Starting a clothing store...what hasn't been done to death?

[DragonLady Merlin]

Hi everyone!

I've shut down my photography business, and am wanting to start a clothing store.  I'm just learning to make them, so serious works will be slow in coming for a while (although I do have one outfit here on the Marketplace I'm proud of).  But...looking around, I feel like the market is flooded.

 

Any ideas for a niche that isn't already completely full up?

 

I personally prefer business-casual type clothing, and don't see a lot of it, but...I'm not sure how popular that is here?  Any suggestions or handy tips for a beginner are also welcome. :D

 

Thanks in advance!

DL

[MuffinUnsane1488303563]

I rather like the idea of business-casual. You don't see enough of it floating around I personally think.

Since you're starting out, maybe make your range a bit board to further attract more customers. Even if a niche is full, you can shine with the quality of your clothing.

[Tiffy Vella]

Slutwear. There's never enough slutwear about, especially on the MP. Tiny schoolgirl miniskirts and tops that show almost all the boob (under, upper and side), teamed with neko ears, impossible shoes, painful looking multiple piercings and giant fuzzy neon buttplugs tails.

 

Just kidding, obviously

[DragonLady Merlin]

Just kidding, obviously

 

I hope so.... That's been one thing that's irritated me since my Rezz day...slutwear, skankwear, barely there, and nothing there seems everywhere.

My avatar dresses like I do...and I don't wear things that make people believe I'm moonlighting as a hooker, looking for a "good time" or that will get me arrested.  But finding nice clothes to wear here is a constant challenge.

[Ariel Vuissent]

Understated sexy. You don't have to fall out of it to be sexy; it would be nice to see some clothing for the everyday woman who wants to look good, but doesn't want to look like a hooker.

[StoneDwarf]

Hello Dragonlady!

My advice: assuming you would like to do this as a Second Life job, something you will be doing for a long period of time, I strongly advice you to make your own clothing templates. Later on, when you are more experienced with texture painting (which is basically what its all about) purchase some templates whenever you feel lazy. If you buy them because you lack skills, you will get stuck at some point and won’t be able to create the clothing you specifically had in mind.

To get started: http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=second+life+clothing+template&oq=second+life+clothing+template&aq=f&aqi=g1&aql=&gs_sm=e&gs_upl=2373l5424l0l5576l29l26l0l16l16l0l163l989l5.5l10l0

Master the techniques you see in those videos, in combination with the experience you gained by doing photography work, and you will have a solid base to create whatever you had in mind.

I will point out some key features below which I think are important. I speak from a 2D point of view and I assume you don’t use 3d programs to your disposal.

1) How to create the illusion of depth, in 2D textures. This is always, always, and always, done with shadows and highlights. Shadow = black. Highlight = white.

It really is that simple.

Learn how color blending works with overlay and soft light and it’s basically a matter of trial and error.Try to understand how grey scales effect colors.

For example, when using 50% grey on overlay in Photoshop, it will be invisible. Use 50% grey and boost the slider up toward white with an additional 10%, and you will end up with 10% white on your picture. Not 60%, but 10%. The 10% white you get from the grey layer I just described, is the same 10% white you would get from using a bright white layer on 10%. With this in mind, try to see how colors interact with each other. The higher the 50% grey value in a color (also known as the grey scale of a color, and, in Photoshop, also known as: “the more desaturated a color is”) the better it will blend with a new color - thus optimized blending results. The higher the black or white value (for example, dark grey, light grey, basically everything between 0% - 50% and 50% - 100%, where 0 represents pure black and 100 represents pure white) the brighter the blending results. Same applies for color blending. Grey scales are responsible for ‘perfect’ blending results. When you figure this out (or you already have perhaps) the easier it will be to predict certain color blending results.

Imagine you are a chef and colors are your ingredients. You want to cook this great chicken steak, but in order to do that, you must have the right ingredients! The steak is your ‘goal’ and your ingredients are ‘colors’ The more familiar you are with the ingredients, the easier it will be to achieve the desired results.

2) Level of realism. This is considered to be the hardest part and includes creating wrinkles, highlights and shadows and texturing. I don’t know how comfortable you are with Photoshop, but it’s not that difficult. Check the video link above to see how other people do it. Once you fast forward to the final result, it might be kinda overwhelming (Oh no, I can’t paint like that!) However, all they are doing is painting little bits, step by step, and eventually these little bits will result into something bigger.

3) Work in a nondestructive way. Layer masks, adjustment layers, and smart objects. No eraser tool, but layer masks. Don’t change the levels, curves etc, of a specific layer, but use an adjustment layer instead with a clipping mask. Don’t use blur on a specific layer, but instead turn your layer into a smart object and throw a blur filter on it.

Pretty straight forward. By working like this you can adjust and fine tune your results throughout your project.

4) Explore the possibilities of 3D texture painting, inside Photoshop. It’s an easy and quick way to get rid of not matching seams. However, without the 2D fundamentals I described above, 3D texture painting will be useless. 3D texture painting makes life easier, it offers a solution to certain scenarios you might have problems with in 2D (texture distortion, painting on the outer edges of the 2d templates, etc)

I am not sure what else to write up, except that creativity is usually harder to learn than graphical software. Learn Photoshop by doing tutorials from real life professionals, even if they are not clothing/fashion related. The little bit of color theory I gave above is often explained during photo manipulation tutorials.

Also, looking at the outfit you made, it looks pretty good for an aspiring clothing designer! If you made one in deep purple with pink’ish hearths, one that matches my beard, I’d wear it with pride.

Good luck!

[Kembri Tomsen]

Hello,

As a long time designer in SL, I've a few tips for you or anyone else starting out. 

1) Do what you want to wear.  Don't worry about 'all the other people' doing the same thing.  They're not.  You should and will develop your own style as you work on your clothing lines.  As someone else said, quality work shines.  I could not find good Victorian clothing four years ago.  So I made my own.  I did not do it with an eye to cornering the market, I did it because I love the era.  Now I do more than Victorian, but it grew out of a love for good clothing and not finding the quality I wanted.  Every good designer develops a recognizable style.  It's not a thing that can be faked, it's just what happens when you work long and hard on something you love.

2) Don't have Photoshop?  Find and use GIMP.  It works, it's free, and it does produce quality work.  You'll have to use Youtube tutorials to figure it out, but there's lots out there to help you.  Find the Chip Midnight templates.  They really do work.  You don't have to be complicated or invest in pricey programs to put out stunning work.

3) Never, ever dismiss your own efforts.  I saw a promising designer who had in her profile that she was just piddling around.  That makes me wonder if her work is worth it.  She's asking for validation, but that's not the way to do it.  If you do not believe in your own work, no one else will either.  That doesn't mean get arrogant, but do realize the value of your work.  That's a hard thing to do.  Don't be afraid to shine brightly with a passion for what you do.

4) If you want this to be a business, then treat it like one.  You may not have a brick and mortar shop or store, but it still takes time and hard work to build even a virtual business.  Again, if you do not value it, no one else will either.  Also realize that there are few overnight successes.  There will be good and bad months of sales, and you'll learn the rhythm of the selling seasons.  Dead times?  January and late summer.  Busy times?  Mid-October through New Year's Eve.

5) Have fun and do what YOU want to do.  As soon as the fun goes out of what you're doing, you're in trouble.  Then it becomes a drag of a job, and that's when a lot of designers burn out.  Remember, people are buying your clothing because they liked your style.  So don't stop midway and switch things up because a customer said, 'oh I'd love that and buy all of them if you'd only do THIS!'  Stay true to your own vision and passion at all times.  Even if others give you grief about it.

6) Produce steadily.  You cannot keep customers or hook new ones if you only put out something once a month.  Try for once every couple of weeks, or even weekly if you can.  Having said that, don't put out crap.  There's enough crap wear on the grid.  Always put out what you consider your best.  This includes freebies if you do one.  Freebies are a whole nother issue in the design community.  I limit what I put out, or I'd be constantly doing nothing but free work.  Some designers do it monthly to groups, others do it more or less frequently.  Freebies can be your calling card to people who do not know your work, but that doesn't mean you need to have a boatload out.  Same goes for hunts.  Once you're established, you may get all kinds of hunt offers.  Be selective.

7)  Run your business with honor and ethics.  Make sure you are not infringing on IP rights, and be informed on what to do if someone infringes on yours.  Treat your customers courteously and reasonably, but don't give them the moon on a platter.  Know how to smile from the wrist down when replying to anger or derision, and make sure you get up and away from your computer at regular intervals.  It's good exercise and a wonderful way to refresh your creative sources.

Finally, if you do make a success of your business, be proud.  There are few that can say they have started and built a business in Second Life and are still around after a year.  :-)  I hope you will be one of those few.

 

Good luck!

Kembri Tomsen

The Curious Seamstress

[Rolig Loon]

I have been selling women's clothing in SL and in Marketplace for four years, catering largely to a clientele that I think of as somewhere between "business casual" and "everyday."  (I also sell a limited line of nightgowns that are, again, not intended to flaunt sexuality but to help you look your best at the end of the day.)  I hope to appeal to women who want to appear feminine but not shout their sexuality -- women who are looking for clothes that they would not be ashamed to wear in RL.   That's a tough market to define. 

I have experimented with styles and with ways to display and describe my creations, following a few self-imposed guidelines:

(1) I create clothing that I would want to wear myself.  If it doesn't look good on me or if I would feel uncomfortable being seen in it, I won't sell it.  I'm not really concerned about a niche. SL is a big place, and I'm confident that there are plenty of women out there who share my sense of what looks good. 

(2) I sell only designs that are my own.  No purchased templates, no copies of RL designs.  I will use selected textures and sculpty components that I buy from reputable designers in SL, but I prefer to create my own textures and sculpties. I will not use textures from unknown sources on the Internet.

(3) I produce new designs when I feel like it, not on demand and not on any schedule.  I don't want to be pressuring myself to create "this week's new dress" just because it's this week.  To many shops are selling designs that were obviously created simply to have something new on the wall every time a customer walks in.  I create when I have something to create.

(4) I have tried to be sensitive to what my clothing looks like when it is actually being worn, not just when you are standing still for a photo.  It's important to me that a skirt should flow well as you walk and should not fly away as you dance.  I watch what happens as a design deforms when I move my arms or twist at the waist.  (This is really tough, and I don't always succeed, but at least I try.)

(5) I sell all clothing with copy/mod perms and without resize/recolor scripts.  I want a client to feel free to adjust her clothes to fit her own body and her own taste. 

(6) I use myself as the model in all photos, and I try to maintain a constant format in them.  That's partly so that the shop conveys a sense of a consistent "brand" but mostly because I think it helps a client to see how my different designs might look on the same person.  For the last two years, my photos have all shown me wearing clothing in representative SL settings where you might expect to wear the clothing yourself -- while shopping, dancing, walking through a garden ....

(7) Finally -- this is really just me -- I don't sell my creations because I want to make L$.  Yes, this is a business and I need to meet expenses.  Personally, though, I am selling clothing because I enjoy making it and I want to share it with people who have tastes like mine. 

[DragonLady Merlin]

Wow!  Thank-you, all of you, for the wonderfully comprehensive replies!  I'll have to read through them all a few times, and then I'll try to reply to each of you.

[DragonLady Merlin]

Stonedwarf: Yes; I understand what you're saying.  In real life, I like to paint with watercolors, and they work essentially the same way -only one can only go darker, not lighter, so overlayering one shade over another becomes second nature. 

My copy of Photoshop is ancient.  I really started this venture as a fun way to learn to use PS better, and to learn to use all the features that weren't important when I was taking photographs.  I had to quit that because my computer won't run a mesh viewer, and too many of my clients were arriving in clothing that was invisible to me.

A lot of the tutorials and videos are made with newer versions, and it can take me a long time to figure out how to do roughly the same things with my older one.

Re: purple with pink hearts....hmmm...other colors are coming, but I don't know about that combo.  We'll see.

 

Kembri:  thanks for the encouragement!  I own a real life business, so this is more of a hobby.  However, my DH lost his job a few months ago, so any extra money I make at it will be a blessing right now.  That said, I certainly don't expect to get rich and I don't need another full time job, so this will remain something I do for stress relief and fun more than a serious career.   But I do agree there's no point doing anything just halfway.

 

MuffinUnsane:

I plan to sell everything copy/mod.  I hate buying anything that I can't tweak a bit to make it "my own".

In RL, I own a sewing forum.  And making clothing that suits not only your body but your taste and your lifestyle is a constant topic.  And I think I bring a lot of bias toward RL clothing to SL with me: I like things to fit and flatter.

As far as wearing the clothing, I agree.  I wore my outfit around the grid for a couple of days before I decided to list it for sale.  I know I still have a lot to learn about making things flow properly and appear good from every angle, too.  But that is one of my priorities.

 

Right now, I still have trouble with getting rid of the jagged edges and lining seams up and such.  I did purchase some templates to use to start with, and am *pretty* happy with them, although I already chafe at the limits of what I can do with them -and what I can do with SL clothing, in general.  As I make so many clothes in RL, I miss the ability to manipulate things in SL the way I would in RL.  I want raglan and batwing sleeves!  I want stripes that match and a LOT more fabric choices.....

 

I *think* I'm also going to try to do some work with wardrobing.  I can't count how many times someone has told me they own 8,000 pieces of clothing but have nothing to wear.  Coordinated outfits that mix and match would be a lot of fun to do, I think.

[Nefertiti Nefarious]

Kembri - If you do 1920s, it's about to get popular. DiCaprio is making the Great gatsby and the costuming is to die for.

[Ariel Vuissent]

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DragonLady Merlin wrote:

I plan to sell everything copy/mod.  I hate buying anything that I can't tweak a bit to make it "my own".

---

Yay! There's been some debate (always is) over which is better: copy or trans. Most people seem to favor copy, with a minority favoring trans. Not a bad idea to offer both, at least by request; but also a good idea for the main releases to be copy.

---

 

Right now, I still have trouble with getting rid of the jagged edges and lining seams up and such. 

---

The best technique I've seen for side seams on solid colored items is good shading - rather than trying to hide, as some do; or just ignoring it, as others do (hey, it's under the arm, no one will notice, right?), shade the seam to emmulate RL clothing. Waist seams can be hidden with a good belt or bow, etc. Sl is certainly limited in some ways, compared to RL, though.

---

 

I *think* I'm also going to try to do some work with wardrobing.  I can't count how many times someone has told me they own 8,000 pieces of clothing but have nothing to wear.  Coordinated outfits that mix and match would be a lot of fun to do, I think.

---

This works best, in my experience, in an inworld store where all the items can be seen in the same "group." It's much harder to visualize on the marketplace, where the only way you can show the items together is to put the coordinates in the "related items" tab on the bottom and maybe add some pictures to each item of all the items together, or different pieces being worn together. (The second is also a good thing to do in-store, of course - some pictures on the walls of ways to wear the coordinates has made me buy several things I might not have otherwise.)

Note: I'm neither a creator nor a shop owner, so I'm coming from the consumer side - what makes an item "good quality" to me, what makes me buy things and what stops me, etc.

 

 

 

 

 

[DragonLady Merlin]

Yay! There's been some debate (always is) over which is better: copy or trans. Most people seem to favor copy, with a minority favoring trans. Not a bad idea to offer both, at least by request; but also a good idea for the main releases to be copy.

Transfer is nice sometimes, especially when I'm going through my clothes and think something is "too nice" or was "too expensive" to throw away.  But...I prefer to be able to change things to suit me more, and since there's always the chance I'll bury part of it in a far hillside or accidentally zing it to the stars, it's nice to be able to pull out a fresh copy and start over.

The best technique I've seen for side seams on solid colored items is good shading - rather than trying to hide, as some do; or just ignoring it, as others do (hey, it's under the arm, no one will notice, right?), shade the seam to emmulate RL clothing. Waist seams can be hidden with a good belt or bow, etc. Sl is certainly limited in some ways, compared to RL, though.

Yes; measure twice n cut once really doesn't apply here.   But...if you don't sew, you don't know the headache known as "the full bust adjustment" which is...a plague AND a pox AND a pestilence.

But...I admit that sometimes I wonder what the Lindens are thinking with or about, because they never seem to do anything the same way I would.

This works best, in my experience, in an inworld store where all the items can be seen in the same "group." It's much harder to visualize on the marketplace, where the only way you can show the items together is to put the coordinates in the "related items" tab on the bottom and maybe add some pictures to each item of all the items together, or different pieces being worn together. (The second is also a good thing to do in-store, of course - some pictures on the walls of ways to wear the coordinates has made me buy several things I might not have otherwise.)

Yeah; I see what you're saying.  I'll have to think that over a bit. I have land in SL, but probably won't be able to keep it much longer because we really can't afford the tier payments. ;(

 

[Melita Magic]

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DragonLady Merlin wrote:

Hi everyone!

I've shut down my photography business, and am wanting to start a clothing store.  I'm just learning to make them, so serious works will be slow in coming for a while (although I do have one outfit here on the Marketplace I'm proud of).  But...looking around, I feel like the market is flooded.

 

Any ideas for a niche that isn't already completely full up?

 

I personally prefer business-casual type clothing, and don't see a lot of it, but...I'm not sure how popular that is here?  Any suggestions or handy tips for a beginner are also welcome.

 

Thanks in advance!

DL

---

I've had an idea that hadn't been done before in SL and I sat on it so long that now it's being done. But that's OK, because those doing the idea are the ones I always felt should be first with it...

Deliberately obscure, that's me!  

 

[Tiffy Vella]

That's fantastic!...Lots of us in SL are already passionate about the 20's and design for that era. I'll have to go Google this for a little peek

 

 

[DragonLady Merlin]

I've had an idea that hadn't been done before in SL and I sat on it so long that now it's being done. But that's OK, because those doing the idea are the ones I always felt should be first with it...

 

I think we've all done that a time or two.

 

Can someone tell me if one person can have two stores here?  I'd like to seperate my clothing from my other builds, if I can do that?

[Rolig Loon]

So long as you do it in world, yes.  If you do it in Marketplace, your alt will have to own one of them.

[DragonLady Merlin]

Thanks!  I have no alts, and won't be getting any, so I'll just have to toss it all in together.  Should make an interesting soup.  Or would that be a salad?  Either way, bring some croutons.

[Rolig Loon]

I lived without an alt for the longest time, but it is SO much easier to make clothing and a lot of other things if you have a second body, even if it's yours.  You always have someone patient with a slightly different shape to use as a dummy, someone to test permssions with, and someone who can be a trusted co-owner in your shop's group.  And an alt doesn't cost you a penny (unless you start giving her a clothing allowance, of course).

ETA: Oh yes, and your alt can sneak out and go dancing and nobody else is the wiser.   :smileytongue:

[DragonLady Merlin]

And an alt doesn't cost you a penny (unless you start giving her a clothing allowance, of course).

 

ha ha ha...my alt would likely keep me up at night begging for her own horse, and then her own house, and then her own sim.... No, pleasing one of me is enough.

[Tiffy Vella]

I so agree. Alts are indispensible for running a business in SL. They are one of the best tools a merchant can have, for all those reasons you said, Rolig. I'd never sell something without having my shopgirl alt come in and buy it first. Plus they can-

-be safe inventory backup for full perms creations,

-hold a camera still while you're changing between fashion shots,

-be sent in to investigate fishy things if you'd rather not do it yourself,

- add a fresh face to ads,

-store extra groups (merchants often have a squillion groups, especially if they rent stores and belong to fashion promotion groups)

-model for your store for less than slave wages (I've never tried this, but I imagine you could easily register your alt as a bot and use it to showcase high-prim items instore)

-be your friend and companion if constant building has caused you to be a social misfit and

-give your products glowing reviews on the Marketplace and lick your boots in every forum (ok Im truly truly joking on this last one)

 

[Victoria1488304562]

One market that always complains of being underserved is men: there is good male clothing in SL, but it's harder to find.

If you like business casual, try business casual for men.

[ObviousAltIsObvious]

Really good hasn't been done to death for any kind of clothes. Sloppy and half finished, that's been done to death all around.

[Morgaine Christensen]

PLEASE NO MORE...slutware, teenware, bellyware, gothware, or ripped ware!  I don't know about everyone else but unless I am rping "Gone with the Wind", formal dresses should not make me look like one of those crocheted toilet paper covers my grandmother use to make.

I can think of several markets that have not been over exposed as of yet, 1) classic clothing that is both elegant and understated, 2) antique/period clothing for both men and women (lots of RPers out there needing good quality RP costume, 3) winter clothing, 4) cultural ware.

Me, I want copy/modify clothing. Someone had a good idea...make 2 versions...one copy/mod..the other mod/transfer. wouldn't be that hard to do other than remembering to set the permissions. I want to be able to lengthen the pants, sleeves, hemline if necessary since not all AVs are the same size. I want to be able to modify individual pieces of the skirt and any other attachments to fit ME...not how a creator envisions it will fit everyone. Please make sure you make it where the attachments, including skirts will go rather tiny so they fit a wider range for folks.

NO RESIZE SCRIPTS.  The worse thing they ever did was start using resize scripts for hair, shoes, and clothing! 

Offer a wide array of colors and fabrics.  So many lovely dresses  that I have seen I really like how they look, but it comes in the one color I hate. Or,  the designer has used a fabric that either had no time to think about what they chose to use, or worse, they have no color/fabric sense.

Also, unless you are offering matched accessories and shoes, be cognizant of what is out there for sale by other designers.  If I can't match some of the accessories I have..say that pink pair of high heels  that I just love (LOL...I hate pink) with that weirdly odd pink colored dress you made and you are offering no shoes to match...I won't be buying that pink dress.

I wish you alot of luck, and look forward to some great new clothing to hit the market.

 

[Chelsea Malibu]

I don't think the theme or style is nearly as important as the quality.  I find many cool new fashion idea that are terrible quality.  Above and beyond all else, I want clean edges, seams that line up and good textures with realistic highlights and shadows.

Then comes the part of prims in clothing where they need to line up and are able to wear them when you move.

And please, make your stuff Modifiable.  Nothing more disconcerting than clothing you cannot adjust.

On a final note, though there is a bit of Rockabilly clothing, most is pretty poor quality but I'm sure that holds true for any style.  Western is another style that seems to lack but those two are a personal preference for me.