How Do You Want Second Life Fashion Blogs to Improve?

Shauna Skye of Moonletters has five complaints about Second Life fashion blogs:

• Covering Too Many Items in One Post
• Too Many Photos
• Annoying Photos
• Putting the SLURLS all over the place instead of in a predictable spot
• Text they do include is irritating

She explains why here. I'll add two more of my own:

• Little explanation why the featured fashion is high quality or original
• Lack of full Resident names in the byline, for attribution

How would you fix your favorite SL fashion blogs, if you could?

Comments

[Nine Warrhol]

Those that do fashion blogs should *disclose* when they are given items to showcase on their blog. That is in a way advertising for x designer/creator and should be disclosed, fully, each and every time.

[Gogo]

I do admit I love staring at my own pixel ass more than anything when I'm dressing.

I am guilty of most of these complaints, and have no plans to change. :P

[Alicia Chenaux]

It would have been more constructive if she had provided us "Barbie girls" with examples of how she would do a fashion post if she were a fashion blogger, or given us a link to a fashion blog that she does like - provided there is one that meets her high standards.

[Lizzie Lexington]

I can I say this without coming across as too bitchy. Okay I'll just say it. I don't blog for others I blog for me. With that in mind I try to tailor my blog in a way that has the fashion details in a easy to find and readable format. In terms of the text - that is all a matter of my personal style and what I find humorous or funny that day. Sorry Shauna but hugs and thanks for the feedback.

[Lyndzay Meili]

I wouldn't say there are too many picture, it is the over use of handout photos that is a problem. We want to see more variation not the same head shot every blog

My one complaint, (and I'm not sure if I should point at bloggers or shop owners) is when the blogged item is listed by the shops folder name and it is an extra short abbreviation and there is no mention of the shops actual name.

It is a herculean task to find a shop with the listing of Thingy: [LM] Thingy McThing Thing (Toile) especially with SL Search but that is a whole other issue

[Lizzie Lexington]

oops I meant to say "I hope I can say this..."

[Nine Warrhol]

Maybe you see too many shots of the same things because there are TOO MANY fashion blogs..lol..which there are.

[Ann Otoole]

If you don't like it then go make your own blog.

[elusyve]

As someone who blogs to justify how much she spends... sorta... I am a fence sitter.. I think every blogger should blog for themselves, their own styles, etc. There is absolutely no way to make everyone happy.. in the end the reader can choose to read you or not.

That being said, my pet peeve is lack of slurls. To me, its just lazy, plain and simple, if you've taken the time to assemble and shoot, why not a few more minutes to slurl? Recently I discovered a great new blogger with excellent pics and style, but I will not link her, due to this lack of consideration for her readers.

[Leondra]

I subscribe to http://iheartsl.com/ in my Google reader, a blog that syndicates fashion blogs. There are hundreds of feeds. (btw, luv u, Lizzie) It is mind boggling the number of posts per day.

I still believe that fashion = fascism.

I must say though, fashion in SL, is where there is rapid development in art and innovation. Add in the blogger's skills in adding textures, lighting, post production Photoshop skills, poses, etc., and you have Barbie on warp speed (or an estrogen injection).

My annoyance is the multiple versions of an item, obviously because the bloggers have received free copies. I guess it is outsourcing advertising.

[Mariko Nightfire]

Why do we read Second Life fashion blogs? I believe that are 3 obvious reasons why we read these blogs: (1) To be informed. (2) To be entertained. (3) To appreciate fashion art. Each individual reader's preference is an weighted average of these 3 reasons. Given the number of fashion blogs, there probably blogs that can satisfy most preferences, even that of Shauna Skye. To a person placing high weight on reason (2), I recommend Lizzie's blog. As I place a high weight on (3), two of my favorite fashion blogs are:

Syrie Source - http://kyriesource.wordpress.com/

Strawberry Singh - http://strawberrysingh.com/

I would like to know the favorite blogs of other readers.

[Pappy Enoch]

Ya'll needs yo'self some Hillbilly fashion blobs:

*Gunny sacks am all the rage where I comes from and they ain't represented enuf in the fake world o' Second Life.

*Dirt am big...big dirt am bigger! Get some o' that into them fotygraphs.

*Gals in Daisy Dukes poses rite good on the bed of a pick-em-up truck. I ain't seen me nary one yet in them fashion blobs.

So I will pose with any pretty gals, as needed, to provide uplifting subjeck matter for them blobs.

Heck, I ain't skeered o' not fascististas or whatever that heck y'all calls 'em. I been clobbered by a heap of gals in my day so I can take me another beatin' or two, I reckons.

[Angie Mornington]

Yes there are many many fashion blogs out there and with that comes a wide variety of blogging styles. I also have my favorites that I add to my Google reader and I think most people reading the feeds usually wind up with a few bloggers that they like. It's a question of taste as with anything else. Fashion blogging in SL is similar the RL fashion blogs that I skim through, you will have one blogger who will give you an extensive description of the clothing, and then you will have another blogger who will just blog pictures because that's the way they choose to express themselves in the clothing. Some bloggers choose not to blog from an editorial perspective at all. The bottom line is that blogging about fashion should be fun. It gives fashionistas a way to showcase their favorites designers and allows them to celebrate what they love about fashion in SL.

[Luna Jubilee]

I've seen so many bloggers that over blog - 100s of posts a month! These bloggers range from one or two photos with a few written lines to just photo post after photo post.

Not saying that my blog is rockin' awesome but I can say I learned a lot over the 3 years. My photos are much better and my blog content has changed.

This is why I started my Blog Boot Camp: http://lunajubilee.com/category/bootcamp/
Most of the bloggers don't know how to take a high res photo or even what size photo to use.

I agree with Alicia's thought: Give us an example and help us improve.

[Valentina Kendal]

i'm so tired of the recent trend of every model having to have gigantic boobs and cleavage - hello Barbie!

[Lourdes Denimore]

I'm not a prolific or well know blogger. But I blog what I like.
@Nine you are advertising when you blog an item period. Doesn't matter if it was a review copy or not.
90 percent of the items I blog I buy its still free advertising.

I'm with Gogo I love the way avatar looks and never get tired of looking at her.

As far as writing I prefer when there is little writing other then basic information. Waxing poetic about the intricate colors and designs annoys me. Show me the pictures the name of the designers, is it resizeable how many colors are available show the pictures and give credits to everyone including the poses used. That's all I need.

[CronoCloud Creeggan]

Personally, I miss the sense of "fun, panache and personality" that some of the early SL fashion blogs had. I'm talking PXP, the old style Second Style from the Celebrity Trollop days and Linden Lifestyles. But that just may be nostalgia and "get off mah virtual lawn ya whippersnappers" thoughts on my part.

[Harper Ganesvoort]

I would definitely try to get the name of the store right -- which I'm at pains to do when I write something up. If I can't remember what it is for sure, I'll click Edit, get the creator's name, and track the store down in their Profile. I have also included at times the designer's name as a compliment to their work; except for the few times I've been given review copies, I'm writing about things that I've enjoyed and purchased. Sadly, I don't do this consistently.

My biggest failing, and I'll admit this, is to leave out a SLurl for potential customers to use. I'll plead one excuse: that, like others, I'm usually writing about an entire look I've put together, which means close to 10 items, and some of them very old. (I'm still using the same unmodifiable shape I bought from Alady back in early 2008 because I like my look.) But I could take the time for those, or use a reference such as Cajsa Lilliehook's Fashion SLurl Directory, to get the location. I'll have to remember this in future.

[SerinaJane]

In general I Blog the way I personally think its nice and what I like to see when I visit other blogs.
I re-organised and re-styled my Blog visually allot until it looked the way that i wanted. It's actually still work in process. problem with the visual side is I have no clue how..so i always need others to help. that is why It takes longer.
From the way that my posts are I'm satisfied now. I only Blog what I like, Period. Always handled it this way, no matter if stuff is bought or gifted. It's not a commercial Blog. I am not making money with it, only for my own Fun and cause I like to share and take pics.
I add SURls with each post bc I find it more convenient to just click and TP. and I wish more bloggers would do that.
Yes all in all i must say since I'm not getting paid for it, I do what I want and how I want it. If someone doesn't like it he doesn't have to visit my Blog. As there are plenty others.

Fair enough.

[Nine Warrhol]

@ Lourdes

I disagree. When you go out and buy things on your own for a style piece, that is not advertising.

When you have x designer dumping tons of their goods on to your avatar for you to showcase, that is advertising.

Big difference.

[Connie Sec]

A Pic ( one)
Name of Item(s)
The store(s)
The SLURL
I think that's all you really need..unless your readers really want to know that you almost wet yourself and HAD to buy the Fatpack. :)

[Angie Mornington]

@Nine I have to disagree with your definition of advertising. When a client pays to have their item or brand showcased on a blog, in a magazine or on a tv commercial that is advertising in its true sense, as it is in RL. When a designer gives out pre-releases or samples to bloggers they are of course hoping to be blogged, and if they are blogged then that gives them a wide reaching exposure to potential customers. If a blogger goes out and buys all the clothes they like and blog it, that's still exposure for the designers, it's good publicity. Most bloggers have review policies in place making it known there is no guarantee that the items they receive will get blogged, as they are not obligated to do so. Giving a blogger a bunch of clothing does not mean advertising, it's simply a chance for some publicity.

[Clarise]

It is childish to tell us if we don't like something go make our own blogs.. when the title of this asks how we'd improve them.
My suggestions would be post at the top of the page when you expect to return from vacation or RL being busy, so we don't delete your blog from our bookmarks thinking you abandoned it.
As others have said, I don't want to read an outfit is "sweet and juicy" or other silliness. Tell us if it looks painted on or quality texturing. Price would be nice too.
And also, slurls in one spot, and a store name, not initials.
Honestly I'd like to find a fashion blog that has at least one new outfit every week, with intelligent comments, and letting us know if you paid for it or are being flattering because it was free.