Alt.fashion is a term dedicated to the discussion of all aspects of fashion. Clothing, designers, stores, makeup, hair, style, are all parts of our photographic interest. Ours er's towards the fringes, the edges of alternative fashion.

The question is 'Is wearing x still in style?. The sensible answer is generally, these questions are most often answered with a "If you feel comfortable wearing it, and it reflects your style, by all means wear it." The fashion industry is fickle and it is a ridiculous and impractical goal to reflect the very essence of up-to-the-minute fashion at all times. If you are worried about wearing a trend that is outdated, you can always call it retro! Fashion is me too. Style is me only (As quoted from a sig. in alt.fashion. I think Givenchy said this originally.). On that same note, don't feel compelled to follow trends that you don't feel comfortable wearing in order to maintain the status quo. Chances are if you feel uncomfortable wearing it, you won't be reflecting your own personal style anyway. Let your personality carry it off. Style is what sets one apart. Your unique likes in terms of colors, lines, time periods, and textures are all apart of what makes your style yours... and it is yours alone. It is what you are naturally attracted to and reflects your personality and sense of aesthetics. It means taking current trends and discriminating what is for you vs. what isn't. Inability to separate personal sense of style from what is currently in vogue is an easy formula for becoming a fashion victim.

Look at people whose dress and style you admire. This includes clothing, hair, and makeup. Why do you admire it? What is it that you admire, and would you feel comfortable wearing it? Are you comfortable being stared at--if so, you are probably more comfortable wearing things more on the edge. If you are more shy, you probably feel better in conservative clothing. What is appropriate attire for your job? All these things determine your basic style.

Image consultants specialize in helping you coordinate a wardrobe that is uniquely your own. Color analysts can determine what colors will naturally work with your hair, skin and eye color.

Skin type is usually divided into four categories: normal, combination, oily, and dry. There are also variations in between such as "normal/oily", "normal/dry". Pore size is usually an accurate indicator of skin type, with oilier skins having larger pores and drier skins having smaller, less visible pores. Oily skin is often (but not always) associated with frequent blemishes and dry skin is often (but not always) accompanied by flaking, tight skin.Combination skin is usually defined as oiliness in the "T" zone (forehead, nose and chin) with dryness on the cheeks.

Haute couture is literally translated as "high needlework" or loosely as "high fashion". Not to be confused with "haut-le-coeur" ("high the heart") which means dry retching(!). Haute couture is the stuff that is not "ready to wear" which means it's often a) enormously expensive and b) unwearable. All that weird stuff with baskets, breastplates and theme makeup or accessories (like green skin or huge, wierd horns on the head) is haute couture. It's not really meant to be fashion so much as wearable art, and not many people buy the stuff as serious clothing. It shows some range/imagination/creativity and whets the appetite for the ready-to-wear collections. And if you examine the stuff closely, it really is exquisitely made, however ridiculous it looks.