If you haven't checked out the app Poshmark yet, do it!
It only works on Apple products..Ipad, Iphone, and Ipod Touch, so that's a must. And it's optimized for Iphone 5.
What is Poshmark you ask?
Well, I'm glad you asked! Think Ebay, Etsy & the greatest Thrift Shop all blended into one.
As a seller, I had given up on Ebay, because the fees were kicking my butt. The auctions only last 7 days, and it took many auctions to sell my clothing items. At 25-30 cents per week x 200 or more listings to list it all + the fee they charge after the sale & paypal fees for accepting payments, it was really adding up!
Enter Poshmark!
List for FREE in your "closet", and it stays there until it sells. The only time you pay a fee is when your item sells. At that time Poshmark takes 20% of the sales price, and then they provide you with the pre-paid postage label that the buyer paid for.
The only draw-backs I've found so far are (1) Be careful that your item doesn't weigh more than 2 lbs. Otherwise, you need to make sure to figure in the extra $1.99/lb to the asking price, and (2) For purchases less than $25, Poshmark has decided to charge a flat rate postal rate of $6.99, as opposed to the $4.99 they charge for purchases over $25. So that discourages small purchases, and many buyers/sellers resort to off-site deals via Paypal. But Beware! I've been burned twice this week on Paypal deals. I'm trying to get a refund through buyer protection on 1 purchase, and the other was a "personal" payment, so I had no protection. Live and Learn :(
Other than that, it's been amazing. I've listed several hundred items in the past few weeks, and it's so super easy.
First, you download the app. Then you create a user ID, which will be the name of your closet / website they assign you. That will be your "closet" that gets shopped. Then you tap "sell", take up to 4 photos of your item, a brief title, description, price & save it. Voila! You're in business.
And searching for items to purchase is easy with the Poshmark parties & the "feed", which has a search feature for either items or people you're looking for.
For selling, I've been using the InstaFrame app to create some very nice photos that I then upload to Posh.
First I take a picture with my Iphone. Then, using the InstaFrame app, I can pull the photo off my camera roll, make it sharp and clear, add a pretty frame, and save it. Then when I go to "sell" on Poshmark, it has you select where you want to get the photo, either take a photo or get it from your camera roll. From my camera roll, I select the InstaFrame version I just saved. It couldn't be easier to upload professional looking, fun photos of my clothing, jewelry, shoes, handbags, etc. that I have listed in my closet.
Have a bunch of stuff lying around that you need to get rid of & you just can't bear to just give it away? Don't take it to the resale, where you only get 40% of what it's worth. List it on Poshmark.
People will make offers and perhaps ask you to bundle their purchase with several items in your closet, and it gets addicting, because it's all Live and instant, which is fun! When I was just selling on Etsy, if I sold 1 or 2 things in a week, that was a good week for me. Now I do more than that in 1 day on Poshmark. I can really see this becoming a big deal, like Ebay.
Check it out & be sure to Follow me there (like Twitter) - go to the feed and search people: I'm @Pookeysmom
Here's the web address of my closet: www.poshmark.com/closet/pookeysmom
Showing posts with label shoes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label shoes. Show all posts
Saturday, May 11, 2013
Monday, November 19, 2012
Handmade Shoes: The True Value of Comfort and Quality
I recently watched my cobbler, David, help a customer in his shop. She had brought in three pairs of shoes to be fixed and was quite surprised when David gently set two of them aside on the counter, explaining that their poor materials and workmanship made them not worth repairing. “They weren’t really made well to begin with,” David said softly, sliding his work-blackened thumb into the split between the sole and synthetic upper of one worn pair. “Well, I guess they weren’t comfortable anyway,” the customer sighed.
But aren’t comfort and quality the basic qualities one looks for in footwear? These days, maybe not so much. The average American woman owns 17 pairs of shoes, but only wears three pairs regularly. Why do the other 14 pairs gather dust in the closet? Usually because they don’t fit. In a recent study, 46% of women said they have suffered from foot pain, 59% have gotten blisters from their shoes, 35% have had an evening ruined by uncomfortable shoes, and 24% have actually fallen because of their shoes’ design.
Handmade custom shoes – with expert construction, precise measurements, and quality materials – could solve all these problems. But handmade shoes seem so expensive, the ultimate luxury. Who can afford them? Even for me, a handmade fanatic to the core, they seem out of reach.
Then I did some math. The average price for a pair of shoes in the study was $50, but David tells me those $50 shoes are probably not worth buying. Let’s imagine I paid a little more, say, even $90 for shoes that could be repaired and last a little longer. Well, $90 x 17 pairs is $1530, about enough for three pairs of handmade shoes – the three pairs that the study says are all we really wear anyway.
If over time, as the budget allows, I made the shift from quantity to quality footwear, what should I look for in a good shoe? Some of Etsy’s shoe and boot makers helped me understand what is important. (And I should note that they all made a distinction between “handmade” – which can be very high quality – and “custom made” – the highest form of the craft – which refers to bespoke shoes made on a custom last.)
Everyone agreed fit was crucial. “Like a good house, your body needs a good supporting foundation,” said custom boot maker Kyle Rosfeld. “If your footwear makes you stand crooked, the rest of your body will soon be crooked as well. I strive for the fit to be as though they have been worn for six months. When the wearer gets home at night and he or she forgets to take them off, then the fit is correct,” said Kyle.
Ren, at Fairysteps, agrees. “It should be like wearing favorite slippers…all day!”
“If the client is someone who cannot fit into standard sizes, the value is immeasurable. No one should be in extreme pain from walking or standing, yet this is often what people accept,” said Daphne Board, who is working to become a pedorthist.
The makers were also unanimous about the importance of shoes being repairable. “My first criterion for a well crafted shoe or boot is how easily it is repaired”, said Kyle, who also reconditions vintage boots and saddles. “A well-made shoe should be repairable,” echoed Daphne. “If the shoe is not made so that it can be reconditioned, it is essentially a disposable shoe.”
Handmade shoes represent a time investment for the maker as well. “The making of a pair consists of two factors: The inspiration factor and the making factor,” said Tina Nortin. “Inspiration is unpredictable. It may take 10 minutes or 10 days. But after the designing and consultation process is finished, depending on the design, the making can take days.” Part of that process includes time for the shoes to “sit” on the last and take their shape.
Everyone said well-made shoes, properly cared for, should last years, maybe even decades. Buying high quality is a cost saver in the long run. The makers suggest frequent polishing, with resoling and re-heeling when necessary. “Leather likes to be loved,” said Ren. They also suggest not wearing the same shoes every day so that shoes can dry out between wearings.
It is challenging to build a life with fewer, better made things. But now I can see there are makers here to help…every step of the way.
Karen Brown is an award-winning designer and creative director of the Center for Ecoliteracy. Her work has been included in the Smithsonian Institution and Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, and featured in The New York Times, Architectural Digest, House Beautiful, and on Today on NBC. She believes that the handmade movement is a fundamental force for transforming society and the economy.
http://www.etsy.com/blog/en/2012/handmade-shoes-the-true-value-of-comfort-and-quality/?ref=fp_blog_title
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Learning Style From the Women in Our Family
A Legacy of Style
I wasn’t the first girl who was introduced to the world of fashion by her mother. Plenty of us can remember playing with our mom’s jewelry or tottering in her highest heels. One of my most vivid memories involves begging my mom to let me wear the shoes from her wedding day (mostly because they were covered in white glitter and reminded me of glass slippers).
My mom is what I would call a glamazon. People have been in awe of her daring wardrobe for as long as I can remember. When I visit home with friends, I’m asked to give tours of her closet. Little did I know that, 20 years later, I’d still be sneaking into her closet for style inspiration — only now I can actually fit into her clothes, but not her size 5 shoes, sadly (though I doubt I’d be able to strut around in her 7-inch wedges, anyway).
As I recently began sifting through old family photos, it became clear that my mother wasn’t the first woman of style in the family. She came from a long line of glamour queens, including her own grandmother, who was donning kitten heels and classic fur stoles back in the early 1940s. Looking at these family photos gave me insights I never would have found in a magazine. Sometimes our own family histories can bring us the most inspiring ideas.
Mom: 1970s Glam
[Pictured: 1. Arrow triangle earrings by SilkPurseSowsEar; 2. Tribal skinny cuff by SOFTGOLDSTUDIO; 3. '70s Luxe jumpsuit from LittleBeeVintage; 4. Vintage boho suede bag from HulaGirl1922; 5. '70s Leather cape from TheParaders; 6. '40s Chorus girl platforms from Parlourthearchives.]
As a child of the 70’s, my mom scours the internet for the vintage jumpsuits and sky high platforms she grew up wearing. She’ll even go for the occasional 60’s mini dress. But she always manages to keep her look contemporary by mixing vintage and modern accessories.
Grandma Willy: ’50s Bombshell
[Pictured: 1. '50s Bone white faux ostrich handbag from missfarfalla; 2. '30s Peep-toe with etched heel from VintagePointShop; 3. '50s Blush brocade cocktail dress from onefortynine; 4. Little drop earrings by LaurenHauptJewelry; 5. Vintage pom pom stole from secret lake.]
I grew up hearing stories about my grandmother going out to the Copacabana and being serenaded by Sinatra himself. Her stylish look could have rivaled any Hollywood bombshell’s. From her white fur stole to her pale, fitted cocktail dresses, she embodied the glamour of the 1950’s.
Grandma Carol: ’60s Work Chic
[Pictured: 1. '60s Scarf from StaceyCarlisleVntg; 2. Mint fused glass earringsby boldcolorglass; 3. Jackie O. '50s-'60s suit from Vintagephilosophy; 4. Tangerine suede handbag from LoveButlerVintage; 5. '60s Taranto court shoes fromWagonWheelVintageOz.]
As the breadwinner of her family, my Grandma Carol captured the style of 1960s fashionable professionals. And she always kept her conservative look fresh and upbeat by wearing a bright color palette and floral prints, reminiscent of Doris Day.
Great-Grandma Kay: Tailored Elegance
[Pictured: 1. '40s-'50s Black petal wool hat from NevermoreVintage; 2. '50s Faux fur coat from CultOfVintageStore; 3. '40s Day dressfrom NodtoModvintage; 4. Vintage gold tone heart locket from armychic4lyfe; 5.'40s Onyx suede cross-strap sandal from clevernettle; 6. '40s Black leather pursefrom HolliePoint.]
Classic and elegant, my great-grandmother was always seen wearing fashionable hats and dark tailored dresses. Her look has always reminded me of the noir vixens of her time.
Gabriella Cetrulo is a freelance illustrator with a BFA in illustration from Parsons the New School for Design. She is also the shop owner of vintage oasis Tomorrow Is Forever. She is in the process of opening a second online shop featuring her illustration work.
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