Wednesday 22 April 2009

My new skirt and a short rant


After I saw how much you liked and commented on my other new H&M skirt, I decided to do an extra post about it. So, this is how I wore it to work the very next morning after I bought it. Yeah, those pictures are at least one week old. Apologies also about the skirt's wrinkly appearance, but you see, sitting behind a desk all day kinda does that to your clothes. Lo and behold*, my new black tulip skirt worn with a Zara t-shirt, a blue-grey H&M scarf, my trusty Pull&Bear flats and my pink bangle.

But that's not all.

I guess most of you know top french fashion blogs The Cherry Blossom Girl and Le Blog de Betty. Hint: If you don't, visit them ASAP. Well, some time ago Alix and Betty teamed up with the french fashion portal Ykone for a week devoted to swedish fashion. H&M sent off (as in gifted) several pieces of their spring collection to the girls, who in turn, wore them and photographed themselves for their blogs. Alix's post was Ykone + H&M = ♥ and Betty's Ykonizer, you're Ykonizer Baby. Pictures were also posted at Ykone as Impossible n’est pas suédois par Alix and Mission suédois par Betty.

The skirt Alix is wearing? IT IS MY SKIRT! In lavender, yes. But MY SKIRT, nevertheless. I saw hers a couple of days after I got mine, and it made me SO HAPPY. Sorry about the CAPS, but I felt like screaming.

But for reasons other than extreme joy, too.
(WARNING: EXTREME RANTING AHEAD)

Ykone and H&M sent those clothes to Alix and Betty, so they just might wear them in their blogs. Why don't the fashion PR people ever do things like that in Greece? Seriously. It makes me want to scream as well. Haven't they got the memo? Social media is the new black! I don't want to sound too self-important or anything, but it's a fact that nowadays fashion bloggers play a big role in defining the next it-thing or launching the latest trend. And the fashion industry abroad recognizes and respects that. Alix and Betty get sent free stuff from H&M just to wear them. Susie Bubble is now study material for fashion students. Bryan Boy got a Marc Jacobs bag named after him. And MJ himself sent him the prototype, along with a handwritten note. How cute! And before some of you condemn those bloggers by saying that they just became part of the system and that big companies are just using them to sell stuff, allow me to argue that's just not true. Susie's outfits are always a thrift/vintage/ebay/newcomer-designer/designer-in-sale combo. And she may occasionally wear new designer stuff, but she never actually advertises or endorses big houses through her posts. And I'm sure she gets offered A LOT of money in order to tempt her. But I believe she has integrity and she would never recommend something she doesn't like just for profit. And most bloggers I personally enjoy reading, I do so because I trust they would never write something in favour of a designer just because they got sent free stuff. That kind of commercial endorsement just stinks miles away and blog readers are too clever to fall for it, anyway. And that's exactly why readers trust the bloggers when they actually do say something is indeed good. Because they're not trying to sell people anything, like magazines do. They just post about stuff they like. And that's honest.

I don't want to be too severe here. Of course advertisement exists and it is what makes the fashion industry go around. I do enjoy witty, informative ads. Ads that just let me know about a product's existence and its characteristics, and then let ME decide if I need it or not. And that are fun as well. But, I hate it when sometimes advertisers think we're too stupid to notice the difference.

And that's where the fashion bloggers come in.

So, a recap. What am I trying to say here? I'm saying that I liked what H&M and Ykone did. That I enjoyed their choice of promotion media. That I loved seeing two real girls like Alix and Betty wearing those clothes. I loved the clothes! I loved seeing the girls style them and photograph them themselves, instead of a pro photo shoot staring some unfamiliar 15-year-old model styled by a team of 10. How can I identify with that? And I hope the fashion people here in Greece won't take too long to realize what's happening out there.
That's all.

Oh, and yes... H&M, I'd love some free skirts, please!

12 comments:

ToKataifi said...

i adore bow skirts!
megia!

poli voliko to xroma kpoli voliko ksan sxedio afou teriaze kme flat ala kme psilo papoutsi...

distixos stn elada ta pragmata se afto tn tomea ine arketa piso...emena afto p me eknevrizi pio poli ine to poso akriva xreonoun pola sites to shipping stn elada me apotelesma oti paragelnis na sou kostizi tn diplasia timi...grr

ShoppingTherapy said...

internet is still just an infant here in Greece...
enjoy your new skirts!

Anonymous said...

Have you been in touch with local media about your blog at all? Could it just be a matter of visibility before the Greek PR firms start contacting you?

Lopi said...

Sal, you got a point there. But, I'd love them to discover the fashion blogging scene in general, not just a single Greek blogger who may be good in PR. And that's a matter of being open-minded, doing your reasearch and embracing change, making it work for you.
Anyway, I have a "thing" I'm going to announce tomorrow, which is definitely a step towards the right direction...

Anonymous said...

ειδικά η πρώτη φωτό είναι ΤΕΛΕΙΑ! όσο για το θέμα που ανοίγεις..δεν είναι ότι δεν γνωρίζουν για τα blogs..πώς να τα προσεγγίσουν δεν ξέρουν χωρίς να φανεί "διαφήμιση" όπως πολύ σωστά αναφέρεις. συμπληρωματικά είναι και το άγχος...για το τι θα γράψει ο κάθε blogger..απλά στελέχη δεν μπορούν να πάρουν το βάρος ότι δίνουν το προϊόν τους και αφήνουν τον καταναλωτή να γράψει ότι θέλει για αυτό. κάτι κουτό ουσιαστικά να πιστεύει κανείς μιας και ο οποιοσδήποτε μπορεί να γράψει ότι κακό νομίζει... απλά δεν θέλουν να είναι και με τις ευλογίες τους..if u get my point! (Σόρι για το μεγάλο κόμεντ!)

Rebecca, A Clothes Horse said...

I love that skirt.
I think it's great when stores give bloggers free things...but I don't think we should "expect" them. Honestly, what we do doesn't "deserve" free items even if we give them publicity...

Raquel said...

couldn't agree more!
and your skirt is soo cute, as the one below!
xx

Lopi said...

Just to make myself clear:
I don't expect free stuff and I certainly don't think I deserve it for any reason. I'm just envious of the acknowledgment and respect fashion blogging has from the official fashion industry abroad, in this case represented by a big brand like H&M. And I also prefer reading features and product reviews from real people like Alix and Betty compared to the usual model ads. I find this tactic a very creative and imaginative way for companies to promote themselves and their products and I would love to see more examples of this kind out there, not necessarily including me.

lucia said...

it took me ages to comment here, but i simply love the bow skirt!

i agree though with Rebecca that bloggers shouldnt expect free stuff, and on the other hand this kind of promotion somehow takes advantage of someone's style and personality. im not sure if i like it or not.

if it happens occasionally maybe its not a problen, but try to imagine how would you find a situation where every blogger received free clothes.

why is it such a big issue WHO is wearing something than WHAT is he/she wearing then?

and there is also the question over the quality of clothes that almost no one talks about it. i know i might sound very old fashioned but for me the majority of clothes we are wearing is shit (h&m is the winner here) though these brands are the only ones i can afford bying.

sorry this has been too long, you challenged my rhetorical skills :)

Anonymous said...

i fousta einai uperoxi,agapw to sxima k ton fiogko..
oso gia tin paratirisi sou tha sumfwnisw,to exw skeftei polles fores!pistevw oti siga siga tha allaxun ta pragmata me to thema t marketing mesw internet,pote dn xereis ;)

Natalia said...

No criticism/snootiness intended. I really don't want it to come off that way. I'm just honestly curious why it made you so happy that cherry girl/Betty wore the same skirt as you?

Lopi said...

paperface: Glad you asked. I seem to belong in the minority of girls who upon seeing someone wearing the same piece of clothing them, genuinely feel "comrades" instead of "enemies". I just love discovering I own the same thing as someone else, especially if that someone is abroad. I love the fact that due to the globalization of fashion trends, I am able to buy here in Greece the exact same skirt in the exact same price as a girl in France, whose style I absolutely admire. And of course, seeing how this girl wore hers is an inspiration on how I can style it.