Fashion's rules unraveling -- chicagotribune.com

The Internet has become the world's front-row seat to fashion. You don't have to rummage through crowded store racks or pay for a personal shopper; the Web will do it for you. Aggregator sites and social networks give anyone insider status, offering up-to-the-minute news about sales and new merchandise. Runway photos are posted online minutes after the shows end, and style how-to's are not confined to magazines.

The Internet's share of retail clothing sales has been well documented. Although apparel sales overall are down 7.1 percent in the period from July 2007 to July 2009, online sales have grown 12.6 percent, according to the NPD Group, a market research firm...