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M
Sorry, but I am kind of disappointed in your sponsored AK Anne Klein suit of the week post. I started reading this blog, in part, because of its independence. I know that sponsors help keep the blog going, but having a sponsor takeover the weekly suit post is kind of off-putting. Especially because the readers can’t comment on the “sponsored” post. If this is the direction that Corporette is going, I might not be as interested in reading it on a daily basis. Just sayin’.
the other A
I agree.
Shayna
Definitely changes the tone into a spend-money-here :-(
the other A
I agree with M.
AN
Agree with above posters especially as I cannot comment on the pieces featured. Also, I like AK, and I might add that these are by no means (IMHO) the best pieces from AK; there are much nicer ones on the website that are also on sale. Seems to me that the feature is about “pushing” stuff that probably didn’t sell well in the first place.
Eponine
C – I hope it was a mistake to turn off comments on the sponsored post, and I assume it was a mistake to post L-0 when clearly the links were to an advertiser. I don’t mind sponsored posts in theory, but in practice, I can’t help but wonder if you are choosing not to recommend other products in favor of AK ones. Also, it bothers me to have sponsored posts overtake the regular features like suit of the week. It wouldn’t bother me if you featured an advertiser’s product in a regular feature because you genuinely thought it was the best product for that feature, but I find it off-putting to have you shilling for multiple AK suits and jackets in the suit of the week feature, especially because none of the pieces were in keeping with the usual style of the suit of the week feature – two boring basic suits, and two separates.
To sum up, sponsored posts aren’t going to make me stop reading the blog –I come here for the commenter tips and the Corporette Deals sidebar more than anything else– but I’d prefer you keep them in separate posts from your regular features.
Kat
Hi guys. No, it wasn’t a mistake to turn off comments — that is my feeling that it should be the default for any sponsored post. Conversation is a huge part of this blog, but I would not be comfortable with letting any unmoderated comment go up on that post. This presents a number of problems — a) I would have to change the entire moderation system, for the entire blog, to allow this to happen. That would be a huge headache and, since I don’t know how to turn “off” comments after a point, it would have to be in perpetuity. b) What kind of editorial standards would I enforce in the comments on that post? I’d rather not enforce ANY — I’ve posted before about how I have a list of words that will get a comment held in moderation but — with very few exceptions (I can’t think of any right now, in fact) I let everything from an actual human not selling something to be posted.
Kat
Oh, and re: L-O — I’m going to have to go back and revisit what I said on that page. It IS a sponsored post, but there are no affiliate links in the post (which is what that L-#) typically stands for. (In other words, I am not making money if you click through and buy something, although I was clearly compensated for it.) Sorry if that was unclear — like I said, I’m going to go back and revisit what that corporette.com/affiliates page represents and modify either the post or the page so it’s in line.
Eponine
Thanks for the clarification, Kat. I’m not sure why you feel that you’d need to moderate comments on a sponsored post more heavily than on other posts, though, unless the sponsor wants to see the comments before they’re posted? I’d think they’d want to receive feedback on their products.
Blonde Lawyer
I agree. Anne Klein should be able to handle someone saying they don’t like their suit. Often it is only after discussion here that someone decides a given item would actually look good on them. I think the regular commenting policy would be fine on sponsored suits. The high number of comments actually draws more clicks to that post.
Anon
Also – I’m not going to think negative thoughts about AK just because I don’t like a handful of picks. Or because someone else says they don’t like them.
But I AM going to think poorly of them if they can’t handle the possibility of receiving negative comments about said picks and preemptively shut it down.
Shayna
Agree — and some feedback from their target customers should be appreciated and sought – not shunned!
bluebook
Completely agree! I want to be able to ask questions about the clothing / brand etc. and yes, give my opinion on it. I do think less of a brand that has imposed a “no comment” rule, or some kind of heavy moderation rule (outside of what you already do, Kat). I don’t appreciate restraints on speech.
CFM
I don’t mind the idea of a sponsored post, but I don’t like not being able to comment on it.
ab68
I don’t think people should jump the gun. I don’t get the impression that the sponsor has “taken over” the suit of the week post from this point forward. I suspect we’ll see sponsored posts here and there from time to time, but probably on different themes. I’m really impressed with the time and effort Kat puts into this blog, and it’s nice to see that her time and effort is being rewarded.
It makes sense to have the comments closed for the sponsored posts, since they are, in effect, advertisements — kind of like the other advertisements on the blog. But that doesn’t stop commenters from using the previous post’s comment section to comment on the items featured in the sponsored post.
These suits seem more like standard interview suits than the usual suit of the week. Kind of boring but innocuous. I really love suits that have both pants and a skirt, though. Any other thoughts about the suits?
Delta Sierra
I don’t mind the sponsored post. It’s clearly marked as such, and easy to scroll down past it if I want to.
I’ve seen the first jacket, or one very like it, on a larger person, and it looked really good. It’s possible she had it tailored.
divaliscious11
I actually don’t mind the sponsored post, but if AK wants feedback, the comments should not be closed, because I thought all of the suits were fugly and they should know!
sheila
you might consider having sponsored posts be “extra” and not a replacement for regular posts. i for one look forward to the suit of the week!
J
I’m with sheila – I can deal with sponsored posts, but not a sponsored post take-over of a regular feature and certainly not the elimination of comments from a regular feature.
3L
I am really disappointed that we cannot comment on the sponsored “suit of the week” post. This blog already has a pretty hefty moderation system in place as is. Plus, providing feedback – positive or negative – is something every sponsor should be open to. If AK requested that Kat close the commenting or heavily moderate it, I will think twice before purchasing from such a company in the future.
jojo
I disagree (and do not share your opinion that this site is heavily moderated). Commenters threadjack and leave off-topic responses throughout almost every post on this blog, so closing comments for a sponsored post doesn’t strike me at all as stifling the conversation.
3L
Perhaps it’s not so highly moderated, but why would C or AK care if people thread hijack? I see no harm that would outweigh the good of an open comment policy across the board.
Kat
just to clarify if there’s ANY confusion here — ak anne klein did not request or require it of me. i suggested we turn off comments, both b/c of thread hijacks and archiving issues and more.
noted re: not taking over regular feature.
RR
Thanks for clarifying that. The clarification does make it different to me. Glad it wasn’t Anne Klein’s request.
I think I’m going to order the gray suit and see what I think of it.
bluebook
Actually it seems to me it ENCOURAGES thread hijacks (which I really don’t mind), because isn’t that what we’re all doing on this thread?
jojo
That was kind of my point.
jojo
Readership suffers. I find it tiresome, and it’s making me lose interest in this blog.
MelD
I’m glad I am not alone. In the past it seemed like most people waited until the weekend thread to bring up off-topic questions, but now people are just coming into every thread and hijacking it. Perhaps making an open thread every few days would help solve this problem? By the end of the weekend, it seems like the weekend threads have 200-300 posts, which make it almost impossible to find anything new.
anon2
In case anyone is curious, I ordered a few of the pieces that Kat featured recently from AT Loft.
This shirt, with the loops around the neck, is really lovely and definitely a keeper. http://www.anntaylorloft.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=24669&N=1200005&categoryId=204&Ns=CATEGORY_SEQ_204&gridSize=sm&showAll=true&defaultColor=Light%20Willow%20Green&defaultSizeType=Regular
It’s not as thin or wrinkly as some people anticipated. It would probably look better on someone who didn’t have my broader shoulders, but I like it enough to keep it. I got it in navy, which is no longer available, but the dark green is very pretty and is available in size XXS and M (almost considering exchanging!)
(Note I don’t work for ATL, btw…)
The navy suit that Kat featured last week(https://corporette.com/2010/04/28/suit-of-the-week-58/) is cute, cut-wise, but the belt is not removable, and the navy color that I ordered is practically black, so it’s a return. Material feels nice, though, lightweight enough for summer but still substantial enough that I’d feel good wearing it in a business casual office.
http://www.anntaylorloft.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=25659&N=1200011&pCategoryId=3359&categoryId=205&Ns=CATEGORY_SEQ_205&loc=TN&defaultColor=Vintage%20Cream&defaultSizeType=Regular
I also tried this jacket, and again it’s too dark of a navy, and slightly heavier than the other jacket above (but nicely lined). http://www.anntaylorloft.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=25322&N=1200011&pCategoryId=3359&categoryId=205&Ns=CATEGORY_SEQ_205&loc=TN&defaultColor=Flag%20Blue&defaultSizeType=Regular
Obviously the model’s wearing a size too tight, but it’s a normal, cute fit if you get your normal size (or maybe a size up?).
Finally, not that anyone asked, but this shirt in the tropical green is GORGEOUS in color, but it shows your arm pits, so sadly I had to return :( But someone else who’s not so prudish should definitely get it!
http://www.anntaylorloft.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=24668&N=1200005&categoryId=204&pCategoryId=3359&Ns=CATEGORY_SEQ_204&Nty=1&No=0&loc=TN&defaultColor=Ochre&defaultSizeType=Regular
Oh, and “spring coral” = hot pink. Returned.
http://www.anntaylorloft.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=23125&N=1200005&categoryId=204&pCategoryId=3359&Ns=CATEGORY_SEQ_204&Nty=1&No=0&loc=TN&defaultColor=White&defaultSizeType=Regular
Hope this helps!!
anon2
Kat, I think my long comment w/ lots of links disappeared…. and it didn’t even say “awaiting moderation”…. just didn’t show up!!
Kat
sorry about that — it was in the spam file. dunno why!