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Feb. 6th, 2004 07:25 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
clarice.livejournal.com posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
egl_archiveI've decided I'm going to expand from doing just custom sewing (in the general anime/manga/game category) to offering a few fixed EGL styles on my website. I'm starting with skirts; I spent today drafting three patterns, all in the Baby/Metamorphose/Angelic Pretty-style. (That is, styles with quite a bit of lace and floof.) In order to be anywhere near cost-effective, however, I need to buy large quantities of materials upfront because lace is *so* pricey retail. This is a bit nerve-racking for me, as I've always bought materials one at a time, after getting a deposit.
So, at any rate, I was hoping I could get some input before buying bulk lace and a couple bolts of fabric, so I have a better idea what people actually want to buy. You can offer any other opinions you'd like, but here's what I'm most interested in knowing:
-- What colors or prints are you most interested in? Pastel pinks, blues or greens? Or richer, victorian-ish browns, deep blues & greens, etc? Or just straight solid white or black? Do you like florals, toilles, calicos, repros, or only solids?
-- Do you prefer any type or style of lace? (I'm planning on using venise and eyelet pretty much exclusively.)
-- Do you like details like ruffles, pintucks, gathers vs. pleats, and removable items (bows, waist corsets, etc)? (I am planning on offering one plainer style like the one I recently posted, with the others being much fancier).
-- And, lastly, what would you consider paying for a skirt like this? I realize this depends a lot on the style, quality, print, etc, but assuming you liked the quality, style, and print, and it were relatively fancy, what would you consider paying? (This isn't for my actual price-setting, but to help me determine whether I can cost-effectively do some of these styles; that is, if I can only be profitable at X amount of dollars, but there isn't a demand for skirts over $40 or what have you, I'll have to revise my plans.)
Thanks for any help! I'll be posting my final prototypes in the next 6 weeks or so, depending on when I can finish crunching through these commissions. I'm really hoping there's a demand for these types of skirts (esp. the country loli ones ^^;) because I have a lot of fun making them... ^^
So, at any rate, I was hoping I could get some input before buying bulk lace and a couple bolts of fabric, so I have a better idea what people actually want to buy. You can offer any other opinions you'd like, but here's what I'm most interested in knowing:
-- What colors or prints are you most interested in? Pastel pinks, blues or greens? Or richer, victorian-ish browns, deep blues & greens, etc? Or just straight solid white or black? Do you like florals, toilles, calicos, repros, or only solids?
-- Do you prefer any type or style of lace? (I'm planning on using venise and eyelet pretty much exclusively.)
-- Do you like details like ruffles, pintucks, gathers vs. pleats, and removable items (bows, waist corsets, etc)? (I am planning on offering one plainer style like the one I recently posted, with the others being much fancier).
-- And, lastly, what would you consider paying for a skirt like this? I realize this depends a lot on the style, quality, print, etc, but assuming you liked the quality, style, and print, and it were relatively fancy, what would you consider paying? (This isn't for my actual price-setting, but to help me determine whether I can cost-effectively do some of these styles; that is, if I can only be profitable at X amount of dollars, but there isn't a demand for skirts over $40 or what have you, I'll have to revise my plans.)
Thanks for any help! I'll be posting my final prototypes in the next 6 weeks or so, depending on when I can finish crunching through these commissions. I'm really hoping there's a demand for these types of skirts (esp. the country loli ones ^^;) because I have a lot of fun making them... ^^
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Date: 2004-02-07 03:45 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-02-07 03:50 am (UTC)Useless comment I know!
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Date: 2004-02-07 03:52 am (UTC)-I'm most interested in blacks. Most of the stuff I see made for Goth-Lolis outside of Japan are sweet and brighter, and I'm not into that. There doesn't seem to be a whole lot of just..black.
-If the lace looks nice and not cheap, I'm happy.
-I like the details, but that's because I don't like the plainer stuff as much as the patterns with lace, some ruffles, some bounce. Bows are always fun.
-If it was a nice skirt, I'd offer 50-100 dollars for it. Emphasis on nice, though.
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Date: 2004-02-07 04:03 am (UTC)-- (yeay for floof! I've never been able to figure out if western lolis actually like that much floof because I rarely see it... Two of my prototypes have two or more tiers of ruffles in between rows of lace; will have to calculate exactly how much is going into those skirts ^^;)
...Thanks for your input, at any rate! And I'll keep looking for that black venise...
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Date: 2004-02-07 04:12 am (UTC)I think I wear only b/b
Date: 2004-02-07 04:17 am (UTC)hehe...after reading my post i realized that i wear only black :P i have maybe 2 or 3 white items hehe...it was a..."white lie" ^_^
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Date: 2004-02-07 05:44 am (UTC)As long as the main fabric is black, I don't mind so much if the trim is black or white, although black on black is very nice.
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Date: 2004-02-07 04:46 am (UTC)I'm poor, so I'll be willing to pay up to $40 for a skirt/shirt, $60 for a more simple dress. I'm a total cheapskate, though.
Speaking of simple, something fitted and flounced and ruffled, but not frothy, would be really cool. Just regular black cotton. Something that can be worn around and isn't made of a really formal fabric that can get damaged, like velvet or georgette.
Loli hats and headdresses and bonnets would be cool, too. But again, I'd only be interested if they were under $20. :P I'm probably not helping much.
Maybe I'll come back and post some sketches.
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Date: 2004-02-07 04:01 am (UTC)Lace Trims: Antique influenced laces are the best. It will depend on the feel of the design, though. If you make something with gingham, it's going to look best with eyelet lace.
Details: I adore ruffles, gathers, and pleats. Details are what make this style wonderful!
Pricing: Depending on workmanship and detail, I'd pay anywhere from $40 up to $80. Also, might I suggest a *small* discount when people buy an entire outfit if you choose to carry them in the future?
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Date: 2004-02-07 04:08 am (UTC)I'll be offering co-ordinates at a small discount (so you can get a headpiece or handbag that matches the print or lace of your skirt) and, if/when I get around to offering jumpers, dresses and blouses, I will hopefully co-ordinate those as well (I like versatility, but I also like things that are meant to match.) I am still desparately trying to find black lace wholesale (does it exist?!) so, at least for the time being, I'm limited to white... Blah >.>;
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Date: 2004-02-07 04:11 am (UTC)Anyway, best of luck :) If you ever need any help on a website, feel free to contact me!
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Date: 2004-02-07 07:12 am (UTC)...Ah... do you do graphics, too? ^^; My webpage now is kinda crappy; I've been thinking about offering someone a discount on something in exchange for webpage fixin'.
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Date: 2004-02-07 04:13 am (UTC)As for fabric, I personally adore toile. It's so elegant and Victorian. ^^ And it's really popular now; just look at the "home decor" section of any fabric store. My favorite colour of it is off white with black print, with black print on snow white a close second. I think if you went with a straight black design, with the option of black or white lace; and a design made of toile or a delicate floral print, with the option of black or pastel print, you'd be all set. ^^
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Date: 2004-02-07 04:23 am (UTC)Re:
Date: 2004-02-07 07:21 am (UTC)Re:
Date: 2004-02-07 07:59 pm (UTC)If I were you, I'd bite the bullet and buy about three spools of lace from cheaptrims.com. You'd be amazed how fast you'll use it up, especially if you're making accessories as well. However, there are some places to get it cheaply without buying a whole spool. Try Googling "lace trim by the yard." Good luck! :)
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Date: 2004-02-07 10:43 pm (UTC)However, I wasn't aware of RIT dye being such a poor choice for black-colored dyes. This is good information to know... I actually remember once having very little luck dying a faded black pair of jeans to a good black again with RIT, and now I know why.
Having checked my information I have stored for cosplay use (I plan to have a website for a cosplay knowledge base someday) I have found the following info that might be of help:
•To dye something black it can be a good idea to dye it dark blue or green first. This will give you a base for the black to grip onto.
•Set your dyes with vinegar water.
•Use two times the amount of dye if you want dark colors and blacks.
•For cotton dying use cold water dye, not machine wash dye for better results.
Of course when investing this much money into something doing a test run with different methods would obviously be in order. ^__^
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Date: 2004-02-07 04:14 am (UTC)Stuff:
-Colors: As most B/B is my fave but it would be nice to see more intricate colors blended together, maybe rich patterns on black or something along those lines! Maybe some skirt with prints on them, now that would be different...
-Extras: Just an idea for you: It would be so nice to see big removable big back bows so that if one bought a dress & could no sew then one could purchase this bow from you & simply attach it to the back of the outfit in question!
-Prices: I would usually pay around $50 for a well made Handmade skirt...
*Hugs*
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Date: 2004-02-07 04:29 am (UTC)For me, it's the floofier the better. I love the sweet/country style: ruffles, gathers, and cute patterned fabric.
Whoa I just contradicted myself a bunch of times. I like the rich colours and the country look. I can't think of any US seamstresses who produce either, besides
Okay I need to sleep. Good luck! I can't wait to see your designs.
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Date: 2004-02-07 04:41 am (UTC)2: any lace is good lace.
3: gored skirts are good.
4: details! fun! can you put the detachable ribbons in your hair?
5: i refuse to pay more than $20 for a skirt. maybe $25. but that's where the line ends.
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Date: 2004-02-07 04:50 am (UTC)Matching bloomers/shifts for underwear would be rad. Also, victorian black-on-cream/white/ivory patterns. Like a chine pattern. Blue on white would look good, too. Classy is the name of the game, I think!
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Date: 2004-02-07 06:37 am (UTC)As for colors, I think it would be good to have a set stock of the basic colors we always see over and over again so that your designs could be available in any of those colors (like we see on BSSB and the like): white, black, pink, alice blue, and if you're able to, perhaps even red and 'antique white' for good measure. I think everyone here has their own likes and dislikes of the sub-genres available in G&L, so while many might like blackxblack only, others like the cute pinkxwhite styles. Me? I like them all and having the colors available for the basic design will make the designs that much more versatile.
As for prints I think you can't go wrong with toile, ginghams, (nice) tartans and small floral prints. Since keeping stock of all these could prove difficult, it might be best to have a special design here and there that use one of these sorts of prints.
Lace? I've said it before and I'll say it again, cluny lace is king in EGL styles. Eyelet is queen of course. Both are 100% dyable so finding your black lace is no longer a problem (though you can get eyelet in black much more easily than cluny). Venise is good when used sparingly, but it's pricey anyway so I don't see a real need to limit yourself to that. Cheeptrims.com will fetch you the best deals on bulk prices (stay away from Laceheaven.com, I speak from experience).
Details! You can never go overboard in details with this style! Ruffles, pintucks (please, pintucks!), and gathers and pleats are both good and removable elements are wonderful! You don't really *have* to have deigns that are plain without removable pieces because that's what they are for. You essentially buy two garments in one by having something that has detachable stuff, it's fancy one way and more plain the other.
With all of the above said, and expert seamtressing taken into account I'd gladly pay up to $45-50 for a skirt. But it would have to be good.
I'd suggest doing something like offering two styles that offer any of the solid colors (blackxw, blackxblack, pinkxw, bluexw, wxw) and then maybe two special designs; one that features the small floral print and the other a toile. This way you have all the bases covered with 4 designs to start. Maybe later you could do a jumper in gingham, since the ginghams have all the color choices all over again and all that fabric would probably be too pricey to start off with.
So essentially, I've just told you my entire personal business plan that I had down for my label I plan to come out with sooner than later so I hope this has been helpful anyway. ^__^ Regardless, I can't wait to see what you come up with!
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Date: 2004-02-07 06:44 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-02-07 06:55 am (UTC)Re:
Date: 2004-02-07 06:57 am (UTC)Re:
Date: 2004-02-07 06:59 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-02-07 10:00 am (UTC)I always wear all black, so I suppose it's an option (a lot of people have mentionned it too)
And well the type of lace, I'd like something soft, some lace are pretty rough and i don't think it's fun to wear.
I have to say i love removable items ^^; i think corset and a removable bow at the back is a good idea! <3
Also I've seen a lot of skirts that aren't really large, so if you put a petticoat under you end up with no ruffles on the skirt... usually i don't buy any skirt that doesn't state it's a 360 full circle skirt.
and as for the price... depending on the style and details of the skirt it'd be aroung 40$ to 70$ or so :)
hope i could help ;)
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Date: 2004-02-07 10:55 pm (UTC)btw, your icon is so cute!
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Date: 2004-02-07 11:51 pm (UTC)Thanks fo letting me know!
Maybe it's just that the skirts i've had were cheaply done then... I can't fit my petticoat properly under any of my skirt that aren't full circle...
Well, I must say I wear more punkish egl clothes than lolita, so I'm not a expert in egl skirts ^^; (I'm more into torn stuff like h.naoto)
ps: your icon is so much cuter! :P
and mine is Ryou from Baroque if you wanted to know ;)
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Date: 2004-02-08 01:09 am (UTC)Supert3ch (http://www.supert3ch.com/store/core/display.php?id=000004)
In The Starlight (http://www.inthestarlight.com/underthings.html)
Limebarb Petticoat 1 (http://limebarb.com/store/egl/petticoat.htm)
Limebarb Petticoat 2 (http://limebarb.com/store/egl/coveredpetticoat.htm)
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Date: 2004-02-08 02:04 am (UTC)I have to say the limebard petticoat is the one giving me the most trouble... it's almost imposible to make it look fine under my skirts...(some are from vintage clothing and others are from limebarb or deliruim kawaii <- full circle skirts)
I was considering buying a square dancing petticoat (they look so fluffy!) but now you make me doubt :'(
Thanks for the links! Though now i'm a bit hesitant to buy again and end up not being able to wear it properly ;__;
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Date: 2004-02-08 02:37 am (UTC)I've heard nothing but good things about
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Date: 2004-02-08 03:04 am (UTC)So i guess i can forget about the square dance petticoat! thnaks for telling me though!
I've checked out the shop you linked thanks! Though I think I'll wait till i get my MA petticoat/skirt before making any move... *sighs* is there a petticoat for me in this world! *dramatic theatrical pose!* :P
thanks again for the help :) *hugs you*
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Date: 2004-02-08 03:11 am (UTC)P.S. - If you haven't already, you might wanna do a review on this community about Limebarb's stuff you bought. A lot of people aren't sure what to think since there are some people who have had no problems with them and others who had nothing but problems. I know after reading that you said there was something wrong with each item I will definitely never order from them for sure now.
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Date: 2004-02-08 03:32 pm (UTC)Another option if you're not that large are child size flower girl petticoats or child square dancing petticoats. I got one from dancecenter.com (cheap too!) and I have a 24" waist and 32" hips and got a Medium in the child sizes. It could fit someone a few inches bigger, too. It's probably about as voluminous as a standard EGL petticoat, and so very soft and nice.
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Date: 2004-02-07 11:07 am (UTC)Lace: I echo cluny, but I think eyelet is rather cute as well.
Details: Pintucks! I love the way pintucks look (How do you make them anyway?). Ruffles are also good, as long as they don't take over the entire skirt.
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Date: 2004-02-07 05:46 pm (UTC)i LOVE pastel colors, and whites. I personally only like the sweet lolita types (and thus was very glad to hear you say you were looking at angelic pretty, bssb, and metamophose, my fav brands) I just can't see myself getting all googly eyed over a black on black skirt (or dress or blouse) because i personally was never into the american styled goth scene in the slightest as i just dont like those kinds of scene kids. no offense to anyone who identifies with those groups, but its just not my taste, and I feel gothic lolita is hardly popular enough to be a "scene" per se and is unlikely to invade ones every day wardrobe.
I also do like patterns quite a bit. Electroncat *hearts at her* is currently making me a pink plaid jumper skirt and i couldnt be more excited for it. I also have a black and white toile skirt and a heart print skirt and tie. I'd love to see some metamorphose styled prints - the little garden arches, the pieces of candy, and (i know its a long shot) the brocade from last season. The clear problem with trying to go that route is that metamorphose has all their fabrics custom made. aaah, to be a designer.
As for lace, I like as much and as high quality as possible. I'm still saying I'd rather have one beautiful skirt with lots of high quality lace on it than 3 with crappy lace placed sparingly. there are ways to do simple lolita clothes without heaping it on, but if your going to do designs that integrate lots of lace in very noticable places, please make it nice looking lace. The same thing goes for the fabric. There are nice cottons out there, and many other beautiful fabrics. and in as few words as possible: no satin, no satin, no satin. *runs from the shiny tacky*
as for pricing - let me put it this way, while im willing to pay japanese prices for equal quality, and possibly up to 80 for getting close (depending in HOW close), I'll pay zero for something thats obviously made from low quality materials. I understand that people want to get the egl look for a price in their budget, but I think no loli is better than cheap loli. Hell, I'd be wearing japanese designs right now if I could fit them.
Another idea - you say you're drafting patterns. Has anyone ever considered selling patterns? I know it seems less profitable at first but think of it this way - You sit down for a a few hours (or however long drafting takes you) and come up with a pattern, lets say a skirt pattern that could be made in say,three different ways, but basically they all have the same lines, just like any mccalls, butterick, or simplicity pattern. You make a sample of each style. They are beautiful (of course!), so you take pictures and post them for all your fellow lolis to oggle, and everyone wants one. You have the pattern! Sewing lolits pay 10-20 for the perfect pattern sometimes, and this is really the perfect pattern. So the best way to give them what they want? scan in your patterns (if you dont have a scanner contact me and Id be willing to help anyone interested in selling pattern!), put them on a CD. You're only out the cost of the CD and shipping (plus the labor you put in to your patterns only that ONCE), and so you make almost pure profit since your customers are able to print their own patterns. You could even post the instructions on your website if you didnt want to print them, and make your life especially easy.
Now why would lolis like this? A lot of us can sew but not draft patterns, and we all have different tastes, and different budgets. Judging by the things I see people discuss on this and other egl forums, I think there would be a very large market for egl patterns. Even though it would mean everyone wearing your designs (although you're selling them anyway right?) you'd be the hero(ine) of beginner/intermediate sewing lolis everywhere.
Maybe I'm missing something important but I think profit + fame + happy lolis can't be a bad thing. I'd do it myself if i could draft patterns but I havent picked up that skill yet, and even my modification skills are somewhat weak.
Sorry for the excessive babble.
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Date: 2004-02-07 10:04 pm (UTC)Oh goodness, so would I! Materials is really my big brick wall here. I'm having a *really* hard time finding appropriate lace (even Cheaptrims.com doesn't have the right look of cluny XP) and prints is even harder... I found a couple Metamorphose-ish ones at Pac Fab (quilting fabric, mostly), but I probably will only offer those as special order because they're $6 - $9 a yard >.<
Another idea - you say you're drafting patterns. Has anyone ever considered selling patterns
Yes... yes and no. I've had several people ask if my sailor uniform pattern is for sale, but I've always said no because I don't have the resources to print and compile them, and I use techniques that might be hard to describe or aren't quite typical. So, I'd have to draft the pattern in several sizes, write up instructions, find test people, have them make my outfits from the patterns, and go through revisions for what doesn't make sense or doesn't work for most people. It's a lot of work. I'm not sure how well putting them on CD would work for the average sewer (one would have to know how to scale up patterns, which most people don't know how to do). But it's a thought. If I ever have enough time to invest in the process upfront, I'll think about...
...Thanks for all your input, though ^^ I hope to construct one of my final sampes this week (goin' shopping after my itunes finishes downloading...). I'm glad to know someone else really likes the country loli look, too. My samples, at least, will probably be country loli because the detail and trim shows up better than black-on-black.
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Date: 2004-02-08 03:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-02-08 03:19 pm (UTC)-- Do you prefer any type or style of lace? (I'm planning on using venise and eyelet pretty much exclusively.) I'm not very "up" on my knowledge of different kinds of lace. I do like Venise and eyelet, though. I ADORE rose-patterned lace. I don't mind synthetic lace as long as it doesn't look cheap. I don't like synthetic white over black for reasons discussed here before : it's see throughness looks cheap, but if it's doubled up usually it isn't so bad.
-- Do you like details like ruffles, pintucks, gathers vs. pleats, and removable items (bows, waist corsets, etc)? I ADORE RUFFLES. Pintucks are sometimes very nice on blouses. I like shirred panels on shirts and skirts, and I like corset lacing details on blouses. My favorite removable items are detachable sleeves, so that I can have long sleeves or short depending on the weather. Removable bows can be good, too. I'm extremely picky on waist cinchers/corsets, and almost never buy them now. I would expect them to actually cinch for me to buy them. I <3 my Gallery Serpentine corset.
-- And, lastly, what would you consider paying for a skirt like this?I would consider my price ceiling for any skirt to be $80, with my preferred range being about $60. How much I would pay would depend on the detailing and quality. If you're asking if I am willing to pay $$$ for an elaborate, detailed skirt, the answer is yes. I only ever buy the very elaborate and detailed, items that are more work than I feel I am capable of or than I have time to do. I make the simpler things myself.