YOU ASK, I ANSWER

blayreport - blaynistas, yesterday, "anonymous" asked if it's possible to order clothes online from h&m. unfortunately, the answer is no. however, i encourage you to log on to their website as they have a very large number of stores world wide! it is also possible to get some of these collaboration pieces from sites like ebay, as a lot of people buy them in bulk then turn around to sell them online.

JESSICA & ANONYMOUS: THIS ONE'S FOR YOU

worldwide - i gotta say, I LOVE how much my wonderful blaynistas are commenting. thanks for all your responses. i wanted to shine i light on questions asked by jessica and a fellow blaynista a few days back. essentially both wanted to know: "What type of fashion jobs pay well?"

can i hug you for asking? a friend and i were JUST having a very long and drawn out discussion on the irony of the fashion industry: many folks design, write about, and promote luxurious objects, but can't actually afford to write about it - at least not on their salary. simply put, no matter the design house, fashion magazine, or stylish p.r firm - many folks in fashion simply don't get paid a lot. based on my experience (i have to stress that part! my answer is very subjective and pertains to my own professional history and those of close friends around me) the average salary for fashion professionals generally starts at $30,000 and tops up around $75,000. that's for the rank and file, but those in the upper echelons of this industry and successful entrepreneurs in fashion are often making four times as much or more.

now i know that a lot of fashion industry professionals read this blog, so i welcome your responses and your figures. it's fun to talk about what to buy, but i am loving this dialogue on how to actually afford it. jessica and anonymous, i hope this helped. you've inspired me to talk about stuff like this in depth on this blog, so look forward to exclusives on this issue. in the meantime my dear readers, blog back on fashion industry salaries. i'd love to know your thoughts.

YOU ASK, I ANSWER: WHERE TO FIND INTENSHIPS IN NEW YORK CITY

the blay report - yesterday, one of your fellow blaynistas, MT, asked a VERY SERIOUS question - "Where can a young,straight,minority like myself find a good summer internship in the city? Where did you intern?" so this photo has NOTHING to do with the post. but just thought i'd share. it's a vintage self-portrait of me and my beloved little sister, zeba blay. i live for that girl! she's my inspiration. (zeba blay)

MT, my dear, you came to the right place. as you know, i am a published fashion writer whose work has been featured every from instyle to vibe magazines. in addition. i currently cover style and culture for the huffington post and paper magazine online. how did i get started? INTERNSHIPS. since the age of fourteen (no joke) i've interned for just about every newsletter, newspaper, radio station, and sports team that intrigued me. some of the places include vibe magazine, complex magazine, syracuse university basketball team, npr, the bergen record and - of course - seventeen magazine and instyle magazine. i won't say that it's easy to get an internship. but it's definitely not hard either. what complicates it is that YOU HAVE to distinguish yourself, something a lot of people - especially young folks - don't often know how to do. handing in a well done resume along with a solid cover letter is one way, among many. that said, at the end of the day the publishing industry lives off of interns. the truth is there are lots and lots of openings around, all you have to do is a little bit of leg work. if your resume is ready call up magazines you are intersted in (numbers are right in the magazine or on website) to inquire about the internship hiring process. OR simply go to my favorite professional site - ed2010.com - almost every magazine looking for an intern posts on their whisper jobs section. i just checked out the site and there are DOZENS of magazines which need them. so log on now (and then come back to the blay report). hope that helps mt. keep bringing those questions my way!

YOU ASK, I ANSWER: WILL CASIO/CITIZEN'S TIME ADJUSTING WATCHES BE DIGITAL?

an example of casio's time adjusting watches released a year or two ago. (watchreport.com)

the blay report - yesterday, one of your fellow blaynista's asked me if casio and citizen's new watches would be digital. i have done some research on this and haven't been able to come up with a confirmation. but i can CONFIDENTLY say that it will be a digital watch. why? i found some examples of casio watches with similar technology online and they are all digital. hope that helps.

YOU ASK - I ANSWER

yesterday, after reading the 6/4 post , "payless does it again" jazzlady asked?


"Oh, that is so exciting When can we expect to see the product of this joint effort on payless shelves?.This summer? I cannt wait!!!!! Keep up with the fassip girl. jazzlady. "


i answer:

hey girl! i am doing my best to keep up the fab fassip and readers like yourself make it all worth while! i mean, i am up at the crack of dawn trying to get that good fashion juice to you all! okay. i digress. to answer your wonderful question: spring 2008 is when you can expect these shoes to be available. so that's almost a years wait. according to digital50.com, the shoes will be on sale at both payless shoe stores nation wide as well as alice + olivia boutiques. alice + olivia, which is run (and i believe created) by stacy bendet joins patricia field, abaete and lela rose as guest designers for payless. being cheap never felt so luxurious!

YOU ASK - I ANSWER

after checking out may 28th's fashion fix, "anonymous" asked:

"that tunic dress is cool but a bit pricey for my budget. Where can I grab one by the way? Thanks!"

my answer:
anonymous, i feel you! $70 for a cotton tunic is definitely a bit much! but what you are paying for is a vibrant, unique print which you won't find everywhere! if you are willing to save and spring for that exact dress, then visit topshop.com to get one. you will probably get slammed with extra delivery fees, since topshop is based in the uk. but, if you want something similar, i suggest you check out urban outfitters. you didn't specify where you live, but urban outfitters is a national store - plus you can purchase their stuff online. they often have african-inspired print dresses and tops. if you live in the new york city area, i suggest taking a stroll through soho, where street vendors sell african print tunics/dresses by the dozens. or better yet, head to brooklyn where street merchants sell similar items. i hope you found this helpful!