When I received the notice from LeeZu Baxter Designs about the fantastic sweaters I featured a few days ago, there was one more element that caught my eye. The jeans were fantastic. I don't know as though I've seen that level of slouch and deconstruction in a garment in SL yet and I wanted them... I needed them... I lusted for them. After I bought my sweaters, I made my way over to the model "on duty" at LBD and asked her if she knew where the jeans were from. She did not but said she'd find out from the designer and let me know. The next day, I spoke to LeeZu myself, actually, about something unrelated and remembered I still wanted (needed) to know where those jeans were from! She directed me back to her shop, indicating they were a part of one of her top-of-the-line designs. She did tell me that she'd be making a less expensive version in the coming days (apparently, this happened yesterday). Well, I have a fancy-shmancy SL job that pays the good Lindens and I can appreciate the cost associated with stellar designs, so back I went to the store to check them out. I found the outfit quickly once I knew what I was looking for (tsk, tsk to the model on duty!) and brought my mouse to hover over it waiting for that little information box to pop up.$1200L.
I rolled my eyes and pulled my mouse away. It wasn't that I couldn't afford the outfit, it was that I saw it as ridiculously overpriced for what it is. Cute jeans, yes, absolutely. Two intricate tops that do, upon brief inspection, show a mastery of clothing design, yes again. Some fancy high fashion accoutrement that one would never wear anywhere besides a costume party? Yes, yes indeed. After all, does one really need a peacock tail and a skirt that looks like seaweed wrapped around the legs?
Ohhh, but those jeans... I was in lust.
I couldn't let myself do it, though, and I left the store without the outfit in my shopping cart. I picked up a leather jacket that looked stunning, instead, but I couldn't justify the outfit and I'm not sure why, really, as I've purchased insanely expensive items in SL before. In fact, my favorite store has some of the higher priced clothing I've stumbled across but for some reason, the perfect simplicity of the pieces makes it more understandable to me. In this case, it felt like throwing prims all over something in an attempt to simply obtain that "high fashion" look (anyone else sick of that phrase?) and I just had a mental block against it.
A couple of days passed and I couldn't stop thinking about those jeans. Finally the other day, in a moment of weakness, I teleported in, walked straight to the back corner of the store (before the store had even rezzed - sorry if I ran over anyone), waited for the vendor to show itself and purchased the outfit before quickly teleporting home in an attempt to outrun my own guilt.
Why had I done that? Why did I purchase something that for whatever reason I was morally opposed to?
Well, because I wanted to write this blog, of course. And I was hoping I would love the other pieces so much that the price suddenly made sense to me. (Didn't happen.)
It's funny, I contemplated long and hard about whether or not I would ever write negative reviews on this blog. Initially I thought I wouldn't and instead wouldn't feature something if I didn't like it. In fact, this particular entry has been sitting, written in full, in my "pending" blogs for three days while I contemplated whether or not I wanted to go to a negative place here. But I do think that part of the responsibility of having a voice is also using it.
And so, here's the original outfit that I purchased.
Okay, so... I don't have to wear all the parts, I get that. But then, I started to look at the jeans... the jeans that I loved... and I realized that the cuffs around the thigh are black with silver hardware... and the belt that is part of the texture is brown with brass hardware. And, as I've mentioned before, that's one of the things that drives me crazy. So the only way to make an outfit that I could live with using these jeans was going to be by covering up the belt.
And then I remembered that the fantastic jacket that I had purchased instead of the jeans outfit may have had the same problem. Let's take a look.
The buckles on the sleeves? Silver. The buttons on the jacket itself? Brass. What do you think? A conscious design choice? Or just an unintentional fashion faux pas? The only way I can wear the jacket is by editing the prims... I don't get that choice with my jeans, though. The mismatched metals and leathers are part of the textures. And I hate to say it, but it just feels sloppy to me.
I'm a strong believer that a product is worth what someone is willing to pay for it. And so, if the market will bear a ridiculous mark up, so be it... but is there a point where it crosses a line? And if so, what's that point?
So, there's my negative review. And now, on to the positive spin - the outfit I did manage to put together with my jeans...
So, apparently, the jeans come complete with an infectious "high fashion" disease because that's the only type of look it seems I could put together. The cute little shirt I picked up months ago but didn't wear often because the prim skirt never fit correctly. I remembered editing it when I bought it and finally just wearing it with black pants to mask the exposed part between the top of the skirt and the bottom of the shirt itself, which of course wouldn't work here. And I couldn't have fabric gap showing with my $1200L jeans and so I edited each and every box-pleat prim to conceal that gap. Once finished, I had a shirt that looked like it should (and covered the brown belt) but I will warn you that it was a hell of a lot of work. The outfit was begging for another layer to add interest and dimension, but the shirt itself is on the jacket layer so there was nothing I could use to put over it and I didn't want to put something under it. Then I remembered that last weekend as we dressed for an event on the Titanic, I mentioned off-handedly and with a bit of a chuckle to Ben that my shoulders were going to be cold in my tank gown on a ship's deck at night. (Am I the only one who feels cold or hot for her avatar?) As I put the finishing touches on my hair and shoes, he teleported off and surprised me by buying a gorgeous fur coat. The glorious thing about the coat is that it's all prims (and it avoids looking like a life jacket... which, now that I think about it, had the potential of being handy for our afternoon on the Titanic but thankfully wasn't needed). Layered over the rest of the outfit, it becomes one of the central pieces of the look and it really facilitates in making it all about the luxurious, heavy texture. The fishnets and stilettos are damn sexy with the seams running up the back of the calves and I think they're unexpected with a jean fabric, thus completing the outfit.
A chunky bangle holds its own with the bulk of the fur coat and the textures (black and silver) pull the black and silver details from the cuffs of the jeans. I like the feathered drop necklace which adds interest but doesn't take over the top of the look - there's already a lot goin' on up there with the jacket and the v-neck shirt.
And voila... Expensive look for expensive jeans.
Jacket - Fur Jacket, Black - Prim Spine, Upper Arm and Forearm Attachments (forearm attachments not worn in this outfit) earth & sky design
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Tellus III/233/179/23/
Shirt - Amplify - Jacket Layer, Prim Ruffle Stomach Attachment Layer Refuge (Sinistyle) http://slurl.com/secondlife/Koreshan/51/69/24/
Pants - JenFall - Pant Layer, Prim Upper Leg Attachments (for gathered effect) (part of full outfit) LeeZu Baxter Designs
http://slurl.com/secondlife/centro italia /123/148/22/
Stockings - Black Fishnet Stockings - Freebie! No Creator Available in Properties
Shoes - Visions of Love, Black - Shoe Base, Prim Foot and Lower Leg Ankle Strap Attachments (ankle straps not worn in this outfit) Minx
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Hauwai/46/95/98/
Necklace - Irina, Black & Onyx - Prim Chest Attachment Lassitude & Ennui http://slurl.com/secondlife/Nouveau/65/63/30/
Bangles - Wood & Metal Bangles - Prim Forearm Attachment Last Call http://slurl.com/secondlife/Dazzle/68/11/27/
Hair - Mica, Mahogany - Prim Head Attachment Maitreya http://slurl.com/secondlife/Superieure/94/43/451/
Skin - MM-Light SkinGloss-OhWow Minnu Model Skins
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Glam World/118/136/23/
17 comments:
I dont see $1200 worth of work in the original outfit even if the trim did match. You did a good job pulling an outfit together.
I'm sad to say that most of her products simply don't justify the price tag. I also have that coat and I was very disappointed to have shelled out 600 bucks for it (when I could have bought 1-2 outfits of superior quality). I hesitated at the ad pictures, but went and took the plunge and I regret it. Don't think I'm buying from that store again.
to post or not to post. i'm glad you did if it's any consolation, kristianne. i rushed over to LeeZu's to purchase a full length leather jacket arabeth laval had reviewed. alas, it didn't live up to my expectations. at least i'd be able to control myself over buying those pants! haha. bad girl. more chocolate for you.
I also visited her store for the first time today. The stuff with the price tags I was willing to spend - kind of iffy quality. The outfits I actually thought of buying? Insanely overpriced.
I'm continuously surprised by designers who think one outfit - or even one piece - is worth 600, 700, 1000, even more. I'm sorry, but odds are I'm going to wear something a couple of times, break it up into different outfits, and then move on to the next thing. I can't justify spending that much money on something I'll wear maybe twice. Obviously designers can charge what they want, but lately it seems too many stores are using absurd pricing.
I so agree with the overpricing which seems to be spreading like a disease.
cute outfit in the end though, but not one i'd pay that price for
Wow. I am not sure what to say. For $1200, I'd better not be mixing metals....that is a huge pet peeve of mine.
Prestige pricing is such a mind f#$@ sometimes.
That started out as a truly awful outfit..sorry! I even hate the jeans....LOL! I am also impressed that you were able to do something - anything - with the outfit (read: jeans).
Thank you so much for your honesty!!!
I'm glad you said something. A lot of people are afraid of the repercussions from giving a negative review, but you speak for a lot of us who feel the same way about such things. And I totally agree here. I would never pay that much for a glorified pair of jeans no matter what you stuck on them.
Thanks for the comments, y'all. You've reiterated my belief that a having a voice means it should be used and I will continue to do that. I intend to do so with tact and respect for designers and readers alike, but I won't censor myself unnecessarily.
What I hope can be taken from this blog entry and from the comments is that we're all willing to roll with the price tags assigned by designers if the quality is there when the rubber meets the road. I the case of the pieces mentioned, it appears as though the consensus is that it didn't happen.
I could ramble for eons, but I'll leave it at that.
Again, thanks for the comments. It's nice to know you all can hear me out there.
what about wearing a prim belt over it? armidi has a couple good ones. this doesn't help the fact you paid 1200L for something that's not worthy it, but at least you can wear it.
At last! Someone has said what I've been thinking for a while. In fact, just the lack of blog posts about LeeZu Baxter clothes speaks volumes in itself.
I first went there a good few months back, having seen some fashcon notices from them and having high hopes, but one look at the prices and I picked up the freebie and left. The pictures *look* like there should be something worth buying, but the prices are way way too high. Compare to somewhere like Paper Couture, who actually gets it spot on with textures and metals, as well as prim "high fashion" attachments, but for a fraction of the price of LZB. I'm left feeling that LZB is punching way above it's weight.
Thanks for actually having the guts to say this Kristianne. Maybe they will read and take on board the constructive critiscism and perhaps refine the products to make them match the price tags, or vica versa. We can but hope.
thanks for your honesty. i went to LZB to buy this beautiful coat and my jaw dropped at the price. sure, they have some interesting and origonal designs but, in my opinion , nothing justifies that price. what other designers are even in that price range. House of Nyla is the one that comes to mind, but that is completely different becuase you are buying a miniature version of designer outfit made by the person who made the original.
-Delaney Whippet
I'm so glad to read such an honest post like this. I seriously ignore over half the "reviews" I see in the blog space as they tend to be little more than fan girl adoration posts.
It's sad that we fall into the more expensive must be better trap in RL, though sometimes in fashion the price has as much to do with the materials and construction as any marketing or branding hype.
But in SL the bits and bytes are the all same. There is nothing "exclusive" or "special" about anything in SL other than the care and attention to detail given by the desginer.
And there are so many designers creating at the highest levels who do pay attention to things like the metals on the embellishments and who do NOT charge ridiculous prices.
Please keep up the good work and know that many of us are very happy to know there are reviewers posting with such honesty.
High prices are all around on SL. They think if top designers like Shai and Last Call can get away with it, why can't they?
Sadly, LC and Shai have TOP quality. It's definately worth the money.
I walked into LBD today. I didn't even bother looking at prices, to be honest. The clothing looked nice, but the way they were shown in the ads made me think "crap."
Now knowing the prices.. I'm utterly disgusted. The store looks nothing of high fashion, nor does it remotely look pretty or worth the prices.
I hope the designer takes this post to heart and lowers the price and spices up the store.
*p.s. - i'm not, in anyway, saying the clothing made by LBD is horrible. Just shown badly in the ads as well as bad pricing. Just so no one takes this the wrong way.*
I went there and didn't buy a thing. Too steep. But ya know, once I e-mailed the Casa del Shai people to tell them the same thing and they cut the price of the item I mentioned in half.
I can understand a place like Sparkle Skye costing this much (although I still won't cough it up for even those intricate dresses) but this stuff? Totally replicatable other places with better designs.
Thank you for saying this! Since people are mentioning a few places that have higher prices that are worth it, I'd like to add in Nicky Ree. I know her outfits are going to be wonderful, but pricey.
I bought a black bra and panty set with sequins (no stockings or other pieces) at Armidi and it was about 400L and a really terrible photosource job so I would even double check their quality. I do have some shoes and dresses from Armidi that I love though. I think it is just hard to tell what an item really looks like when it is photoshopped to look like it is hanging on a rack rather than if it is in a picture that shows more than one angle. Unless I've seen an item on an avatar, I've made it a rule not to buy items presented that way anymore.
Anonymous- that is so true! I see more and more shops doing that "clothing on a hanger" display method and I hate it. It looks cute in-world - but it makes it more difficult to actually view the item. I wish they would stop doing that. If I can't see an item properly I won't buy it.
I *despise* that method of vendor! I don't even think it looks awful, and I totally agree with it as a general rule that I do not buy things like that unless I've seen it either on an avatar, or on a regular picture presented in multiple angles.
I wish that trend would die.
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