8.21.2012

Trend Tuesday // I Like Your Style

With the launch of the 516VINTAGE shop here in the next coming weeks (read the story here), I feel like I am struggling to get by with my other endeavors....the Five Sixteenths shop mainly.  I have a load of cool items, lovely handmade things....and no sales (well, some sales).  I've struggled with consistency, photo quality, etc.  I think, to sum it up, I struggle with a look.  For the vintage shop, I think we've got a look down & it was pretty simple: 516VINTAGE is about curating collections through story telling so, when taking pictures, I tried to tell a story.  Staging the photos was so fun & making little vignettes that put the items in a place made sense.  For the blog, I've got a pretty branded look - it's well designed yet playful & I really like how it looks over all and how it compliments my content.  But for Five Sixteenths shop......I struggle with coming up with a cohesive shop look.
Sneak Peek at the look of 516VINTAGE

Current look of Five Sixteenths
This is where my trips to the mall come in: I am constantly looking for color & design inspiration and while I soak it up, I don't seem to squeeze much of it out.  I am half writing this post because I love finding inspiration & half writing it so I'll remember and maybe do something about it.  Here's some shop love inspiration from around the web:

found via For the Makers on instagram
I am in love with this fall display from Anthropologie.  The earthy tones, deep pumpkins & purples makes me remember why I love fall so much! I think (and this was pointed out to me in art school) that I have a hard time because I try not to do what I'm inclined to do - I think it's stupid so I don't do it!  I think taking the shop's overall feel back to an earthy look would be wonderful.  Those big handmade flowers look lovely too.  Anthropologie & Free People inspire the heck outta me!  In fact, here's another one:

via Bleubird on Instagram
The sense of home & collection in Anthropologie is amazing! Love it!

I also want to seamlessly blend the blog design elements in the shop with the real, tangible things.  For this I look to the Red Velvet shop for some help.  I don't know how they do it but blending web & real life so effortlessly is something I admire!
via the Mandy Lynne blog
the Red Velvet Shop online
I've actually been taking the Dream Job E-Course offered through Red Velvet & have a better apreciation for the way their online shop looks now.  It's clean & simple and can grow with them.  This is something I really, really want to finally settle on!  I've actually tried to gear my logos/headers/etc towards this look of simple. Again inspired by the Red Velvet shop + Anthropologie's shop.  Sophisticated boho chic...i guess.

I am also digging the online sites like LibbyStory with painted elements & arty brush strokes.  Keeping with the arty-ness of the blog, that is what I want to translate into the Five Sixteenths shop:
LibbyStory Website

Another shop I dig online & in stores is Francesca's.  Again with the boho chic-ness.  Just an overall house, home, clothing, accessories, etc store where everything comes together in a seamless fashion.  I know that photos are half of it but I just can't get that consistency!

Francesca's Collections website
With going through the Dream Job E-Course & following the A Beautiful Mess blog every day I've gotten excited about a lot of things.  I really can't wait for Elsie to share more about her color story process because that just looks so fun & a great way to start thinking about colors.  I really need to focus on the style of the shop & hope that I can figure something out here soon.  I just have to remember to go my way & not lead into something else!!

Have any tips for branding or keeping things cohesive? let me know!







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3 comments:

  1. I have gotten the Dream Job E-Course, the Blog Love E-Course and the Sew me Pretty E-Course (they were having a sale - I splurged!!)

    It's awesome info though isn't it? Like you, I sell a variety of things in my store and it's hard to get any consistency going therefore.

    Keep us posted if you have any brainwaves!

    Sarah
    http://acatlikecuriosity.blogspot.co.uk/

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  2. I took that e-course too and enjoyed it a lot. There are some snippets I took away from it, the rest I'm kind of molding on my own. :)

    I have some suggestions/ideas for your Etsy shop. With your jewelry listings, is there a way you can incorporate your pottery in to it? Like have your earrings hanging off a bowl? It might help make things look cohesive.

    I didn't go through all of your Knitwear listings but the ones I did see all have the same photo - using the mannequin which is fine but again, you should try to do one "Artsy" photo with your scarf casually laying on a table with one of your pots in the background - think Anthropologie catalog! :) You can tell a story with those items too.

    ReplyDelete
  3. ugh! this is a sore spot for me recently for something totally unrelated to blogging. i love great site and branding and my company is....i'm not going to get into it but basically i remember finding great inspiration and it being great for awhile then the world basically ended (2000 of a product i designed are being pulled because of IP debate over the naming.....ugh)

    okay! anyhow! these are all beautiful inspiration - and you just reminded me about how bad i want that cat dress at anthropologie

    <3 katherine
    of corgis and cocktails // current giveaway

    ReplyDelete

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