h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

That's okay Sho - they are not actually my competition. Just had a look at their webpage. For a company that is geared to buxom clientelle I thought their models were somewhat lacking - they looked like typical skinny models wearing serious push-up ecoutrement . . .

az

Looking at the ones in the catalogue, quite a few of the models are from the small back big boobs end of their range - having bought some of the bras they aren't push up ones, those girls are genuinely busty! Small backs with relatively large boobs have nightmares getting bras, just like those of us with a medium back (I'm a 34) and enormous hooters on top

Yes, all the clothes shops have different measurements in the same sizes - it really is maddening! Some do well out of it - a Wallis 14 is like a Nxt 16 so they have a psychological advantage...

I wonder abou Wallis - do they want to catch the people who have to take a bigger size in Next (or can't get anything)?

I'm a 36F so getting jackets is a massive problem. I'm hoping to pick up one from Bravissima this year.

<> (kelli)

This is so true. In the shop where Noggin buys most of his clothes here (Springfield - is that a European shop or just a Spanish one?) he actually ends up having to buy a size large and occasionally extra-large, which is totally ridiculous if any of you have ever seen Noggin. We keep joking about 'how much he's grown' since moving to Spain. But the other day he bought a new winter coat at a different place and ended up with a size small.

Of course, in a shop you can try things on first. When ordering on the internet you can only go by the sizes listed with basic measurements. Which is why I am trying to base my sizes as closely as possible to other places, but given the variations I think people will just have to go by the measurement chart we will have with our sizes.

At the moment we are wondering about the right 'ease' to give each garments. For one single size (say size 12) it is usually about two inches or 5cm. But with a double size (size 12-14), do we add the extra from the largest number or from the middle one? Say a Medium (size 12-14) bust measurement is (in inches) 35-37, do we add the two inch ease from 36 or 37? If we add it from 36 then a 37 person might feel it a bit snug, but if we add it from 37 the 35 person might feel like it's too big.

Again, since most of the styles are quite loose fitting I don't think (at least I hope) that giving a bit more at the top end of the measurements wouldn't pose any fitting problems for those at the lower end. But perhaps we should be adding the ease from a mid-point?

Having never done internet selling before I am in a bit of a quandary as to how to size the stuff - where to put the ease. Any suggestions?


az

I don't know the answer to that really. I guess it makes sense to make the ease run from the top of the range as the clothes are meant to be loose fitting anyway, but you are right that that could mean that a person who is at the small end of the range might feel it is a bit too baggy on them. Did you decide to leave a gap between sizes? If not then might people at the small end of the range be able to fit into the size down if they want it to be more snug-fitting?

I don't know, but I would say be consistent! Especially important if you want it to be easy for someone who has bought from you before to know what size they are in future purchases

you could use sort of avarage what you saw in measures, but you should also look what you normaly would buy or make for yourself.

one more thing just add bit to avarages seize, because too big sleave is adjustable and yoo small is not.

ask people for feedback if they fitted your clothes.

So, this is what will eventually be our website (lovely azahar flower image designed by MoG )

http://www.natural-clothing.com/

I think the URL will end up being www.azahar-natural-clothing.com. We would have obviously preferred www.azahar.com but I reckon that one was taken ages ago. Anyhow, our webpage designer is going to have the page finished within a couple of weeks and we are hoping to 'open' by March 1st (a month later than originally planned). Not sure how many designs we'll have made up by then (the production is going v-e-r-y-s-l-o-w-l-y) but we can start with even a dozen styles and just keep adding the others as we get the stock made..

The sizing is going okay. I think I've found a good set of measurements now - in any case I'm going to stick with them now that I've started making up the stock.

Just wanted to say again how much all your interest and input has helped us.


az (and Noggin)

that is beautifully uncluttered - and I like the colour combo


- for the nerves!

sweet!!

Just been looking at the logo choices, I'll tell you my preferance, but it *is* only a personal perferance! Go with what you like best...

My favourite was #18, I liked both flower designs and disliked the fruit. I liked the orange flower main;y because in my mind's eyeI could see that as a small motiff on the clothing. and the other flower looked like it might be a bit complex to do for that. The one with the blossom beside the name, 5b, was may favourite with the other flower.

Hope this helps rather than hinders!

Well, it's a wee survey, so we won't know how it pans out until we get some more replies. We've tried to ask people from 'all walks of life', as they say . . .

Btw, *we* didn't spell 'miscellaneous' wrong - that was our webpage designer (English isn't his first language).



az

az

Also, btw, the 'Great Collections' thingy is just temporary text to give an idea of what the navigation stuff will look like.

Getting some interesting replies!


az

um.... am I missing something


I didn't see different logos & collections...

I was sure I sent the links to you too, Sho!



az

Rather than get down to the semantics, it looks like you've basically got three themes, and here's how I like them, in order from favorite to least:

Blossom
Orange flowery thing
Orange slice

Your slogan is natural clothing, and the blossom fits that rather well by reminding us of the nice things in nature. And that particular blossom doesn't remind me of anything in particular. It looks (to me, anyway) unique.

The orange flowery thing is unique, and goes along well with the color scheme, but it doesn't look natural. Not bad, but not good.

The orange slice is definitely not unique. We've already established that the name "azahar" will be difficult to trademark. Your orange would be impossible to trademark. Plus, it makes me think of a whole range of things not related to clothing. If anything, it makes me thirsty.

to check mail

is it where the pictures of the clothes are?

Well, that helped!



It turns out that all three images are liked/disliked equally and for various reasons. So now we're more confused than ever!

Of course, most people aren't going to know that azahar means orange blossom - not even some Spanish people apparently as the other night I was showing the images to my student Montse and she said, 'why an orange? What's the connection?' She was confusing azahar with jasmine. And someone else commented on MoG's pretty daffodil.

Anyhoodle, we have a meeting with the webpage guy this afternoon so perhaps we'll be able to sort something out with him. Meanwhile, must keep cutting . . .


az

I wouldn't worry about people not knowing their flowers, az. The 'daffodil' was originally a photo of an orange blossom before I ran it through some filters and simplified it, so people who *know* the azahar will know what it is, other people will just see flower and text.

That said, there are other valid reasons that might not be the image you want to use.