So the other night in our group chat, we were discussing some free places for new residents to go to pick up some starter items. The Gnubie Store was really top of our list, and most of us head out there once a month or so to see if anything new has been added. Gnubie's has nice free/$1L items from great designers like Four Yip, Truth Hawks, Emma Gilmour, and many others. And most of the items are decently current, or at least pretty good quality. Naturally there is some junk, but not much. And the store itself is fairly easy to navigate, which is a huge plus.
But we started talking about The Free Dove, which should be considered an SL Historical Site at this point. The main thing we said, however, was that most of the freebies at The Free Dove are...well...OLD.
I got up and headed out there, looked around and inspected some boxes, and came home with this outfit.
Isn't it awesome? Doesn't it make you want to learn more about SL fashion? Those seams! Those hems!
The truth? It's from 2005. At least, that's what the box that it was in said. 2005!!!!
Surprisingly, the store that this came from is still open in SL. I went out there and although I wouldn't say the clothes are great quality, it's obvious the designer has improved since 2005. And as I looked around Free Dove, it was the same. Some respected names, but the gifts they have out are their very first works. And honestly, if I were new and The Free Dove was the first place I went, I don't know that I'd ever seek out the designers' stores later to shop because I would assume that the items were the same.
So the question is... Do designers just "set it and forget it?" Did they forget that they had a gift out there? I know they have to pay to have a gift there, which makes me think that they'd want to put something that is more representative of their work out on display. If they go to switch out the gift, do they have to pay again or something?
I am happy that there are places like The Free Dove and The Gnubie Store, I really am. They are much better places than some freebie island with all the stolen and Business In A Box mess items. But c'mon...if you have a gift out at The Free Dove, make sure it's something that represents you well. Don't leave some 2005 mess out there. That doesn't do you, or the residents who use freebies to learn about fashion in SL, any good at all.
5 comments:
Reasonable Desires has an outfit there. It's a basic version of our school girl costume, which is one of our best-selling outfits. I believe that, since the clothing is well-made, it represents us well. We also keep track of who pulls the freebie from The Free Dove and invite them to our group (which gives out 2 freebies per month) and keeps them apprised of the new releases.
I'm not sure if our outfit is one of the freebies you picked up, but if so, I'd love your feedback on it. Feel free to contact me in-world or on Plurk.
Thanks,
Is
Many of the freebies at Free Dove will give the new residents a definition that freebies = junk, after they become more familiar with quality. Even when freebies are good ones I still can't lose the stigma of my early days. Luckily there are exceptions, like Isabeau. :)
Found this through NWN. Linked your post from mine here.
Ali, where are your shoes from? LOL
I think by now I've thrown out every single thing I ever got from Free Dove. It was one of the first places I hit in the early days, but you're right, the quality is just terrible in light of what's available on the grid today.
Whenever I am asked by newbies for freebie locations, I tend to point them in the direction of the Gnubie Store... or even to designers who have gifts. Most men's designers have some form of free gift in store and they're usually just as high quality as all their items.
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