Warby Parker – Palm Canyon Collection

Lush desert landscapes, color pops of lush green foliage, cascading palm trees rustling with the dry breeze; this is the picturesque scene of what I have come to love about Palm Springs, CA. While I haven’t been for years, I still manage to get that old Hollywood glamour vibe from the surrounding deserted car washes, theaters, and restaurants every time I can visit. These inspirational landmarks have inspired a new collection of eyeglasses & sunglasses by Warby Parker.

There are four frames within the collection that took over a year to design and construct with no two frames exactly the same. I have to say my favorite pair would have to be the Duckworth Painted Desert eyeglass frames. The woodworked texture is phenomenal and the round shape is something I am becoming more and more accustomed to when looking for new eyewear. The Wheeler sunnies in Revolver Black remind me of a smaller version of Celine’s with it’s overly thick black frames. I have been lusting for a pair similar to that of Celine but without the Celine price tag attached and these are the perfect compromise.

What I love most about Warby Parker is their at-home try-on functionality. You can pick 5 pairs of eyeglasses or sunglasses to try on at home 100% free for 5 days! I have always been hesitant to purchase any type of eyewear online without trying on something similar beforehand and Warby’s at-home try-on eliminates all risk. Not to mention the price of frames INCLUDES your prescription lenses. I know, I was just as shocked to find that out as well! Kudos must also go out to their online marketing approach. Their simplistic design almost makes you want to purchase something outright, by far the best website I have yet to visit for trendy eyewear at reasonable prices. For those of you who (like me) want to make your eyewear selection as large as your overflowing shoe collection this is the way to go.

View some additional shots from the Warby Parker Palm Canyon Collection below and be sure to visit their website here for more information! I will be sending off for my 5 day try-ons ASAP.

Nasty Gals Market it Better

As if powerhouse Nasty Gal can’t get any larger they have recently taken onto a ton of new marketing initiatives that are making a bold statement.

1. The Shoe Cult Rises

Nasty Gal has taken to design! But not just clothing design, shoe design and they are spreading the word…FAST. Enter Shoe Cult, another simple way to make your audience feel they are a part of your company. One of the smartest, trendiest, and cheapest marketing moves for retailers is to reach out to influential bloggers as a way to get word out on new products, sales, or promotions. I really applaud them for taking this route because not only are great bloggers getting sweet new kicks but they are also getting massive exposure through Nasty Gal’s online blog! Any member of the Shoe Cult has a brief interview and photo expose about themselves and their blog on the Nasty Gal website.

2. Flash Sales

You thought flash sales were limited to websites like Hautelook and Gilt? These sites are built around offering limited sales on designer goods for a short period of time and Nasty Gal is taking full advantage of it’s perks. From Monday – Thursday various items are on a limited time sale, today’s sale included a selection of handbags for $25. These sales excite buyers into making impulse decisions. Since the sale only lasts a day you almost feel compelled into purchasing something after seeing the original price. If you have slow moving stock it is the perfect opportunity to remove excess inventory.

3. Word of Mouth

Use the Nasty Gal app and get $15 off our next purchase! Tell your friends and get $10 off your next order! Buy a gift card and get a gift card! Ingenious ways to get your most valuable and loyal customers to spread the word about your company. This is a clever way to get customers to begin utilizing new applications, move more gift cards and create more frequent orders.

While you might say it is a clever way for Nasty Gal to give back to it’s customers, the corporation has grown to exponential heights the past few years and as companies grow, so do your costs. You can be forced to play catch up and these initiatives can make or break you. I’m hoping the later.

Eccentric Short Suit & Work Attire

My entire wardrobe has made a complete 180 degree turn in comparison to a year ago. While I still indulge in a sometimes tasteless and overly revealing cropped top, graduating college and entering the workforce really puts a damper on your “free dress spirit”. Balancing work and school gave me an outlet to express myself without limitations while attending classes and bringing out my dressier side for work. It’s a difficult route for a fashionista considering you get inspired to wear certain things on certain days which might not always be deemed “appropriate” to stuffy corporate America.

I have really tried to embrace a new outlook on “work attire” and have been inspired by the Resort 2014 collections, specifically Rebecca Taylor. I have also noticed a few bloggers taking on this route, in particular Sincerely Jules and We Wore What caught my attention for their daring colors, smooth textures, and matching pieces.

Here are some of my inspiration pieces.

Rebecca Taylor

We Wore What

Sincerely Jules

ASOS

TopShop

Lauren Conrad for Kohls Spring Collection

After following Lauren Conrad on Instagram I came across a few posts regarding her Kohls collection. I’ll admit, I’m not one to stop into Kohls to take a peak at what’s “trending” but with well known designers partnering with companies like Target, JcPenny and Kohls I can’t help take a peak. The great thing about working with large discount department stores is that you are reaching for an entirely different market. Here you are hitting individuals who are trying to catch up to the latest designer trends but who can’t necessarily afford designer prices. It’s a smart move for any designer. While I used to think they were “sell outs” my thought process quickly changed once I looked at it in a business way.

Here are a few of the pieces I really like. Lately I’m a sucker for blazers, mint, and chiffon blouses. That’s what you get when you have to dress for work. The collection also includes house wares like bedding. Be on the lookout for Phillip Lim for Target this fall as well.

Thoughts on the collection?

Selling Your Clothes: What Thrift Stores Want

The time has come, packed closets, overflowing drawers and your bed buried beneath all of your failed outfit attempts of the week, time to clean house. Being the frequent shopper that I am there are pivotal moments in my life when I realize I have a full closet of clothes yet only wear the same 6 tops, 2 pair of leggings and tights with shorts combos. My usual route of disposal was simple, donate to goodwill. The thought of taking a full day to drive around attempting to sell my clothes made me cringe, much rather spend my day shopping.

There is an advantage to selling your clothes to trendy thrift stores however. For one you’ll get some money back or in other cases, store credit. Some of the more popular second hand stores I visit include Buffalo Exchange, Wasteland and Deelux. In my first attempt at selling I failed miserably. A huge bag of clothes and all that was purchased was a jacket for $5. After analyzing the clothes in the stores I realized my problem.

1. Too many tees.

• Lets face it, fitted graphic tees are not mainstream anymore, especially if you are fashionable. Unless you have some vintage 80s Mickey Mouse cropped top you wont find luck here.

2. Too basic.

• Thrifting is all about the diamonds in the rough, unfortunately outdated Forever 21 tops won’t cut it.

3. Not trendy.

• Finally I came to the realization that my clothes were just too outdated with the current trends but not outdated enough to be started back up.

The moral of this story is to either sell your clothes when you stop wearing them (no hoarding) or limit yourself to selling your most unique items. More than likely they will be what those “thrifters” are looking for. Don’t forget! You can always check out a thrift store before hand to see what kind of merchandise they are buying. When in doubt, you can always raid grandmas closet to make some extra cash. Cheers.

My Favorite Online Retail Marketing Ploys

Tis the season! I’ve been bitten by the shopping bug and as a result been driven to participate in shopping even more than normal. Since it is my last semester in school and I’m vigorously working on all of my assignments I haven’t had much time to hit the mall. Enter online shopping. Normally I’m not a huge fan of shopping online. Not only do you have to deal with shipping costs, lost items, or being disappointed in the item you purchased but it takes away the in-store experience. I suppose it is the whole thought of not being able to use my senses of touch, sight, smell, etc. when choosing my clothes. With all of this online shopping I’ve been signed up for numerous email lists. Normally I delete emails on the spot if the subject line bores me but there has been an increase in my click through rate with these new marketing ploys.

Online retailers are utilizing contests and giveaways to let their fans do their social media marketing for them! While many companies are partaking in this I’m going to focus my attention to one site in particular, MissKL.com. A few weeks ago I was on a popular fashion blog (IHATEBLONDE) and noticed that in her latest post there was a link to MissKL. The blogger posted her favorite looks from the website which are up for grabs as a giveaway! All you need to do is enter your name and email address to be placed in the drawing. The catch? Being added to their email list. Not too bad. The second contest they are holding is for a trip for 2 to Paris France along with a $500 MissKL shopping spree. While I consider the best part of this marketing effort the trip to Paris my business side of my brain was tickled by the method used to enter. It’s simple really, sign into your Pinterest account, create a board entitled “Springtime in Paris: Miss KL Style” and start pinning your favorite MissKL items that inspire you and will tell your Paris story. Not only is this a great way for people to get involved on your website but products that are pinned by contestants are now seen by their followers who can re-pin and be displayed for their followers… the story goes on. Ultimately the great part about Pinterest is that with every top, dress, or accessory you post you are providing a direct link back to your website. For those influential pinners out there your product can be seen by their thousand or so followers!

It’s all about engagement, if your customers are getting excited about your product offerings they will pass it on to their friends, followers, or fans. This makes marketers jobs a lot easier, all they must do is keep the influential consumers interested and engaged. I’d like to think that when I start my own online retailer or clothing company this would be a big way to spread word of mouth. Leave it to social media people, it’s not that hard if you have the right creative mind.

Wanelo – New Social Media Fashion Site

I was recently introduced to a new website called Wanelo. My constant pursuits of new inspiration for fashion has led me to websites like Lookbook and Pinterest but many times the items displayed are not given a link on where to purchase. Wanelo provides the same social media format as Pinterest but narrows down the content to clothing and accessories. As a member you can sign up, login, and post content. When opening a post you are able to “save”, “buy” or “tag” the item in question. What I like most about this website is its simplicity. The website layout is clean and easy to maneuver. The products displayed can range from big name retailers or small Etsy websites. Either way it is an easy way to to filter through tons of styles and pick out your favorites. The ease of keyword searching can produce items for any type of style. My biggest concern and hesitation when first visiting the site was the homepage. It included a lot of “girly” items and threw me off with the lack of variety it gave me. The homepage is what sets a websites culture and to me, it wasn’t edgy enough. After searching particular keywords I was able to snatch up some pieces and become introduced to new online retailers. The price points for me are one of the biggest plusses. There is a wide range of pricing since a lot of the websites linked to items come from Ebay or Etsy which usually has a lower price point. Since I already maintain a large amount of accounts on social media sites I haven’t signed up for Wanelo but I have a feeling that I will be frequenting the website more and more to get new style inspiration. Cheers to that!

Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show – Utilizing Social Media

Today’s the day, the one men around the world have been waiting for, the one fashion show that they are willing to watch. Why you might ask? Well it’s the Victoria’s Secret Fashion show for cripes sake! Advertising has been running for the past few months in anticipation for the new Victoria’s Secret line that in the past has included multimillion dollar bras in exhibition. Television is one of the most prominent ways of marketing with the ability to show the models strutting their stuff, social media has given individuals the chance to directly be part of the action!

An online application has been created for android and iPhone devices that allows you to turn yourself into an Angel. Wings are added every week and with a quick snapshot of yourself, you can turn yourself into a Victoria’s Secret Angel, or at least a close runner up. A few months ago I also came across a Facebook page dedicated to the retailers new women’s workout clothing line. Marketers notice that with men and women lusting over the Angels tight cores, there could be a great way to not only market the new clothing line but also highlight the upcoming fashion show. VSX sport Facebook page created a “Train Like an Angel” application that provides videos on the type of workouts models use to get runway ready. Eight workout challenges were posted all leading up to the big fashion show. Not only was this an extraordinary way to advertise but it got customers involved in the action! Not to mention the workouts are easy to do, require minimal equipment, and gives VSX exposure.

This is one of the more fun ways to get involved in social media, I’ll admit that I gave a couple of the workouts a try and it is worth hitting the like button to have workout videos at your fingertips.

LOOKBOOK.NU – Free Marketing for Retailers

Lookbook.nu has shaken up the online world and created celebrities overnight. For those of you who don’t know the site, it was created by a college student in San Francisco who hoped to create a website where people could share their sense of fashion. The site changed from invitation-only to full availability for all, with hopes that a more diverse market would envelop the site. The greatest part of this site is the ability to list where you purchased each item of clothing you are wearing. This includes, socks, shoes, hats, sunglasses etc. It is a great way to find new places to shop and is a cheap and almost free way for retailers to market their products.

While there are tons of members of this online community it isn’t easy for all retailers to get their products seen. There are key members of the Lookbook community who have a big prominence and influence to website viewers. Some of these include Lua P and Jennifer G who are well known members of this online community. With posts receiving a couple thousand likes it is clear that websites like Romwe, Nastygal, and UNIF have benefited from their clothes being worn by some of these influential users. While clothing companies can get lucky having these girls and guys wearing their clothing by sheer luck, there is an easier method. Send them free clothes! For well known bloggers and Lookbook users, retailers have begun sending large packages of clothing items hoping that they will appear online and influence new users to shop at their stores. Some of these include PacSun, a recent post on Instagram from a well known fashion blogger “Real Vintage Virgin” displayed an entire crate of clothes being sent to her home! The next day, she had posted an outfit styled entirely from PacSun, also sending out a mention to the company and providing a link to their Instagram and webpage.

In my opinion, this is a great way for retailers to market their products. These fashion bloggers and members of the Lookbook community have a huge influence on online shoppers. As a retailer it wouldn’t hurt you to send promotional items to these online influencers. It is much more likely that they will wear your clothing versus working alongside a celebrity who would request additional incentives. It’s becoming easier through social media to market for clothing companies. How do I know? Well, they suckered me in, Lookbook is one of the websites I visit when looking for new and interesting clothing options. Taking the time and creative energy to post and edit these photographs and market your style deserves these perks. Free clothes for free marketing? Not to bad of a deal.

Black Friday: Helping or hurting retailers?

After finishing our turkey dinners for Thanksgiving, boys, girls, moms, dads, grandparents and even some pets braved the cold winter evening to line up for Black Friday sales. Most retailers opened their doors between 8pm and 12am on Thursday evening and Friday morning. A few days prior when preparing for what stores we should hit first, a discussion arose about the worth of getting up early or staying up all night shopping for the “greatest holiday deals”. Does the concept of Black Friday help or hurt retailers?

Marketing Black Friday and Cyber Monday as the best deals of all time might be a heavy exaggeration. There are plenty of other times within the year, coupon combinations, or other ways to manipulate retailers to get a good deal on products. The companies that reap the benefits of Black Friday are larger retailers. They can provide significant markdowns on their items after years of Black Friday experience it is apparent what signage verbiage and colors attract the most consumers. This day isn’t planned on short notice, companies prepare and analyze what items they can afford to discount, what amounts they can give, and what kind of crowds they will see year after year. Not only this, they are able to clear out unpopular or out of season items by reeling in customers with bright red “CLEARANCE” signs along with display new seasonal items for the holiday season.

It is obvious that consumers will hit large retailers like Target, Best Buy, Wal-Mart and Kohls for early bird specials on electronics, home, and clothing items but what about the smaller retailers? Having worked at a small Southern California based women’s clothing retailer I was appalled at the minimal sale we were offering as our first Black Friday special. Not only did we have to remain open all night long, we only offered discounts on our already unpopular sale items. This hardly caught the attention of mall goers when we opened at 12am. Small retailers aren’t able to provide 40, 50 or 75% off all items in store, not only is this unrealistic but in the end it would cost the company money. It was after I realized that my store couldn’t be compared against stores like Macy’s or H&M that I started to think of positive ways that small retailers could actually benefit from Black Friday.

• Black Friday brings the consumers. (With enticing signage and properly merchandised window displays, you can attract an entirely new audience.)
• Use of appropriate discount offers. (This not only gets customers excited about the current purchase but also incentivizes them to come back again.)
  • Spend ____ amount and get a coupon for _____ percent off your next visit in December
  • Spend ____ amount and get ____ dollars off your next visit in December
  • _____ percent coupon for any purchase made today to redeem in December.
  • Scratch card for a percentage off your next visit with any purchase made today.
• Creates new relationships. (Having a good experience during the hectic Black Friday shopping can bring customers back into your store.)

While small retailers might feel forced into providing Black Friday deals it is in the stores best interest to instead look at this as a marketing opportunity. Knowing how to select markdowns to reduce unwanted stock along with creating an incentive to visit the store again can bring in new consumers instead of marking down the entire store and losing money. The competition with Cyber Monday is giving retailers an entirely new way of approaching Black Friday. For those who have websites and brick and mortar stores this means incentives to customers on both ends to choose their stores as well as their website. All I can say is you better bring the value, and that doesn’t mean marking down old sweaters.