Are you influenced by product descriptions? Keywords in particular? - YouLookFab Forum

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Are you influenced by product descriptions? Keywords in particular?

Aziraphale

Veteran

I totally am. If it says "vintage" or "vintage-inspired" anywhere on the product description, I immediately perk up. I noticed it again today when I was looking at the "vintage revival" Fossil bags. I'm a total sucker.

I'm also a sucker for the keywords "military", "tomboy", "retro", "steampunk", "classic" and "timeless". The funny thing is, I don't know if any of those words describe how I actually dress.

Do you have hot-button keywords?

Shopping

31 replies

Latest reply was from

DonnaF

Veteran

Yeah, I would probably flip the page, real or virtual, if I saw *feminine* or *sweet*. I don't think that was always the case. Maybe after menopause I've gotten more masculine or at least crankier?

fern

Veteran

I think mine are the same as yours, Elisabeth.
Add "Edwardian".
But take out "lace" or "romantic" - those are my anti-keywords.

celia

Veteran

oh yeah, fossil has me every time with the 'what kind of vintage are you'
And when it comes to perfumes I tend to choose more by the name and description than from the smell(silly, I know)

Mo

(website)

Veteran

No, but I am a sucker for details like zippers and buckles and hardware, oh my!

catgirl

Veteran

I'm really done with the use of the word "obsessed"... If another magazine (or j. crew!) says "We're obsessed with this ......" I will scream. Same with luxe and handfeel.

Will have to think about what keywords do suck me in. MIlitary comes to mind, also rugged, rustic, and rocker (the three Rs?).

ElleH

Veteran

I've never paid attention to the affect fashion keywords have on me but I do know I don't trust advertising so if something did trigger a response I would still evaluate the item & not let the words influence my decision about it.

catgirl

Veteran

Oh, add "cropped" and "leather" to my good list.

Aziraphale

Veteran

Elle -- I do *try* not to let the words have an effect on me. I'm just acknowledging that sometimes, despite my careful attention to advertising ploys, they do.

Una -- "cropped" is on my anti-keyword list! Cropped anything looks goofy on me, unfortunately.

Mo

(website)

Veteran

Lol Una!

Keix

Veteran

"Quirky" always makes me take another look, in hope that it signifies a clever pattern mixing piece or surprising twist on a basic. I like just-a-little-out-there Anthropologie twists rather than J.Crew's modern classic kind of twist.

Although I try to resist the instinct, "classic" or "modern classic" as a standalone keyword (not accompanied by retro, feminine, etc.) leads my eyes to glaze over. It's a perfectly fine aesthetic but not usually to my taste. However, I do like to mix in a few classic pieces so I always keep a half-closed eye on places like Talbots and Land's End. I've found some surprisingly cute things there.

catgirl

Veteran

Elizabeth, I find that so puzzling, since I love cropped items and we've established that you and I are similar in build... Or am I just fooling myself that I look good in cropped items?

ElleH

Veteran

Elisabeth I hope I didn't offend. I wasn't implying you were easily influenced or anything. I was just thinking about why I perhaps never notice the keywords & thought it was perhaps due to me tuning out the advertising many years ago.

Gaylene

Veteran

The article "The" in front of an item was always my downfall, as in "The Capri Pant" or "The Striped Shirt". Somehow, it made me think, if I could only amass all the "THE's", I would have a fully functional wardrobe. Dumb, but, hey I'm as susceptible to clever marketing as the next person.

It took Angie and this forum to help me get over this obsession and realize that a functional wardrobe was about outfits that I felt good wearing rather than a collection of separate items.

Aziraphale

Veteran

Una -- there must be more factors at play, because I've seen you in cropped jackets and they look good on you (and I've seen lots of comments from others who think the same). What I mean is, while we definitely have some figure similarities, there must be some crucial differences too. All I know is that cropped tops tend to make me look shapeless and topheavy, but I'm not exactly sure why.

I could also be delusional. After all, I left the house last week wearing a dress-and-belt combination that made me resemble a rolling pin.

Elle -- oh my goodness no. You didn't offend. See, that's the trouble with writing. It's so difficult to convey tone! I'm sure I come off sharper than intended half the time, when in fact I am just trying to be concise (I'm trying to fight my tendency to ramble).

ironkurtin

Veteran

Hm, I like "sleek," "slim," "asymmetrical," and "fitted."

There are other words that are an instant turnoff, though. I don't mind "trend" but I loathe the word "trendy." (I'm probably alone in this.) Maybe it's an artifact of my valley girl days ("Omigod that's totally TARENDAY!") but it instantly raises my hackles.

Also, I loathe "wildly" - Lucky magazine really overuses this one - and the phrase "no?" tacked onto the end of a sentence. As in, "This color is wildly scrumptious, no?" *Vomit*

Aziraphale

Veteran

Oh dear. I'm positive I've used "no?" and "wildly" myself, on this forum, more than once.

Mamapicklejuice

Veteran

Gaylene - I could have written your post! "The" trench? I WANT IT! "The" little black dress? MINE MINE MINE "The" leather satchel? OMG, SEND IT TO ME NOW!!!

I'm hopeless.

MNsara

Veteran

Hey, I think I've been seduced by "THE __________" too!! Like it is better than the _________ I already own!

ElleH

Veteran

No worries Elisabeth you weren't sharp. It's just that I am often direct & you're correct about misinterpretation with the written word so I was worried that I might have offended.

I notice that people say that someone is a beautiful IT or a lovely rectangle & are so complimentary when they give their opinions & though my thoughts are never mean I'm not sure I remember to add in the niceties.

Marley

Veteran

Oh, this is just making me laugh! I am totally influenced by product descriptions or keywords. You should have seen me a few years ago when I was trying to pick out paint colors for our house. The name of the color was the deciding factor. I just knew that I would not like 'desert sand' near as well as I would like 'sand dunes." I drove myself CRAZY!

Oh wait - we're talking about fashion aren't we? Ok - here's a few words that make me do a double-take on an item: edgy, distressed, vintage, unique, artistic, sculptural.

And those that send me running in the opposite direction? Feminine, Romantic, Flirty, Classic, Tailored (not sure why, because I like a lot of tailored items!), and Sexy (although I did fall hard for the Gap Sexy Boyfriend!)

Aziraphale

Veteran

Hee hee Marley, you're too cute. Yep, the word "romantic" puts me right off, too. You and Fern and I can run in the opposite direction together.

I know what you mean about colour descriptions. For example "butterscotch" just sounds so much better than "mustard", doesn't it? I once painted my living room with the colour "warm sand", but what it really should have said was "loose stool", because that's what it looked like.

Marley

Veteran

OMG Elizabeth - good thing I didn't take a drink of water (or wine) while I was reading your last comment - cuz I would have spit it all over my computer laughing about your "loose stools" living room walls!

ElleH

Veteran

Hahahaha loose stools

Vildy

Veteran

"The." Brilliant! Appeals to my super-pragmatic side. I'll get that squared away and move on. I'm always intrigued by "relaxed." I am not a relaxed person and don't even know how to relax nor do I crave to. So it's mysterious to me and I will stare at the relaxed garment. I don't wear relaxed clothing, either. All that flapping about is anti-functional to me. Though if they called the same thing "breezy" I would be turning myself inside out trying to figure out how to pull it off. If they say "on the go," I'm there. I'm captivated by any catalog or fashion pic that shows the woman striding. That's visual language but there you are. "Romantic" appeals to me, I'm all about romantic. But my own idea of romantic has nothing to do with drippy, droopy, wilting, fragile. Soldiers of Fortune are Romantic! I don't see any ruffles in my mind.
ETA: unless maybe they're raggedy and torn like a pirate's.

ramya

Veteran

Elizabeth "warm sand" comment was just awesome!!!!

Aziraphale

Veteran

he he yeah I sure painted over it in a hurry. Talk about an error in judgment.

catgirl

Veteran

The Hammacher Schlemmer catalog also uses those "ultimate" terms - "The Portable Nose Hair Trimmer", "The Computer Chair That Serves You Dinner", "The Bed That Makes Itself". I love all the things in there I never knew I needed.

Freckles

Veteran

Marley I'm so with you there on paint colours. Buttered rum is over the whole house and the accent livingroom walls, etc was under discussion. I thought I was looking for a terra cotta and was holding up two different paint chips for hubby. I told him which one I liked, he took them, looked at the names and started to laugh. The one I liked was called Grand Canyon, my favourite place in the whole world. I hadn't looked at the name but hubby made it the deciding vote.

For fashion not so sure. Colour names yes and fabrics. Anything with wool I has got to be seen, especially crepe.

Transcona Shannon

Veteran

If I see the words "vintage" or "retro inspired", I start to drool.

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