Thursday, May 19, 2011

A Customer Portrait

In all advice on marketing, it is recommended to make a virtual portrait of my potential buyer. Since most of my sales are transacted through the Internet, I am naturally not familiar with those who buy my jewelry.
Still, it’s really interesting for me to imagine who she is.... the woman who has bought (or will want to buy) our jewelry.
So here is my best guess:

1. She is at least 28 years old – an age when most women have acquired their own sense of style.
2. She prefers artistic inspiration from the East more than from the West.
3. She wants ornaments that emphasize her appearance, not hide it.
4. She would rather look elegant every day than sparkle a few times for special occasions.
5. It's more important to her to express her own individual style than to follow a fashion trend.
6. She appreciates the difference between mass-produced objects and works of art.
7. She will not compromise her own personal taste to please others

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Fashion or Style?

I've never considered our jewelry to be very "fashionable", but I've always thought of it as "stylish". Although the difference between these two concepts is not so obvious, I somehow instinctively knew that there was a difference, and a profound one at that.
I finally found a good list that expresses what I was sensing:

Fashion is material. Style is soul.

Fashion is a costume. Style is a character.

Fashion originates on the outside. Style is born inside.

Fashion is duplicated and manufactured. Style is uniquely crafted.

Fashion equalizes people. Style distinguishes people.
Fashion is followed in submission. Style is expressed in freedom.
Fashion is for a short time. Style — for a lifetime.
Style does not exclude following a fashion, but from a psychological standpoint the motives are vastly different. Among other things, style is not limited by financial possibilities, as is our access to the latest fashions.
Style expresses much more precisely who we are. It hints at our personal boundaries, values, self-awareness and attitude toward life. "Style" is what we are looking for when we are trying to be "fashionable".

Friday, May 6, 2011

The difference between style and fashion

New York women are among the most fashionable
 women on the face of the earth. They are also among the least stylish. Confused? If so, you aren’t alone. You’re just among the many people who confuse stylish with fashionable.

To have a personal style is to have a statement you want to make with your clothing. You use your body as a palette and try to make your outfit into a work of art. Thought goes into a personal style. There are three “yous,” you as you see yourself, you as others see you, and you as you want others to see you. The aim of an impeccable personal style should be to bring these three yous as close together as possible. Questions to ask include: does this outfit match the personality I’m trying to convey? Do I have the attitude and mindset to pull it off? Is it showing the right amount of originality, yet is it not so out there as to become a freakshow? A good personal style takes into account the right amount of risk vs. safety for any occasion. A good personal style also takes into account what works for your body, especially your weight, skin tone, height and muscle tone.

http://www.artleah.com/