HOW: Score the Internship

Forget the hype boys and girls and bump what you heard about fashion internships in the big city. For anyone who's worked as a fashion intern in a city like Los Angeles, Chicago, or New York, you know it's definitely not as glamorous and action-packed job as movies like The Devil Wears Prada and shows like Gossip Girl make it out to be. If you've never had an internship before, an internship is a chance for you to gain real-world professional experience while building your portfolio and gathering your strengths. Sorry, chances are you probably won't be rubbing elbows with the fashion elite or even get to speak two words to the editor-in-chief of a magazine. You'll be doing the menial tasks, sitting around in the office waiting for tasks to be handed to you, and perhaps watching from the sidelines. But that's your time to take notes and find out if you'd want to work a job like your internship in the future. Don't get hung up on what the romanticized intern image is. Use the people you work with to find ways to network, add projects to your portfolio, and make yourself stand out among the other interns. Sometimes in the world of fashion, it really is what you know that counts. Check out how to dress to land the job below.

Get Instant Glamour and Popularity

There are those who often flip through the pages of Vogue, glaring at the glossy, glamorous fashion ads within with self-loathing and envy. They just know that "if I looked like that I would be so much more happier and I would be able to get more of what I want". The truth of the matter is that almost 100% of all of the photographs in almost any magazine have been retouched with image modification software. This is not to say that the fashion industry is based on superficiality, it is just that people respond to idealism more often than realism. We would rather purchase something on the assumption that it will give us some attribute we lack or hide some attribute we have too much of. But if you really want to possess the glamour, the commanding presence, and the popularity of a supermodel, then read on to find out how to do it without Photoshop.

Get The Look: Preppy

Preppy style has quickly infiltrated American fashion over the past decade. With shows like Gossip Girl, The Real Housewives, and NYC Prep ushering in a new era of retro classical style, celebrities are picking it up as well. Notable personalities such as Kanye West, Fonzworth Bentley, and Andre Benjamin are incorporating aspects of preppy styles into their own wardrobes and also their fashion lines. In case you needed a prep on the essentials of "prep". We've embedded two fashion sets from Polyvore.com to get your inspiration going. We've also included the items that compose the set and the bottom so you can get started on your transformation into the perfect prep!

Atlanta Preppy Mens by prettyboypaul featuring Mulberry bags

Items in this set:
Hartford | Grey Wool Tweed Notch Collar Blazer by Hartford, 140 GBP
The Oversized Alexa, $1,250
Martin margiela shirts, 250 GBP
LIMITED EDITION ROUND DUAL TIME WATCH, 750 GBP
Tom Ford Beauty Arabian Wood Eau de Parfum, 1.7 oz., $180

Atlanta Preppy by prettyboypaul featuring Mulberry bags

Items in this set:
Sheer linen shirt, $690
T420-41 Cotton Tie, $68
AE Gifts - American Eagle Outfitters
Lilly Pulitzer Callahan Faille Solid Shorts - Classic white, $68
Joie - Coachella - Cognac Leather Tall Boot at Footnotesonline Women's...

How To Reinvent Yourself

Ever gotten bored with your image and wanted to be someone new? Ever wanted to change your style, your hair, your crowd, and just overall your life? People in fashion are constantly trading in their style and image for more appealing and cutting-edge ones. If you don't believe us, take a look at Rihanna's hair length over the span of 2009. But reinventing yourself can often be a positive experience and will allow you to find new interests, take new risks, go new places, and wear new things. It's all about who you want to be and how you plan to get there. So we're breaking down some steps to help you achieve that inner glam goddess or urban gentleman you've always wanted to be but didn't know how to become.

1. Determination. Think of yourself as the author of a book. Your imagination is the pen and you are the pages. If you could imagine the perfect protagonist, who would they be? What would their interests be? What would their personality be like? How would they dress? What types of places would they hang out at? Once you've determined these things, you've already created the framework for your new self.
2. Walk a mile in someone else's shoes. Look for activities, parties, or jobs that are centered around the things your new image consists of. Participating in them will give you an idea whether or not you will like your new image or whether it is realistic enough. Also the experiences you earn will be priceless.
3. Go shopping! Do some retail-research to find outfits and clothes that will complement your new self. This involves some substantial risk-taking so it's best to find a good friend and take them along so you can have an external opinion about whether your new look fits you or not.
4. Change your habits. If your new self is an awesome, outgoing, devil-may-care rocker or a sophisticated, refined, worldly socialite, pick up some of the activities and the culture of that group. This also gives you new confidence and an opportunity to start over and be in control of your life. So go to the music store and pick up a guitar manual and start plucking or pick up a book on etiquette and start practicing on holding your fork.
5. Change your attitude. No one's going to believe your new image if you don't wear it proudly. When you're walking in your new clothes and hanging out in new places feel like you belong there. If you're looking uncomfortable others will see this and your reinvention will have failed. It might take a while, but stand strong and walk tall and others will be commanded by your aura.
6. Go slow. Rome wasn't built in a day. Give yourself time to grow and evolve as a person. Reinventing yourself can be a difficult process but the most important thing to remember is that change comes from the inside out.Start with little things, like changing how you get to work, or how you dress for week. Do it gradually if you can. If you must make a break - do it quick, and never never never look back.

How To Create a Personal Style

"The paradox of fashion is that everyone is trying at the same time to be like, and to be unlike, his fellow-men" - J.C. Flugel (1930)

Everyone wants (or should want) to be glamorous, stylish, and seen as a fashion icon. The most important attribute that the greatest fashion icons possess is personal style. Personal style is the aesthetic that one chooses to express themselves through their dress.Many people often believe, based on the media, that personal style is something unattainable or too lofty a goal to reach. But we here at Fashion Inc. beg to differ. Personal style is not the ambrosia of the rich, famous, and glamorous, but is something for us all to possess. So, in this post, we're going to show you how to do it in ten easy steps. Listen up students...

1. Find your interests. People often tend to associate how they dress with the activities, hobbies, and people they hang out with. Write down all of these things and find pieces that reflect those things.
2. Pick up a magazine. If you've never cracked open an issue of Vogue magazine or GQ, go to the store and pick up one. These magazines are the fashion bibles of the world and anything that's hot and stylish you'll be able to find in here. If you want more avant-garde and cutting edge magazines, try Bleu magazine, Trace magazine, or Obvious magazine. Don't pick out a look you like because it looks good on someone else. Make sure you can see yourself in the outfit.
3. Get measured. If you've never had your measurements taken or if you haven't had them taken since your high school prom, go over to a formal wear store or section to have them taken. Knowing your measurements helps you to find clothes that will complement not compete with your figure. Also, it will help you to know which looks will work on you and which won't.
4. Go window shopping. Taking a trip to the mall just to try on clothes is an excellent way for you to know if a style or outfit will work for you without having to buy the clothes first. Take an honest (but constructive) friend along to evaluate your choices. Also, take a look at the mannequins. These can be used as templates to start a new personal style or to add items to a look.
5. Something borrowed. Take a look at any notable personality in fashion and they can give you a list of influences and inspirations on their style. When it doubt, fake it until you make it by copying an outfit from someone you admire or stealing an item from their look. Remember, the master in anything was once a novice. A great place to do this is at LookBook.nu, an online fashion inspiration website where you can browse looks from other people around the world or if you're feeling stylish you can upload a look of yourself.
6. Hit the books! There are tons of books and resources on creating a personal style. One of my favorites is Fonzworth Bentley's Advance Your Swagger: How to Use Manners, Confidence, and Style to Get Ahead. These books are a great source of knowledge and have large amounts of technical information and tips about dress and appearance. Also researching fashion history books can also give you a retro-style inspiration.
7. Find a signature item. More often than not, people who are respected for their style tend to be because of one or several signature items they are seen with. Whether it's a headband, a bow tie, belts, fragrance, or hair ornaments, having a signature item makes it easier for you to stand out as an individual and also for people to see you as one. It makes your more interesting and can possibly inspire others to be like you.
8. Get an icon. What do you want your personal style to say about you? If someone could sum up your style in five words or less, what would they say? Take these answers and then find someone whether famous or not who you feel embodies these qualities and take from their style. Doing so will help you to adopt those qualities and allow you to make what you wear your own.
9. Confidence. Creating a new personal style takes a great deal of confidence because you are taking a risk by stepping outside of your comfort zone. Confidence lets others know that this is the new you and that you expect good things out of it. And if the change is big enough, people will change the way they see you. No longer will you be an irrelevant Plain Jane but you will have evolved into a full-fledged Glamazon.
10. Like it! If you wear a style that you don't feel comfortable in, then everyone else will notice it too. The key word in personal style is personal. It's all up to you to find out who and what you want to be. Don't let anyone else's expectations, feelings, or tastes dictate your personal style. When you find something that you fall in love with, go for it and go for it hard. People will respect you for being you and if they can't, they know where the door is.