Talkback Question:
When you come to Linden Lifestyles, what do you most want/expect to read about?
A. Lots of different designers showcased, no matter the level of quality and experience in the designs.
B. Only items of the highest quality and style.
C. Mostly high-quality items from established designers with occasional “diamond in the rough” finds.
D. What the writers enjoy, regardless of the “status” of the designers or items.
E. Other (fill in your own answer)
Obviously, this question refers to reviews and not our interviews, roundups, and other features.
If you wish to know the genesis of this question, you can read my ramblings after the cut.
It has been a while since we pestered you, the readers, to brush off your keyboards and sass us back for a bit, so I thought I’d start by taking the audience temperature on a topic that all SL Fashion Bloggers will eventually find themselves pondering.
Are we really just blogging the same old stuff?
By and large, the shopping population of SL is more sophisticated than ever before. In fact, I believe the average SL shopper is more sophisticated than Linden Labs, content creators, and mainstream media fully comprehend. The reason most “big business” endeavors into SL fail isn’t because SL shoppers aren’t enough of an audience - but because SL shoppers don’t want unimaginative, re-hashed flat crap cluttering up their inventories. Yes, there are language barriers and technical issues. Owning a store in SL can sometimes leave you wondering if shoppers leave their brains at the door before buying. When I talk about sophistication, I’m talking about the realistic quality of merchandise, not necessarily the IQ or even the style taste of the individuals.
Certainly the skill it takes to create quality content for the grid has developed an ever-widening disconnect between the new content creator and the established content creator. (For the purposes of our discussion, “new” is defined as someone actually new to the business of SL, not someone creating PR by launching a new brand under an alt). There’s nothing wrong with a learning curve, and new designers should be encouraged to practice their craft and get better, but is that necessarily something that should be showcased on a blog entry? Often, I’m genuinely happy that SallyX has decided to try her hand at clothing design and happy to offer a few words of support, but I just don’t feel LL readers care to know about yet another collection of tank tops in a rainbow of colors. If I’m bored with it, I feel my readers would be as well. When you get a designer begging to know why their items haven’t been blogged, you can only sugar-coat the truth so much before it’s time to be a grown-up, dig down, and give them the truth right between the eyes.
Linden Lifestyles has always been about blogging what *we* like. Sure we also try to be aware of what our audience enjoys, but if we believe that trying to talk up something not to our personal liking will leave the audience flat. The reasons we like things are varied. We might blog about something fun that gives us nostalgia for our tacky 80’s fashion sins. We might love a ball gown we’ll never have a reason to wear. It’s a mostly positive message that has worked well for us. We don’t blog things just to rip them apart, and even when we’re not particularly ga-ga over something, we try to present a balance. Sure we have our clucking side, but if you enjoy us, you know it’s in fun and part of our charm. The squee to bitch ratio should always be in check is our motto. Well, it isn’t our motto, but it would be if we had a motto.
Despite being naughty bloggers who go AWOL now and then, our readers and fans are still bewilderingly loyal and designers of all tiers still kindly bestow their goods on us for review. There are a number of “established” designers who lead the grid on skill. We feature them here often. Some say too often. On the other hand, in those instances when we feature something not-quite-top-level, there are always “wtf - how did this get on LL” feedback comments both here on the blog and in-game in our ever-blinking IMs.
You cannot please all the people all the time (and we’re too old and too cranky to try), but this is a paradox worth a little bit of introspection.
Thus today’s question.
Naturally—with the title of my blog–I want real quality clothing that isn’t slutty. It’s that simple. I like LL a lot, but I could do with more suits and modest outfits because that’s what I gravitate to.
So I’d say “C” with a modesty clause. (I also want a RL t-shirt that says, “IN SL, I’M A FAT PASTOR’S WIFE”)
Nan
Comment by Nan Bamaisin — December 3, 2007 @ 9:43 pm
D.
The best things come when people are passionate about what they are doing. So do what you enjoy! Same thing goes for designers, or really any other vocation.
Comment by Blaze Columbia — December 3, 2007 @ 9:59 pm
so I’m not sure if my response is going to mean I’m hard to please or just terribly indecisive
but …
Definitely option D, but also option B with a nod towards the quality side (cause I really don’t care what someone else thinks is “style”).
I dont mind seeing new releases from established designers but it does annoy me when most, if not all, reviews are from established designers. I feel like sitting the blogger down and, speaking slowly, ask them if they do realise that there are other people making clothing in SL besides the top 3 or 4 designers right?
Comment by Cattrina Careless — December 3, 2007 @ 10:45 pm
D. It’s *your* blog, there are other blogs covering what they want, and they all fit together in a fabulous crazy-quilt of wonder.
Comment by Valerie Bethune — December 3, 2007 @ 11:28 pm
One could argue that every new release is ‘new’ not matter whether it was made by an established creator or a new one. None of us who have been around the grid a while would survive if we released the same old dress every other week. It always strikes me as odd when people complain that the designer isn’t new, we were all new once, we all grow with experience and every release is ‘new’.
D I rather think of the point of the blog and who wants you to lose the will to live blogging things you don’t like, no matter who made them.
Comment by sachi Vixen — December 3, 2007 @ 11:53 pm
D!
Okay… unless you’re a newb, you have the addresses and LM of Simone, PixelDolls, Nymphetamine, Shiny Things and a few other really reliably “squee” places to shop. You do. You check back often. But what about the places you’ve never heard of? That impressive little number in a hole in the wall shop? That’s what I come to Linden Lifestyles to read about!
Oh, and the good writing style - but that goes without saying, does it not?
PS if this duplicate posts, my apologies… I just got a “you are posting too quickly” note but haven’t posted anything in the last hour anywhere in cyberspace so am retrying.
Comment by Hearthrose Paperdoll — December 4, 2007 @ 3:11 am
I enjoy reading the blog, riddled with good ideas, humor and sense of style….so D…I enjoy seeing all of it. I agree more modest clothes would be heaven sent..yet I think you all do a wonderful job of covering it all….would love to see places like Blah reviewed… I appreciate you all!
Comment by Marie — December 4, 2007 @ 3:22 am
I really want to see what treasures you bloggers have found with good quality clothes and imagination in design being the most important factors.
I have often found really great shops with loads of things I like through your Blog and places where the only thing in the shop worth looking at was the thing you blogged. So I guess D with a touch of B.
But I have to say that my list of designers and shops each week from your blogs keeps me busy for hours. keep up the great work.
Comment by Sugar Silverstar — December 4, 2007 @ 3:59 am
E) I think that new designers need a chance.. I do say however that there has to be a certain amount of quality before I like your reviews.. I am a new designer, but also a bigtime shoppahholic when I’m not designing :D, and realise that sites like these (who are well established) make the difference on your shop to survive or not. I got blogged on another site, and my store got packed… It helped me actually build a store, and continue being enthusiastic about more creating
That doesn’t take away the fact that some products in SL are below standard quality… Go for original things, at least standard quality I’d say. And if someone send you a folder and you don’t like the quality or whatsoever. you can allways leave a friendly note saying what the flaws are, it might actually help them.. Or tell them you have a better designer.. more established and you want to review their dress in the little time you have. It’s understandable you can’t do all ;).
Anyways, I love the blog the way it is.. I like the mix.. I love to see what established designers created and I picked up a few nifty things from never-heard-off-folks which were really cute as well. Go for the thing that are accessible for a broad range of people like in my opinion you always do.. and the blog will stay absolutely fine, and a great place for me to gather some tp’s for my quick shopping hours.
Comment by Aphrodite — December 4, 2007 @ 4:32 am
D with a bit of A
I love reading about the well know gems and there newest releases but I also love to read about the new designer that are just starting out.
Comment by Izabella Dreamscape — December 4, 2007 @ 10:13 am
B + D - and male fashion too please.
Comment by Peter Stindberg — December 4, 2007 @ 11:11 am
I come to you gals because I know the quality of the things you review is going to be top notch. I don’t care if someone is a new or established designer. What I care is that their stuff is well made, tailored, and different. I love the attention to details that you ladies have (seams not matching drive me crazy too).
Comment by Andromache Ayres — December 4, 2007 @ 4:30 pm
C but with the influence of D. I think that sometimes something may be amazing but not your style and if it’s not well known, it should be covered.
Comment by Roslin Petion — December 4, 2007 @ 6:16 pm
My answers, in short:
C. Mostly high-quality items from established designers with occasional “diamond in the rough” finds.
E. Other (fill in your own answer)
But let me expand on my “E” answer.
===================================
I have two major complaints about SL fashion, and it would be nice to see blogs like yours at least discuss those complaints/issues.
I agree with Nan and others, above, that I am ***sick to death*** (can I emphasize this more?) of SLutwear. I know, I know…one person’s SLutwear is another person’s “cute as a button” wear. Linden Lifestyles has already noted that it would be nice to have shirts extend beyond the bellybutton, for example. Showing skin in inappropriate places just isn’t something I wish to do. [And lest you think this is only a fashion preference, I’ve had WAY too many unpleasant experiences in SL in which male avatars took an –avid– interest in my female avie just because they thought my appearance looked like I was ‘asking for it’, experiences I don’t wish to have repeated, which is why you will see me dressed, for the most part, like the ‘church lady’ (and why I actually purchased a nun’s costume). I have had to join the “Leave Me Alone” group so I can display just how sick to death I am of the unwanted “attention”.] I am looking for fashion advice on what to wear that will not require weapons, muting, or abuse reports to fend off others. (Down with one rant). My request of the blog queens is to help SL buyers but at the very least, letting us know if we’ll be disappointed by visiting a shop, due to its limited and/or unsavory inventory.
Second rant, sort of. I’ve noticed that some of the designers I purchase from have actually begun to have sizes in their designs, which I truly appreciate. “One size fits all” really isn’t true in SL. I have had to modify my shape more than once (or modify the clothing, which I find very distasteful) to wear clothing I’ve purchased. I now have 8 (yes, you read that correctly–eight) Marigold-designed shapes, which I have been forced to map to specific clothing and/or skins. Pardon my language, but WTF? Particularly if I am purchasing a special occasion dress that costs L$1,000, I expect it to fit my shape!
So, please, please, please continue advise us on where to shop (I come to this blog for that!) but also give us some caveat emptor advice as well.
Thanks!
Comment by Marigold McBride — December 4, 2007 @ 9:06 pm
In news entirely unlikely to shock, I don’t think I understand the question.
What does the “status” of the designers have to do with anything? I’m assuming that by “quality” you’re referring to largely the technical aspects of fashion creation (alignment of texture seams, use of sculpties, etc). This aspect can be reviewed in a semi-objective manner. “Style” of course is completely subjective, but I read this blog because there seems to be at least a moderate correlation between my sense of style and yours (I don’t want to suggest anything beyond “moderate”, lest by association I reduce your standing in the World of Fashionistas.
)
There are all sorts of practical difficulties I imagine, but in principle I’d love to see “designer-blind” reviewing. Eg., Sabrine receives an item for review from Designer-X, she passes that off to Salome without mentioning the designer and with the direst threats as to what will happen to Salome if she peeks at the creator field in edit.
Salome then writes the review (or decides not to do one). Once the review itself has been fixed, details of who designed the item are added, and the review posted. If this process turns out only established-designer reviews in one week, and start-up reviews in another, then so be it.
Comment by Cale Vinson — December 5, 2007 @ 5:57 am
This blog is an incredible and fun resource just as it is, and I think you’ve struck an admirable balance. If I were to wish any change, it would be this; as a returning player with few resources, I would absolutely love to see more coverage of high quality freebies and bargains. I sometimes splurge on the top designs featured herein as finances permit, but I’m also struggling to build a solid basic wardrobe of well-made clothing, without spending hours waiting for a freebie lot to rez or going through the mildly humorous but ultimately humiliating exercise of dumpster diving. Your bargain pieces are an invaluable resource in this quest.
Comment by Sera — December 5, 2007 @ 3:42 pm
How about a section or occasional segment dedicated to new designers?
In general I am only interested in “B”–topnotch stuff both in quality and style (I have no interest whatsoever in well made slutwear–like SL needs anymore baby tee/buttshorts/thigh high boot ensembles *ever*–I don’t care how well the seams match); however, I also want to know who to watch–who has the artistic vision and is developing the technical chops.
Comment by Anastasia — December 8, 2007 @ 2:07 am
Guess I’m going to go with “E”, I would like to see what’s new and highly original (high quality goes without saying, I hope). I’m not saying only new designers. Lately I find myself only buying what’s original and different from everything else out there. Some of my favorite designers have reached deep and pulled out new clothing shapes (example: The Vivi coat at Pixeldolls), or added something to a texture that makes it so irresistable (metallic filligree designs over wool). I already own 5000 pairs of jeans and there’s only so much you can do with a t-shirt, and the sweaters and coats are all starting to look the same so I can’t distinguish between one designer’s and another’s. I have a certain style that I’m pretty much holding true to, so I look for designers who make something in my style that’s different from the other things I already own…does that make sense? Oh, and skins. I have an incredible weakness for skins, it’s like an incurable disease.
I’m going to answer “D” also, because I really enjoy this blog and when you all enjoy writing about what you’re reviewing, I enjoy reading about it.
Comment by Sansarya — December 8, 2007 @ 9:37 pm