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Original poster

Does anyone actually look at The Wardrobe Icons site??

27 replies

WipsGlitter · 21/04/2015 11:23

I remember some people were interested in Laura Fantacci's new site when it started. I get the daily emails but usually just delete them but I did go on today as it was a high street update. But i found the site really hard to navigate! And the type is really hard to read as well. And it's all way too expensive for me. Someone is recommending a £300+ suitcase in the high street section. And 'long sleeves' are also being touted as a trend Confused

I guess it's just another way to sell stuff really.

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BelindaAllWorkedOut · 21/04/2015 11:51

I read them weekly magazine they produce, but haven't signed up to newsletters. I also follow Laura, Petro and Wardrobe Icons on Instagram. I don't "shop the site", though.

BelindaAllWorkedOut · 21/04/2015 11:51

"The" not "them". I need to turn autocorrect off.

dexter73 · 21/04/2015 13:10

I just had a quick look. Nothing special is it?

Emo76 · 21/04/2015 13:15

Started well offering multiplier five or six choices in each category. Now there seem to be three and almost all are extremely expensive. Not blown away.

CointreauVersial · 21/04/2015 13:19

I almost read it today.....but got distracted.

It's too high-end for me. I can bet the "High Street Special" is all JCrew and Whistles. I'm waiting for the Primark/Matalan Edition. Grin

FrugalFashionista · 21/04/2015 13:42

I love shopping and good shopping sites, but have ever found just one item there that I ended up purchasing, a quilted Mango denim jacket, one of the cheapest item on that site (and obviously not there any more). They have far too much black and white there for my taste too.

They seem to be targeting young women/ mothers, but somehow they have totally misunderstood what a realistic budget is. Perhaps you wear Gianvito Rossi heels if you receive them as a blogger gift, but nothing could be further from my lifestyle and priorities. And the aspirational stuff is a bit dull - Louis Vuitton and Chanel, how original Wink I get far more realistic ideas for everyday outfits from The Frugality, and her price range is just right. For higher-end stuff, Le Catch is fabulous - lots of UK high street stuff combined with things that can be bought from Shopbop, and far more stylish too.

I Laura and Petro well as they seem really dynamic and enthusiastic, but to get my clicks, I need a wider range of colors (neutrals other than black and white) and more descriptions (user reviews, sizing info, personal stories).

alfieandanniesmum · 21/04/2015 13:49

I find the site extremely frustrating and wonder where it is going. I think Lauras background in magazines means she struggles with digital stuff and her content oozes "print" rather than "online." Saying that her wardrobe is fabulous - but of course it is as she's probably had discounts everywhere for years from her magazine days! I prefer these 3 for that kind of thing…

Anna South Molton St Style
Anneli What I bought Today
Alex the Frugality

Anneli lives in West London and is a new wife. Alex is also from magazines but the name of her blog says it all and she has a very "east london takes on west" look about her. Anna is a DARL and her blog slowed down this year but she bravely revealed she's been fighting colon cancer on her Instagram… Enjoy!

Original poster
WipsGlitter · 21/04/2015 13:52

What is a DARL??

I quite like Anneli (although not so sure about her sustain the glow (wtf??) site)

I liked noseying at Laura's house renovation on instagram.

I just find the site really confusing. I wasn't sure where the articles were and where the selling bit is.

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BlairWaldorfLovesShopping · 21/04/2015 14:03

I read the icons update also, but agree that it's too aspirational and their definition of "high street" is not really the same as most people's. Plus the frequent spelling, grammar and layout errors (sometimes not all the writing fits in the page) really irritate me, they need a proofreader.

Haven't looked at the main site in ages.

I like the frugality, but I can't follow her blog properly because the name irritates me too much. If she is frugal, then I am completely poor and I think I have a very decent clothes budget (I mean, she spent £270 on 2 pairs of shoes in the last post!) Hmm I have to binge read it instead.

alfieandanniesmum · 21/04/2015 14:22

Hehe sorry I just meant dark but with more force!

Tweedledeewantstobealaydee · 21/04/2015 16:37

Blair - me too re frugal. What an overused word these days to explain lifestyle choices. Buying expensive clothes isn't a hardship, it's a sodding luxury.

Emo76 · 21/04/2015 17:10

Just looked at the Frugality for the first time in ages. Great feature on reasonable shoes, and then a free weekend in the country "I have worked with Pandora for many years through my time at Red and this was a little trip to say thank you.". Hmm

AmberNectarine · 21/04/2015 17:24

I think it's a shame really - Wearing it today was a really good blog. Her outfits were stylish but accessible, plus she wore loads of New Look , Gap etc. I suspect her personal wealth has increased significantly because even with the discounts she spends a fortune on clothes. WIT stands to alienate a lot of her existing readers with the new high-end approach.

Also, stop pretending you wear 4inch heels all day, every day! I have those lace up J Crew shoes and they are lovely but not the comfiest. Plus the need reheeling every wear!

FrugalFashionista · 21/04/2015 17:38

I flipped through the Wardrobe Icons high street edition. While I am grateful that they make a free magazine, I think they totally missed the point. I am not ashamed of wearing high street stuff, nor am I trying to make it look more expensive, I like it for what it is. High street is increasingly where the interesting and relevant clothes are for me, but the issue was full of runway photos but totally lacking in explanations how to build outfits and how to make separate pieces work together. I love high fashion and the history of fashion, but do feel that many designers are increasingly out of touch with reality and the interesting fashion phenomena are born somewhere else. This is why retailers are turning to bloggers - they are able to filter and interpret trends and make them approachable and wearable. (But need to be exposed to quite a few more country weekends before I am convinced that Alex genuinely likes Pandora bracelets Wink)

Original poster
WipsGlitter · 21/04/2015 18:11

I guess the trips and the freebies and the discounts are the perks. I'm sure it's takes a lot of time to keep it up.

There's an element of "hobby" about them where with WIT and WIBT I get the impression there's a rich husband behind it all if things don't work out.

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AmIaWinter · 21/04/2015 19:05

I used to love wit but all too expensive now. Plus she's been recently selling clothes and shoes of hers on her Instagram account, some worn once or never worn which flies in the face of the wardrobe icons classic forever investment pieces concept. And the site is just full of aim grey jumpers and pointy flats which are not forever classics, they are this seasons fashion items

chanie44 · 21/04/2015 19:43

I agree, I really want to like wardrobe icons, but don't like the following:

Most of the clothes are out of my price range and probably most of the people who follow Laura.

The spelling and grammar can be poor, which says to me that they are more interested in poncing around pr events than wardrobe icons.

The people they feature in the magazine are of no interest to me - they all seem to be high fashion and loaded.

As a side note, a lot of the stuff that Laura is selling seem to be stuff I've never seen her wearing or not even her size. I suspect a lot of it isn't hers

CambridgeBlue · 21/04/2015 22:12

I agree with pretty much all of the above, I liked the idea but in reality it's way out of my price range and their lifestyles bear no resemblance to mine so i don't think I'm their target reader.

As an aside, did anyone else notice that as well as clothes Laura is flogging a load of furniture/house stuff? She actually admitted that some of the things were wedding presents which surprised me - I can't imagine selling something we'd been given as a wedding present (think she only got married a few years back) let alone advertising that I was doing so on a well-read blog! Bet she's going to have a few fed up friends and family members Hmm.

Original poster
WipsGlitter · 22/04/2015 07:16

I was a bit Shock at that too. It's all very well to not like / need something but to openly sell it on... I've looked a bit closer at it now and agree about the mistakes - she really needs a proofreader!

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Emo76 · 22/04/2015 08:27

They have done a high street edit this week, most of which is still fairly $$ - but there are some nice ideas (I think).

I agree that the spelling and grammar is sometimes dodgy - though English isn't their first language. I am less bothered by that - part of the original charm of WIT for me was the occasional Italianism.

I am with the rest of you re publicly selling wedding presents, poor form!

Tweedledeewantstobealaydee · 22/04/2015 08:36

Isn't her less than perfect English just a ploy to gently remind us that she is Italian and therefore so much better qualified to opine on fashion than us mere mortals! I think it is supposed to be charming Confused

Emo76 · 22/04/2015 09:30

Possibly tweedle. I am a marketers dream!

AmIaWinter · 22/04/2015 12:39

How Italian is she though? I watched a video of her talking about wardrobe icons when it first started and her English accent is perfect - just a bit posh!

chanie44 · 22/04/2015 12:48

I think she went to boarding school in the UK when she was in her teens, so she has been over here for years. I just think they don't check what they've written before posting.

Tweedledeewantstobealaydee · 22/04/2015 15:55

Ah ha! That just confirms my thoughts - she is really tweaking the old "trust me, I'm Italian" strings.

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