Jewelry brands that are looking to grow their customer base should consider Facebook advertising. The social media platform has billions of users, which gives jewelry companies a huge potential clientele base and the opportunity for success they need in order to reach new heights with marketing campaigns through these channels; however it also means there’s intense competition out on these platforms so you must have strong branding yourself if you want succeed!

When done correctly-as Jewelry Brand Consulting says specifically about using facebook advertising -it can drive sales effectively by targeting specific demographics at just what time period or moments during day/weekends where those interested may be browsing online shops.

alright i have an imagine scenario right now:

you're an employee at a jewelry company, nowhere near rich enough to buy the products you market. you're at your company's flagship store for the launch of its new jewelry line, and you've got none other than famous model choi yeonjun as its brand ambassador. he arrives with his hair slicked back, wearing a pristine white suit and sporting a few key pieces from the line; though he gives the cameras his best smoldering looks, you aren't particularly impressed. you've met enough rich assholes at your job to last you a lifetime, and yeonjun doesn't seem much different. you watch him pose for the photographers and chat with other guests for a few moments, but shift your mind back to work.

he talks to you exactly once, to ask where the bathroom is. at least he was polite to you, unlike a lot of the VIPs you've met.

the next day is a weekend and you spent it at the plant market, looking at freshly potted flowers about to bloom and seedlings of vegetables ready to be cared for. you might not be able to afford the fancy necklaces and rings that you sell, but at least you have the luxury of growing your own veggies and flowers in your tiny apartment balcony.

you were not expecting it to rain that day, but it does. it's a downpour crashing down from the sky, and though you consider running for it, you're also weighed down by two bags of plants in both hands. so you stand under one of the market tents next to a row of tomato plants, waiting for the rain to stop. it doesn't.

just then you feel a tap on your shoulder and turn to see a young man in a hoodie and cap, sunglasses perched on top of his head. he's carrying an oversized umbrella, large enough for two. "um, hi, excuse me," he says, stumbling over his words, "you were the employee at the jewelry store yesterday, right? do you want help? we can share my umbrella..." he glances down at your bags of plants, then back at you.

it takes a while for you to recognize him until it hits you: choi yeonjun. three things run through your mind at once: first, you're impressed that he managed to remember you when all you did was tell him where the bathroom is. second, you feel a pang of shame for assuming he's a rich asshole when he's making such a kind offer to you. and third, even in a worn-out black hoodie, he's still ridiculously handsome.

you step into the umbrella with him; you feel his fingers brush against yours as he takes one of your bags to carry. "thank you," you tell him. he smiles at you and butterflies erupt in your stomach.

it doesn't feel so bad to be wrong about him this time.

Where they like to shop-LOTR

Frodo- the bookstore obviously. He especially likes to support indie bookstores but if need be he will resort to Barnes and Noble. Always tells himself he will only get one book and walks out with ten (he always gets at least one for Sam) He likes artisan markets and boutiques and loves a vintage fashion store. He also can spend several hours in any yarn store.

Sam- the nursery! He goes through the entire store and every greenhouse very thoroughly. Usually comes out with a dozen new plants. Similarly enjoys the hardware store. Always has some landscaping project going on. Loves a good open air food market or little family run delis. Loves a good spice selection. Cannot go into a cookware store without buying something.

Merry- Merry of course loves the weed store. He also likes to shop for fancy wine. I get the sense that he would like shopping for nice suits too. He’s got a good sense of style. Loves to go to touristy shops and get the weirdest thing there. He does collect city mugs. He also collects the weird paintings at Goodwill which he will hang up in his parents house without telling them.

Pippin- Pippin is kind of an impulse buyer. Pretty much any store he enters he will buy something in. He spends way too much money at Target (“they have everything Merry!”). Is big on seasonal decorations and will always buy like the giant Halloween things that jump out at you and massive amounts of Christmas lights. Also has an absurd amount of ugly Christmas sweaters.

Gandalf- like Merry does spend quite a bit at the dispensary. Likes a good woodworking shop. Likes to buy unique carved pipes. And of course spends over a thousand dollars at the fireworks stand.

Aragorn- his main shopping destination is the feed store. Buys all kinds of shit for his horse. Is a loyal REI customer. He always buys the really good quality stuff for backcountry camping. He knows more than the employees there about what is a good brand to get and will happily assist other customers who assume he works there. He also likes to go shopping for Arwen and will usually get her some beautiful piece of jewelry or a really really nice handknit sweater.

Gimli- man loves the hardware store, loves his power tools. Likes to hang out in the lumber yard much to Legolas’s distress. Comes home with a bunch of rocks and woods that he builds stuff with. Also likes to jewelry shop and admire all the nice gemstones- he has an excellent eye and will often go with Aragorn when he is shopping for Arwen. He likes handcrafted stuff from wood, stone, and ceramic and likes to support local artists. Always on the lookout for a good bargain at the hardware store but willing to dish out quite a lot for something unique and handmade. Knows good craftsmanship when he sees it and likes to support other craftspeople.

Legolas- accompanies Gimli and Aragorn to the jewelry store and always manages to convince Gimli to get him something despite having plenty of his own money. Loves the plant store and samples all the edible and some non edible plants. He can legitimately spend a couple of hours at the wine store. Will go to fancy wine tasting events with Gimli. Fashionista man will happily spend an afternoon walking through the high fashion district where all the attendants know him. Similarly an expert Sephora shopper.

Boromir- like Gimli loves the hardware store they run into each other there and end up chatting for like an hour. Loves a good appliance store. Chats with the Best Buy people while picking out a new fridge. Is very particular about getting good quality shoes so he goes to like really nice shoe stores. Absolutely loves a furniture store-will always be on the lookout for a good sale there.

Bilbo- antique store expert! Wanders around until he sees something he likes. Buys a lot of nice antique furniture. An expert clothes shopper-he usually takes Frodo with him who doesn’t mind cause Bilbo pays. Bilbo will exclusively go to second hand bookshops and buy the super rare things behind the locked glass. Also likes to go look for nice rugs, blankets, and linens. Does love the cooking store and usually offers to pay for Sam there (Sam always declined when he worked for Bilbo but once he and Frodo got married he let Bilbo buy him stuff).

Eowyn- shopping for weapons. This woman has a massive sword collection its honestly kind of scary. Also likes the hardware store and the home improvement. Generally she’s not really a big shopper - she really only buys something unless she needs it or as a present for someone else.

Faramir- Faramir loves the pet store. Totally an animal person and has like four cats and two dogs and like a couple guinea pigs and maybe a turtle. Buys so many pet accessories. Eowyn thinks it is cute but ridiculous. She has to remind Faramir that no they do not have room for any more animals-yes not even that gecko- every time they go into the pet store.

Arwen- loves going high end fashion shopping with Legolas. Is really into nice fabrics and weaves so likes to shop for things like fancy tablecloths. Loves a good shoe store. Also a big fan of hat shops. Gondor is a lot brighter than Rivendell so she wears lots of hats to keep her eyes shaded. Starts quite a few fashion trends this way. She also likes to shop for art-especially paintings and statues. She often attends art gallery events and almost always buys something that will be priceless in a few years-she has the money she’s a queen!

Ch. 1 - Illusion of Excellence

Kurogami University, an elite institution nestled within the heart of Japan, exuded an aura of prestige and grandeur. Its meticulously landscaped gardens, adorned with vibrant cherry blossoms and modern architecture, painted a picture of academic brilliance and success. For you, a young and ambitious student, this was a dream come true.Usually, only those of privilege were the ones who even had a chance of tasting the possibility. 

You weren’t much different in that aspect. One of your aunts was a bank CEO. She made a generous donation to help get you in, along with your decent grades and recommendations.

As you stepped foot onto the campus grounds, you could feel  the excitement in your veins. Tales of Kurogami’s excellence had reached far and wide and were not lost on you. From its distinguished faculty, diverse educational programs, to their endless opportunities. To you, attending this prestigious university meant a chance to escape your more humble background and begin to make your mark on your desired industry.

First things first, you need to drop your stuff off at your dorm. Like most people, you tried to keep your luggage to one or two bags, as extra personnel were prohibited from entering campus grounds without prior authorization. Besides, there were several stores and markets within a short distance from the campus. So, it wouldn’t have been too inconvenient to make new purchases for your needs. 

As you carried your duffle bag across the courtyard, you noticed some of the uniformed figures with blue arm bands, seemingly directioning people. One of them must know where your dorm was. What was it again? Oh yeah! That one.

Approaching someone, you waved your hands towards them. “Excuse me, I’m looking for-”

They interrupted you without hesitation after giving you a quick glance up and down, “Freshmen are supposed to head to the main auditorium for assignments. Please follow the signs.”

“Huh? But I already know my-”

“Please follow the sign to the main auditorium for freshmen assignments”, they repeated, projecting their voice more. You could tell they were trying to tell any freshmen in the vicinity, but it felt like they were just yelling in your face.

Looking towards the similarly dressed figures, you saw their actions mirrored the one in front of you. With a sigh, you looked around and followed the cutely decorated signs. It had cute origami flowers and butterflies lining it, accented with painted petals along the writing. 

Following along, you started feeling the weight of your baggage weighing on your shoulder. You take a minute to drop your bag and massage your shoulder. Why did the hallway feel so endlessly? How did you fail to realize how large the facilities actually were?

Finally, you heard the loud chattering of young adults. You hurried along, worried about missing anything. Your also casually dressed peers didn’t hide their status, even in mundane outfits. You saw name brand shoes, suitcases, a noticeable shine from jewelry. Should you have done the same? You assumed you would get your uniforms early on and didn’t particularly care about your outfit’s first impression. 

Others didn’t seem to pay much mind at the moment, so busy conversing among themselves while others were also busy trying to catch their breaths. Making your way into the room, the doors quickly closed behind you. The shudders fell on the upper windows and a spotlight shone on a woman.

She was pristinely dressed, a white hidden-button down shirt, deep navy pleated pants, finished off with a match navy blazer that hung on her shoulders. Her wavy blonde hair was tied in a lazy low ponytail she let rest on her shoulder. From your place at the far door, it was a bit difficult to see everything clearly, even if you had 20/20 vision. Moving across the stage from the far left, she was followed by the light to the podium, clearing her throat in the mic.

“Good afternoon, freshmen”, all you could hear was her trained professionalism, “I’m going to keep this short since I’m sure you’d all like to rest and get used to your surroundings. You are not here for your dorm assignments.”

You could already hear a few soft groans from those that wished to rest immediately but you heard her give an amused hum as a response before continuing.

“You are here for your rank assignments.”

Huh? Ranks?

“You have been sorted in different dorms based on your chosen majors. Heartavica for fine and liberal arts. Spadela for mathematics and sciences. Clovire for athletics and manual trades. And Diamonganto for business and law. Should you choose to change majors, you will be moved into the proper dorm building. However…”

Her amused tone morphed into something dark and more sadistic. Even if you didn’t make eye contact with her, you felt her eyes send a chill up your spine. 

“You are permitted to change majors only twice. And only in your first two years here. After that, all major changes will not be accepted.”

“Seriously?”

“Isn’t that a bit harsh? I’m still a freshman.”

“But isn’t the payoff kind of worth it?”

You couldn’t help but agree with some of them. You were already starting college. What’s with the extra pressure? Though, could you say you’re that surprised? While applying, you couldn’t apply as undecided. You just went with what you felt like you could do best and make money. You just hoped you made the right decision.

The woman leaned forwards, “However, rest assured that we will provide the resources you require to succeed. Now then…”

You will be ranked based on a card deck. Ranks are Aces, Faces, and Numbers. As you leave, you will receive your school provided phone.Log in to your school, register it as yours. The same setup as always. You will receive your rank and dorm number in an email. Any questions can be asked to your dorm heads or a faculty member.”

You’re all dismissed. Get comfortable and rest well.” Then she turned to leave, back the way she came. The shades rolled up the windows. 

That was…quite the first introduction.

You expected the university to be a bit strange, due to some rumors. But you wanted to dismiss them for being just conjecture and idle gossip. 

Taking a deep breath, you turned around when you heard the doors open. You were one of, if not the, first to get your phone. While you were still processing the sudden info drop, you still felt both nervousness and excitement surge through you as you logged in and registered.

You didn’t entirely understand yet, but you could sense the weight of the rank system before officially knowing your own part in it.

You took some deep breaths before tightening your grip on your phone. No. You had to calm down. If you could put off knowing for a little longer, you might’ve. But you had to look now to know your dorm. After looking at the email, you saw your dorm and rank were-

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Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. There. I took twisted wonderland inspiration, mixed in some Classroom of the Elite and Kakegurui, yeet it in the oven, set the kitchen on fire, and this is whatever was left over after the fire department left.

I don’t know, man. I’m kind of proud of how it turned out, but I don’t have any real confidence in it. I’m open to any constructive criticism or feedback.

Ethical Alternatives to Dolls Kill

While Dolls Kill offers kawaii, punk, goth, and streetwear fashions, they’re an unethical fast fashion company that has been accused of stealing designs from small creators. They’ve also been accused of promoting rape and racism (implying that only white people can be goth, selling a Native American headdress as a costume, and supporting police during the Black Lives Matter movement) and having a lack of transparency in how they reduce their impact on people, animals, and the environment. With this in mind, here are some of my favorite alternatives I found (you can tap on the titles to access the sites)

LOUDBODIES

This Romania-based retailer offers sizes from XXS-10XL, and you can even make a custom order for free if you'd like! Many of their pieces are pricey, but they do offer an affordable line of fashion. Their values include sustainable and recycled materials, made-to-order clothing, low waste production, OEKO-TEX certified fabrics, carbon neutral shipping, body-inclusive models (see above) and locally-made clothing. They also offer worldwide shipping.

NOCTEX

NOCTEX is great for dark, goth, edgy fashion. They’re based in Canada and ship internationally. Available sizes only include XS-XL, but this retailer uses reclaimed and deadstock materials, and also have low-waste production. They offer many items including tops, dresses, pants, skirts, footwear, and accessories like bags, makeup, and jewelry, so there’s a lot to choose from!

Uye Surana

For lingerie lovers, this is the place! While they’re based in New York, their clothing is ethically made in Columbia, with cute designs that come in sizes XS-5XL, so it’s quite inclusive! Items include bralettes, undies, stockings, camis, and garter belts, so go on and be adorably sexy, my loves.

KILLSTAR

Despite being introduced by Dolls Kill, the UK brand Killstar is actually more ethical. In fact, they’ve cut their ties with the brand over the owner’s support of police during the BLM movement. They’ve donated to charities that promote ending racism (whereas Dolls Kill promoted racism to an extent) and they also promote individuality. They offer sizes XS-4XL (from what I’ve found) and they even have men’s clothing!

Broken Promises

Another brand that left Dolls Kill, Broken Promises is based in California. Offering sizes XS-3XL, this brand offers clothing that caters to skate culture for all genders. Their clothes are also sold at Zumiez, so if you don’t want to shop online and you would prefer to go to the mall, you’ll probably find them there!

Disturbia

And another UK gothic brand that was promoted by Dolls Kill, this family-owned business has been going strong since 2003. Their website claims that sustainability is “a core value in [their] ethos”, and their goal is to create fashion that doesn’t harm the environment. They’re committed to recycling and reducing their carbon footprint, and all of their leather is false or recycled to reduce animal cruelty. They have a fully traceable supply chain with manufacturers in the UK, China, Portugal, Turkey, and Morocco, all with safe production facilities. Rest assured, your money will be going to a great place.

Cyberdog

Ravers, this one is for you. Catering to clubbers and DJs since 1994, Cyberdog offers neon and dark streetwear. They’re based in London, and their flagship store is located in Camden Market, so anyone who lives around the area (or would like to visit) can see these rad designs in person! (P.S: A huge downside is that they only offer sizes S-L, so this brand has the smallest size range on here)

Gothic Lamb

“The home for melanated misfits”, as their designer calls it, is black-owned and offers sizes from S-5XL, making this brand one of the more inclusive ones on this list. The owner, who calls herself Lucy, founded Gothic Lamb in the summer of 2016. She was inspired by brands like Killstar and Disturbia, however, she found that there was a lack of representation at the time, as she felt that none of the models looked like her, so she decided to create her own. While there is a small collection, it’s still a great collection and it’s a great place to purchase from if you like supporting black-owned businesses.

publicspace

A vaporwave-streetwear brand based in Los Angeles, CA, they support and collaborate with artists to create their designs (hence why they’re named publicspace). Though they have a small collection, their size range is XS-3XL, so it’s mostly inclusive.

Shop secondhand

You can also shop on Etsy to purchase from independent designers. A much cheaper option would be to shop secondhand. Sites like Poshmark and Depop are great for shopping secondhand, especially if you want to buy from fast fashion brands like H&M and Shein without giving them your money. Alternatively, you can go to your local thrift shop (do not shop at the Salvation Army, they are aggressively Christian, homophobic and transphobic) or consignment store. You can give your unwanted clothes and other items to these places (consignment stores will give you a certain percentage of their price for the item) to help people and need.

In conclusion, please do not buy from unethical fast fashion retailers and consider shopping ethically, whether it be for new or used clothes.

ᴛʜᴇ ᴀʀʀᴀɴɢᴇᴍᴇɴᴛ

ᴄᴏɴᴛᴇɴᴛ + ᴡᴀʀɴɪɴɢꜱ:ᴀɢᴇᴅ ᴜᴘ, ꜱᴇxᴜᴀʟ ꜱᴛᴜꜰꜰ.

ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀꜱ: ᴍɪᴅᴏʀɪᴍᴀ ꜱʜɪɴᴛᴀʀᴏ, ᴀᴏᴍɪɴᴇ ᴅᴀɪᴋɪ, (ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴄᴏᴍᴇ ʟᴏʟ)

ꜱᴜᴍᴍᴀʀʏ: ꜱʜɪɴᴛᴀʀᴏ ᴀɴᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ʜᴀᴅ ᴀ ᴠᴇʀʏ ʀᴏᴄᴋʏ ᴍᴀʀʀɪᴀɢᴇ, ʙᴜᴛ ᴊᴜꜱᴛ ᴡʜᴇɴ ᴛʜɪɴɢꜱ ꜱᴇᴇᴍ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ɢᴇᴛᴛɪɴɢ ʙᴀᴄᴋ ᴏɴ ᴛʀᴀᴄᴋ, ʜᴇ ᴘʀᴏᴘᴏꜱᴇꜱ ᴀɴ ᴀʀʀᴀɴɢᴇᴍᴇɴᴛ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ ᴍᴀᴋᴇ ᴏʀ ʙʀᴇᴀᴋ ʏᴏᴜʀ ʟɪꜰᴇ.

[AN: my uni just started to updates might be slow. the beginning is a little show because i just want the plot laid out. thank you so much for all the support on this! i didn't think this would get that much traction but it makes me so happy!]

ᴘᴀʀᴛ ᴏɴᴇ | ᴘᴀʀᴛ ᴛᴡᴏ | ᴘᴀʀᴛ ᴛʜʀᴇᴇ

≿━━━━━━━━༺❀༻━━━━━━━━≾

Shintaro watched you as you sat in front of the vanity mirror, the lights along the mirror illuminating your face as you gently rubbed in the moisturizer on your face. Your hand reached over to close the lid of the moisturizer jar, gliding past the products in front of it as if they had never existed. He hated that. Every time you reached past the plethora of makeup products displayed on the vanity table, he felt a punch in his gut. He had spent hundreds, even thousands, to get you the most high-end makeup. Gucci, Dior, Chanel. Every luxury brand that existed on the market, yet you reached over for a generic drug store tube of lipstick each time. You wore the plain nude shade, barely visible on your lips. Despite the many vibrant, bright and dark colours in front of you, your hand always made its way to the nude shade. He had suggested and even begged you to wear more - a little mascara or eye shadow - but you refused. Every time it was the same lipstick—no matter where you were going. Just like your choice in colours, Shintaro began to find you… boring. Dull. Plain. Uninteresting. He hated it, and in a way, hated you—your simplicity. You never wore the racy lingerie he got you - aside from special occasions, but even those had become rare. Life with you had started to become a chore: the same routine, the same conversations - you'd ask about his day, ask what tea he would like to drink, ask about coworkers - it was like being trapped in a loop. Because of your simplicity, it was easy to notice every detail about you - if you switched to a new perfume, shampoo, and clothes. So when he saw the one vibrant red lipstick tube out of its usual place, he immediately knew what was happening. He cleared his throat as he tightened his tie, fixing his suit in the floor-length mirror. The joint walk-in closet was pretty spacious, with enough room for your vanity table and enough space for him to get ready. It was your idea to have that. You had said that it brought you closer, that it was a very intimate gesture to get in front of each other. "You finally wore that Dior lipstick, huh?" He spoke up, not looking away from the mirror. "Yes. It's a lovely colour." Shintaro was taken aback. He didn't expect you to reply so quickly - actually, he didn't expect you to reply at all. He turned towards you. You had your jewelry box open and were going through it, trying to find a pair of earrings. The event was black-tie, so he assumed you would wear the pearl earring his mother had gotten you - making him confused as to why you were going through the jewelry box since you kept the pearl earrings on the ceramic tray by your perfumes. He inhaled. He knew why the lipstick was out of place - a reason that made his stomach uneasy - but he couldn't muster up the courage to say it, to hear those words come out of his mouth. "Have you seen my Swarovski set? The one with the necklace-" "Who is he?" Shintaro asked, turning towards you. You didn't turn around, staring at his reflection in the mirror in front of you. You stared into his green eyes, seeing rage beginning to frost his vision. You took a deep breath and looked down at the jewelry box, keeping your composure. "I thought you we weren't gonna tell," You replied as you closed the jewelry box, getting up from the chair and walking to one of the closest to your right. "I remember you explicitly laying out rules about this," You opened the closet door and began to push back the few boxes on the shelf in the closet. You paused to pull out a velvety box from the back, smiling before turning around and walking to the vanity. "Or does that only apply to you and the coworkers you fuck?" You asked as you opened the box. Shintaro took in a deep breath. He turned around and began to fidget with his cuffs, looking at his reflection and trying to regulate his breathing. "Is she going to be there?"

"y/n-" "Is she?" "What's gotten into you?!"

It took a moment for Shintaro to realize that he had raised his voice. He turned to you, face feeling flushed and heart thumping in his chest. Your eyes hadn't left the mirror, watching as you put in the stud for the earrings. 

"Uber back," You said as you closed the purple box in front of you. "I'm taking the car." 

~

There were only three rules to your arrangement. 

Not with anyone you know. Not in the house. Not revealing anything. You figured Shintaro made those rules under the guise that you wouldn't participate - how could you, a doting wife like you, participate in such an act? - or at least, the version of you that Shintaro liked thought that. 

You wanted to have hope that by the end of the arrangement, you would be back to normal, putting this whole thing behind and moving on - but the more it went on, the more that vision faded. 

None of you had followed the rules. You could smell Mei around the house, thankful that Shintaro had the decency not to fuck his mistress on your bed. You weren't a saint either, fucking your husband's friends on the kitchen counter before going and sleeping next to your husband as if nothing happened. The only rule yet to be broken was the last one—not telling each other anything. But what was the point when you knew that your husband was fucking his younger coworker on the same couches he sat down and had tea with you on? 

You'd had enough. 

You had Daiki's number from the times he'd babysat Kota. Too nervous to call, you sent a text. 

'r u free tonight?'

Immediately you got a reply.

 'i'm free after 6.'

'come to my place at 6:30. shintaro is out for a meeting.' 

Do you mind sharing some of those shops, so our pals can dress their ocs without risking cultural appropiation for the new twst event? Thanks and if you don't want to, it's fine 🤝

Hi, thanks for the ask! First off I would like to clarify that I am local but not native, meaning I grew up in Hawaii but am not indigenous Hawaiian, so I can answer this but not as any kind of major authority on Hawaiian appropriation. Just to be transparent about your source here. (Also keep in mind I grew up on one single island, and the culture varies somewhat from island to island)

I can list some shops, but if you're worried about appropriation it's important to know that you'll find the most offensive and appropriative stuff in tourist shops, so I'm gonna start with a short list of things you'll find and should avoid first:

•Tiki shit. -These are actually an important Hawaiian tradition tied into the religion that has been exploited all to shit. There's still some casual or ironic use of tiki aesthetics by locals, but it's better as a visitor to just not. (There's a kinda Okay and Not Okay division of this, and you can tell by context and artstyle and shit, but I don't know how to reliably describe it)

•Hula paraphernalia. -Coconut bras are a costume, they've never been a real Hawaiian thing, they're literally just some bullshit aesthetic made up by and for haoles. Grass skirts are very occasionally used in hula, but not even a common material for hula skirts in the first place. But also, hula is a very important aspect of Hawaiian culture that should not be used as a costume in any form anyway. This includes haku leis (different from the classic flower lei, flower leis are ok), and any hula instruments (Ipu gourds and basically anything with red and/or yellow feathers, for a start). (Also, jokingly 'doing the hula'? Obnoxious.)

•Traditional Hawaiian tattoo art. -First off this is different from other ancient Hawaiian art (which can be its own gray area, but less dicey), traditional tattoos are very deeply important and have specific meanings, often related to ancestry and aumakua (think like, ancestral spirit animals). There is a lot of nuance here, and there is some stuff stylized off of traditional art that's widely sold, but again it's a nuance that I cannot easily convey and it's safer to just not do it.

•Hawaiian warrior paraphernalia. -If you ever go to Hawaii, you'll see a lot of charms and necklaces and graphic prints of Hawaiian warrior helmets, Hawaiian warriors, and boar tusk charms, Just Don't with these.

Also, special note on Luau: Tourist "luaus" are a very common attraction, and a likely event for tourists to go to. They are also immensely exploitative, white-owned, and culturally insensitive.

Anyway, clothing: It's good to remember that Hawaii is a US state, and we actually have a lot of the same brands and stores as the mainland united states (though living in the mainland, I've come to realize that the stuff we have is mostly west coast brands/companies) and we mostly wear a lot of common american clothing. So your OC would have access to a lot of common american clothes + aloha wear. The easiest way to avoid looking like a dick is really for the OC to mostly wear stuff familiar to them but suitable for very humid weather in the 75-95°f range, and whatever kind of beachwear they'd prefer. As you can see with the twst boys, they're actually mostly wearing beachwear or chino pants (which are a typical tourist choice, not a local style) and aloha shirts (a style developed in Hawaii through a mix of cultural influence and immediately marketed to the mainland by the creators, so not sacred and totally okay to wear), accented with straw hats, flowers, and a lot of beaded jewelry commonly sold but not culturally significant.

[Casual clothing]

We mostly wear shit like jeans/shorts/boardshorts and tshirts/tanktops/hoodies depending on the weather. It's common in Hawaii to wear beach clothes all over the place, like boardshorts and bathing suit tops/shirtless outside, and throwing on a tank top or tshirt indoors or more public areas like the mall. And most footwear is slippers (flipflops), closed shoes are worn but not as common for casual day to day. In general locals just, aren't as weird about exposed skin and the existence of feet as a lot of westers cultures? Like bare feet and sandals are normal, short shorts/crop tops/bikinis/shirtless guys aren't something to ogle at, they're just everywhere. Same with tattoos.

Some common local brands/local favorites: -Maui Built -Hurly -Quicksilver/Roxy -Local Motion -Billabong -Skate brands like Zumies are also pretty popular -American Eagle is really popular specifically with gay guys and christian girls, do with that info what you will

-You'll find a lot of popular tourist stuff like straw hats, souvenir beach towels, souvenir jewelry, and aloha print accessories at places like ross and walmart, as well as tourist centric shops like abc stores and whaler's village. With the exception of the problematic shit I listed, these things are typically inoffensive, but can be tacky. Basically you would be immediately clocked as a tourist, but you're not doing harm.

-Aloha shirts are sold in most clothing shops, and come in various levels of quality and formality. Higher end aloha shirts come in silk or imitation fabrics, relatively thick woven, are well fitted, and usually have less loud patterns (think Azul's shirt), and can be considered formal or business wear. These are something that would be appropriate in any office, weddings, fancy dinners, shit like that. More causal aloha shirts tend to be boxier cut and lighter fabrics like cotton, they have louder patterns and are often worn untucked or open over a tanktop/tshirt/bare chest (like Jack, Ace, Lilia and Floyd).

-Floral print dresses in light fabrics and various styles are really common for women, and often worn by tourists. These are usually longer, like at or past the knee but not floor length. The top worn by Riddle and the way it's styled is a woman's fashion mostly worn by tourists and haole women who moved to the islands. I can't remember seeing any local girls wearing these, but that doesn't mean it doesn't happen.

[Accessories]

-Hats: Straw hats are usually worn by tourists, though some locals will wear them too (usually women at the beach, most men I've met will wear them ironically if they do at all. But ironic/satirical fashion choices are very common and get incorporated into outfits all the time). Women's hats are round with wide flat brims (Lilia, Riddle), mens are usually more fedora shaped (Ace). Floyd's looks like it's a pork pie panama hat, which is one of the most expensive hats you'll find, and referential to old timey gangsters, especially with the white shorts and aloha shirt combo. (I used to work in a hat shop sorry). Anyway most locals will wear flat brim baseball caps made of thick cotton with no mesh. Some people wear the curved brim mesh ones, but they're usually older people or white.

-Jewelry: This varies a lot, there's a few really common things that you see all the time, and the rest is usually combinations of Japanese and American fashions incorporated to individual tastes. Tourists almost never wear local jewelry styles and most jewelry worn there is a mix of modern Japanese and American styles that vary widely by individual preference. Tourist jewelry tends to be high end gold and silver stuff with Hawaiian themed motifs like sea creatures (turtles and whale tails being the most popular, then tropical fish, sharks, and octopus), tropical plants (hibiscus, plumeria, monstera leaf, bird of paradise), pearls (especially Tahitian black pearls), and mother of pearl or abalone pendants/earrings. And on the cheaper end there's the kind of wood bead and simple cord + charm bracelets (Jack) and shells or shaped clay beads (Riddle, Lilia), simple cord necklaces with shark teeth or metal charms (surfboards, sea animals, the like) and sometimes clay or steel beads, cheaper pearl necklaces, and toe rings. Things to avoid would be any motifs with warrior helmets, gourds/feathers, tribal print, and tikis. Bone or steel fish hook pendants are very popular with local men, and I personally find it weird to see on tourists because it feels very much cultural, but I haven't actually heard complaints on it, so I'd love it if anyone else wants to weigh in

-Side note on Ace just because I find it interesting: His braided leather belts and bracelets are actually referential to a popular style up the mountains that comes from the Paniolos, Hawaiian cowboys originating from Spanish influence who predated the cowboys of the classic American West! It started out as simple Spanish style plaited leather belts, then spiked in popularity in the 70's as part of a western clothing trend that still remains in fashion leather goods today. Hawaii still has some cattle ranches and historic cowboy towns with the original storefronts and everything.

-Pareos/sarongs are popular bathing suit accessories and I haven't heard anything about it being an issue. Again, avoid the problematic motifs listed earlier to be on the safe side.

-Sunglasses are a free for all, I buy all mine at ross but the popular brands I mentioned usually have their own lines. I see thick black brims (think oakleys) most often with locals, aviators are less popular. Oakley and Ray Ban are probably the most popular high end brands for locals?

-Footwear: As I mentioned earlier, most footwear is open toed slippers, these come in a variety of styles like the classic rubber slipper, sturdy foam ones like Scotts brand (a lot of these have bottle openers in the sole these days), and fancy leather ones like Olukais that can be worn with nice clothes. Also my personal favorite are the platform foam slippers which range from 1-6 inches in height that a lot of local girls wear. People wear closed shoes/boots about the same way the rest of america does I think, just less often? This includes dress shoes and heels for fancy settings. Popular closed shoes for locals are skate shoes and canvas chucks, I don't know if puffy hightop sneakers are still a thing anymore. Tourists often wear boat shoes(?) and similar kinda low cut light material styles.

-Leis and flowers: People gift leis for celebrations like graduations and weddings, sometimes greetings after long trips, but nobody wears flower leis as a casual style. Some men (usually in sales and guest services will wear kukui nut leis as part of their business attire, but it's not streetwear. There are also specific lei for hula that you just shouldn't wear. If you wanna put your OC in a lei go for floral, the most common tourist leis are purple orchids. Women will often wear flowers behind their ears of they feel like it, pretty much any variety. They also sell these foam-clay plumeria flowers on bendable wire stems in a variety of colors to wear behind the ear which are a fairly common accessory and super cute imo. Aside from that, people don't wear flowers often, the piles of flowers on their hats and shoulders in the promo art is not really a thing in Hawaii, like at all? And definitely not fruit. Nobody wears fucking bananas and mangoes, Ace looks like a clown.

-Important note on that though! The belts, bead necklaces, and floral shoulder things may potentially be referential to other pacific island cultures that I am not familiar with. I'd encourage you to do more research on those, as they may very well be appropriative (again, I don't recognize them and cannot say one way or another. I don't even know for sure about the fruit). I'd start with checking Tongan, Samoan, Filipino, Okinawan, and Indonesian traditional clothing to start with.

[Rich people clothing]

This is something that I don't have much experience with because I'm not rich, and tbh most locals aren't either. There's a massive wealth inequality issue in Hawaii, so there's a million high end restaurants and clothing stores and jewelers, but they're mostly exclusive to rich tourists, the people who can afford to move and buy land there, and their kids who are typically kept separate from the rest of the community.

-The popular Hawaiian Jewelry brands I know of are Na Hoku and Maui Diver's Jewelry. But in general I think the best source I can recommend is to check out the Shops at Wailea website and see what brands and styles they offer.

Aaand that's all I have energy for, I hope it's helpful. If any other Hawaii locals wanna add on that'd be awesome!

do you have any online clothing retailer recommendations?

I bought most of my stuff in stores but I can also recommend About You. They have a big selection of clothes for what I'd say reasonable prices.

Etsy also has a lot of cute stuff but tends to be on the pricier side in my experience.

Otherwise if you're looking for underwear or swimsuits made for gnc ppl I've heard good things about origami customs.

Obviously I would not recommend buying stuff from Amazon or fast fashion labels like Shein but if that's all you can afford, go ahead.

And sadly I don't think it's possible to completely avoid child labor and slavery in the clothing market so make sure you look into how to properly wash your clothes and don't buy too much new stuff.

social media, insecurity & consumerism

introduction

hey loves! i want to make a post about how social media turns insecurity into consumerism. i have a lot i want to say about this so i hope i phrase this all correctly. i’m going to explain what i mean and how we can change this in our own lives.

how does social media lead to consumerism?

social media directly leads to consumerism is 2 ways. 1) the algorithim which pushes products for you, showing you ads for products you might’ve been talking about, or looked at one. and 2) influencers pushing products.

1. the algorithim. the first way is by ads popping up- constantly showing you products you either looked at one time, or talked about. like one time i took a screenshot of a necklace to post on here and since then i’ve seen that ad a billion times on tumblr. one time i looked for a weighted heating pad and i’ve gotten the same ad for weighted stuffed animal heating pads since then. this leads to an impulse to buy, even if you don’t really need something. i know a lot of people have experienced talking about how they want a rug or something, and then getting rug ads online.

2. influencers. this way is less direct. it’s hard for me to phrase what i’m thinking but pretty much when influencers promote products they get talked about more and more, leading people to think they need that. certain products get super over-hyped leading to people buying these overpriced products. i find this in aesthetic spaces too- like i’ve seen posts about “coquette basics” and then it’s an expensive dior perfume, a laneige lip mask. things like this can lead to people feeling like they need that product, causing them to buy more things they don’t need.

why is this bad?

1. when it comes to the algorithim the answer is more clear- big corporations take away our privacy so they can get richer. in english we wrote an essay about this- how some companies have implemented cameras and recording devices in stores so they can hear what people say about the products. they take information on your gender, race, age, to market products that fit your demographic. all these companies care about is YOUR money. they want to use you to help grow their brand and their wealth.

2. when it comes to influencers pushing overpriced products it’s the same basis- they want money. but it’s also deeper than that. when you see a million posts about how you “need to buy this one expensive product” then you’re gonna really want it. you might even feel insecure about not having it. on instagram i saw a post about the “preppy aesthetic.” they showed these expensive products as being “true preppy,” and then cheaper products as being the “wannabe preppy.” for teenagers they’re obviously going to be insecure about this and want to buy more things that we’ll all forget about in a few years. 

3. consumerism leads to negative effects for the environment. there’s two main problems associate with consumerism: it leads to waste which harms our planet and it helps big corporations get bigger and get more power. manipulation from social media can be hard to detect, and it can be easy to fall into these traps- buying things we don’t need because we saw influencers talk about it.

how to deal with this:

reflect before you buy. the main thing is to reflect when you want something. why do you want it? is it something you need? etc. 

reflect on your own behavior. i think aesthetics can sometimes push us into a box where we all end up buying the same things and wanting the same things. i’ve seen this in my own space, where coquette girls all want the miss dior perfume and the same jewelry and the same makeup. it isn’t bad to be basic, there’s nothing wrong with it- but sometimes you need to reflect on whether you’re staying true to you or trying to be like everyone else. don’t let aesthetics dictate your personal style. 

wait before you buy something. i always like to keep a wishlist that helps me know what to spend money on. usually items there will be on my wishlist for weeks, sometimes even months, and this helps me determine what i really want to buy vs something that was an impulse.

there’s a lot i wanted to say about this topic, and i hope i did it justice. it all boils down to how big companies and greedy people use social media to push products to you, get your money and fuel this cycle of buying and trashing. instead of blindly giving into these things we need to reflect on our actions and the affecta that they have.

in a prev post you said "yun sol keeps her gay media under lock and key" can you talk about that more

thank you so much for these!! and thanks for your patience as well waiting for me to respond. n.n let's see, what more can i say about yunsol's gay stash as it were.

so as a brief overview: yunsol comes from a sort of… traditional, conservative family. so she has not come out to them yet, in fear of them rejecting her. as a result, she started a "stash" of things when she was a preteen, and has been adding it since. some things get taken out and used or given away, and some things stay and are more permanent parts of the stash. she moves the location of her stash every so often, to ensure it stays hidden and unknown. so without further ado:

♡ yunsol seong's sapphic hoard ♡

valentine's day themed cards and stationery, decorations, collectibles, food, and drinks. yunsol loves valentine's day--the concept and aesthetic of it, and she daydreams about sharing a valentine's day with a long-term partner, which she has not done yet. some items she keeps in her stash because she wants to gift them to said partner someday.

manhwas & mangas centered around sapphic romance... the good and the bad. she's desperate for content. she doesn't have a lot of physical copies of these, but she cherishes what she has. she often buys them brand new, since they are hard to find.

literature, aka used books with cracked spines and dogeared pages bought from thrift stores or markets, including 'annie on my mind' by nancy garden, 'the price of salt/carol' by patricia highsmith, 'carmilla' by j. sheridan le fanu, 'and playing the role of herself' by k.e. lane, 'tipping the velvet' by sarah waters, the list goes on. she's building quite the library.

movies, thrifted like her book collection, including 'but i'm a cheerleader', 'desert hearts', 'bound', 'saving face', 'better than chocolate', and the honorary 'legally blonde' and '10 things i hate about you' because of elle woods and kat stratford and no one else.

cut-out articles, magazines, art by queer artists, photos of her celebrity crushes... her real celebrity crushes no one knows about.

remnants and articles from dates she's been on; unused napkins from restaurants or cafes, bookmarks from book stores, movie tickets, lipstick swatches, plastic jewelry from vending machines, heart shaped chocolate and gift boxes, photo booth pictures, old love letters and notes passed in classes, etc.

her diary, which is full of the most sumptuous Tea and is her most gayest possession period.

that about sums it up for now. i hope this answer was satisfactory, dear anon 💕 until next time!

Hello you have my dream profession. How did you get to where you are today?

Well you're in luck, my friendo! I can give you a pretty step-by-step process. First off, the baseline qualification for what I do is finding and completing a Graduate Gemologist program. I personally graduated from the Gemological Institute of America -- find out more here. GIA is international (I don't know where you're located) but I know there are other organizations that offer similar programs.

By going through this program, you'll learn a great deal of terminology, get a look at the industry, and receive a smattering of history and geology--hilariously, I can talk your ear off for hours or days about pegmatite formation and kimberlite pipes, but have a fourth-grade knowledge of plate tectonics--but mostly what you'll learn is how to correctly identify gemstone materials, grade diamonds, and spot treatment and synthetics. These classes can be done remotely but generally require a couple of in-person lab classes that last three days to a week apiece. They're not super expensive as vocational programs go, but they are eligible for financial aid and there are scholarships available.

(There is a final exam and it is a nightmare. Don't let it discourage you. If my ADHD-having ass could pass it, so can you.)

I was lucky enough to meet a Master Gemologist Appraiser early in my career who was able to give me a lot of guidance. I'd suggest seeing if there's an ASA (American Society of Appraisers) gemologist in your area, and reaching out to them! I'm sure they'd be delighted to talk to you, and give you advice and guidance. You can find one in your area here.

(again, assuming US. I can probably point you in the right direction if you live elsewhere, just lmk)

Authentication is a little bit trickier -- as of yet, there's no program that I know of that specializes in teaching you how to tell real from faux. I recommend on-the-job training at a pawn or consignment shop, which is what I did. I can spot a fake Cartier LOVE bracelet or Rolex Submariner across the room at this point. There's nothing for that except immersion.

My final and, honestly, most important piece of advice: get out into the industry. Work at a jewelry store. Work at an auction house. See how the market actually works. Expose yourself to brands and styles. Ask questions! Most of the time people will be delighted to talk to you. Cruise Sothebys. Buy coffee table books at your local used bookstore. Continue to poke at me on tumblr. Knowledge is everything in my weird little niche.

Remain Sparkly,

-S

480. Seventeen Magazine, March 1994

woAh, its joey from Blossom this month.

I'm always obsessed with these Prom issues from the mid 90s, they're always bittersweet to look at because I remember young me fantasizing about going to the prom while looking at these, and then once in 2001 I didn't go because I was like, the ugliest girl in my class and most people treated me like a leper.

I adore that Versus by Gianni Versace dress.

Oh yeah here are some Angela Chase fashions.

Now if Almay cosmetics still looked like THIS, I might buy it. But also, they have a terrible shade range.

Now this sporty look is miles better than the 1995 one I featured last year. I thought those were Converses, but they're from Bakers. I love the look, but also it reminds me of those Yasmine Sahid Instagram "who said I can't wear converse with my dress" reels that are so funny.

I think Walmart sells this dress every Summer.

Ahh! So this is the origins of those black mini Caboodles you always see on eBay.

YAAS to this dress but also what 14 year old goes to the prom? Sounds like Nina goes to a private school, so maybe prom is open to all at some private schools?

Bang goals!

Oh WOW. I'm not too crazy about the first look, but this second look with the knee highs heels and tapestry clothing is breathtaking. And the name brand is ANXIETY. And look!!! The vest and skirt is currently on Poshmark, I'm so mad its a size medium.

These black and white dresses didn't just have a moment, they held on for years. I still remembered seeing them at stores when I was in high school.

I don't think New Freedom is still being made? I assume it was just folded into the Kotex brand.

Wait, hold up, Sharlynn, you had a fiancé your senior year of high school?!

Her man is looking at her like, "is that your sister's dress from the 1989 prom?"

I never really put much thought into how much going to the prom really costs. I just thought it was dress, shoes, makeup, Claire's jewelry. Do kids these days still rent limos?

Did proms have dress codes back then? Because I feel like these would break a dress code.

I just like this illustration in a quiz about whether you are a control freak or not.

These type of bandages took forever to be available to a mass market. I see the Band Aid Ourtone ones when I go to Target.

Protip: do not wear a backpack while shopping.

I just saw a glittery fabric in those exact colors at Joann's yesterday.

This red dress is giving off pageant vibes though.

via GIPHY

I have so many questions and theories about this. Is Michael a family friend? Does he work with her dad? Is this letter even real or something created by the editors about a similar situation they read about? I always wondered that about these Q&A in teen magazines, were the questions really sent in, or were they curated from events in the news, or a blend of several questions sent in? Former teen magazine editors give advice.

wow, this was ahead of its time. I couldn't find any information about this other than a coupon in the Commercial Appeal.

More Blossom!

I feel like things haven't improved much.

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vacation review: taiwan

overall rating: ★★★★/5

cities visited (chronologically): taipei, taichung, kaohsiung, taitung

the good parts

i got to see Moomf (micosu oomf)

i got over the "i can't visit a country if i don't know the language" feeling

nature everywhere

night markets were so fun!

at least half of the population wears a mask at all times (even outside of taipei where the air quality is nicer!)

every train station + tourist spot had a stamp area so now i have a lil booklet filled with taiwanese stamps :,)

food! especially boba and soups :DD -so much liquid.

traveling on the back of a scooter is so mind-numbing, i love being a passenger princess

the bad parts

taipei's air pollution is a lil sad but def not the worst

getting over the jetlag and post-vacation sadness T_T

they killed that duck that i saw in that one tumblr post

overall summary

i think that taiwan is an excellent place for people of all places to visit! especially if you know english, everyone is really nice to english-speakers and makes an effort to gesture-speak or google translate through every conversation

this may be insensitive, but i think that the "made in taipei" brand (country pride of having many ~cultural influences) really works for tourism. previously, i saw friends and co-workers take their japan trip and do all the kawaii things (sanrio store, snoopy cafe, studio ghibli museum, etc), and got sad. taichung really embraces manga, anime, and other kawaii-adjacent things, and it satisfied my desire to go to japan. i've been having a hard time with co-existing with appreciating the good side of japan (mostly art and media) and learning abt the bad sides (colonial history), so it was nice being able to get a positive experience with low "double-think"

on post-vacation sadness

idk why but this was the first time that i came back from a vacation and i was Sad. like, maybe it's bc i got my period mid-trip and it was some weird post-period hormonal thing?? but i doubt it

looking back, i think that i have never truly been Alone until this trip? when i solo traveled in sp+pt, i was able to talk to the people in the hostel and go out with them. i wasn't able to talk to anybody bc a majority of the tourists spoke either mandarin or japanese, and idk either of those languages. i think that i was alone with my thoughts for too long -> leading to being on my phone too much -> leading to random bursts of crying (?) that lasted through a week after coming back to the US. it was bad enough that i took off all my jewelry and almost cut my hair X|

also any instagram posts that mentions taiwan / east asia kinda ruins my whole day. i wanna go backkkkkk

lessons learned

it's okay to be lost emotionally and physically! being alone is a constant battle of self-love and The Void

i need more international friends bc visiting them in their free time + their country of residence in their work time is so fun

i need to take more pictures of myself! i think somewhere in this trip i convinced myself to download dating apps again and i have no good pics. i also can't post a "taiwan photodump" on insta :(

tl;dr: go to taiwan! but go with friends!!

I just started a new job and got promoted quickly which is great!

I basically work alone so I’m kind of my own boss. I get to allocate my time as I see fit and don’t have someone breathing down my neck. Constantly turning my head to see who’s watching.

It’s more work but pays enough and I have a benefit that helps my business which is nice.

The job is right across from a popular shopping center in my city. I don’t shop at the mall so the only store I’m interested in is whole foods. My family loves whole foods growing up bc that’s where my stepdad worked so he would always bring home the goods. But since he died no one has felt it necessary to go out of their way to get it since it’s so far from my house. But the fact that it’s right down the street from me now is so exciting.

I plan on restarting my gym membership, shopping at Whole Foods for food, and utilizing the giant fridge I have at my job that’s practically all mine. Lord knows if I left the food at my home fridge it’d be gone within the hour bc my brother’s a fuckin munch.

I just have to get over the embarrassment of pulling into the Whole Foods parking lot with a banged up car. What are they gonna do though? Arrest me? (This is me hyping myself up)

Changing up the content style of my business and plan on launching a new product soon. I believe this new strategy will work well for me and I might be able to use one of the videos to run ads on Facebook.

My score mentor thought it’d be a good idea to

1. Introduce affiliate marketing which I didn’t think I was big enough for and

2. Collaborate with other small businesses.

I like the second suggestion much better right now. I could utilize jewelry, makeup, and wig brands in my content to really sell the lifestyle and they can repost it on their page. Kind of like a shout out for shout out.

As far as affiliate marketing goes, I need to find the right platform to use. Everytime I try to research affiliate marketing it always shows the influencer side of it and not the business side. I’ll do more digging.

I think I found a manufacturer that can make a bunch of different items for me. Denim jeans, plus dresses, plus knit. I’ve been looking for a one stop shop type for a while and I think I’ve got them. I’ll have to order a couple samples but my lord are they expensive. Gotta keep reminding myself that it’s an investment.

Thank all for now. Ciao

Best Ecommerce Website Designing Company in Patna

The website design is a really important tool for creating an appealing website that attracts users and customers. These ecommerce website designs represent your product, and what you are selling.

Thus, you need to make sure your website is relevant to the services you’re providing and can make a lasting impression.

Now, being said that, are you looking for some inspiration for your website designs? If yes, you’ve stumbled into the perfect solution, the website designing company in Patna, Quick Scaleup is your one-way stop. 

Ecommerce website designs 

The best ecommerce website design examples are those that can benefit you in boosting your sales and communicating with the brand and products. Some of the ecommerce website examples are the following,

Theseus is an online shoe store that promises customers the best online shopping experience. It has options such as shopping and return policy and even gives the users the opportunity to pay in installments.

Welly is a band aid campaign and website supplying catchy, funky, and aesthetic band aids. Children die for such cute band-aids and it comes with cute packaging too.  

Hebe’s website is mind blowing in terms of beauty. Its photography stands out compared to other websites. The high-quality photos ensure grabbing the customer’s attention and increasing the sales. 

Now, the ecommerce website examples in India are 

Amazon tops the ecommerce website list considering it is one of the country’s best ecommerce players since it rolled out in 2013. It has grown its market by covering everything from groceries to toys to furniture. 

Flipkart comes second on the list, always competing with Amazon in terms of quality and prices. It was founded in 2007, and is now acquired by Walmart. 

Meesho is a social commerce platform wherein the small business or merchants can deal with the users directly showcasing their products. 

Myntra is the one-stop online fashion destination that supplies with all the brands like Mango, H&M, Chemistry, Allen Solly etc. Myntra was acquired by Walmart making it a live commerce site with a lot of Indians depending on the site. 

OLX has products from cars to electronic goods and even real estate. People can buy or sell on this website according to their preferences. 

Snapdeal was a sinking company ready to be acquired by Flipkart in 2017. But, they did the needful surviving the takeover, and now focuses on products for fashion and home and personal care. 

Jio Mart is an online player that launched in 2020. It became known quickly in over 200 cities in India. 

Shopsy is a social commerce platform launched by flipkart. It’s a marketplace selling jewelry, grocery and home goods. 

Realme store is an online shopping site of the chinese smartphone brand realme. It even sells other electronic accessories.  

Mi store is another chinese smartphone brand Xiaomi selling mobile phones and other products. 

FirstCry is India’s shopping platform for baby products such as diapers, tous, cribs etc. Everything that can be termed a baby is being sold by them. 

Top 10 ecommerce websites 

The best ecommerce website design 2023 comprises of the following ecommerce website list and companies like 

Amazon tops as the world's best retailer and website designs. 

Ebay is the best marketplace with all the best features and products available. 

Aliexpress is the site offering the funkiest and catchy products with cheap prices. 

Walmart consists of an unlimited supply of organic products.

Wildberries is a popular Russian site known for clothes and household products. 

Ozon is like Russia’s Amazon, offering all kinds of products. 

Flipkart is an Indian ecommerce site dealing with all products like clothes, furniture, electronic devices. 

Samsung is the world's leader when it comes to electronics.

Etsy is another one of the popular sites specializing in handmade, vintage and unique goods. 

Rakuten is another one of the ecommerce sites dealing with cashback programmes.

The ecommerce website design templates that work well with any kind of website design such as apparel, fashion, jewelry or other ecommerce products. These templates create responsive, flexible and retainable online stores. Following is the list of best ecommerce website templates 

Pillowmart can be used for business purposes.

Capitalshop for fashion and accessories.

Fashi’s templates are available for fashion 

The Coza store is for business and ecommerce. 

eCommerce websites are the people’s go to sites for business and online shopping. People don’t like going around comparing products from shop to shop.

For such individuals, these websites are a piece of heaven.

To make sure that your website designs and products are appealing enough to the customers, you can take help from the website designing company, Quick Scaleup.

They have one of the best services available tailored to your customer’s needs.

Factors to Consider When Creating a Jewellery Website

In today’s digital age, having a well-designed and functional website is crucial for the success of any business, including jewelry stores. 

A well-crafted online presence can significantly impact customer engagement, sales, and brand reputation. 

When creating a jewelry website, there are several important factors to consider to ensure its success. Here are some key factors to keep in mind:

1. User Experience (UX)

Focus on providing a seamless and intuitive user experience. 

Make sure the website is easy to navigate, visually appealing, and optimized for different devices (mobile-friendly). Use high-quality images that showcase the jewelry effectively.

2. Clear Product Presentation

Display the jewelry products prominently, with detailed descriptions, multiple angles, and zoom capabilities. 

Provide information about materials, sizes, and any customization options available. Incorporate product reviews and ratings to build trust and confidence.

3. Secure E-commerce Platform

Implement a secure and reliable e-commerce platform for smooth online transactions. 

Ensure that the website uses SSL encryption to protect customer data during checkout and integrates with trusted payment gateways.

4. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Optimize the website’s content and structure to improve visibility in search engine results. 

Conduct keyword research and include relevant keywords in product descriptions, titles, meta tags, and URLs. 

Create unique and compelling product descriptions to differentiate from competitors.

5. Customer Engagement

Incorporate features to engage and interact with customers. Include a blog to share jewelry trends, care tips, and industry news. 

Integrate social media sharing buttons to encourage customers to share their favorite pieces. Provide a newsletter signup option to capture visitor email addresses for future marketing campaigns.

6. Trust and Security

Establish trust with potential customers by including trust badges, customer testimonials, and guarantees of product authenticity. 

Display clear contact information, including a physical address and customer support options. Ensure that the website is protected against malware and regularly backup data.

7. Responsive Customer Support

Offer multiple channels for customer support, such as live chat, email, and phone. 

Respond promptly to inquiries and provide detailed and helpful responses. Make it easy for customers to track their orders and provide order updates via email.

8. Easy Checkout Process

Simplify the checkout process to reduce cart abandonment rates. Implement a streamlined, step-by-step checkout flow, allowing customers to review their order, select shipping options, and input payment details effortlessly. 

Provide guest checkout as well as account creation options.

9. Marketing and Promotion

Plan a marketing strategy to drive traffic to the website. Utilize social media marketing, influencer collaborations, search engine marketing (SEM), and content marketing to increase visibility and reach the target audience. 

Consider running promotions, discounts, or loyalty programs to incentivize purchases.

10. Analytics and Conversion Tracking

Set up analytics tools like Google Analytics to track website traffic, user behavior, and conversion rates. 

Use the insights gained to optimize the website and marketing strategies, identify trends, and make data-driven decisions.

Creating a successful jewelry website requires careful consideration of various factors. By incorporating eye-catching visuals, intuitive navigation, detailed product information, trust-building elements, and secure e-commerce functionality, you can enhance the overall user experience and increase customer trust and engagement. 

Remember, a well-designed website not only attracts customers but also reflects your brand’s values and professionalism, setting you apart from the competition in the competitive jewelry market.

Contact Weingenious Technocrats, a leading jewelry website development company in Surat, India to discuss your e-commerce website needs.