I don’t do reviews much on the blog these days, so when I couldn’t squeeze in a decent photoshoot for this cozy LOFT cardigan (50% off with code SHOP50 right now!) a few weeks ago, I took some quick snaps for the email newsletter in case someone was interested. It received some positivity from subscribers, and re-opened the door to an idea I still believe in, and have been quietly continuing to explore.
I love fit reviews. Especially from like-sized women, they are helpful in assessing fit before committing your hard earned money or valuable time into purchases, and can open your eyes to wardrobe gems you may not have found on your own. But there is a very intimate nature to them that a lot of bloggers (myself included) can feel uneasy about posting to the internet for strangers at all levels of creep or snark-dom to see. Publicly posting about things such as size and weight can also be alienating to non like-sized readers, and for all these reasons (and then some…I could talk about this subject for days but I won’t bore you with it here), I’ve backed away from posting fit reviews on Alterations Needed.
So, I’ve been ruminating about a less public way to bring clothing fit reviews to the readers who really want them…by email! In an effort to gauge interest in such a thing, I’m asking anyone interested in a fit review dedicated email to sign up here, and if there is enough interest, I’ll start working on it!
Pearls are wonderful this time of year. They quickly warm up when worn, so they are much kinder to the skin than cold metal jewelry. And who doesn’t love a nice cozy grandpa cardigan? Shrunken versions are hard to come by, so this LOFT cardigan is becoming a favorite of mine this fall. When too long, I find side-pocket cardigans to exaggerate the hips, often in an unflattering way. This one ends at the perfect spot… long, but not so long as to be unflattering.
Cardigan LOFT Shirt Banana Republic Jeans Rag & Bone Shoes Rachel Roy Handbag Jason Wu (similar) Belt Banana Republic (similar) Watch Michael Kors Necklace Iridesse (similar) Bracelet Stella & Dot Ring Daisy Knights (similar)
Altered: Shirt has darts added Shoes have ball of foot and heel pads added
I’ve signed up! Sounds like a great idea!
Lovely look today! LOVE the denim on you and those shoes are gorgeous! Wouldn’t say no to that cardigan either!
Bold Subtlety
Thank you Annick! =)
AW! I’d love to sign up, but I’m leaving for Thailand (Peace Corps!) in Jan and I’ll be too jealous of all the cozy sweaters and blazers you’ll be wearing! As a like sized petite, I’ve always appreciated your reviews!
Wow! Best of luck in Thailand! What an amazing experience!
The newsletter sounds like a good idea! I really miss your fit reviews. However, I don’t think I mind reading it on your blog instead. The original intention of your blog was to find clothes that fit you and talk about your adventures in alterations. I’m saddened to see less fit reviews amongst the petite blogging community.
Thanks Fanny! I totally understand, and while I can only speak for myself, all bloggers have their own reasons for posting fit reviews or not. I’m hoping an email newsletter will be a way better medium, both to post and receive fit reviews. But, we’ll only know if we give it a try! ;)
I love this idea! Not being a blogger myself, I never quite understood why people didn’t include more relevant size information in their posts & reviews…. But totally understand now. Myself, when I purchase an item and write a review of it, I always include relevant size & fit information, mainly because when ordering online that is the information that I look for when reading reviews. Love your style!
Thanks Susan! It’s so great that you include size and fit information when you leave item reviews! Most people don’t like posting that stuff, and just like you said, it’s that same information I look for when reading reviews online. =)
Your fit reviews are what got me visiting your blog in the first place. Blogs posting outfits are common and everywhere, but it’s rare to see a blog that focuses on fit for special size ladies. Please do more fit reviews! Subscribing now.
Thanks for the feedback Helen! =)
It’s a shame that you’ve backed away from the very thing that you built your blog on–fit reviews for petite women. The reason why people follow you is for that purpose and by playing it safe because of the fear of being bullied by others is really quite a loss, Kelly.
Bully is a strong word and not one that I used at all, so please don’t think ANYONE has bullied me, because they have not. I’m referring more to the fact that images posted online live forever, and images of a woman in a dressing room (or her own home) revealing the fit of garments can make for intimate photos (pulling up shirts to show waistlines, for example). These images posted on a blog get Google indexed and can end up on creepy websites (where ppl repost images in a voyeuristic sexual way), become associated with Google searches for my name (that can look bad if potential employers look me up), etc. Also, the conditions in which they are taken are usually unflattering, and as anyone who has ever untagged a terrible photo of themselves a friend uploaded to Facebook will know, no one likes unflattering images of themselves floating around the internet. Receiving snark (again…not bullying) is just an added bonus of being on the internet, but no need to give anyone extra unflattering photos of myself to work with.
Also, I believe it’s okay for blogs to change. As people, we grow and change in many ways, so why shouldn’t the blogs that are written by us? In the 5 years I’ve written AN, my style, taste, income, relationships, city, interests, maturity, confidence, age, body, have all changed (just to name a FEW! Phew!), so of course the topics and posting styles are going to change. Just because AN started a certain way doesn’t mean it needs stay that way forever.
Sorry you felt you needed to provide such a defensive response–It’s absolutely your prerogative to do whatever you’d like with your blog. The reason why I used the word ‘bully’ is because of my interpretation of snarky (your word) people on the internet often being bullies.
It’s a shame that you and other petite bloggers are backing away from fit reviews because it provided helpful information that differed from the average style or fashion blog. For instance, your old posts on how to know if a blazer fits your correctly, or knowing when you have an ill-fitting pant or shirt, etc. These are things I wouldn’t have known if you had never made posts about them.
Ultimately, you’ve made a decision to have e-newsletters instead, which is your choice. However, I’m not sure if it’ll completely eradicate or mitigate your concerns–jerks of the internet always find ways to be jerks.
I did get a bit pricked by the word “bully”. I think it’s such a strong word and getting thrown around by too many people these days. It cheapens the meaning of the word, and makes light of the situations of people who are really, seriously suffering at the cruelty of others.
The types of posts you listed are ones I actually enjoy doing! I won’t stop posting alteration & fit type posts on AN if I’m able to continue doing so. The hard part about writing those posts are 1) I already wrote about all the ones I know about 2) I don’t want to repeat content that’s already been written 3) I don’t have enough knowledge on other topics to write a post on them. As I learn new things, I post about them…but sometimes I just haven’t learned anything new on those topics so I don’t have anything new to report. I also want to make sure that I at least sorta have my facts straight on that stuff before I post, because as we all know, there’s enough bad advice and false information on the internet as it is. =P
I’m glad you like those posts and have found them helpful!
I’m referring to the specific item reviews, where I would get a box of stuff in the mail, take crappy photos in bad lighting, show how big the waist gap was and talk about how I’m going to keep/return it. Those types of posts would go in an email newsletter for readers who find we’re a similar size, and are interested in the way specific items fit or don’t fit me (could be expanded to include other bloggers if they’d be interested).
Hi Kelly,
I’ve been a long time “lurker” on your site and this is my first time commenting. I love your bag and shoes…I’m doing an oxblood theme this season and can’t get enough of it too! On a side note, I completely agree with your decision to not give fit reviews. I’ve recently started a petite-friendly blog and struggled with the same thing. Everyone’s body is so different and even if you and I both wear a 2…we probably won’t wear the same 2 from the same shop. (In addition, I don’t particularly want my size and weight posted for the world to see :) )
Anyway, keep up the great work!
Thanks Merrie (and thanks for de-lurking!)! And you’re spot on! Posting fit reviews are tough because just as you said, clothes are going to look different on everyone, even if they are roughly the same size. =P
Best of luck with your new blog!
I kind of like this new approach to fit reviews, Kelly. I loved the idea of FitReview but it seemed like it just lost momentum after a little while; it makes sense that people might be sky about putting their photos up online.
I haven’t been on it in a while because I really don’t shop too much. Although, I have a pair of Allison Izu jeans on the way :) I signed up for the email list. Maybe emailing will work out better.