Everybody knows that clothes could make or break the woman…or man. From the tailored work wear to the glamorous evening wear to the hospital scrub suits, clothes are able to tell a story of the person wearing them – who they are and where they are headed.

Even after a typical workday, what we ultimately choose to wear stills gives a reflection of our personalities. From sweat suits to wet suits, the clothes we wear are meant not only to be functional, but also to be fashionable.

Clothes are able to tell onlookers what the person wearing it is like and how he or she spends his or her time. Sports franchise logos are usually displayed on Main Street America. Shirts printed with famous film, music and television icons are present everywhere. Clothes are obviously great media of advertisements and messages and people from all walks of life have begun to realize that we have the responsibility of choosing which printed shirts we will wear, if we decide to wear them, at all.

Today, more than ever, politics have entered the fashion scene. Blatant political slogans and phrases have become more and more prevalent on the shirts of people than car bumpers. Some articles of clothing have actually advertised some candidates and political parties and have actually been purchased by some individuals. However, are there any options for those who want to make their agenda a bit subtle? There are, with the union of clothing and socially conscious art. Some clothing retailers, who are less political and more fashionable, have designed pieces, which display the balance of the medium and the message.

Making use of art as the means of exchange and clothes as the canvas, these clothiers are supplying people with a way to express themselves in fact and in figure. Is there a better way for entrepreneurs and business owners to be able to meet the public demands, which is concentrated on reflecting their belief in style and substance?

We love search engines, but they run on algorithms, not creative juices. It’s never okay to wear a white tie with a frilled shirt, but try asking a search engine this, and it would only send you to sites that will sell you a frilled shirt or a tie, if not both. This is where Goddiva’s Top 10 Fashion Websites enters the picture. We love fashion, that’s a given, but we also have the fashion chops to back this liking with. We chose our top ten sites based on our working knowledge of what works and what doesn’t. We look for depth and breadth and diversity. We look for sites that know the fashion landscape, sites with that je ne sais quoi that makes them stand out from the million and one other websites online.

1. www.style.com

This site is the online home of Vogue – and rightly so. After all, Style.com is a fashion powerhouse. With over 58,000 runway looks to check out, you can choose to do your browsing by trend, season, or designer. You can keep yourself abreast with the latest in fashion, click through Vogue’s photos, get the latest dibs on parties, people, and what the gorgeous people are wearing, or share your opinion in fashion forums. Style.com is what every store claims it is but actually isn’t – a one-stop shop for the fashionable and stylish. It’s so complete and up-to-date it has made many fashion magazines obsolete.

2. fashionplanet.worldofsl.com

This site is a fashion magazine – only better. It’s accessible online, is updated regularly, and covers everything that’s hottest and latest in the industry, from trends to collections, from personalities to lifestyles around the world.

3. www.dailyfashion.com

This fashion community of “real girls” (and by real, we take it this is no place for the irritatingly stunning and skinny) is where you can read about fashion trends, finds, do’s and don’ts, and advice from style experts. You can also log on to this site for daily fashion tips or check out what girls around the world have to say style-wise.

4. www.askmen.com/fashion/index.html

Real men are not scared of fashion and this site is perfect proof of that. AskMen.com’s trends, tips, and commentaries empower males the whole world over to flex their style muscles and show the world it’s not queer to be trendy – pun intended, of course.

5. lifestyle.msn.com/BeautyandFashion

MSN’s fashion section offers excellent updates, photos, interviews, behind-the-scenes footage, and articles the likes of which you never see elsewhere. And if you’re into the funny and the snarky, then MSN fashion critic and writer Kat Giantis will have you in stitches over her tongue-in-cheek reports of celebrity style booboos.

6. thesartorialist.blogspot.com

Former retail store owner and fashion marketer Scott Schuman goes around the world taking photos of well-dressed people on the street. His blog may have begun as a hobby but it has long since turned him into a celebrated fashion photographer and Style.com reporter.

7. www.firstview.com

First View is the next best thing to getting seated front row in all of the world’s best fashion shows. Past and current collections, upcoming shows, the who, where, and what of fashion – you name it, First View has it.

8. www.women.com/style

Celeb fashion news, fashion tips, trends, and releases – all these and more are packed in the site’s Weekly Top 10.

9. www.fashion.net

Want to become an industry insider? Visit this site daily for your daily update of snippets and photos about fashion trends.

10. www.fashionoffice.org

Take a major online magazine and partner it with three other style sites (stylerader.com, confashion.com, and beautyme.com). What do you get? A site so comprehensive it turns fashion into a science.

Now you know. If it’s fashion you want to brush up on, these sites have your back. Happy browsing!

It is only now that the greater part of the population are migrating to audio books. Only a few years ago, conventional book lovers had to buy paperbacks or the hardcover to read the works of their favorite authors. People have realized by now that not only are audio books easy to use and more convenient than traditional print, they are equally if not more entertaining. Besides, these audio books cover almost all genre so one gets to enjoy what ever he likes — mystery and suspense, romance, science-fiction or adventure. Those who have taken to listening to audio books normally obtain their copies from the bigger establishments like Audible, the current market leader. Although industry competition is stiff, demand for audio books is still on the rise. This is indeed one great business opportunity that you must not pass up. Open your own audio book online store and do not be afraid to play with the big boys.

Audible tops all others in the distribution of audio books with annual revenues exceeding $80 million. Yes, they are that big but that should not discourage you from starting your own audio book online store. You too can aim for that spot but first you have to establish your own audio book online store and sign up a good number of regular subscribers so you can recoup your investments, realize profits, and plan for your expansion.

It is not really a secret, but the key to your success in the business is to develop your own loyal membership base that would be more than willing to pay the monthly subscription of $10 to $15 so they can get to listen to at least two audio books. You need to calculate your costs and operating expenses to determine your break-even which should be the least number of subscribers you need to keep you in the black. Then factor in your investments and your desired profit so you can estimate your target number of members.

When you open your own audio book online store, explore possible drop ship sources for your audio books. Your suppliers can ship the ordered items directly to your customers. Effectively, you are cutting down on the amount of time and money necessary to maintain and manage the inventory of books, packing and shipping them out. While there are fees involved — first the setup fee and then the drop fee per order, you are given more free time to focus on marketing and generating new subscriptions. If you wish, you may do a cost-benefit analysis to help you decide if the drop shop system is the best option for your own audio book online store.

Drop shipping seems to be the most practical arrangement for anyone with limited resources who want to open his own audio book store. Funds need not be tied up and inventory and there is no need for space to keep all those stocks of books. The process is simple. As the outlet, you will take orders for the different audio books and collect the payment at your retail price rate. Then, you will need to forward the order to your drop shipper/supplier and remit your own payment at wholesale price plus the drop fee. This may cost you about half of the sales amount you received from your customer. The drop shipper/supplier now takes responsibility for packaging and shipping the order to your customer. This system almost limits your costs to promoting your own audio book online store. Other than luck, you would need perseverance, good marketing strategies and effective advertising. And with the right attitude, you are on your way to be the proud owner of a successful audio book online store.