Reader Survey: Spending Habits

In the survey results I shared last week, I discussed how some of you wish I posted lower-priced items, and some of you wish I posted higher-priced (and higher-quality) items. In order to get a good idea of what my readers are willing to spend on clothes, shoes and accessories, I've put together another survey about readers' spending habits.

Source

Now, I know it's taboo to talk about money, so I apologize if the survey offends anyone. I won't share these results online since they're so personal. And again, there is an incentive to fill out the survey - you can enter to win a $50 gift card from Target.

The survey is located here. I can't wait to read your responses, and feel free to add any additional insight in the comments.

Reader Survey Results, Part II

It's time for the second round of results from the What the Frock? reader survey! Today, I'm going to review and address the suggestions you had for me and the blog.

Kidding. I totally do.

I have to say, you guys gave some amazing suggestions and feedback! I really appreciate everything you've said, and will be taking it into account while going forward. You've already given me some great ideas for new features, and some other important things to keep in mind (I'll elaborate below).

I got so many suggestions that there's not enough time to address every single one in this post. But there were some suggestions and comments that really stood out because several people had the same feedback, and that's what I'm going to tackle here today.

So, let's get started, m'kay?

The first issue I wanted to address is something that I pretty much expected to come up when I posted this survey. A handful of you said that, lately, there have been too many sponsored posts on the blog. Guess what? I agree! Here's the deal: I got laid off from my job in July and the unemployment benefits I'm earning equal only about 1/3 of my former salary. So, I've been taking on more sponsored posts than usual as supplemental income.

I get a decent of opportunities for sponsored posts, and I usually turn a lot of them down because they're not really right for What the Frock? But lately, I've been opting in to most of those that have been offered. I promise that, after I get a job, you'll see a lot fewer sponsored posts. But in the meantime, please know that every word that I write in those sponsored posts is 100% genuine. I may be compensated to write about a brand, but the sentiment behind the posts is all me. I wouldn't write about a brand I wouldn't use.

So, I beg you - hang in there? Thanks!

Many of you asked for more diversity in the celebrities I feature. You want to see more women of color, and more women of all sizes, from petite to plus-sized and everything in between. Again, I agree with all of you who have suggested this and will do a better job in the future to increase the diversity of the celebs I feature. But I need your help, too. If there is a celebrity you'd like to see more of, then please request it! You can email me at whatthefrockblog@gmail.com with a full-length photo of the celeb and outfit you'd like me to recreate, and I'll try my best to do it.

A great number of you said that you want to see more casual and work outfits, and fewer dressy outfits. I definitely understand this, as I'm sure that 99% of us don't have the same red-carpet lifestyle that Hollywood celebs have. But, most of the reader requests that I get are either for celebs on the red carpet, or for styling advice for a special event. So I think I've struck a pretty good balance between casual and fancy on the blog. I absolutely will start posting some more office-appropriate looks (confession: these are the hardest for me because I've never in my entire life worked in an office that didn't let me wear jeans, but it'll be a nice challenge for me). As a matter of fact, even before I got these survey results, I'd planned on a full week of What to Wear to the Office posts. Stay tuned next week for those.

A surprising amount of you said that you'd like to see more male celebrities on the blog. I definitely didn't expect this, but I'm happy to oblige and turn Guy Style into a regular weekly feature.

Quite a lot of you suggested that I post more about wardrobe versatility, i.e. styling one item for two events or for two seasons I LOVE THIS IDEA and have already made this a weekly feature.

A group of you want to see more outfits that are featured on TV shows. Those are hard for me to do because it's really challenging to create an outfit when all I have to work from is a fuzzy screencap. If there is a TV show outfit that you'd like to see recreated, send me an email with a clear photo, and I'll do my best!

Some of you have complained that many of the items to which I link are out of stock, especially in the Frugal Finds posts. And yeah, I know. It frustrates me, too. I usually write my posts a day or two in advance and then schedule them to go live. And sometimes, in between the time I write the post and the time the post deploys, the item is sold out. I've been trying to prevent this by writing only a day in advance, but sometimes, it happens anyway. If you're interested in an item that's sold out, shoot me an email and I'll try to find you a quality substitution.

The last two trends I saw in your feedback were actually polar opposites of each other. Several of you said that some of the items I post are too expensive (a $50 necklace, a $90 dress, etc.), but several others of you said that some of the items I post are too cheap and poorly made. Likewise, some of you said that I should post more accessible looks for everyday people, and others think I should post more high-fashion, cutting edge, and/or aspirational looks.

Unfortunately, I'm going to have to file this one under You Can't Please Everyone. I try to post all different types of products and looks, with the vast majority of them costing under $100. Sometimes, the quality may not be the best, sometimes, an item might be a bit more expensive than one would like. In general, it's impossible to find a catch-all solution that will make everyone happy. I hope that everyone who reads this blog can find at least a few items that will work for you, your budget, and your lifestyle.

So, that's it! If you have any additional feedback, feel free to leave it in the comments or shoot me an email if you'd rather it was private. I really, really appreciate everyone who took the time to fill out the survey and offer suggestions and feedback. You guys are seriously the best!

xo
Dana

Reader Survey Results, Part I

So many of you filled out my survey last week, and I got so much good data, that I decided to spend a couple of days sharing it with you!

I got some general data that is super-useful to me, but probably not that interesting to you, so let's skip to the fun stuff.

First, I asked you all which celebs you'd like to see more of on the blog. By a landslide, Olivia Palermo and Rachel Bilson tied for #1. 

Close behind were Blake Lively, Jessica Alba, Lauren Conrad, and Emma Watson. And rounding out the Top 10, which is actually a Top 17 because there were a lot of tied votes, are  Jennifer Aniston, Kate Middleton, Emma Stone, Reese Witherspoon, Zooey Deschanel, Miranda Kerr, Alexa Chung, Zoe Saldana, Diane Kruger, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Dianna Agron.

As far as the celebs you want to see less of, well, there was an overwhelming consensus there.

You all are decidedly anti-Kardashian. And that's fine, because so am I. With the exception of one post about Khloe (who, I think, everyone agrees is the most non-offensive Kardashian) and one Fashion Redemption post ripping on one of Kim's poor fashion decisions, this has been a Kardashian-free zone since early 2011. And I plan on keeping it that way! Those girls get enough visibility without me!

Several of you have requested to see less of Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan. Again, I'm with you. Paris hasn't been featured here in almost two years, and Lindsay hasn't been featured since January of 2011. 

There were a few other mini-trends among your answers. Some of you are tired of Angelina Jolie's boring, all-black outfits (I agree). Some of you wanted to see fewer teeny-boppers (i.e. Miley, Selena, the High School Musical Girls), but then again, some of you like them. A handful of you are over Kristen Stewart, but 

Other than that, it was hard to nail down the top hated celebs here. Almost each celebrity got at least one vote, but with the exception of those above, I didn't see any big trends.

Next, I asked you which other fashion blogs you read. And while there were hundreds of blogs listed, one stood out as the clear winner. Damn, do you ladies love Kendi Everyday! It seems like almost all of you read her.

Some of your other favorite blogs are The Budget Babe, College Fashion, Cupcakes & Cashmere, J's Everyday Fashion, Girl With Curves, Extra Petite, What I Wore,  Penny Pincher Fashion, The Pink Peonies,  and Putting Me Together.

Then, I asked you for your favorite places to shop for clothing, shoes and accessories. Your favorite place?

Target! Other favorites include Forever 21, Old Navy, H&M, the Gap, Banana Republic, Nordstrom, Marshalls, TJ Maxx, J. Crew, LOFT, and Anthropologie. Good choices!

And a ton of you are into thrift stores, vintage stores, consignment shops, and eBay for shopping, which I think is awesome.

So, that's it for part I of the reader survey results. Tomorrow, I'll address some of the suggestions that you made for the site!

The 2012 What the Frock? Reader Survey

If you have a couple of minutes, I'd really appreciate it if you'd take the time to fill out my latest reader survey. I'm always looking to improve What the Frock? and reader feedback is really important to me.

To sweeten the deal, I'll be giving away a $50 Amazon gift card to one random responder. Just fill out the survey by 11:59 pm EST on Wednesday, October 31st to enter. You can find the survey here.

Thanks!
Dana

Site Survey - Pretty Please

It's been about three months since I stopped blogging on Fashion Under $100 and have started up What the Frock?! I've already made a few changes to the site based on user feedback (less pop culture posts, more fashion posts) but would really like to hear your opinion.

Source

It's a short survey - just 10 questions, most of them multiple choice. I'd really appreciate it if you took a few minutes to contribute, because there would be no blog without you readers!

Click here for the survey.

And don't forget the contest to win a Philosophy Gift Set!