I have to take a few minutes to do a write up on "free shipping". You see companies offer it all the time. It doesn't excite me. I will tell you why. I have owned a company (well, several), but I have run a clothing company for almost 3 years now. I know exactly what it costs to ship 1 lb, 2 lb, even 20 lbs, depending on the carrier and the type of service you want. It is never free.
I loathe it when customers ask me if they can get free shipping. No. Plain and simple. I'll say it again. No. Why? Is it bad customer service? NO. I am actually doing you a favor. You see, free shipping is NEVER FREE. Ever. With all of the competition out there and dwindling margins, companies are not taking money out of their pocket to send you something free. What are they doing? They are building it into the cost of the merchandise (by tacking on shipping and handling fees onto the product) and then saying that they are offering free shipping.
They do the same thing with a sale. For instance...they buy an item for $12. They mark it up to $48. It sits on the rack for a few weeks/months at $48 and a few customers (we'll refer to them as "suckers") buys it at that price. The company will then mark it down to a blowout sale at $30 and you are thinking you are getting a bargain. Wouldn't it be great if the item just started at $24 or $30 in the first place?
First of all, why wait for end of season to wear something you want to wear now. (many women are in love with sales so they will sacrifice taking on certain trends as they only buy things end of season). I personally hate going through clearance racks. Nothing is ever organized (have you been to an off price store, like Ross or Marshalls lately? Good luck finding something in your size in the place it is supposed to be). It is maddening to see that adorable dress sitting alone on the rack in the 18/20 section, calling out my name, only for me to pick up the tag and see that it is a medium. That being said, I love shopping at Ross and Marshalls. :)
At Curvy Girl Clothing, we try and give you the fairest price up front. No gimmicks. No crazy sales. We don't build shipping costs into our products because we know we don't offer free shipping. With my company, you pay a fair price for your merchandise and then a fair shipping cost (based on weight) at the end of your order. We want our curvy customers to be in style NOW. We don't want you to feel like you need to save up for weeks to buy that special item you want. Looking trendy doesn't have to cost a fortune. We also want to stress that here are stores out there (not just us) that offer affordable curvy clothing. You don't have to wait for a sale. If you do, what you want will probably be gone.
Some women ONLY buy something on sale. This is somewhat disturbing to me. That tells me they only buy something because they feel it was such a bargain that they could not pass it up. If you don't need it or don't absolutely love it, don't buy it. The fact that something is so cheap is never the right reason to make a purchase. Now, if it is "so cheap" and is exactly what you are looking for, then when you wear it and someone compliments you on it, you must tell them exactly how much (or should I say, how little) you paid. It is a rule in the female code book.
How about - FREE GIFT with your purchase? Again. Free? Not so much. Maybe it is a horrible necklace set the seller got for $1 that they include with your item. Not only do they add that $1 to the cost of the item you actually want, but those earrings will make your ears itch for days. (you know the kind I'm talking about). So, you've just paid for a cheap jewelry set that you didn't want and you're itching. Tell the seller to keep their free gift and give you a discount instead. For instance, if they say it's a $9 value - ask for $9 off and see what they say. Unlikely they'll give it to you because it only cost them a buck.
Back to shipping....and the reasons we don't offer free shipping. The biggest reason, as listed above, is the simple fact that shipping is not free (or easy) for me or my employees. Packing supplies cost money (including the poly bag your items are shipped in). USPS provides free packaging for their more expensive services (as does UPS and Fedex), but if you don't use those expensive services, you have to pay for your own envelopes, boxes and tape. An employee has to be paid to print the label (the labels cost money as does the printer and toner), pull and pack the merchandise and prepare it for the courier. This part of the task is the most time consuming. It can take a full day to ship less than 100 packages and doing nothing else. The courier company charges for the pickup (depending on the courier company, this is a daily charge or a weekly charge). If you don't get a pickup, someone has to drive it to the courier drop off facility.
You know all of this. I know. You still don't care. Here is why you should: Would you rather be charged a reasonable and fair shipping charge up front and pay a cheaper price on your clothing? Or, would you prefer to pay a lot more for that clothing item with free shipping?
The frequent returner (and she knows who she is) will buy all kinds of styles and sizes and return all of the ones she dislikes. She doesn't measure herself because she figures - who cares - I have a free return label right here in my package. Shipping cost me nothing. I hate to tell you. Shipping just cost you a fortune. Those items you just overpaid for had shipping built into each and every single one. Why? The seller doesn't know if you are going to buy 1 or 100 of an item, and to offer free shipping on all items, it means the cost of shipping has to be built into each item. We're talking $10 or more here (about the cost of shipping a 1lb package each way). Across the board.
Who suffers? The women who know their measurements and true size. The women who pay attention to details. The women who know their body type and buy the styles that will look best on them. You are overpaying for merchandise because a company has to take into consideration all of the women who aren't like you. You are overpaying because companies have to run FREE SHIPPING promotions just to gather some interest so they mark up all of their prices ahead of time (knowing they will have this type of promotion).
I share this information not just from the perspective of a clothing company owner, but as a fellow consumer. I know I will continue to sell a lot of clothes as long as I offer a good selection for a fair price with great service. I don't need the gimmicks. Cut out the middleman and offer my customer a great price. That's what I want to do. As a buyer, however, I am so frustrated because I don't want to have to wait until the end of season to buy something I want now. I want prices to come down. I don't want to spend $49.50 on a cami that should cost me no more than $23. I can't afford a $300 cocktail dress that should cost me $89 or denim jeans that cost $200 but should cost me $49.
If you were a clothing company owner and saw the true costs of things (and there are many, don't get me wrong), you would wonder why some of these clothing companies are charging so much. It's highway robbery.
What can you do? Probably nothing. If you stop buying products during the free shipping promotions, it is likely the seller will have to come up with other creative ways of moving product (ways you will probably end up paying for in the end). My advice is to seek out those sellers who are truly offering you value without crazy gimmicks. Shop with them. Kick in the few bucks for shipping and save where it really matters.
Most importantly, love you and your body, every curvy inch of it. That has nothing to do with shipping of course, but it's worth noting on a regular basis. :)
------------------------------------
About the author
Lisa Toton is co-founder of Curvy Girl Clothing. She lives in Los Angeles, CA with her husband. When she is not obsessing over plus size fashion, she is writing sketches (some for Curvy Girl Clothing) or you can see her on stage at many of the top comedy clubs in the Los Angeles area where she has been performing as a stand up comedian for a better part of the last decade.
You can contact Lisa at lisa@curvygirlclothing.com.
About Curvy Girl LLC
Incorporated in 2005, Curvy Girl LLC is a lifestyle company catering to plus size women. Curvy Girl’s first venture was http://www.curvygirlclothing.com/, an online boutique taking the plus size fashion industry by storm. We offer fashion forward trendy styles, in plus sizes (14+). Our flagship retail store opened in Portland, OR in November 2007!
NOTE: Curvy Girl LLC and Curvy Girl Clothing is not associated with curvygirl.com.
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Girl Scouts of America - their new badge
The Girl Scouts of America recently announced that they are adding their first new badge in 20 years. It's called the badge of delegation. Girls earn this when their parents sell at least 75% of their cookies for them.
When I was a girl scout - I had to go door to door to door to door to door. My parents REFUSED to sell cookies for my sisters and I. They said, "We are not selling your cookies for you. We'll pay for the 20 boxes of cookies you kids have eaten and that's it!!!"
(this is one of my favorite jokes to tell on stage because it's soooooooooo true).
So, uh, I don't have access a girl scout and some tagalongs would be nice :) My husband loves thin mints! And I don't want to hear about Samoas! Coconut sucks! :)
About the author
Lisa Toton is co-founder of Curvy Girl Clothing. She lives in Los Angeles, CA with her husband. When she is not obsessing over plus size fashion, she is writing sketches (some for Curvy Girl Clothing) or you can see her on stage at many of the top comedy clubs in the Los Angeles area where she has been performing as a stand up comedian for a better part of the last decade.
You can contact Lisa at:
lisa@curvygirlclothing.com
About Curvy Girl LLC
Incorporated in 2005, Curvy Girl LLC is a lifestyle company catering to plus size women. Curvy Girl’s first venture was http://www.curvygirlclothing.com/, an online boutique taking the plus size fashion industry by storm. We offer fashion forward trendy styles, in plus sizes (14+). Our flagship retail store opened in Portland, OR in November 2007!
NOTE: Curvy Girl LLC and Curvy Girl Clothing is not associated with curvygirl.com.
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Annoying headline - woman who loses 20 pounds is still single...
1/3/2008
Ok....I admit I read all of my news online. I am a headline watcher.
I love pictures. Give me a good picture, and I'll click on your article.
Give me a good headline, and you've got a 50/50 shot. I love MSN
(they have a great entertainment section) and often times have articles on plus
size fashion.
Today, however, they are on my sh*t list. Why? I circled the
above. What next? Help! I've lost 20 pounds but I'm still
single
ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?!?! ARE YOU F'N KIDDING ME?!?!
I had to read the article. It is the Ask Lynn section...advice on love.
I am very happily married so it is not very often (i.e. never) that I read these
types of articles, and until today, I didn't even know who Lynn was.
Even when I was single, I doubt I read these articles, but I digress. I'm
sure Lynn is very capable of dispensing advice. She has her own column on
MSN after all.
The article is about a woman named Cynthia who is 45 years old and has never
had a husband (or live in boyfriend). She lost 20 pounds. BRAVO
Cynthia (I say this not sarcastically, but with encouragement. As a plus
size woman, I know the effort it takes to lose 20 pounds.) Cynthia
wants to know how she can meet the man of her dreams.
As you read through the article and advice, it really isn't a focus on the
weight - so why is the headline? Why did MSN have to focus on
the fact that this woman just lose 20 pounds but is STILL LONELY?
Now, I don't know how big this woman was to start with (before her 20 pound
loss), but I don't care. LADIES, I will say this now and I mean it.
THERE ARE TONS OF fantastic, available, attractive, successful, funny, educated,
sexy, single men in this world WHO LOVE curvy women. Yes! Tons.
I promise you. Size 12 or 32+, there are women in that size range
who are probably happy and in love at this very moment. There are women of
that size who date on a regular basis. There are women of that size who
have sex on a regular basis. Gasp. There are women of that size who have
partners in their life who love them completely and wholly and unconditionally.
I own a plus size clothing company so I speak to many plus size women on a
very regular basis. I am a plus size woman. My sisters are plus size
women. I have spoken in depths to many plus size women about the romance
department and the complexities (and wonderfulness) of dating. None of us
has struggled to find dates because of our size. Have we struggled
to find "a good man"? Yes. Who hasn't? (just as men have
struggled to find good women). Is every man attracted to plus size women?
Probably not. Who cares. Are you attracted to every man out there?
Unlikely.
I have had a lot of conversations with single women who say they will start
looking for a relationship after they have lost "x" pounds. It drives me
nuts. If a man doesn't like you now, it is unlikely he will like you "x"
pounds less. If he only likes you when you are "x" pounds less, he's
probably not worth your time. When I say this, I don't mean we shouldn't
all have goals to reach a healthy weight. We should. The men who
love us want us to be healthy, happy and live a long time. What I am
saying here is not to find the ones who only love you when you are thin.
What happens if you get pregnant? What if you gain 5 lbs? 10?
50? What if you get in an accident and another part of your body changes
drastically? Will he leave? You don't want to live your life
paranoid like that.
Not having met Cynthia, I can come up with all kinds of reasons she could be single. Does she smile? Is she a bi*ch? That is the number one reason many women stay single. In my research, I have found that men don't like women who have serious attitude problems. How does she dress? Is she wearing horrible boxy clothes that are unflattering? Does she have manicured nails? A good haircut? Does she have good skin? A little makeup never hurt anyone. How about good hygiene? (men, from what I understand, prefer good hygiene). Does she have a good personality? Is she funny? Is she ambitious? Is she kind? Does she leave the house? We all have that friend who complains that she is single, yet she doesn't go out. When she does, she looks like she's had the flu for 3 weeks straight (by this I mean the look of sweatpants paired with your hair back in a ponytail and no makeup). Newsflash, ladies: Prince Charming is not scouring your neighborhood right now with a glass slipper, about to knock on your door. If he is, it's unlikely to be a wide width shoe, and it's unlikely you'll be in your "princess dress" at that very moment. You probably have to leave your house to meet someone. Yes, there are online personals (I met my husband on matchmaker.com). Yes, there is MySpace. You still have to meet someone face to face at some point.
My advice to the Cynthias of the world is to get a mini-makeover. Find
some new and sexy flattering clothes for that new body. Get a nice
haircut. Go to local events. Ask your friends, "Am I a bi*ch?"
Ask the friend who will tell you the truth. Take a current picture and try
the online personals (and not the free ones you cheapo! Just remember you
get what you pay for). Take a class. Take a hike. Do things
that are outside of the house and make you interact with others. That is
the best way to meet someone, whether it be the man of your dreams or even just
a new friend.
Most importantly, love yourself and your body and never, ever blame your lack
of love on your weight.
About the author
Lisa Toton is co-founder of Curvy Girl Clothing. She lives in Los Angeles, CA
with her husband. When she is not obsessing over plus size fashion, she is
writing sketches (some for Curvy Girl Clothing) or you can see her on stage at
many of the top comedy clubs in the Los Angeles area where she has been
performing as a stand up comedian for a better part of the last decade.
You can contact Lisa at
lisa@curvygirlclothing.com.
About Curvy Girl LLC
Incorporated in 2005, Curvy Girl LLC is a lifestyle company catering to plus
size women. Curvy Girl’s first venture was http://www.curvygirlclothing.com/, an
online boutique taking the plus size fashion industry by storm. We offer fashion
forward trendy styles, in plus sizes (14+). Our flagship retail store opened in
Portland, OR in November 2007!
NOTE: Curvy Girl LLC and Curvy Girl Clothing is not associated with
curvygirl.com.
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
The Plus Size Trapeze Dress - every Curvy Girl needs one!
I am in LOVE with the trapeze dress. It is so girlie and feminine and there are just so many ways you can wear this look. Not to mention the fact that it is great for so many body types, especially the bottom heavy ones. How do I know?? I have watched countless women walk out of the dressing room at Curvy Girl clothing in a trapeze dress. The same trapeze dress they didn't want to try on because it looked like a muu muu (it kind of does when it's on the hanger). The same trapeze dress that showed their arms. Gasp. Their legs. Gasp. And you know what? They LOVED IT! I have to say, that there are few items we have in our store that are sold nearly every time they are tried on. The trapeze dress is one of them. This style is hot right now (Fall/Winter 2007) and it will remain hot through the Spring/Summer 2008 season. Look for vibrant colors and prints and soft and stretchy fabrics. 
If you are nervous about showing your arms, check out Curvy Girl Clothing's extensive selection of shrugs and bolero cardigans. We are famous for the amount of shrugs and cover ups we carry (ok, amongst our circle of friends, but famous nonetheless). :) Do not let sleeveless items scare you! There is a shrug for everyone, even those who have sworn them off! Does that mean we are saying that all plus women have to covering up their arms? Absolutely not! Have you seen our clothes!?!?! We LOVE curves and curvy women and we feel you should flaunt every ounce of curves on your body. If you feel comfortable and confident and sexy in your sleeveless dress, then by all means, go for it! I'm just saying....as a clothing company owner, I have insight to the inner workings of a plus woman's mind (as she typically talks about them out loud to the mirror as she stands in a dressing room) and the verdict is in that many women prefer a good shrug every now and then.
The other item we recommend with the trapeze dress are a good pair of leggings. Our preference is the seamless kind as they are so stretchy and comfortable (they are also our best selling item). You will wear those leggings under your favorite dresses and tunics. You will wear them under your long skirts. You will LIVE in these leggings. This is another item that women come into our store searching for. Once they try a pair on, they will typically buy them in every color (sometimes two in every color). Rest assured, as long as our manufacturers make this item, we will carry it. You may not want leggings now, but you'll break down....eventually. :)
About the author
Lisa Toton is co-founder of Curvy Girl Clothing. She lives in Los Angeles, CA with her husband. When she is not obsessing over plus size fashion, she is writing sketches (some for Curvy Girl Clothing) or you can see her on stage at many of the top comedy clubs in the Los Angeles area where she has been performing as a stand up comedian for a better part of the last decade.
You can contact Lisa at lisa@curvygirlclothing.com.
About Curvy Girl LLC
Incorporated in 2005, Curvy Girl LLC is a lifestyle company catering to plus size women. Curvy Girl’s first venture was http://www.curvygirlclothing.com/, an online boutique taking the plus size fashion industry by storm. We offer fashion forward trendy styles, in plus sizes (14+). Our flagship retail store opened in Portland, OR in November 2007!
NOTE: Curvy Girl LLC and Curvy Girl Clothing is not associated with curvygirl.com.
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