interest or relation to the product. There is nothing worse than getting a pitch about women’s hosiery when you work at for a men’s shoe company. Keep it relevant and of interest to the reader. 
• Don’t Be A Grump: No one likes a negative publicist. It is your job to keep the energy and enthusiasm at all times. After all, you reflect your client and you want to be very personable and approachable. 

This guest blog post was written by PRowl Public Relations staff member Andrea Jordan.

Avoiding PRofessional Fashion Faux Pas

With the summer months upon us, staying fashionable in the office while maintaining a professional look becomes an even tougher act to balance. In public relations, it is important that the professional present his or herself in a way that makes the client and boss feel comfortable. No one wants to sacrifice personal style for work, and if you keep these simple tips in mind, you won't have to!

• If you have to question it, don't wear it: If you're having doubts about how short that shirt really is or if a shirt is too bright for the office, don't wear it. Chances are that your concerns will quickly become someone else's concerns.
• Less is more: Don't overdo it with large jewelry or huge statement pieces. Try smaller accessories that still allow you to add a personal flare without being overwhelming.
• Say no to shear: Shear blouses are a very popular trend with the ladies this summer, but keep it covered in the office. PR professionals tend to deal with many different clients on a daily basis. Your shirt blouse may be find with one client, but may offend another who has a more conservative style.
• Keep a 911 kit: Accidents happen every day. Make sure you have a backup blouse and pair of shoes nearby incase of spills, rips, or tears. You should also have a sewing kit and sample sized hygiene products store in our desk to avoid embarrassing situations.
• Check with the boss: If you really aren't sure about what is and isn't appropriate office attire, follow your bosses lead. It doesn't get any more appropriate than the person in charge! Imitating the outfits of your boss or other superiors will keep you well within office dress code.

What fashion faux pas do you avoid in the office?

Dior Goes Digital

Christian Dior, one of the most recognizable couture fashion lines, goes digital with an online magazine.The brand recently suffered a major PR blow after former Dior director, John Galliano, gave a public anti-Semitic rant. The negative effects, including boycotting from major celebrities, resulted in an opportunity for Dior to expand to an online platform. The crisis communication band-aide was the idea that if Dior made the brand more easily accessible to fashion lovers through an online platform, the brand could possibly regain their integrity. 

Dior even took their social media platform a step further when they live streamed and tweeted its Fall 2012 ready-to-wear collection from Paris Fashion Week through an intermediate blog. In their online magazine, they recapped their 2012 Spring/Summer Haute collection giving the 1940’s a millennial twist, sweeping foreign fashion and wowing home-bound fans.

Christian Dior's Haute Spring Summer 2012 Collection 

Do you think fashion critics and celebrities are willing to forgive the nostalgic brand after making the line more accessible?

The New Era

With the ability to share information to their readers at the speed of light, fashion bloggers are now viewed as a commodity in the fashion world. In this day and age major fashion brands and magazines view fashion blogging as a necessity because it is now the bloggers that are cognizant of the latest trends. But it takes a lot of work to become a great fashion blogger.

Choose your style of blog! There are two types of fashion blogs: personalized and informational.

• Informational discusses upcoming trends from designers and on the runway.


• Personalized fashion blogs display the personal style of the blogger. Personal blogs tend to be a crowd favorite; because it shows people that you’re a regular human being, not just an internet cyborg.

Building your brand:

• Collect as many contacts as possible! At first this will not be easy but as your blog progresses and your number of viewers increase you will find that people will go out of their way to contact you.


• Make it your priority to bring as much attention to your blog as possible! Update your blog with the newest trends or reoccurring ones; your readers want to know what’s hot and what’s not.


• Get help! As your brand grows you will find yourself needing help to maintain it so find an assistant and a professional photographer to help you capture quality pictures.


• Consistently update the look of your blog so your readers will not get bored! Your content must be engaging and innovative; no one wants to hear about last years trends when new ones are popping up left and right.


• Establish your credibility: Always make sure to cite your sources! If you use images from fashion sites be sure to give credit. Responding to comments will keep conversations going, increase viewership, as well as exhibit yourself as passionate about what you do.

As is with most things, creating the perfect balance can be challenging, but it will pay off in the long run.

Check out these great fashion blogs! Style Scrapbook, Fashion Squad, The Blonde Salad

This guest blog was written by PRowl Public Relations staff member Jummy Temidayo.

Fashion PR 101

First things first, what is Fashion PR? Fashion PR helps establish and maintain mutual lines of communication, understanding, acceptance, and cooperation between an organization and its consumers in terms of fashion. Skills such as writing press releases, gathering research, and the ability to protect the interest of the company you work for are musts in fashion public relations. As a consultant in this realm you must focus on gaining exposure for the fashion line you work for, whether it is through communicating with editors and seeing what styles they need for upcoming shoots, talking to celebrity stylists and coordinating which looks would be great for their clients, or even setting up photo shoots and interviews.

The first step in “making it” in the business of fashion PR is to obtain a fashion-based internship. This can include working in a clothing store or working under a designer, the latter being more difficult to acquire. A great advantage you can have when entering the fashion PR industry is having attended a fashion school such as the Fashion Institute of Technology or the Laboratory Institute of Merchandising, both centered in Manhattan, NY. Although attending a fashion institute can give you a leg up in the fashion world, any school you choose to enroll in will not be overlooked just because it is a "regular" school. Because it is such a competitive job market the more hands-on experience in the fashion world you have, the better chance you have at obtaining a job in fashion PR.

Many in the PR industry say that it doesn’t matter where you work on account of the varied roles PR practitioners fill. However, for such a specified area like fashion PR, it is to your best interest that you land a job in one of the five major fashion capitals of the world; New York, Milan, Paris, London, or Japan. By doing so, not only will you be introduced to different cultures but you will also be able to understand how fashion revolves in different parts of the world. A lot of fashion is about the glitz and the glam, but as a multi-billion dollar industry it is also about business. Most importantly, remember why you are working so hard to do what you are doing; it is because of your love for fashion and communicating with others that you have decided to enter such a competitive, commanding, and innovative job market.

Best of luck to all of you choosing to enter this amazing field of work!


This guest blog was written by PRowl Public Relations staff member Jummy Temidayo.

The Fashion Industry and its Glaring PR issue

It is no secret that from the outside looking in, the fashion industry has a major PR problem: most of its waiflike beauties have light complexions. This is to say, the fashion industry hires people that look like the majority of those who work in the industry.

However, recent news has revealed an increase in models of color in headlining shows during New York Fashion Week. According to the New York Times blog "On the Runway" Keli Goff, a fashion industry watchdog and blogger, found that 90 percent of the 200-plus designers featured in Fashion Week had at least one black model, a seven percent jump from last year.

Though this is good news for the industry’s PR reputation, the industry still has to fix the problem at hand. So, what can they do to address it? The simple solution is to hire more models of color and feature them in advertisements. Another, more loftier suggestion, is for fashion houses to host events that celebrate women of color in the fashion industry. This would show that fashion houses are trying to change and are making the effort to diversify the industry more than ever before. In the future, professionals in the fashion industry can also come together to have a panel event where fashion experts discuss industry race issues and come up with ways to ultimately evolve the industry for the better.

Do you have any creative suggestions for the fashion industry to diversify itself? Let us know!

This guest blog was written by PRowl Public Relations staff member Kurie Fitzgerald.

Ditch the Magazines and Hikes to the Mall and Just Get a Blog Already!

The PR fashion industry is always changing with the latest trends and yes, social media, of course. With the rise of instablogging sites such as Tumblr and Instagram, the publics' demand for instant user-friendly fashion is growing every day. Before, fashionistas and aspiring designers would turn to hard copy magazines to get their daily fix on the industry but now the content is free and shareable on blogging platforms, which have become a favorite of fashion PR agencies to see the ongoing atmosphere of their audiences. Top designers and industry gurus such as Rachel Roy, DKNY, Vogue, and Urban Outfitters have official Tumblr blogs where they not only share products and company news, but also draw out inspiration from other fashion bloggers and followers globally.

This has turned the fashion industry from an "insider only" view, when in order to be in on the latest trends, you had to either work in the industry and be connected to someone, to a more friendly and personal one where literally anyone with a unique style and love for fashion can share and be updated on content. According to PRcouture.com, fashion is no longer exclusive to only a privileged few but has "established a new way of experiencing and connecting to like-minded readers through style, outfit photos and DIY, carving out places online that made fashion personal and discoverable through weekly posts."

This surge of fashion blogs does not necessarily mean that print editorial, photography and the runway show aspect of the industry are dying, that will always be there, but it does mean that fashion is becoming more disseminated to the masses and that diversity and accessibility is a key measurement of business and success. The industry has simply figured out where a new untapped public of fashion inspiration lies and is not wasting time looking over its market and creative potential. More importantly, social media sites have started a new wave of jobs for fashion companies that are highly in need of bloggers and trendsetters to manage their social media accounts and update them on the latest street culture and style of everyone else - and what better way to hire these people than from your own pool of followers? The industry has overall become less exclusive and all together more inclusive of everyone.

So if you're in need of your daily fashion fix or just want to share your diverse style then get a blog, follow your favorite designers and get inspired! Remember, you never know what designer could be using your style as an inspiration for their new Fall/Winter 2012 line someday!

This guest blog was written by PRowl Public Relations staff member Jessica Lopez.

Fashion PR in Reality

There are a lot of different genres in the world of public relations; corporate, entertainment, publishing, and many other different categories that can be subcategories of PR. Fashion PR, on the other hand, is often overlooked. When most people think of fashion PR, the image of Lauren Conrad in The Hills no doubt materializes. As an intern for Teen Vogue it seemed like her only responsibilities were to cart around couture dresses and travel to fabulous places.

In reality, fashion PR involves more than glamour and fame. In an article on thegloss.com, Brooke Moreland interviewed Lindsey Green, the Director of Communications for fashion house Jill Stuart. When asked what fashion PR entails, Green responded that she is in charge of “basically all operations regarding name, the brand, press, image, magazine credits, you name it- all goes through me. It’s my job to make sure our company’s image is presented in the best way possible.” In doing so, it is important for someone new to fashion PR to gain experience; through internships and job training, to supplement an education. Absorb as much of your surroundings as possible, because things will get hectic, especially during Fashion Week. However, it is important to recognize where you would like to be in fashion PR.

There are two main types of fashion PR:

· “In House”-Working for only one individual fashion house.

· “Agency”-When a firm works for several different designers and must maintain a clientele while making sure that each client feels catered to.

The glamour of fashion PR is still there; the parties, networking, clothes, etc. But with that comes a business savvy that is often overlooked. Make sure that when you are getting into fashion PR, you are willing to learn and handle aspects of a fashion house that you may not have expected.

If you are interested in fashion PR, you can read the rest of the article as well as other articles relating to fashion PR, click here.

To get more of a hands on perspective on the fashion PR industry, check out Kelly Cutrone’s book “If You Have To Cry, Go Outside.” In which Cutrone, a reknown fashion publicist, details the reality of fashion PR as well as provides tips to young people on how to get into fashion PR.

Social Media Lessons Learned from H&M

H&M, the well-known European fashion retailer, has become a master of social media with an incredible 3,826,114 fans on Facebook and 56,053 followers on Twitter. As Sara Hansson points out in her post on Mindjumpers, there are four basic pieces of advice that can be learned from H&M's social media success:

Amuse Your Customers:
When visiting H&M's Facebook site, visitors are presented with a number of links and applications for their viewing entertainment, including the "Style Guide" and "H&M TV." The site is easy to navigate and provides visitors with multiple tools for inspiration and amusement. Additionally, H&M keeps their customers and fans informed by updating them on the latest trends, news and updates in fashion, distinguishing them as more than just a clothing retailer.

Any business wants visitors to view and visit their Facebook page more than once. In order to develop a loyal customer fan base, it is important to ask yourself: what value do you bring to the customers and for what reason do they visit the page?

Involve Your Customers:
H&M does an excellent job at involving their fans not only through contests and events, but also by importing blog posts and and customers' outfits that mention H&M into their "Social Media Room." By showcasing the fashion choices and opinions of their millions of fans, H&M is doing a great job at showing how creative and unique their customers are. By allowing consumers around the world to see what real women look like in their clothes, they are bringing transparency to the H&M brand while still showing appreciation for their fans.

For any business, it is important to make the customer feel involved and valued. This helps create a loyal customer fan base which is a great tool for word-of-mouth marketing and recommendations.

Help Your Customers:
H&M uses social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter as another means of customer service. Representatives answer questions, solve issues and help out when needed. Social media sites are an incredibly speedy and efficient way to answer customers' questions and respond to customer feedback.

Make it Easy for Your Customers:
Make your social media site more accessible by making it easy to navigate through clearly labeled pages and links. Additionally, once you have gained their attention through Facebook and Twitter, make sure you provide them with a link to your website so that you are able to take advantage of new site visitors.

I think that these are four incredibly valuable pieces of advice for all brands and businesses to follow when trying to attract and engage customers. By listening to your customers, involving them with the brand and being respectful and attentive to questions and feedback, you are sending a clear message to your fans that they are an integral part of the brand's success and more than just customers.

What businesses and brands are you a 'fan' of? What practices have they done to gain your loyalty and interest?

Let us know!

Bar Codes Now Appearing in Television Commericals

Bar codes have found a new home for themselves: television advertisements.

Now, anyone with a smartphone is able to scan these little black-and-white boxes from their TVs and pull up additional information on the product being advertised and receive immediate discount offers.

The current leader of this new trend is Bravo, whose audience is largely engaged in fashion and pop culture, making them the ideal participants for this new innovation. Online fashion retailer, Bluefly.com, broadcasts 45-second segments that feature interviews with fashion icons, celebrities and designers. When individuals point their cellphones at the bar codes featured on the commercials, they are promptly linked to the Bluefly.com website and offered a $30 off of $150 purchase discount.

“We see this as a great way to expand our audience in a measurable way,” said Bradford Matson, Bluefly’s chief marketing officer. “This is new for us, but we expect our page views to double.”

With more people using Smartphones, the trend of using bar codes in television advertisements is expected to quickly gain momentum and popularity. It allows consumers to shop from the comfort of their sofa without having to interrupt their TV programming.

Although Bluefly.com is the first national retailer to use the technology, other organizations have also dabbled in the use of TV bar codes. Weather.com briefly tested the technology to urge viewers to gain more access and knowledge on their local weather forecasts and HBO used the new advertisement tool to promote their upcoming season of True Blood.

I think that integrating bar codes into TV commercials is an incredibly smart move to increase promotion and publicity of an organization, product or brand. Although the technology is only in its infancy, Bluefly.com has already noticed an increase in their sales an average of 50 percent. Television bar codes allow for a wider audience to be reached and for users to easily access additional information.

As the technology continues to develop, I believe it will prove to be an incredibly beneficial tool for companies who wish to not only increase their sales but their awareness with the public as well. I am excited to see how this new form of advertising will be utilized by different corporations.

To read the rest of the article, click here.

Luxury Handbag Designers Battle to Unbrand

Branding is an important part of creating and perpetuating any successful product or service. Using product placement and celebrities to endorse products or services is not a new part of the branding concept. However, a recent battle between luxury handbag designers to disaffiliate their brands with a certain reality television star has developed the term "unbranding."

Designers such as Coach and Gucci have allegedly been sending MTV's The Jersey Shore star Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi bags from their competitors' collections in attempts of deterring her from carrying bags from their own brand.

When the reality star emerged in the spotlight, she was rarely seen without a Coach bag on her arm. Recently, her Coach bags have been replaced by Coach's competitor Gucci's bags. The switch is said not to be the result of a change in taste on Snooki's part, but a strategy by Coach to stop their brand from being associated with the self-proclaimed "guidette."

Whether or not Coach is behind Snooki's switch to Gucci bags may not be something they will admit, but it has certainly stirred up some talk about a new twist on branding.

All successful brands have their own strategies for building and maintaining their image, but how ethical is the strategy of "unbranding?"

Social Media Savvy Spin for Charity

Add one black dress, recycled and donated accessories, 365 days and one creative blog and you have the "Uniform Project" - a charity that was created by Sheena Matheiken to exercise sustainable fashion and raise money for children in India to go to school.

The "Uniform Project" blog was updated daily with photo-documented posts featuring the 365 ways the little black dress was reinvented. Through the project and Sheena's savvy use of social media, the "Uniform Project" raised $94,958 and sent 263 kids to school.

Check out Sheena's video that features all 365 outfits!

Uniform Project Picture Book from The Uniform Project on Vimeo.

What charities do you know of that have utilized social media to increase the success of their charity? Let us know!

Kell on Earth and SPINdustry: what’s your opinion?

So far 2010 has been the year for bringing the world of public relations into the public eye through reality TV shows. As a student eager to break into the public relations industry I ask myself, will these PR reality shows be a good move for the PR companies showcased and what effect will these shows have on the industry? Fashion and entertainment are only two areas within the very broad public relations field. Do you think these shows could potentially distort the public’s view of the public relations field?

Kell on Earth can be viewed every Monday night at 10 p.m. on Bravo. This reality series provides viewers with a behind-the-scenes look at the “high-powered and fast-paced world of fashion PR." Viewers get an inside look into the hectic life of Kelly Cutrone, the creator of the successful fashion PR company People’s Revolution.

SPINdustry, which premiered last Sunday at 10:30 p.m. on E! takes viewers behind the scenes of Command PR, a NYC firm developed by Jonathan Cheban. The show focuses on the grueling world of celebrity PR and how every event is make-it or break-it.

I personally was somewhat shocked that Command PR decided to have the name of their show SPINdustry, because most PR students and professional cringe when the public or a journalist relates the public relations field with spinning stories.

If you have seen either of these shows, I would be interested in hearing what you think and if you think these shows will cast a negative light on fashion and entertainment PR?

If you have not been able to catch these shows, be sure to check them out and stop back and let us know what you think.

This guest blog was written by PRowl Public Relations staff member, Amanda Kaster.

Burberry Meets Social Media

Burberry founder, Thomas Burberry, first designed the famous trench coat for British army officers in 1914. This 95-year-old fashion icon is Burberry’s top selling product and now has a social networking site dedicated to “the art of the trench.”

On Monday Burberry launched a social networking site, http://artofthetrench.com/. This site encourages viewers to submit pictures displaying them in their trench. They ask for participants to share their “trench coat” stories. The site features trenches all over the world on cyclists, children, in the rain and in Paris.

A majority of luxury good companies have been skeptical about getting on the web. They have been afraid that this non-traditional marketing tool would hurt their credibility. In the past, most believed that the web was for bargain buyers and counterfeit items. Now they are realizing that in order to reach their younger publics they are going to have to enter their turf, the Web.

During the current recession the $226 billion market for luxury goods saw an 8 percent drop. The market is expected to begin to grow once baby boomers retire and younger workers take their place.

Social media has made an impact on our lives and is now moving into our closets. It has become an ideal branding tool and has become another business strategy that we, as public relations practitioners, have to utilize better than anyone else out there.

This guest blog was written by PRowl Public Relations staff member, Josie Fox.