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

[DragonLady Merlin]

:thumbsup

 

I understand perfectly about the formal wear.  That bugs me, too -little bustier top, big poofy bottom...over and over and over.  I'll try to make things that aren't hard to find coordinates for.  I think thats the #1 reason for wardrobe failure: offbeat colors that don't fit well with anything elsel

Prims fitting properly is turning into one of my biggest challenges.  I get it perfectly aligned on one side, but the other is all wrong...and sculpties are never quite right.  I really don't see myself having to make my own, but it looks like that might be the only way to be 100% happy with them.

Menswear, rockabilly and western...lots of food for thought there.

Thanks, everyone, for the great suggestions and ideas.  Keep 'em coming.  I promise to read every word.

[DragonLady Merlin]

I want to thank everyone again for the great advice I've gotten so far, and ask another question (I'm full of them).

 

Would you be more inclined to buy single pieces from a line that mixes and matches, or to buy a whole boxed wardrobe of pieces that work together, but might contain items you will rarely or never wear?

That is, would you buy an 8-piece ensemble that could be endlessly combined, even if it included a skirt you didn't like?  Or would you prefer to buy 7 seperate pieces that you love?

[Angie Mornington]

The fashion industry in SL is highly saturated there are tons of designers. My first advice to you is to do your research thoroughly to see what's going on. There are fashion feeds you can look at to see what all the fashion bloggers are blogging, the fashion blogs are also a good source for finding clothing stores to go visit.  Figure out what level of quality gets the most attention, keep an eye out on trends so you know what's current. All of this will help you figure out how you are going to develop your brand. Because there are so many designers making clothes, branding is extremely important.  Quality and presentation are also important, people can afford to be very picky because there are so many choices out there.

 P.S. Oh and everything has been done to death, it's just a matter of how you put your spin on it.  

[Princess Verwood]

That is a very good question that I have been wondering myself. When I am shopping I appreciate an entire outfit, only because I can go to it when I am feeling lazy and mix and match things within. But other times I like buying things separate so I can put them with anything in my wardrobe. So it is a very good question and I'm interested in what others think as well!

[Victoria1488304562]

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DragonLady Merlin wrote:

Would you be more inclined to buy single pieces from a line that mixes and matches, or to buy a whole boxed wardrobe of pieces that work together, but might contain items you will rarely or never wear?

That is, would you buy an 8-piece ensemble that could be endlessly combined, even if it included a skirt you didn't like?  Or would you prefer to buy 7 seperate pieces that you love?

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For me, simpler is better. I have a few outfits that came as two or three (or more) looks, and I put them aside until I had the time to figure them out. Once I decide how I want to wear it, I delete all the rest.

If I'm in a hurry, I don't even look at folders of clothes like that. I reserve them for the times when I'm sorting through inventory.

[DragonLady Merlin]

KISS

 

check.

 

Anyone else?

[Melita Magic]

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DragonLady Merlin wrote:

I want to thank everyone again for the great advice I've gotten so far, and ask another question (I'm full of them).

 

Would you be more inclined to buy single pieces from a line that mixes and matches, or to buy a whole boxed wardrobe of pieces that work together, but might contain items you will rarely or never wear?

That is, would you buy an 8-piece ensemble that could be endlessly combined, even if it included a skirt you didn't like?  Or would you prefer to buy 7 seperate pieces that you love?

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Separates to mix and match, if not just (one or) a few pieces.

Offering shoes to match an outfit is a very good point. It can be very hard, dull, and time consuming trying to find shoes to match at a second shop.

[DragonLady Merlin]

Offering shoes to match an outfit is a very good point. It can be very hard, dull, and time consuming trying to find shoes to match at a second shop.

 

Yeah; I hear that.  I don't like to buy shoes for just one outfit, unless it's something really special.  For now, I'll just try to make sure that any nice pair of black shoes will work with all my outfits, until I'm able to offer them dyed-to-match.

[Melita Magic]

Well, if you invested in one set of pump sculpts, you could make them any color you wanted.

[DragonLady Merlin]

Yes; that's true. I'll have a look around, and see what is available.

[DragonLady Merlin]

Is there a place to ask for critiques of item listings?  I have no idea what gets the most attention or what formats or techniques sell the best here.

[Sophia Trefusis]

One tip: dont try to bend yourself over to try to cater to what you think people will like/buy. That wont get you far in my opinion.Seeing as youre a photographer from before I assume you are an artist.Do you want to continue being artist or do you want to make lindens quickly?

I think thats what you have to decide. I vote for being an artist.Its more fun to create something you feel like and have a passion for.

There is always a niche open for orginality in SL

 

[DragonLady Merlin]

Yes; I consider myself an artist, and I work with several media on a semi-regular basis.  Textiles, watercolors, and art journalling being my faves; I also bring my vision to my photography and anything else that allows me to express myself.

For me, really well-made clothing has always been more important than the latest trend.  In RL I look for fine fabrics, careful stitching, appropriate and well-placed details.  I think that will be my focus here, as well.  I will probably never try to torture a mega prim into masquerading as a bra, but I do very much appreciate creations that look right and are made with a lot of attention to small details.

 

But...I also need to make lindens, and quickly.  I have to start paying my tier out of my earnings here, or give up the land and home I've loved for so long.  So...I'm hoping to balance the two and find a happy medium that allows me to continue to create and gives me the chance to develop new skills under the most comfortable circumstances.

[Sophia Trefusis]

I understand.

Ive built up my reputation as a designer under 3 years or so,never had to think about making lindens fast.Im not an expert of the SL buisness world in the least..but i say start small,like selling on marketplace.

Then you advertise the h*ll out of it. Wearing your creations as much as you can,putting in your profile that you design clothes etc.

Costume work is one way to go too...but even for that you need examples of what kind of clothes you can make. What kind of clothes do you create?

 

 

[Rolig Loon]

The fastest way to make L$ is to get a RL job and import some of your earnings from it. For the amount of time you have to spend on the job, you get paid much better in RL than SL. Equally important, you don't end up tied to your work all the time in SL. If you don't want to import money, however, I think it's wiser to emphasize keeping expenses low than to obsess about raising income in world.

I have been a clothing designer, scripter, builder, whatever, in SL for nearly 5 years.  I love creating things and I do manage to earn enough to meet my SL expenses.  My earnings have grown very slowly over the years, though, because I have never focused on the money. I've never let my expenses grow faster than my earnings and  I've focused on the quality of my work and let word of mouth do the selling. 

[DragonLady Merlin]

The fastest way to make L$ is to get a RL job and import some of your earnings from it. For the amount of time you have to spend on the job, you get paid much better in RL than SL. Equally important, you don't end up tied to your work all the time in SL. If you don't want to import money, however, I think it's wiser to emphasize keeping expenses low than to obsess about raising income in world.

 

Yes, yes, of course.  I have a RL business, and so I'm here on my computer most of the day everyday.  It was doing great, until my husband lost his job and I had to spend my operating capital just keeping us alive.   Now, I spend far more time in SL then I did before; mostly because it's a great way to alleviate the depression that comes from watching a bank account that was steadily growing suddenly start shrinking at light speed, but also because I have more spare time and just sitting here waiting for the phone to ring or an order to come in or a customer to ask a question can become a form of torture.  If I can make money while I'm playing, then that will help...if only to make me feel like I'm doing everything I can.

 

PS...why is it so hard to type here?  Here and in-world both...my keyboard feels like I have to pound on it, and the page jumps every few seconds.

 

 

[Melita Magic]

One thing you could do while sitting online, or in SL, to fill up the time until you begin making money, is take classes. If you haven't yet, NCI has free classes. Their website has their class schedule on it, or just join their SL group.

"I feel your pain" more than I would like to go into.

Good luck with it.