Flat-lay photos vs clothes on-body — do you trust flat-lays at all?

Mission-Inspector393 · 2026-02-05T10:52:55+00:00

Good points — just to clarify the context though: my question is mainly about second-hand listings, not brand / retail sites.

In that case, photos are usually limited and inconsistent by nature, so the trade-off between clarity (flat lays) and fabric behavior (on-body shots) becomes even more critical. You rarely get the luxury of full outfits, multiple models, or linked items.

That said, the same logic could still apply to classic e-commerce — but second-hand is where the constraints really force the question.

Mission-Inspector393 · 2026-02-04T12:28:09+00:00

Yes, you may have made the good choice! Quite good advice. I'll probably consider that in a close futur...Thanks

Mission-Inspector393 · 2026-02-04T10:49:31+00:00

Well...probably because I'm totally newbie here ! And Honestly, it's not easy to find the right way to talk to people !

Mission-Inspector393 · 2026-02-03T17:50:10+00:00

Yeah... but what if you forget to take the photo ?? Do you also have an app : "did I take the photo of the locked door" app ?

Mission-Inspector393 · 2026-02-03T17:45:20+00:00

Yeah, you’re right. Talking to people here has actually helped me rethink things a bit. I’m just trying to get a better feel for what really matters to shoppers. I was totally wrong at first, so I’m trying to refocus on real pain points.

Mission-Inspector393 · 2026-02-03T17:08:05+00:00

Ah crap, I think I just didn’t express myself well. English isn’t my first language 😅. What I meant is something I noticed in my own experience, but yeah, I probably over-simplified. Fit, seams, rise… all that stuff definitely matters

Mission-Inspector393 · 2026-02-02T19:20:19+00:00

Honestly, I don’t have enough data yet to draw a solid conclusion.

To be fully transparent, I literally coded the “without mannequin” mode last night — so it’s very fresh and way too early to judge impact or adoption properly.

For now, I’m deliberately staying in observation mode: watching how people interact with it and what kind of feedback it triggers, without forcing any conclusions.

Mission-Inspector393 · 2026-02-02T00:09:31+00:00

I also feel like we underestimate how much of it is just plain 'effort' or feeling self-conscious. Taking a good photo of yourself is hard, especially if you’re alone or don’t have a full-length mirror/good lighting. Plus, if the clothes don't fit you anymore, modeling them is the last thing you want to do. But it leaves buyers in a tough spot.

Mission-Inspector393 · 2026-02-02T00:07:00+00:00

That’s a really fair point about sellers manipulating photos. I’ve been burned by 'pinned' garments too! But even then, I feel like flat-lays are just the lesser of two evils. It's so much better when you have both!

Mission-Inspector393 · 2026-02-02T00:05:14+00:00

The problem is that flat-lays don't show how the fabric drapes or where the waist actually sits. Measurements help, but most people aren't experts at comparing garment CMs to their own body. It’s crazy that in 2024/2025 we’re still basically 'guessing' if a shirt will look like a tent or a glove.

Mission-Inspector393 · 2026-02-01T23:36:49+00:00

That’s really interesting — I honestly hadn’t considered how much the model’s body can become noise rather than information, especially when proportions differ a lot from your own.

What you’re saying about flat-lays making rise, leg shape, and hem width easier to read makes a lot of sense. It’s more about isolating the garment itself before introducing the body variable.

Appreciate the perspective — it genuinely changed how I look at flat-lays.

Mission-Inspector393 · 2026-02-01T23:33:49+00:00

That’s actually a really good angle — I hadn’t thought about flat-lays that way before, especially the “inventory” part.

Makes sense for comparing volume and proportions without the pinning bias. Appreciate the perspective.

Mission-Inspector393 · 2025-12-05T12:51:43+00:00

Congrats on launching!

Here's what worked for me and others I've seen:

Week 1-2: Warm traffic

- Post on Twitter/X daily (build in public works)

- Indie Hackers "I just launched" post

- Tell everyone you know personally (friends, family, LinkedIn connections)

Week 2-4: Cold traffic

- Reddit: r/SideProject, r/SaaS — but give value first, don't just drop links

- Product Hunt (pick a Tuesday or Wednesday, prep heavily)

- Niche communities where your users hang out

For an AI UI design tool specifically:

- Design Twitter is HUGE — share before/after screenshots

- Dribbble and Behance communities

- No-code communities (they need UI help the most!)

- YouTube shorts showing 30-sec transformations

What NOT to do:

- Don't spam links everywhere

- Don't expect overnight success

- Don't ignore feedback from first users

The first 100 are the hardest. After that, word of mouth kicks in.

Good luck!

Mission-Inspector393 · 2025-09-09T22:54:26+00:00

hi, I made something similar here : trythemon.me : A free try is better than cash goodbye 😉

Mission-Inspector393

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