Two social profilers have published a fascinating aggregation of photographs of people on the street that makes a compelling point about the prevalence of a recognizable and infinitely replicable style in a variety of cities over the years. To wit: All of the above photographs were shot of young women on the streets of Paris in 2008.

German photographer Ari Versluis and social researcher Ellie Uyttenbroek have been collaborating on the Exactitudes project since 1994, cataloging hundreds of fashion followers who, without knowing it, were adhering to a narrowly-defined dress code that identifies the wearer as part of a certain group.

As Versluis and Uyttenbroek write of their findings:

[The photographs] provide an almost scientific, anthropological record of people’s attempts to distinguish themselves from others by assuming a group identity. The apparent contradiction between individuality and uniformity is, however, taken to such extremes in their arresting objective-looking photographic viewpoint and stylistic analysis that the artistic aspect clearly dominates the purely documentary element.

We’ve certainly seen this at work on a number of the more popular street-style blogs — which we love, but many of them blend together stylistically. E.S. readers, are you surprised by the level of conformity in these collages?

(via TheGlamourai.com)

We just saw Nine last night and were swooning in our seats over the gorgeous costumes from 1960s Italy. All that glamour and slinkiness and femininity — meow!

So we were delighted today to find this slideshow entitled “Movie costumes that started fashion trends” on the Los Angeles Times website. Some of them you’re familiar with — Diane Keaton popularizing menswear in Annie Hall, Jennifer Beals’s legwarmers and off-the-shoulder tops in Flashdance, Faye Dunaway rocking the beret in Bonnie & Clyde — but some were surprises. We hadn’t considered that Brad Pitt in Fight Club was the one responsible for bringing back vintage tees and ’70s-era colored leather jackets (particularly among hipster enclaves, the L.A. Times notes), but the timeline fits.

Some of these movies we had completely forgotten about. (Gleaming the Cube and its asymmetrical haircuts, anyone? Time to reorganize the Netflix queue!)

Which of these have at one time or another influenced your personal style?

One of the freshest trends to catch our eye recently is the knit beret. It sounds so out there but it looks amazingly cool with jeans and a boyfriend blazer. Or get cozy by the fireplace wearing it with a cocoon sweater and cords.

Sure, you could pick up a version from Topshop or Forever 21, but there’s no guarantee the hat hasn’t been made in sweatshops. There are plenty of stylish handmade or otherwise eco options — check out what we’ve found:

• Unbleached linen with a smattering of sparkle. SpinningStreak’s Big Hair Hat, $28 at Etsy.
• Channel your inner Parisian with this vintage red-and-blue pick from the 1960s. Basque Deluxe Beret, $22 at FancyDisaster.com.
• This cable knit goes from ski lodge to street in an instant. Beaumont Organic Chunky Cable Hat, £30 ($49.79 in USD) at Fashion-Conscience.com.
• Warm fleece lining and sequins mean function has officially met form. EmeraldAngel’s Sequin Berets in three colors, $23.99 at Etsy.com.
• Say yes to chunky knits with this hand-crocheted design. Nixon “Joyride” Hand Knit Beret, $22 at Karmaloop.com.

Everyone seems to have given up bling out of respect for the recession, so now to stand out, more and more fashionistas are relying on billowing silhouettes to make a statement.

Because we are believers that for every trend there’s an ethical option out there, we’ve put together this slideshow of this season’s cocoon sweaters, over-the-knee boots, oversize jewelry, and other exaggerated details that made their way into the collective fashion consciousness this year.

Click on any image below to launch the slideshow.

The fall fashion shows are winding down, but one trend was very clear across continents and runways: Accessories are where it’s at this season. And that goes for ethical fashionistas, too, of course.

So with that in mind, we present to you E.S.’s 24th magazine issue: Ethical Accessories.

• First, we cover the trends — learn here what they are and who is pioneering the hottest styles.
• Next, Kara Cook, our DIY Doyenne, talks you through pearl jewelry, one of the hottest trends in fall accessories. Whether you go real or faux, she has the secret to making them work.
• Grechen Cohen from GreenGrechen.com was awesome enough to share with us her picks for the best recycled leather handbags, from under $50 to over $600.
• And because we’re always conscious of your budget, we’ve put together this list of ethically produced scarves under $30. Your toasty necks will thank us this winter.
• Finally, once you have all the bags, belts, baubles, scarves, and shoes you need in your arsenal, we show you how the crème de la crème of personal style put all the pieces together. They make it look easy, and you can too.

The stylist who suddenly quit on Mark Fast last week because he hired three plus models to walk in his show has offered an explanation:

The stylist who walked out on designer Mark Fast because he used “large” models in his fashion show says she quit not because of their generous proportions but because they didn’t have the right walk.

“The walk is very important,’’ says Erika Kurihara.

We didn’t say it was a good explanation. Plus models can’t walk? Please. We can’t help but feel that it’s fashion-industry sentiments like Kurihara’s that are pushing curvier models to diet down.

Take British supermodel Lara Stone as an example, who at a size 4 says she is tired of being “the fat one” and is now taking drastic steps to make herself smaller.

It’s a ridiculous (not to mention disordered) assertion. Just ask Lizzi Miller: Curvy models are having a moment. Don’t lose what makes you stand out.

The boho-loving Rachel Zoe may be one of the most controversial stylists in Hollywood — did she really tell Nicole Richie and Lindsay Lohan to take diet pills? — but her impact on trends over the past few years has been undeniable.

She recently gave an interview to the tabloid OK! about her new accessories line for QVC.com. She hinted that she may have an ethical code beneath her glamorous veneer:

Tell us about your new accessories line, Rachel Zoe for QVC.
A lot of my stuff isn’t more than $100. The idea is to give everyone access and help people who are intimidated by fashion but want great style. The line includes faux-fur vests, jewelry, hats, scarves, bags and sunglasses.

Are you anti-fur?
I understand the [thinking] behind saying it’s wrong to wear fur. But then you can make the argument that it’s wrong to wear leather and suede. Where does it end? 

["My Zoe-Called Life," OK! Magazine, September 7, 2009 print edition]

The collection drops tomorrow, but you can catch a sneak peek at her designs here.

You know who we love? People who make no apologies for their fashion sense. Whether it’s Rihanna rocking piles of pearls and a pompadour at the London premiere of Inglourious Basterds or Lady Gaga using a teacup as a fashion accessory, we say: bring on the crazy. Don’t explain yourself to anyone.

But some fashion comes with a lot of ethical explanations. Which items are worth apologizing for? We explore that question in E.S. #22, themed “Justify My Love.”

• Kara just made her first major bag purchase — and it is a stunner. But read up here on her inner monologue before plunking down the cash for a leather carryall by Kate Spade.
• Madison took a crack at breaking down why high-end goodies carry such high price tags. Are they worth it? Find out here.
• And speaking of breaking stuff down, plastics are often used in fashion as a substitute for animal skins (think fur and leather). But even though these items are vegan-approved doesn’t mean they get a free pass environmentally.
• Lastly, we recently screened the PBS documentary Made in L.A. and found it very moving (and relevant, given how American Apparel laid off of 1,500 illegal immigrants last week). Read our take on this Emmy-winning film.
• And remember — you get extra credit for remembering one or more of the blog stories we feature in Seam Ripper!

The Associated Press got us thinking with an article today about how the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have not affected current fashion trends — at least not to the extent that previous wars did.

World War II changed the way Americans dressed forever, the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute says.

Because of rationing of materials, domestic manufacturers began using nylon and rayon as alternatives to silk and wool, and the silhouettes became much leaner — requiring much less fabric.

Style cues were no longer coming from occupied Paris, so American designers stepped up to develop their own casual, separates-driven sensibility. The public was eager to show off its patriotism, making brass buttons and bomber jackets trendy items.

“You haven’t seen the military details in fashion now the way you had previously seen them during wars or in the ironic ways they were worn by the counterculture during Vietnam,” says Andrew Bolton, associate curator at Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute in New York.

Why do you think that is? Is it because we’re a much richer country now, and rationing textiles isn’t necessary? Or might it be because the wars are largely unpopular with the public (and especially among left-leaning designers)?

The recession moratorium on sequins is over at last! Apparently. Lisa Armstrong thinks so at the London Times, at least:

“Dust them off, bring them down, lighten up.”

It’s good advice.

We would add one thing: If you’re in the market for new sequins, think twice about the new and cheap. For starters, you be leaving shiny bits all over town (fun for a minute but quickly gets out of hand).

More seriously, though, sequined garments are very labor-intensive. If it’s an unbelievable bargain, someone has probably already paid at some point in the process.

We logged some time on a few vintage sites this afternoon and found their sequin selections noticeably inferior to Etsy. The dress above with amazing plunging neckline is $135.  But we can’t help but draw your attention to these 1980s French style heels too if you are a size 7 1/2. Show stoppers!