Here are the most followed fashion brands in the giant social networking site: 1) Adidas (2,363,608 fans), 2) Nike (1,860,085 fans), 3) H&M (1,596,851 fans), 4) Puma (1,397,867), 5) Lacoste (1,226,680 fans), 6) Burberry (847,408 fans), 7) Ray-Ban (786,443 fans), Chanel (637,520 fans), 9) Gucci (566,775 fans) and 10) Ralph Lauren (561,395 fans).

Stylophane’s rankings on its lists are updated regularly and are divided into four categories: (Platinum: with more than 100,000 fans, Gold: between 10,000 and 100,000, Silver: between 1,000 and 10,000, Bronze: between 10 and 1,000).

The new line of swimwear for both men and women is going beyond the usual designs with asymmetric designs, bolder color and other geometric prints. The trend is observed in most major fashion brands.

Consumers, both men and women, are becoming more comfortable in wearing swimwear in outdoor locations which can be attributed in the increase in sales. More products are accentuating the body’s shape which makes fashion-conscious individuals work out more to get that enviable figure.

The report stated that United States and European market will greatly benefit from the trend as most of the consumers come from these countries.

The Australian National Maritime Museum in Sydney, Australia developed an event called “Exposed! The story of swimwear,” which showcases how swimwear fashion has progressed for the past century.

In the past, swimwear design has involved woolen garments that cover the area from the neck to the knees. In these modern times, a skimpy undergarment is becoming a common thing among men and women. Advanced swimwear that promotes “buoyancy” has been hitting the shelves and has gained support from the global market.

The museum will feature the collection of garments that were developed through the years. Organizers reported that there’s a steady influx of interested visitors from all over the world and they are planning to showcase the items in several cities across the country.

South Australia Maritime Museum Senior Curator Lindl Lawton said that swimwear has gone a long way and they have decided to play host of this historic event.

Stirling Group, makers of lingerie and modest swimwear, announced this week that it has closed down its factory located in Nottingham. About 48 jobs were lost with the latest move.

The company has been providing lingerie, knitwear, modest swimwear and other products to major retailers such as Marks & Spencer. However, it went into administration earlier last month which led the owners to come up with measures to save up on costs.

The company already let go 80 personnel in its head office in Cheshire and the story is not about to end there. Stirling group is still trading as of this week while waiting for a buyer.

The 48 posts were said to be redundant which led the company to let go of the employees. Bill Dawson, a partner in the reorganization of the company in Deloitte, said that they are exploring sale options while continuing with their operations. The company has branches in India and Sri Lanka.

In order to meet with the growing demand for custom swimwear, online retailer Swimsale.com has come up with its newest line of custom swimwear for women. The swimsuits are said to be created to meet the needs of women with different body sizes.

The owners of the online store stated that they believe that style can be achieved by all women, regardless of their size and the new range of swimwear further accentuates the claim with the customers guaranteed to feel even better about themselves.

The owners added that they are offering products from leading designers thus coming up with the best swimwear collection yet.

In order to attract more customers, Swimsale also lives up to its name by offering discounted rates on its products. The owners expect a spike in sales in the coming months as it anticipates a bigger revenue figures by the end of the fiscal year.

Supermodel Bar Refaeli is seen in a latest swimwear ad campaign where she showed off her womanly curves that seemed to say why DiCaprio could not just let go of the Israeli beauty despite their five-year “on and off” relationship.

The 24-year old is currently the new face of the Spring 2010 advertising campaign of clothing line Rampage. The shoot was reportedly made in the former home of socialite Paris Hilton in Los Angeles.

Refaeli was hired recently for the campaign and she replaced Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen for this gig. Coincidentally, Bundchen was a former lover of DiCaprio.

Reports last year surfaced that Refaeli and DiCaprio broke off their relationship in June but recent reports revealed that the two were once again seen together holidaying in South America and watching an NBA game in Los Angeles.

JJB reported that its revenue for the past 52 weeks ending January 24, 2010 was down 28 percent from the previous year. The company also saw some major changes in its board as David Jones has decided to step down as Chairman of the company due to health issues. He will still remain as a non-executive director of JJB Sports. Taking over his post is former DSGi chief executive John Clare.

The company is looking to hype up its sales considering that the London 2012 Olympic Games is getting nearer. The company has hired Mathew Pinsent as a non-executive director. Pinsent is a four-time Olympic gold medalist and is expected to contribute a lot in the company.

According to reports, more than 7,000 children’s zip hooded sweatshirts and hooded pullover sweatshirts that were distributed by New Mode Sportswear in Garden Grove in California are being pulled out from store shelves because the drawstring imposes a strangulation risk on users.

The aforementioned products were said to have been sold at various retail outlets at the West Coast from January to July 2006.

GTM Sportswear Inc in Manhattan, Kansas is recalling nearly 200,000 children’s hooded nylon jackets that were sold from January 2003 to December last year due to similar hazards.

The last recall notice involves toy jewelry sets that were imported from China. The items recalled are those sold from November 2008 to November 2009. The products for recall have not caused reported harm yet, according to reports.

In Britain, the sales of swimsuits and fur coats soared due to massive demand from residents. This is due to a colder temperature in the country which led to massive buying of fur coats and swimwear for Britons who are taking advantage of holiday packages and go to other warmer countries.

Debenhams, a major department store chain, revealed on Wednesday that the sales of faux-fur coats rose 22 percent compared to last year. As for thermal underwear, the sales spiked 14 percent.

Swimwear sales rose 125 percent as tour operators offer budget-friendly holiday packages that make it possible for Britons to make the escape from the cold weather.

Another retail giant, Marks & Spencer reported that the sales of their gloves, scarves, leggings and tights increased since the Christmas season. They are expecting further increases in sales in the coming days.

Just a little more than a year after amassing eight gold medals at the Beijing Olympics in swimming, Olympian Michael Phelps was noticeably struggling at the World Cup short-course meeting in Stockholm, Sweden this week. A big factor in this struggle is the return to traditional swimsuit by swimmers.

According to reports, after only wearing traditional swimsuit, Phelps placed 16th in the qualifying events which effectively eliminated him in the final round. Traditional swimsuit is now back after it became a standard once more starting January 1 next year.

Phelps revealed in past interviews that he was not in his best shape after the Olympics but his disappointing performance in this week’s meet was noticed by the media. He clocked 47.77 in the 100 meter qualifying event which is a far cry from Sweden’s Stefan Nystrand who led the race with 45.93 seconds.

Phelps will compete in Berlin after finishing the five races in Sweden.