It appears that consumers and designers alike have begun to question the validity and truth behind the bloggers and the blogosphere – in terms of SL Fashion.There are rumors that some bloggers are *paid* by particular designers to tote their wares. The rumors go on to say that designers are becoming afraid of the bloggers, or that designers are posting on blog reviews about themselves – nasty, rude comments in order to up their blog hits, and get more traffic to their shops.
A designer may pay for an advertisement on Blog A. While Blog A may review the designer’s items once in a while, it might not be just because they’re paying for advertising.
Of course, if Blog A does review that designer’s clothing, then suddenly Blog A is accused of what is basically Fashion Payola. (For the interested, Payola was popular in the 50′s record industry and involved paying DJ’s to play certain music.)
We are, as a community, genuinely concerned about what is going on out there. We don’t like all these rumors.
Many designers drop items on the bloggers without a word to them. That doesn’t bother me, but I know it bothers many bloggers. As if it’s now their duty instead of their perogative. I know that I love a little IM or notecard from the designer explaining what they’re dropping and why. It makes me feel closer to them and I’ve made quite a few friends that way.
I have, however, noticed that quite possibly the competition between designers is getting rough. Someone posted a comment here on SCD under a designer’s name recently – a horrible, possibly damaging comment – and luckily I contact the designer about it. She did not say it, and I’ve since deleted the comment and banned the IP.
“Anonymous Designer: Per your question about the blogging debate, I dont know if thats true. It would be sad to find out it was, but I like to think ppl are mostly blogging what they like. Bloggers that happen to be friends with designers is not a concern to me, its natural that they are going to take pride in a good friends work and there is nothing wrong with wanting to share that. As for being paid off.. well I guess its their blog they can do whatever they want.”
I know I’m against Fashion Payola. I want to be able to say whether I like something or think it’s absolute crap without having to think about who’s paying me to say so. What’s your opinion? –Iris
About Iris Seale
Obviously getting paid to blog a designer’s ware’s is wrong, and reputable bloggers just wouldn’t do it. Well that’s my opinion anyway.
On the same token, I’m struggling with something this evening. What do you do as a fashion blogger when designs are clearly of subpar quality? Do you stay mum? Do you spread the word? Earlier today I purchased three outfits from a recently released line of a designer I have adored pieces from in the past. As I was taking pictures of these new ensembles, and zoomed in, I was shocked. Unfinished edges, visible flaws in the alpha, weird blotchy areas, and obvious poor photosourcing. I also struggled to adjust a prim skirt for 30 minutes in an attempt to correct a problem with the alpha texture. Keep in mind…I’m referring to designs that are currently being applauded on other fashion blogs. What do I do with this info? I’m a bit upset that I wasted linden and I really don’t want to anyone else to do the same?
Is it my responsibility to share this information? Is it blogger career suicide?
As a fashion blogger myself, I feel I must respond to this accusation. I can say the only thing I have EVER received is review copies. It is very difficult to personally finance SL Fashion blogging without occasional review copies. Yes, I have taken pride in my friends when they do good work and I like to show it off. BUT I have reveled my review copies and my friends in a section at the bottom of my posts.
Also the “Sponsored By” posts I do are majorily projects of my own, such as the Shopping Directory or my personal yard sale.
I’m one of those designers who are afraid of the fashion bloggers. Afraid that one error caught will turn into a trashing which will make people go oh that looks good but I remember there was an issue with their stuff…
I know some of the biggest designers make mistakes too.. made me feel better seeing a rather obvious flaw from someone very well known… in a spot I know gives me trouble too. Now I know it’s not just me ;D
Carissa: If I were you, I’d write a blog about it. Your opinion deserves to be heard and it would be great to get word out about a poor design.
Tanya: I totally agree with you. All I’ve excepted are review copies (which I very much appriciate,) but I can’t deny I’ve been offered Linden from some designers for reviews. Since I’m not a well-known blogger, I wonder what the big names out there have experienced.
curious about that too Iris… it has never happened to me either. Oh well… I guess I received an IM once from a starting designer who asked how much it would cost to have his things reviewed on Second Style…
Great Post Iris, lots of that has needed to be said, Carissa on your dilemma I think that is a customer/designer issue not a blogging one, only so far as to say that you need to give the designer a chance to rectify the situation like she/he would have to do with any customer complaint, just because you are a blogger shouldnt mean that you can voice an opinion to thousands and potentialy ,as Rose in her own comment ruin a store based on flaws of one or two things , mistakes happen…if others are blogging the same items and raving the customer will only feel cheated in the end, but it may also be that 1. they didnt need to adjust for their shape , and/or 2. they dont look as closely as you do
) some people wear clothes in sl for the overall look not for the zoom .
I agree with the message or note in sending review items, it realy was overwhelming having dozens of things pop up in my inventory and also is a good safety precaution as with capping and sl being so fragile things can get misplaced and if items get swallowed or cache eats it then you dont know you have items and designers think you hated it and may get upset , plus its also good manners
) .
I have also heard many of these rumors and have tried to rectify them when I have, designers start out small its very rare a person turns up in sl has the cash for huge land with huge prims and suddenly unveils 100 items at once , its slow and heartbreaking , the excitement of that first drop down that someone bought your item , is the cutest thing to even be told about never mind actualy experience it .
Designers in SL work hard and can actualy lead a hermit existance , worst thing to hear is that they are scared of Bloggers or anyone for that matter , becaus if that continues not only is it not healthy but the chance they may pack up and quit is awful .
The paying thing like Iris said is sometimes confusion to new designers in what is review and what is advertising and that may be the fault of how advertising rates are detailed or someone walking in randomly and asking for money to feature their products on a mag/paper/site etc , there are many many Mags out there now too not just blogs, ones Id never even heard of until I was asked about them by my boss as they had approached about advertising .
I’ve talked too much as usual but I will say to finish what I said to a few designers my last week at AM when I wasnt taking anymore review items ……..Go to Tanyas site and look over her bloggers list , read the fashion planet feed , find one or two bloggers you “Personaly ‘ like and would read , IM them , say hi , tell them about what you do and ask them if they would mind checking some of you items out , maybe some pics and a landmark and then to let you know if they want to proceed might be one way , if your going to send items to every single blogger send different items so that they spread it all over the fashion feed lol , again dont be afraid of them ….and yes you do end up friends with many wonderful people and also once you build a relationship with a blogger you will see that they become very good preview people too .
Hugs Rose 1.because your beautiful and 2. because your designs are as well you need never be afraid to put them out there
)
again great post Iris and waves to Tenshi maybe nose deep in HP
thank you
xoxox Sasy xoxo
I have never had a designer offer to pay me in return for a mention on my blog, but then my blog is quite new and not as well known as some others.
Either way I wouldn’t do it, I don’t blog all review copies I receive either, but will make the time to tell the designer why I am not blogging them, some don’t wanna hear it, but I feel I owe them an explanation since they have taken the time to send me their stuff.
Rose Farina please don’t be afraid to send your items to bloggers, most of us are not going to out and out trash an item, if we don’t like it or feel it is of low quality, most of us just won’t blog it. I have never totally trashed a designer in my blog and sincerely doubt I ever will, the worst I have done is mention parts of an outfit I was blogging that I do not like, usually based on a matter of taste and not quality and always assuring the reader that they might love it themselves. It might be an idea for ALL bloggers to include details of how they will react in the event of receiving a low qaulity item, in ther review policy, I will certainly add something to mine.
In short, I don’t think it is right that bloggers should accept money for blogging. One could argue it is no different from accepting payment for advertising, but I disagree, in a blog post a bloggers gives their own opinion of an item and to think that they may be exagerating their high opinion of an item would only breed mistrust from readers towards all bloggers, in my view that is conning the consumer and I would never do it. In an advert the buyer is more aware that the designer is pimping his/her own stuff.
Carissa, I agree that if you have a problem with an item contact the creator directly, they may not be aware of it and will more than likely bend over backwards to correct it.
I never received a single L$ for review, only some review copies. I appreciate the review copies but I decided that I am going to review most of the stuff I review, not all. I review things that I don’t like (for me) but that is my taste; my readers might think different.
If my designer friends drop things on me I will write saying that my friend dropped that on me and , of course, I will say something: buy this now!
I don’t ask review copies. Just can’t do it… It is important that designers drop things on bloggers or asked them to choose items to review. It is bit unfair that bloggers spend lots of L$ buying stuff for the designer profit because of free advertise. That is why I only name post with the word review when people drop things on me.
Since I began doing this, there was only two stores I didn’t review because of the quality of the clothes.
I also like an IM or a notecard saying what they are sending and why… It’s nice.
As a blogger now, for over 2 years, I can honestly, hand on heart say I have NEVER received $1L for blogging anything. I have, of course, received review copies, but in all honestly, i’d much prefer no review copies, because I like to blog what I buy, and yes, it might be the same bunch of designers time and time again, but I would rather blog what I buy instead of what i’m sent, because sometimes what i’m sent isn’t my cup of tea, and I would never normally wear it, but I feel sometimes I have to blog everything i’m sent and to me, that isn’t an honest review (although if it ISN’T normally my cup of tea, I will say so).
Sadly, with little time on SL lately, I haven’t got out and about as much as i’d like to, but if I see something I like on the forums, i’ll post about it and just specify I haven’t actually seen it.
I would never consider taking money to blog someone, cos that’s just not cricket! I also don’t really dig getting asked specifically to blog something, I don’t mind getting asked to check stuff out, but I feel that sometimes it’s a bit cheeky to come out and ask designers to blog things, and then freak out if they don’t and call them all the names under the sun! (it happens!).
Blogging isn’t a clear cut business, I don’t think it ever will be, it’s just one of those things where things will always be a lil hazy!
I love my time blogging, but i’ve recently started to take a lil bit more of a backseat than normal, to prepare for babykins arriving
Anyway, pointless ramble over, answer to question is really: No, never EVER been offered, or accepted money to blog goods, I don’t even get paid to blog
I never receive L$ for reviewing anything but yes, review copies are sometimes given, which is pretty standard. Frankly, until I hear names, I am going to assume this is just more needless gossip and that people blog for their enjoyment and/or their readers’ enjoyment. I personally do not hear these rumors at all so I will choose to believe it’s a small few with too much time on their hands. Until proven otherwise that is.
ANA: “It is bit unfair that bloggers spend lots of L$ buying stuff for the designer profit because of free advertise. That is why I only name post with the word review when people drop things on me.”
I can see where you’re coming from on that… but, with the way SL is, I tend to enjoy buying some of what I review to boost the creator’s confidence and give them free advertising at the same time. The beginning designers could use that.
Oh and agree with Tenshi…while I do blog items that are dropped on me in many (but certainly not all) cases, I still spend plenty of L$ and buy the items I show. It’s part of why SL is fun for me…
I beg your pardon, are you insinuating that we make up gossip to boost our readership? On the contrary, Gilly – may I call you Gilly? Okay. – everything we blog, gossip-wise, is something that’s been on the lips of bloggers for more than a week.
As for names – you won’t get them, necessarily, unless they come here and stand up for themselves, laying claim to their words. There’s too many griefers on SL to give the names of designers and other bloggers – more drama than they themselves are willing to handle.
Meh, I’m not really a blogger for reviews. But I just wanted to tell Iris that I am really happy you signed your post, because the one thing I truly hate about this blog is that I never have any idea who is writing what, unless they sign it.
This sounds like the sort of rumor a designer who is not getting reviews and disagrees with the reviews they are seeing might make…. can’t be that my designs aren’t sparking interest, so it must be that other people are paying to be reviewed!
I’m no fashionista, but I am a clotheshorse that spends an SL fortune on clothes, occasionally blogs about it (not as a review so much as ‘lookit what I found!’) and is read primarily by friends inworld. I depend on fashion blogs to help me scope out the stuff and I think that if there is anyone getting payola to review things that aren’t review-worthy, they’ll be weeded out by their readers.
You may steer me wrong once or twice and I’ll chalk it up to just having different tastes and the way pictures sometimes hide flaws. But if it happens consistantly, I’ll just stop trusting you, stop reading you and boom! Problem solved. I somehow doubt that any reviewer is getting enough of a payoff to make it worthwhile to destroy their reputation that way. So…no. I think this is a rumor only and not a major problem in the SL Fashion world.
Wtf! Part of my comment went missing!
Anyyyway, what it basically said was that review copies, I think, are appreciated by all and sundry (I know I appreciate everything i’m sent, even if it’s not my style), as long as the person giving them out understands that sometimes things won’t get blogged, offering cash to blog, or throwing a hissy fit really isn’t going to get you anywhere!
I buy stuff I see in blogs ,and some of it is just awful.well known blogs.too Some payola is going on.
oh there was one more thing I wanted to add
to the flaws and no zoom factor HAIR plays an important part in missing things as well, I have worn a long full hair do with a set as I have put on hair first if it was new for example (which in my case is often lol ) and then put on a set, loved its look and worn it a dozen times, then worn it again and had short hair on and been suprised what there is no back part to a collar or no back straps to a halter , so I have just continued to wear it with long hair , thats something that I realised too that Designers might actualy fall prey to when uploading a design …….they might also have long hair on and not actualy even see the fault themselves , as generaly its Hair makers that live SL bald lol .
xoxox Sasy xoxox
Sure, call me Gilly, my parents do
. No not implying that YOU are the ones creating the gossip. AFAIK, you’re facilitating a discussion about it, not creating it.
I don’t hear the back chatter about things like this but then, I kind of do my own thing in SL…
Thanks for the clear-up, Gilly.
(I like that name. I’m so in a Harry Potter mood. ugh.)
If you’re a designer and you don’t check your design bald – well, you should be.
Dang, who gets offered money to blog? I’d like in on some of that action.
(Just kidding. 
Coral and I accept review copies, but we don’t sell ads or anything like that. Blogging is in no way, shape, or form a career for us, it’s a hobby.
And this is directed mainly at Ana, but also to other bloggers who feel this way: To not think it’s fair to have to buy items to review? Don’t review them. It’s as simple as that. That said, we (Coral and I) are not going to always go out of our way to find new stores, so getting review copies is a nice way to expose us to other vendors. There’s also items that we just wouldn’t buy, like wedding dresses, for example. But the expectation that you *have* to blog and give profit to designers? Honestly, there’s tons of fashion blogs out there. Don’t feel obliged, I’m sure another blog will cover it. Just feel good that a designer respects your blog enough to offer you review copies because, you know, they don’t have to.
And as for saying what we want to about items, if we get substandard items from a designer we’ll still blog it, since they liked it enough to send it to us, and we’ll try to concentrate on the positive aspects. And if we buy substandard items, well, what’s wrong with sharing that information with other consumers? We don’t want them to waste their Lindens like we did.
Funny this comes up, just the other day I was telling a friend about SL’s growth and the work I do here, and showed her some of the articles and press (both RL and SL publications) I have personally been featured in. She was rather surprised and asked if it was ‘organic’ or not. being ignorant in the industry I asked what that meant. She told me, in her experiences in the publishing world that its fairly common (at least in RL) for people to pay for press – and she was pretty surprised to hear (especially for the RL publications) I had been approached by them and of course never paid a dime for the publicity – Same goes for SL. I guess my point being, this is apparently common in RL according to said friend, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it seeped into SL.
One thing I always wondered about is blogs who seem to have an allegiance to one brand, and scarcely feature stuff from their competitors. Like an example would be a blog only covering Nylon Pinkney’s stuff, never Toast Bard’s because the blogger doesn’t want to see the other succeed (I use them because there is obviously no fierce competition between those two seeing as they are like best friends ever but share a very recognizable style, so you see what I mean).
Anyway, I think its a very slim chance the blogworld will ever be taken over by ‘payola’ considering most people (like myself) read these blogs to see new and cool stuff by little known designers, everyone knows about etd, last call, and all those other well established brands, and dont get me wrong its fun to keep up with their releases since you know its quality. However, deep down i think we are all more looking forward for that great new store yet to be discovered to pop up on the blog feed.
Wow…I can’t even fathom being paid for reviewing a designer. That sends my ethics alarm into overdrive.
While review copies certainly tend to make blogging life easier, I even feel iffy utilizing those at times, especially if everybody, their brothers, and mother’s parakeet has reviewed the same item.
For new designers though, I agree with Sasy – find reviewers whose writing and style match the tone you want taken for your creations, and develop relationships. Also try to communicate with the reviewer(s) so if the items are misrouted/eaten by SL, there are no assumptions on what happened, and no hard feelings.
And please, if your items are not reviewed, ask why! Just remember to keep an open, mature mindset if you do. Many of us have been in Second Life for a long while and have an eye for certain common problem areas in clothing and jewelry, and might be able to help you – and the whole point is to enhance your skill and further your SL career, and if it’s not, it should be.
(But also, if the reviewer is rude or gives destructive criticism – “I wouldn’t use your gowns to towel off my cat” – then you are likely better off they didn’t put out a review, right?)
There is nothing in SL that makes me happier than seeing new designers flourish here, and I like doing what I can to help them along. But I would not, could not, allow myself to be bribed to further anybody’s career.
I’d be interested to find someone in SL that COULD use a virtual gown to towel off a cat.
Maybe a virtual cat.
Tenshi: agreed! More and more, I prefer to blog about small/new designers with great quality but unknown.
I couldn’t write a destrutive critic. I am too nice to do that. (I am with Carissa on this one)
And I only praise some of the stuff I blog…
I only review when I receive review copies and I know that designers don’t have to. I appreciate every single item received.
Hm, I’m not sure if it’s destructive criticism (although I’ve seen some of that this week) as much as it is rough-tongue constructive criticism…
Although, if you purchased from, say, American Apparel in SL, would you be more likely to give it a bad review if you hated it? It’s corporate, after all…
I believe in construtive criticism. Just don’t know if I would ever make a bad review that would destroy the designer.
I will probably won’t shop at a corporate store in SL. Specially one that I never seen their RL stuff…
Well, as a designer with a wide inventory of products (you know, I just jumped from 3 to four! :-p)I know the thrill of sending it to some fashion bloggers and seeing it reviewed. I still feel in debt with them, and I imagine I’ll do always.
Now, if you are a powerfull designer that keeps creating new items, and on the other way there is a blogger that really like your style (for example, I love BareRose), it is easy to stablish a friendship where the blogger is favored by the designed (be carefull, no money implied), and the blogger refrains from reviewing some items that could be seen negatively. Yes, that’s a kind of bias, but I don’t think is bad, since it end being an obvious bias to the public (anyway, reviews usualy start by “another great product from… you know I really really love his/her…” etc.).
Even more, I don’t believe in negative criticism. As it sounds. Mainly, because I am sure that what is bad for somebody isn’t for everybody, and the reviews about what you like already give a possitive reinforcement to the good things. But there are secondary things, like not damaging an emerging product unless you see it is really faulty (because shit is shit, and should be denounced everywhere).
Last, about the roaming accusations of bloggers being “greased”. I doubt that kind of think can really happen; a small designer doesn’t have the money, and a big one doesn’t need it, the test items are more than enough.
What I can say, looking at your fucking inventories full of fucking last minute fashion that we will never have, is there is a lot of envy roaming around about the fucking fashion bloggers :-p.
So, I understand you have to answer back to that kind of things, but don’t worry too much about them… as I said, we are fucking envious *winks*.
eh I know most of the fashion bloggers at least by reputation if not by interaction. I don’t think any of them get paid.
Now in the case of my blog, I only blog my clients releases and I’ve never made a secret of that. My clients pay me and blogging their releases is a part of my service. However, I do not accept money *solely* to blog, nor would I. So in a sense I guess you could say I get paid to blog. But it would be the same sense as where Ginny or Neph or whoever gets paid to blog their own releases.
Now it is standard in the RL fashion magazine industry to pay for articles. So Cosmo will go to, say, L’oreal and say “hey we are going to do a 6 page spread on different kinds of makeup, would you like to buy an ad.” And L’Oreal will buy an ad blitz for that issue and low and behold the makeup used in the 6-page spread will be a lot of L’Oreal. But I haven’t seen anything like this in the SL press yet. Not saying it couldn’t happen and/or that it won’t. Just saying it hasn’t yet.
Okay, it took me two or three reads to understand London’s opinion of it. People are jealous of the fashion bloggers, is that it? So they start these rumors because the bloggers occasionally get stuff for free…
*sigh* how I hate when people notice I am not english native :-p.
Smiletenshi (btw, does that mean angel’s smile?) It was halfway a joke and halfway the truth… if there is no proof of payment, the only motive to start that kind of rumours is a desire to hurt.
It can be envy, trolling, a dirty competence maneouver or pure evil. I know I feel envy of your wardrobe, so it was funnier for me to say that :-p.
London, you may not be an English native speaker, but the “f” word you used has a pretty universal meaning by now, I would think, and your use of it was very rude. Especially since the discussion in this thread had not resorted to such language at all.
I don’t understand why you can’t have the fashion that you see in the blogs – go out and buy it yourself. The blogs are there to show you the new fashion that’s available for purchase, after all, and don’t assume all fashion bloggers get everything for free – because we don’t. I know that I, myself, have spent thousands of Lindens on clothing, make-up and hair. I also know that some of my fellow bloggers have done the same, many times over.
First, my apologice about the “f” word… as a foreigner I see it published often enough to think I could resort to it in a comical way, but now I understand I was mistaken. I’ll tone down my vocabulary in the future.
Second…I spend quite a lot on fashion I like, and give a way a lot that I don’t like about wearing it; but if you don’t know the difference between “a lot for free” and “I shouldn’t buy this but I like it too much” I am not the one to explain it to you.
Anyway, I see you disagree with my vocabulary (right)and the posiblity people can feel envy of bloggers receiving free items (wrong, check human nature)even if you have to buy them sometimes, or almost always, or always.
I was only trying to give you an explanation about why that kind of nasty rumours can appear; since I am not one of them and are a fashion blog addict I find your reprimand pretty aggresive (“go out and buy it yourself”).
Yes, I understand it is a tender issue for you, but sometimes simple words can be ruder than the “f” one.
Sigh, I am still steaming, mainly because what happened, and mainly because I writed back in a hurry and I almost cannot understand what I said, so you…
So, I’ll try to rephrase it between two reloads of the page, waiting for an answer from Delfina.
What is wrong with what I said (ok, I already apologiced about the “f” word)?
People is starting rumours about bloggers being payed.
First option: They do because they know something fishy is happening. I doubt it is true, or we whould had heared when and how.
Second option: They do it without a true motive. Then envy, even if not based in true facts can be one ot the things that impulse them.
So, what is it? Did it hurt that I said I was envious too? I earn enough with my own products to rent 17000sqm and offer them as a public park, so it isn’t a money thing. It is more the kind of “I don’t buy thing I like because I think I don’t really need it, but it whould be good to get them for free”.
If you think that the possibility of receiving free gifts cannot generate a healthy envy, you are “s”.
What else? Is it a kill the messenger thing? Did the “F” word annoy you so much to jump?…
Sigh, here I am, getting angry again. Enough.
I hope this time I’ve written this in a legible enough way.
It’s alright, London. I think we see your point. The next thing is, though, that the whole blogging aspect isn’t easy. We don’t sit around and do nothing with the “freebie” items we recieve. We, more than once sometimes, blog them. A good blog entry can take up to an hour to write if we have time and are dedicated to it.
*shrug* I’m getting a bit lost now.
*smiles* I noticed. A simple post takes me from one to two hours, and my daily barrage of comments another one (btw,I deeply regret that I started this one :-p).
What I cannot see is why did you took my words as a kind of personal attack, since do you keep defending yourself.
I’ve never told free copies are bad or a kind of payment. I’ve never told fashion bloggers doesn’t have a good work.
I truly cannot understand why I got myself in this crap (sigh, the “C” word, maybe?), when I only was trying to say that the bribery rumours where infounded and probably launched by petty people.
I’ll leave it because I think all this was a misunderstanding, probably due to my unability whith english or (I need to say it) a terminal carence of sense of humor by Delfina.
Anyway, I assure you that my objetives when I commented where to be friendly in a blog I liked, not to hurt or be hurted.
Thanks for quieten the things and your answer, smiletenshi, even if it is limited; I still want to know, does it mean angel’s smile?
I believe it does, yes…
Then you answer is now complete
Anyway, I forgot to add something important… I truly apologice about jumping like this in your blog about somebody else comment.
I saw Delfina pic on the top corner and I thinked she was part of your staff… until I noticed I appeared too and it showed the last posters :-p.
So, again, sorry for my temper and tendence to written tamtrums (don’t you love how they stay so everybody can see them and point at you?).
*smiles* Even if it is a bit too late to say it, you do a lovely work.
(and when I wrote “I’ve never told fashion bloggers doesn’t have a good work” I meaned “I’ve never told fashion bloggers doesn’t do a good work.”… “f” english of mine :-p).
I thought you were joking, London, so I thought the whole end of your response was funny. I personally was not offended at your use of the “F word” (lol) in the slightest. I *did* laugh at Tenshi’s Tourette Syndrome comment though because it seemed to come out of nowhere
Thanks, Gillian
Still, I jumped back to hard and to high as, sigh, people who knows me knows (aha, redundance now, my english is getting worse by moments :-p).
I whould like to stay and see how it evolves…. well, like isn’t the word… but I have to leave and make dinner, and even if ashamed is a bit better for it than enraged, I don’t want to keep digging in the shame
(btw, nice yellow motive at your blog, and I love Casa del Shai, too
O_o
I’m a bit late to the party, yeah?
I’ve seen this topic pop up again and again in my year+ on SL – dig through most any fashion blog’s archive and you’ll find a post on the subject. This doesn’t mean that it shouldn’t be done again here quite the contrary – it seems to be a sign(no matter the realities) of an ongoing fear in the fashion community. Why is that, I wonder? And is it the big name designers we don’t trust, the bloggers, or both?
I don’t believe anything shady is going on – it’s been already mentioned that small designers don’t have the cash, big designers don’t have the need, and that bloggers generally do this as a hobby (and a love of fashion). There’ll always be folks who are cranky about the lack of recognition, and most bloggers have made it a point to be as transparent as possible. What can be done to lay concerns to rest?
Barnesworth: Word. Totally.
Cheers!
Good lord, didn’t realize I’d sent someone into a tizzy waiting for a response from me.
Anyway, I accept that you were joking – I, myself, do not use curse words in joking matters so I tend not to interpret curse words as a humorous device.
Getting free items to review is very nice and I always feel complimented that someone likes what I wrote enough to risk me writing on their product. However, it is work – it takes me and Coral a few hours to write each entry. We have to take pictures which usually involves finding the right pose, wardrobe ensemble, etc. to go with it, then assembling the pictures in Photoshop, uploading them, visiting the shop in question, sometimes talking to the designer, and then… finally… writing up the review.
Course, all that work means we don’t write nearly as many entries as other blogs. (I also admit that I am somewhat of a slacker, easily distracted and really busy in real life, so I get backlogged.) We really consider our blog as more of a resource on shop information rather than a regular fashion blog.
Also, no, I am not a member of Tenshi’s staff. (How did you get a staff, Tenshi? I want a staff! Are you making Paisley bring you lattes and Iris rub your feet?)
No, but I should. That’s a good idea.