I can’t believe it’s December! It’s the first year I still have Christmas shopping to do for family and friends.

While retailers are waiting to see how their sales with fare in 2009, the industry is rapidly changing. Here are the best links from around the web for the month of December thus far.

See you in the new year!

1. Fashion Brands Seek Control in Social Media Boom – WWD

2. Vogue Pays Tribute To The Blogosphere; Style Bloggers Flex Their Muscles – PSFK

3. Luxury Jewelry Defies The Recession – NY Times

4. Beware Social Media Snake Oil – BusinessWeek

5. Editors Like Tavi But Don’t Take Her Fashion Advice Seriously – The Cut

6. The Fashion Forward: 25 Fashion Professionals You Probably Don’t Know About – Guardian UK

7.  Preserving Luxury Brands – Harvard Business Review

8. Brands & Mobile Engagement: There’s An App For That! – Brian Solis

9. 10 Things Every Luxury Marketer Should Know About China – AdAge

10. LA’s Melrose Ave Hit By Weak Economy – WWD

11. Mary Portas – Fast Fashion Is Vulgar – Times Online

12. Fashion Designers Aim To Trim Impact of Financial Crisis – FT.com

13. How To Us Social Media To Retain Customers – AMEX Open Forum

14. Building Your Luxury Brand Love Story – Luxury Society

15.  Foursquare May Bounce Social Media into Money Making Mode – Chicago Tribune