It's the country that gave us such fashion exports as Burberry, Kate Moss, Twiggy and... hedgehogs? The Budget Babe's International Shopping Advisor Fifi LaMode shares her keen insights on culture, shopping and style in England today. —TBB



by Fifi LaMode
During a recent trip to the UK I mused how things have changed. In addition to becoming an increasingly multicultural society, they've also gotten expensive. Smart American shoppers used to buy "knickers" (undies) at Marks & Spencers, but when the cheapest pair costs 5 pounds (10 dollars) and we get 5 for $25 at Victoria's Secret, that's not so smart any more, is it? There are things, however, which are uniquely British in style, quality and value that have not changed over the years.

Some of the things the Brits do best:

1. Sheep and hedgehogs are all over the place: greeting cards, lawn ornaments, collectible chachkis. When you see the little beggars, you can't help but want to bring one back.

If you can't resist, get your fix with socks.

2. Nothing's warmer on those damp, rainy days than a comfy woolen jumper (we call them sweaters). Many towns have shops selling locally made wool products which are reasonably priced. Unfortunately, some of these stores have added cheaper fleece clothing to their inventory with machine-embroidered little animals (yep, hedgehogs and sheep). A couple of our favorite places for woolly goodies: Whitby on the Yorkshire coast, or Cockermouth in the Lake District.

3. Tea rooms are an English institution. You can sip tea and munch scones and clotted cream (yumm) during breaks from shopping. Our favorite towns for tea rooms: York and Harrogate. They also carry tea-related gift items, like tea pots, tea towels (i.e. dish cloths), salt and pepper shakers (often in the shape of sheep and hedgehogs ), etc., and something called a "tea cosy" which looks like a dress for your teapot. I'm told this is to keep the teapot warm. (Don't you love it? "Jumpers" for the teapot!)

We were dismayed to learn recently that a division of cosmetics giant L'Oréal was found guilty of racial discrimination after it sought to exclude non-white women from promoting its shampoo.

In recruiting young women to hand out samples and discuss hairstyling with shoppers, L'Oreal unit Garnier stipulated women should be 18 to 22, size 38-42 (UK size 10-14) and "BBR", the initials for bleu, blanc, rouge, the colours of the French flag. It's well-known the code BBR means "white" French people and not those of north African, African and Asian backgrounds.

The company's official website features, for lack of a better word, a non-Caucasian model on the homepage. Then we clicked over to the Garnier - France website, which has a Flash intro featuring three more non-Caucasian models. When were these images put up? We can't say—elsewhere on the L'Oréal site you can find actress Penelope Cruz and singer Beyonce Knowles as spokesmodels.

At the same time, we wouldn't be surprised if the company's PR department is taking immediate steps to cover their derrières. And patch things up they must, because there's no excuse for racial discrimination in employment. It's a widespread problem, and it's not just in France. We hope this ruling sends the message that this kind of backward thinking is, quite simply, unacceptable.

Read the complete article here >>

We just had our first peek at the new offerings from GO design duo Libertine for Target which arrived in stores and online July 15. Yes, we're excited because frankly, we get excited over each new GO collection, and yes, we will be heading to a store near us to see it up close and personal as soon as possible.

Having said that, we're not that impressed with this line overall. Maybe the candy-coated punk-meets-prep look just isn't our style. However, there were a few cute, clever items involving skulls and whales. And we're total suckers for these mesmerizing, brightly colored cardigans made from 95% cotton, 5% cashmere. They're just plain yummy. For $29.99 a pop, we may have to get our fix with more than just one color combination.

Check out Libertine's collection and tell us what you think.

Since maxi dresses are all the rage these days, we thought this trick from Blueprint magazine might come in handy for the crafty fashionista:

To vary the look of a long, tiered dress, you can use shank buttons or safety pins to bustle up the longest layer. Learn how here.

Try it with this dress from Forever21.com...
Catalina Dress
$22.80
Long strapless summer dress features a mix of floral and geometric print, upper shirred elastic detail, ruffled skirt hem.

From Target.com—Patrick Robinson departed 7/14 (some items are still available on clearance, the best time to buy!)...and Libertine arrives today, 7/15, so if you're planning a trip to Tar-zhay today, be sure to check it out.

Related Links:
Libertine Next In Line for Target's GO International