Industry Terminology

*This will be on test #2*

Here are a few words that are important to know in the fashion & fragrance industry. Remember to study and actually learn the words because when selling/buying you want to be educated in your field and the more you know the more you can keep your customer interested and wanting to know more! You want to sell customers clothes that you know work for there body type and explain to them why it works best for them.

1.A-Line- A dress or skirt silhouette that is narrower at the top, flaring gently wider toward the bottom thereby resembling the letter A. Works well on most figure types; good for disguising bottom-heavy figures.
2.Basque Waist- A low U or V silhouette. Providing an illusion of length, the basque waist is an extremely flattering dress style and good on most body types.
3.Empire- A type of dress or top where the waist line is raised above the natural waistline, sometimes as high as right below the bust. Best on slender-on-top or petite figures, the empire dress creates the illusion of length and camouflages a bottom-heavy figure or thick waist.
4.Sheath dress- features a figure-hugging silhouette with a defined waist (no belt or waistband). This short (mid-calf or shorter) dress works well in sleeveless styles on well-toned bodies.
5.Faux pas- a false step; a error in style judgement.
6.Cashmere- any wool under 19 microns thick and raised in other parts of the world.
7.Eau De Toilette- a scent that has a softer fragrance.
8.Eau De Cologne- has have a softer fragrance. An EDC has the same level of fragrance as an EDT.
9.Eau De Parfum- this type of fragrance has a more concentrated scent.
10.Body- a term used to refer to the main theme or heart of a perfume, can also be used to refer to a perfume that’s well-rounded or full.

Update

Due to my laptop crashing I had couldn't post to the class this weekend till today, sorry! I just wanna discuss a few things....

-Those who took the first test did a great job and everyone passed with good scores. The next test will be this Friday on everything that I will discuss this week.

-I will post the next learning section tonight, so please look over it and study for your next test.

-The essay contest ends TOMORROW (Wednesday)

-I am waiting for some mark. products to come in and when they do I will post videos so we can discuss them! Until then, this week I will post a video version of Fashion DO's & DON'Ts

-I was thinking about doing a live chat with you guys this week, I will post the information by tomorrow for sure

TEST #1 and Essay Contest

HEY GUYS!
Test #1 is now open and you have till Monday July 11th at 5pm to take it. It has 8 questions and you have 30 minutes to complete it. The test covers 2 sections, Industry In Review and the 1st installment of Fashion Do's & Don'ts.

Here is the link to the test, just copy and paste it into the url bar:
http://www.proprofs.com/quiz-school/story.php?title=test-1_288

Also, I will like to announce an essay contest for the course!
Email me at RoniStylezNY@aol.com atleast two paragraphs on why you want to be in the fashion & fragrance industry, which job are you looking to do in this industry and what is something you are hoping to learn more about in the position you want to do. You have till July 13th to send me your essay. There will be a prize for the best essay entry!

I hope ya'll are enjoying the course so far. Remember, if theres anything you want me to discuss please email me!
GOOD LUCK : )

Fashion DO's & DON'Ts Post #1: Summer Work Outfits

For our first weekly installment of "Fashion DO's & DON'Ts", I want to discuss looks for those working in the fashion industry during this HOT summer.

You want to make sure you look fashionable professional because your trying to sell a product to a client who, in all honesty, will look at you like your crazy if you are looking like a fashion hot mess! You want to look like you know what your speaking about. Here are a few tips to follow.

DO go for dresses you can breath in!
Floaty looks in light fabrics are always the way to go to keep you from feeling "icky" and having your clothes stick to you in the heat. With bright colors and patterns, your sure to stand out.

DON'T go bare!
Dresses that are too tight, too short and show too much skin are unprofessional and will have you uncomfortable in the heat.

DO wear fun covered up wedges like Michelle Williams has on.
They will look great with dresses, pants and skirts and wont have your feet hot and sweaty from wearing pumps.

DON'T wear flip flops!
They are way too casual and you don't work on the beach.

DO feel free to show your arms.
There's nothing wrong with showing your arms in the "professional" world, regardless of what you may hear, just stay classy by not pairing it with cleavage and an exposed back.

DON'T wear strapless,open back or deep vneck tops.
Unless you pair them with a cardigan or blazer stay away from it! You will be showing to much skin which is always unprofessional.

So what are your favorite professional looks for this summer? Leave a comment and discuss!

The Fashion & Fragrance Industry in Review

*This will be on Test 1*

There are so many career opportunity's in this field, the list can go on forever! I want you guys to look over the ones that I found are the most popular. You will need to know these for your first test. In the future of this course I will talk about fashion merchandising, design, marketing and styling separate because all of these jobs listed below are tied into them in some way. It’s a huge industry and there are a multitude of jobs available, you can find one to suit your temperament and talents.
Remember, when creating your own business in the fashion & fragrance industry, ALL of these things are important to bring everything together.

1.Retail Sales: Retail sales people help customers find what they are looking for in stores and other establishments. They try to interest them in buying the merchandise. This job is a great start to begin a career in fashion so you can gain experience in the industry.

2.Fashion Buyer: Fashion buyers typically work for department stores, retail chains, independently owned stores or wholesale distributors. Their jobs might seem easy, what's not to like about buying apparel with someone else's money, to the tune of thousands or even millions of dollars? But if your not willing to work hard you just won't make it in this field. As a fashion buyer, you're responsible for:
The Past- You need to understand how certain items have sold in previous years to predict how similar items might sell.
The Present- You must be in constant contact with the retail staffers who are actually selling the apparel you've purchased to determine if it's moving. You also have to continuously analyze complex sales reports to see if your company should buy more of a particular item or sell it to customers at a higher or lower price.
The Future- Using your knowledge of industry trends and forecasts, you have to predict two or even three years out which apparel and accessories will sell and at what price. So you need to continually stay educated on the industry and trends by reading as many of the top fashion and industry publications as possible and attending various fashion events.

3.Visual Presentation: Are you theatrical? Good with props? Creative? Welcome to your new career! Store windows are only one of many options for visual presentation. You plan commercial displays to entice and appeal to customers, develop ideas or plans for merchandise displays or window decorations and consult with advertising and sales staff to determine type of merchandise to be featured and time and place for each display. Museum exhibits, fashion shows, and showrooms all use this technique so you if you love different job settings this is perfect for you.

4.Production Management: This is front line of fashion. Production managers are responsible for getting textiles and clothing made at the manufacturing level. They work with suppliers and retailers to make sure of a quality production. This field has potential to be an exciting and also very challenging. The decisions made at the production level can have long-reaching economic implications. Some fashion schools offer Production Management as a degree option. The job requires some business training and you should have a fascination with how things are made.

5.Public Relations: PR is the middle man between a product and a retailer or consumer. PR reps are in charge of keeping a brand’s image squeaky clean and making sure people are talking about it. Their job is to make a brand seem appealing. A charming and friendly personality is an absolute must in this field. A degree in communications, marketing, or business–along with the all-important internships–will get you there.

6.Perfumer: Perfumers typically work for a fragrance house and come up with aroma formulas for a client's product, be it a perfume, shampoo, candle or furniture polish. The field is small. There are only about 300 members of the American Society of Perfumers and likely no more than 1,000 official perfumers worldwide.

7.Product Manager: Beauty product managers usually work for companies/brands to launch products such as perfumes or make up. They are in charge of managing the new product from inception to the launch of the product. For each new product they will have to do presentations to get investors and help with the advertisement process for the launch.

**For your test you will need to know the job description of each of these jobs.**

Video: Intro To Class

Here's a video explaining more about the syllabus and you get to meet me, your instructor : ) You may need earphones since the audio is kind of low, sorry!

SYLLABUS FOR FASHION & FRAGRANCE 101

Fashion & Fragrance 101
INSTRUCTOR: RONDA ALLEN
“Fashion fades, only style remains the same.” – Coco Chanel

This course is for those interested in fashion merchandising, fashion design, wardrobe styling and fashion marketing. If your just getting started with your career in fashion, already have a few years under your belt, or just trying to figure out what path to take in the fashion world, this course is perfect for you.
This course is designed for you to have fun. I want you to finish this course having a love for fashion that you never realized you had!

Fashion & Fragrance 101 WILL REVIEW THE FOLLOWING:
Industry Review
Industry Terminology
Getting Started/Marketing Yourself
Trends
Fragrance Categories
Fragrance Notes
Fashion Merchandising
Fashion Design
Fashion Marketing
Fashion Styling
Working With Clients/Sellers/Buyers
Fashion Do’s and Don’ts
Putting a “look” together

There will be aleast one test per week, dates to be determined. Please contact me anytime if you have any questions RoniStylezNY@aol.com

*ALWAYS LOOK AT THE TOP TABS PORTION OF THIS BLOG FOR INFORMATION I MAY POST*