Which mesh bodies to create for?

[Dana Enyo]

I started making clothes last year (that is, I buy mesh templates and  carefully create and apply original textures to them).  I have a Maitreya body and always make that version of a new garment first; if the package I bought includes the 5-size Fitmesh versions I usually do those next.

But after that, I'm really torn.  There is nothing creative about the process of making the item for 3 Bellezas, 2 Slinks, 2 Tonics etc.  I could be working on something new instead of taking several hours to edit the multiple mesh faces for each item, in each color, for each body type.  (I'm doing one right now for the Bellezas that has 9 colors with 7 settings for each one--that's 189 separate settings for just those 3 bodies.)  When I add new versions I also have to add these to the vendors, remake the vendor signs, change them in my shops and Marketplace, and on and on.  Obviously, a whole lot of other clothing creators are going through the same decision-making process, and all of you are stuck having to find the clothes that work for you.

So my question to all of you:  what body/s should be my priority after Maitreya?  You can see what I do at https://enyoshop.com .  Thanks for your ideas and comments!

[Kathlen Onyx]

I would actually like to see clothing that was made for specific bodies only.  Makes it more unique and special if everyone isn't running around in the same shirt you have on. 

[Dana Enyo]

Thank you Sam!  That's an interesting take on it.

[Tazzie Tuque]

I have been making clothing in SL since before mesh bodies were even a thing,  actually since before mesh period.  I also use purchased templates, although I am capable of making mesh,  my mesh program does not save in .dae format or rig, and it is way too much to import all into blender just to get it rigged an into SL.. so for me I just enjoy the creative process of using textures to make my items different and appealing.  I tend to look for templates that include Maitreya for sure, Belleza Freya at the least, and Slink Hourglass at the least,  plus now Legacy; those are the minimum.  If Kupra is in the mesh kit then I will do those as well.  The way I look at it is I have customers with most of these bodies and to only focus on one would cut the others all out and I don't want to do that.  Not only do I lose sales but disappoint some customers when they cannot find their sizes.  Lately I have also been, adding BOM items with some of my mesh items like modesty undershirts or BOM pants that fit under longer mesh tops and can be worn quite nicely with knee or over knee boots (which cannot be done with mesh pants).  I also do pretty much all my mesh items on texture huds rather than sell individual colours, and I charge very reasonable prices for the huds, so it is like the customer is getting a variety of colour choices for a tiny bit more than the cost of one colour.  

 

[Rowan Amore]

But if you only make for Maitreya, you'll still be seeing that item on a lot of people since that is still the most popular one.  I used to spend a lot at Erratic.  Since switching bodies, she hasn't gotten a penny from me.  The Kupra body, although not one I'd use, seems to be gaining in popularity.  It seems to fill the niche for people who don't care for Legacy and didn't want to wait around for a Belleza update.

[Theresa Tennyson]

13 hours ago, Dana Enyo said:

I started making clothes last year (that is, I buy mesh templates and  carefully create and apply original textures to them).  I have a Maitreya body and always make that version of a new garment first; if the package I bought includes the 5-size Fitmesh versions I usually do those next.

But after that, I'm really torn.  There is nothing creative about the process of making the item for 3 Bellezas, 2 Slinks, 2 Tonics etc.  I could be working on something new instead of taking several hours to edit the multiple mesh faces for each item, in each color, for each body type.  (I'm doing one right now for the Bellezas that has 9 colors with 7 settings for each one--that's 189 separate settings for just those 3 bodies.)  When I add new versions I also have to add these to the vendors, remake the vendor signs, change them in my shops and Marketplace, and on and on.  Obviously, a whole lot of other clothing creators are going through the same decision-making process, and all of you are stuck having to find the clothes that work for you.

So my question to all of you:  what body/s should be my priority after Maitreya?  You can see what I do at https://enyoshop.com .  Thanks for your ideas and comments!

I use several bodies that are less common which means that a lot of the recent clothing I buy is from people who use templates like you. If I see a merchant selling template clothing without their supporting all the bodies the template supports, not only won't I be buying that for the uncommon bodies but I'll be less inclined to patronize them for the more common bodies as well.

 

 

[Tazzie Tuque]

30 minutes ago, Theresa Tennyson said:

I use several bodies that are less common which means that a lot of the recent clothing I buy is from people who use templates like you. If I see a merchant selling template clothing without their supporting all the bodies the template supports, not only won't I be buying that for the uncommon bodies but I'll be less inclined to patronize them for the more common bodies as well.

That is one of the reasons why I am pretty picky about what templates I use.  If a template does not support a nice variety of bodies then I usually pass on it.  And therefore, with the templates I do use, I definitely use all the body sizes it offers.

[Dana Enyo]

THANKS EVERYONE for your comments!  I'm sure there will be more over time; it's one every clothing creator has to answer all the time.

I think my own NOT-cast-in-stone answer is going to be that I'll make Maitreya, the three Bellezas and the two Slinks.  And if I meet someone who says "Can you make that for my body?" I'll make it and add it to my vendors (assuming I have the template for it).  I just did those versions for my Chapala gown and sent a notice to my En Yo! Group; we'll see what happens. 

[Stephanie Misfit]

26 minutes ago, Dana Enyo said:

I think my own NOT-cast-in-stone answer is going to be that I'll make Maitreya, the three Bellezas and the two Slinks.  

I know you spoke about the amount of work involved in supporting all the bodies (and I know it can be because I do this on an alt), but I think you could be shooting yourself in the foot there by not supporting all the available bodies up front, if you have the templates available to do so. One of the advantages template designers have over most original mesh creators lies in being able to corner the market for those less supported mesh bodies. People who own bodies like Tonic and ebody largely rely on template designers for new clothing and you'd be missing out on those customers, and I would definitely not rely on them contacting you to ask for you to make clothes for their bodies, they will just go elsewhere.

[Tazzie Tuque]

39 minutes ago, Stephanie Misfit said:

People who own bodies like Tonic and ebody largely rely on template designers for new clothing and you'd be missing out on those customers, and I would definitely not rely on them contacting you to ask for you to make clothes for their bodies, they will just go elsewhere.

I so agree with this statement.  These folks will not ask for something to be made in their size.  SL is so big and there are so many clothing makers out there that they can easily just go elsewhere.  With  having had my store in SL and MP for 15 years,  I can tell you by experience, that not making all the templates you have does cut way down on your possible sales.  In all my time here I have never had one person IM me to ask if I can make something in their size.  I have, however, had a few send me a note card thanking me for supporting their body (specifically Tonic and eBody).  If you want to make clothing but you don't want all the work of using all the available templates you own and paid for, then I have to wonder if this is the right choice for you as a business.

[Dana Enyo]

It's actually happened to me a few times already; I made a gown in Freya because someone asked  and then added it to the vendors for all future sales.

[Yuukie Onmura]

I'm going to be blunt now. If that offends anyone, so be it.

 

I am not spending any money on anything that only comes for a body that I don't like and other bodies that I don't have, unless it's something unique and outstanding. If it's "oh, another pair of jeans" kind of stuff, I'm not interested enough to deal with something that doesn't even come for the body I actually like to use.

 

So far there are FOUR shops in SL that can do "lara only" and still get my money. And one of them gives away everything they do as freebie.

If you're a shop owner and this offends you: Feel free to buy me whatever body you prefer this week. But think about it this way: would you buy clothes in RL that don't come in your size?

[Yuukie Onmura]

On 6/2/2021 at 1:39 AM, Dana Enyo said:

[...]the two Slinks[...]

+1 that.

[Extrude Ragu]

FInd a body you like that seems under-served in terms of clothing.

Doing the same thing everyone else is doing is a trap. It just means you have more competition and people already have items that are good enough.

Find a niche, a hole in the market. I had a huge amount of success doing this in my early days when I was still actively doing store stuff.

Hell, make a new hole and show people something they didn't know they wanted.

[Dana Enyo]

Still interesting and varied responses coming In with lots of food for thought. Thank you!

[Lillith Hapmouche]

Aren't you already filling a niche when creating for an "under-served" body?

[Dana Enyo]

By the way  my own body is Maitreya.  Perhaps my choice to go with the masses is impacted by being perhaps the last person in the USA to give up my Betamax for VHS.  (If you're too young, ask your mom.)

[Maitimo]

I'd say the main four should be Maitreya, Belleza Freya, Slink Hourglass and Legacy.  If you want to add a fifth, add Kupra. Maitreya Petite and Legacy Perky are another couple of options in need of more love. I don;t think there's much need to do the other two Bellezas any more, or the regular Slink Physique.

I also think there's an under-served market for cheaper clothing made for Altamura and the two e-bodies, due to them being free but having few clothing options available for them.

 

[Orwar]

26 minutes ago, Maitimo said:

I'd say the main four should be Maitreya, Belleza Freya, Slink Hourglass and Legacy.  If you want to add a fifth, add Kupra.

   I don't have any actual numbers, but I believe Kupra may be catching up with Freya and HG, as it drew most of its users from those bodies. Freya is in dire need of an update, HG very much fell behind as Maitreya and Legacy both had a lot of exclusive support. At least within the bloggosphere, Kupra appears to be more common these days. What the average users in general actually wear on a daily basis is hard to tell. 

   But then, there are rumours of new things just beyond the horizon .. 

[Maitimo]

17 minutes ago, Orwar said:

   I don't have any actual numbers, but I believe Kupra may be catching up with Freya and HG, as it drew most of its users from those bodies. Freya is in dire need of an update, HG very much fell behind as Maitreya and Legacy both had a lot of exclusive support. At least within the bloggosphere, Kupra appears to be more common these days. What the average users in general actually wear on a daily basis is hard to tell. 

   But then, there are rumours of new things just beyond the horizon .. 

The problem with a new body is that it starts with no clothing available for it, unless it uses a shape close enough to one of the current popular bodies to fit their clothes, like Kalhene and Lucybody have done. People are reluctant to get something new when it's not possible to predict how much support there will be for it. Though I think you're right about Kupra, it filled a gap left by the lack of development on B. Freya and S. Hourglass, and that's why it caught on so quickly. I don't think a new creator would have much luck with a slim body, competing against Lara and Legacy, unless it already fits the clothing for one of them..

 

[Theresa Tennyson]

15 hours ago, Maitimo said:

 I don't think a new creator would have much luck with a slim body, competing against Lara and Legacy, unless it already fits the clothing for one of them..

 

What are you saying, "a slim body" or "one that competes against Lara and Legacy"? Because those concepts don't really match each other.

(And, surprisingly enough, women with small breasts don't necessarily have nipples that are permanently somewhere between "can cut glass" and "drill attachment on giant Japanese robot.")

[Maitimo]

1 hour ago, Theresa Tennyson said:

What are you saying, "a slim body" or "one that competes against Lara and Legacy"? Because those concepts don't really match each other.

 

Both, because I mean not one with huge breasts that competes with Freya or Hourglass or Kupra.

Lara does slim just fine. 

[Yuukie Onmura]

On 6/11/2021 at 4:01 PM, Dana Enyo said:

give up my Betamax for VHS

 

 

that is actually a very good way of putting it, seeing how betamax is technically superior to VHS - to the point that actual TV teams before the "digital age" always used ß instead of anything else...

 

[Yuukie Onmura]

In related "news", six times 369 is 2214. Which happens to be exactly the amount that I am *not* spending to get all six colors of a pair of leggins at K9 today - because, no hourglass version.

 

So thank you, dear creator, for saving me all that money.

[Malin Sabra]

On 6/13/2021 at 2:26 PM, Orwar said:

   I don't have any actual numbers, but I believe Kupra may be catching up with Freya and HG, as it drew most of its users from those bodies. Freya is in dire need of an update, HG very much fell behind as Maitreya and Legacy both had a lot of exclusive support. At least within the bloggosphere, Kupra appears to be more common these days. What the average users in general actually wear on a daily basis is hard to tell. 

   But then, there are rumours of new things just beyond the horizon .. 

 

On 6/11/2021 at 9:14 AM, Dana Enyo said:

Still interesting and varied responses coming In with lots of food for thought. Thank you!

 

 

Have a look at @Lucia Nightfire's latest Head/Body stats post. That will give you an idea of which is the most popular and will bring in the most sales.