The pantyhose debate continues to rage in small town America and corporate human resources departments. But frankly the right to bare legs (or arms, or even sometimes, shudder, midriffs) hasn't really been a concern for fashion women. So when we started to weirdly crave shimmer nylons in the dead of summer we knew something was up. Our first inkling came as we read Tom Wolfe's eulogy of Clay Falker in the great man's own New York Magazine. Discussing a style piece on Madison Avenue art girls we found ourselves inspired.

They became known as the “art birds.” As late as 1989 Japanese art collectors liked to have these pretty little American girls by their sides in the front rows for the “important” auctions at Sotheby’s and Christie’s. They loved the pretty things’ lithe young legs with their epidermi of sheerest ravage-me nylon shimmering up to the most tumescent swells of their thighs as they crossed and then re-crossed and then re-re-crossed and then re-re-re-crossed them shimmer shimmer shimmer shimmer beneath the downlighters.

Now the fact that we found ourselves inspired by sheer nylons in midsummer by a man who habitually wears suits, albeit white ones, in even the warmest weather seemed fitting. But then today network partner Catwalk Queen admitted that she was a hosiery hoarder. She begins in the context of pre-fall trends and uses fellow community members Kingdom of Style and Susie Bubble as evidence. But its when she admits to loving "the new breed of truly barely-there nudes" we knew we were not alone. We have a few plans in mind for showcasing just how sexy the "shimmer, shimmer, cross re-cross" can be even in the middle of a heatwave.

In fashion, stylists have more power than you might expect. In fact, aside from the designers, theirs is a second opportunity to realize trends. The way we see clothing in magazines, in the shop windows, on celebrities, is largely a product of their interpretations of the newest clothing. Though fashion editors and store owners and the people who employ stylists surely have a say in the matter, the stylists still hold the reigns in some regard. Especially when it comes to accessories and finishing touches. That said, our Network Partner, Style Bubble, was transfixed by styling in a Selfridges window and promptly went on a DIY adventure to replicate the idea. Style Bubble, a trend setter in her own right, studied a pair of hosiery that had been carefully torn by whomever was in charge of such a thing, and now, well, now we might just see it on more than a few chicsters. A recent post we wrote on sheer socks had us thinking about DIY hosiery a few weeks back. Perhaps because hosiery, as we've seen in the Fall 08 shows, makes such a big statement with a little bit of money, it can be said that the most stylish among us play around with the possibilities. Even if only for one outfit or one shop window, the simple task of altering those finishing touches might a massive trend make.

This Saturday was World Fair Trade Day, a time for fashionistas everywhere to feel guilty about their fast fashion habits. Except for British shoppers who now have the Oxfam Sustainable Fashion Boutique to enjoy. The new shops will sell items created out of donated goods, Fairtrade clothing and accessories made by volunteers as well as the more traditional second-hand clothing.

But there are dissenters in the eco-fashion movement. Some people are still happy to claim it just isn't very stylish. Community partner Susie Bubble however thinks its all just a bit too shiny.

It seems like the Valentino brand isn't quite as dramatic as the post He Who Will Not Be Named years at Gucci. In fact, after the retirement of Valentino the house seems positively bullish. Ironically no one felt that great about Alessandra Facchinetti at Gucci. Musical chairs anyone?

Mulberry is into collaborations. They have artists collaborations planned for each month this summer (this month was flower arrangements with neighbor McQueen's) the most anticipated of which is surely going to be The Artist's Tote, a collaboration with Fred Gallery on Vyner Street where five artists will interpret the Mulberry tote.

The geometry of life peculates through our the shared social consciousness. Golden ratios and fearful symmetries populate our art and literature so it is no small wonder that two of our community partners, Kingdom of Style and Style Bubble, both have posts heavy on geometric fashion. Style Bubble is looking after squares and Kingdom of Style is obsessing over Complex Geometries.

We feel like we should take this opportunity to point out that just a little bit of math makes fashion a lot better. Because in no other place but math do we find the relationship between truth and beauty to be as true or complex. Which given just how ugly a business fashion is, it is no surprise that we like to inject a little beauty via the truth. Isn't the golden ration pleasing to look at even in equation form? And if not then go check out our shoutouts because they certainly found beauty in geometry already.


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