Postcards From Across The Pond

postcards

Postcards may seem a little redundant now, since we’re so used to being instantly connected to one another from opposite sides of the world. Maybe that’s why they now have a certain charm, and the novelty of sending someone a message that takes a week to arrive in the mail but lasts a lifetime is actually something people are impressed by all over again.

The origins of the modern day postcard are, as with many of our favourite inventions, somewhat unclear. Various countries saw important milestones in the development of the product that later became a phenomenon. For example, the first postcard is credited to the London-based writer Theodore Hook in 1840, and featured a hand-painted image on one side. The first commercially produced postcards were made in the US eight years later, complete with Hymen Lipman branding but without images. It wasn’t until more than 20 years later that printed picture postcards started being produced in France, Austria, Germany and eventually Great Britain. Continue Reading

Element E-Liquids

Element e-Liquid

Element e-LiquidVaping is a trend that has taken off in many countries in just a few short years. Since e-cigarettes were first developed only just over a decade back, the smoking substitute has been taken up by a whole new crowd. Many vapers are not even interested in tobacco cigarettes, but enjoy using mods – large devices for vaporising more advanced e-liquids. Many American brands offer some of the finest e-liquids available to vapers, and one of those is Element, a company enjoying success in both the US and the UK. After originally starting in the States, you can now buy Element e-liquids from many outlets in the UK and throughout Europe.

Element has a strong brand identity, and they’re vocal about how proud they are to be American. Not only are their e-liquids created in the USA, they also use American ingredients to produce them, including the top quality nicotine they source from within the country. When it comes to e-liquids, the most serious enthusiasts are very interested in the quality of the ingredients used, so this focus does a lot for Element’s image. Continue Reading

Designer Kids’ Clothing Goes Global

The biggest names on fashion including Gucci, Fendi and many more started bringing designer labels to the childrens’ clothing market less than ten years ago on a large scale, but already that trend has exploded in both the US and the UK. Some of the most popular ranges in the UK now are Fred Perry and Lacoste boys polo shirts, Replay jeans, Scotch Shrunk kids’ clothing and Lamborghini footwear, plus at the highest end of the market you still have the likes of Versace, Armani and Dolce & Gabbana. These are all readily available in popular online stores like Papillon Kids Clothing.

Not much originates from America on this list, but that’s not necessarily where the connection comes in. Although most of the most famous high-end fashion houses are European, it’s often the American market that gets the new trends first as the biggest retail giants in the US get exclusive deals and market new ranges worldwide. This started happening a few years ago when the high profile fashion outlets of New York City’s famous Fifth Avenue started launching new designer ranges for kids and putting massive marketing budgets and celebrity endorsements behind them. Continue Reading