Hello - this year I have decided to only make items that people actually want. I have a shop full of items that are reduced to £5 that are not selling so it seems silly to make anything else! I don’t really NEED to make anything as I have enough business dealing with alterations, but occasionally I would like to MAKE something interesting!
So… do you fit my ideal customer profile?
You dislike ready-made clothing that is so cheap that it is worn once then discarded.
You like to wear something that no-one else will have and that is a bit different.
You often see something in a fabric you like, but it needs sleeves or is too short.
You would like to be able to choose your style and fabric.
You don’t want it to be too expensive!
You want a themed item for a present for someone (eg fruit or butterfly fabric for a child?)
You tend to have favourite garments that you have had for years and they become ‘old friends’!
If this is YOU, then you may be my ideal customer - I am happy to discuss any project without any obligation on your part. Although this would be more expensive perhaps than some high street chain stores items, it may not be as expensive as you think if the project appeals to me and I only want one customer at a time!!! (Due to fitting issues, fitted garments would not be suitable!)
Please see my fabric of the month which can be made up as you like!
I dislike ready made clothing but unfortunately my income doesn’t allow to be buy anything else and then its usually in the sales. I guess adult clothing is hard to sell online as I doubt many of us are a standard size ( ie I can wear a size 12 in East but would need about a 18 in River Island !!!.) You can’t make lots of items either because material is so expensive. I also sell on E**y and the people that sell childrens clothes… up to about age 8/10 seem to do really well but the people that sell adult clothes do less well. Its probably easier to buy kids clothes online as long as you know the age to buy for so maybe kids clothing is the way to go ???
Just a thought I’ve just seen a lovely skirt in your shop but for something handmade I would expect to pay more than £5 for it. It would make me ask 2 questions is it really handmade at that low price? and also why is it so cheap is it bad quality work and/or materials?
Maybe if you are reducing the skirt it should say something like special sale reduced item.
I love made to measure handmade and used to make all my own clothes for many years but then I did qualify as a seamstress. I designed and made my own wedding dress, but I don’t tend to do much dressmaking presently. However I will be rectifying that situation this year.
Alison, could you stitch a 5" piece on to the straps of the utensil apron for me? I would pay for the extra work if it were possible. I really like it but don’t think it will fit my larger frame as it is. Fingers crossed.
OOOPs - I hadn’t realised I had actually posted this thread - I had not finished it and thought I had deleted it! Well now it has gone ‘live’ I thought I’d better finish it - so have added the rest to the original thread!!!
Yes Sam, I agree about the size issue and therefore could not do very fitted items, but would take measurements required and of course refund if the item was not suitable and not alterable! Also you are right, it could not be that cheap because of the cost of the material and my time, but I would rather get paid less and get one interesting thing to make than a dozen items that will not sell!
Eileen - yes the reason £5 is the low price is I really thought it would be a way of ‘proving’ the quality of my work and I don’t really want to keep stock any more but try and get a reputation for making!!!
Finally Liz- yes I would be delighted to put longer straps on the apron for you, if you go ahead with the purchase, I will acquire some more of the same strapping and replace with longer straps at no extra charge.
Hi Alison, I’m pretty close to your spec, except that I would make things for myself - sorry.
I agree with Eileen’s comment - at a £5 price tag I would assume it is poor quality or “recycled” and not even click to see the details. I sell mug cosies for more than that! You need to take some brighter, more stylish photos, put your prices up to a sensible level for your standard, then do lots of promotion.
I’d just like to add that I have bought from ModeAlisa a while ago and I also make clothes for myself and occasionally for friends.
Her work is superb ! I would agree though that super cheap prices do not give the right message. In my opinion better more striking pictures would be a good investment of time and then using them to promote like mad. Try free photo ediors like PicMonkey and FotoFuze to get more striking pictures ?
It’s actually more cost and time effective to sell one skirt at £35 per week/month/whatever than 7 at £5 … also the taking time getting one great picture for a item means you can use that picture over and over again to promote the same style but as a custom make in a variety of sizes and fabric.
