Category: Second Life Fashion Editorial

Kitty’s Raves & Faves 2013- The Emery Denim Jacket

Kitty’s Raves & Faves 2013- The Emery Denim Jacket

by Lisa Millar ♥ 4 Comments

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I’m going to be writing about a few things that I’ve really loved this year, and share these articles with you as 2013 draws to a close. 

For me, 2013 has been about even better mesh creations and the wider uptake in general of mesh by designers for even the most relatively mundane items. It’s transformed so much around us in-world, not least of all the dreaded prim count. I constantly wear mesh items now. I can’t go back to sculpted items, I love mesh way too much. It may not be a perfect solution, but it’s as close as we have got, and I’m totally hooked on it. Our avatars have never looked better! (well, SOME of them perhaps…)

So here’s to my  first rave and fave which is this utterly wonderful denim jacket by EMERY. It’s called ‘Hollywood’ and I am totally star-struck by it. 

This jacket is my favourite one of 2013, and I’m sure you can immediately understand why.  I’ve been wearing it for months now, and consider it to be the ultimate denim jacket in Second Life. EVERYTHING about this is pure mesh perfection.  Why do I love it so much?Well, let me break it down for you; for starters the texture choice is spot on. Denim looks best when it’s worn, and this jacket suggests that it’s been loved and thrown about a bit. Crucial elements such as the collar and upturned cuffs are coloured perfectly and faded in all the right places;  just like they would be if the sleeves were turned inside out for example, and with just the right amount of creasing to the arm. Speaking of which, look at the sleeves; folds and creases and fabric lines are all perfectly placed.  This must have taken ages to make, and to me that speaks volumes about the creator, Sunami Beck.  It takes hours to work at something to make it look this good when worn, and as a virtual consumer I appreciate the work that has gone into this creation. Need further proof of how impeccable this is? Take a look at the stitching and look how the jacket has been highlighted in just the right areas to suggest wear and tear. Last but not least consider the buttons; they’re the right brassy colour and practically zing against the indigo blue.  Guys, this is top-tier Second Life clothing. It may be a relatively ordinary item, but by being crafted this beautifully it becomes something else entirely. This is denim perfection.Just like a well-loved jacket in real life this one can be worn in a myriad of ways. I prefer to add mine to dresses, tees and skirt combos worn with tights and slouchy socks for an urban, kitty-street style.This is, without a doubt, an essential addition to your virtual wardrobe, and it’s a mesh item that I am confident I will keep wearing for many years to come. I adore it.

You can get your own denim jacket for L$350 off the marketplace, or in-world, and trust me, you really need one of these in your Second Life!! 

It’s the most wonderful time of the month!

It’s the most wonderful time of the month!

by Lisa Millar ♥ 1 Comment

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No, not that! It’s time for another round of Collabor88 guys and gals, and of course, just like always, it’s a corker!

Each time Collabor88 comes around I think, “Nope, I ain’t gonna go mad at it this time. No, there won’t be anything I want, I’m sure of it..” I adopt a firm disposition that lasts, ooh, about ten seconds and then flies straight out of the window. Then I spend all morning trying to get in, and leave with ALL THE THINGS!!! I have zero willpower, it’s pathetic. But can you blame me for being so weak-willed when you consider just how awesome C88 is?   It’s always jam-packed with quality lovely stuff and things and this month isn’t any exception at all; if anything I think it’s possibly one of the better rounds of recent times. Not that any of them have been duff, but this one is FULL OF JUMPERS amongst other niceies, and you all know how much I love jumpers. And coats.  And basically all things warm and snuggly..and there are plenty of those to be had…oh JOY OF JOYS!

First up is this bloody amazing, huge and super snuggly coat from Maitreya. Now there’s something a little Mod about this; the shape reminds me of London street-stylings, and it’s more than a little Crombie-coat-esque. Can you imagine wearing this in real life? It is HUMUNGOUS. This is the kind of coat you wouldn’t  need to wear a jumper underneath because you’d  have a hot flush.  The shape is fabulous actually, and it’s made even more blinking fantastic by the fact that it comes with sleeve extensions that change this  from a three-quarter sleeve into a full-sleeve coat.  You know, a lot of the time I gauge an item in SL against the likelihood of my wearing it in real life. Rightly or wrongly a lot of what I wear in world is an extension of what I’d love to wear in real life, had I the cash/figure to wear it. Needless to say but  I would so wear the shit out of this coat. I would wear it in blinking summer I love it THAT much. Yes, I might die from heat exhaustion, but I’d die looking outrageously awesome.

The over-sized shape allows a lot of space for a glorious texture, and it’s finished really well, which is just what you’d expect from Onyx Leshelle.  Onyx is a creator par excellence and whenever she release anything new to the grid you can practically hear the rumble of a squillion avatars feet running towards it.  I love everything about this coat. I could even lick the ruddy buttons I love it that much. Best of all? It’s just L$188, which is a bloody scandal really. It’s available in six variations and every single one of them is as delicious as the other, but for me it just had to be this gorgeous red, called ‘Syrah’.  I’m sure Jez could fit in this with me, which would be super cosy indeed!

Incidentally, I’m also sporting a new GLAM AFFAIR skin that can be found at C88.  It’s called Mokatana, and is simply stunning. I’ve become totally enamoured with the GLAM AFFAIR brand this year, and Mokatana is a stunning addition to their exquisite skin-stable.  So what does this skin have that attracted me so much? Allure, dear heart, and then some.  Like every GLAM AFFAIR skin it oozes personality from every virtual pore; add to that the fact that  they are so darn pretty; they have beautiful body shading and great make-ups and you’re onto a winner. They also have sweet optional additions such as moles and freckles, something that I’m festooned with in real life. (RL Titbit: I used to think the moles on my body mapped out the constellations as a kid.  Mad I know, but kind of a nice thought!) The real selling point on Mokatana though are the lips. These are the kind of lips that are made for kissing, and biting, and basically ravishing. They’re dewy and soft and just so gorgeously, mouthwateringly perfect that basically I went into squee-spasms when I tried this skin on. So I had to have it, natch.  The other vital selling point for me are the brows; Aida Ewing knows how to make GREAT brows, and various brow colours are very thoughtfully included in the skin pack.

Snapshot_005For my second look I’m wearing another make-up from the Mokatana line, and I’ve teamed it with a comfy combo comprising of this divine sweater from COLOR.ME.H.O.F. and the skirt/leggings combo in black from BAIASTICE.  This is another great sweater and again, an example of a quality texture that has been perfectly applied. I love the height of the neck and the inverted ‘v’ pattern on the front of this. It looks like a very expensive, designer sweater, don’t you think? The sleeves are styled to be large and shaped before finishing just on  the wrist. The body-length of this is good too; I get a bit annoyed with jumpers that are too short in SL, which is a bit daft really because it’s not as if I’ll feel a draught while wearing them, but it’s just a bug-bear of mine.  It was hard not to buy all of the range, but my favourite shade of red (In this case it’s called ‘Oxblood’) just had to be mine.  Moving on to the skirt/leggings and it’s hard to believe that I first blogged Baiastice way back in 2008. It’s simply marvellous that Sissy Pessoa’s brand has become one of the fashion benchmarks of Second Life, and she goes from strength to strength. It would be easy to dismiss the skirt and leggings as relatively simple mesh creations, but that would belie their strength. They’re extremely well created, the fit is great and the incorporated belt can be worn in either a gold or silver finish.  Speaking of finishing, the detail on the front of the skirt really adds something extra to an item that would have worked just as well had it been left plain, but it’s this attention to detail that has always made BAIASTICE creations stand out amongst their peers.

So there you have it, just some of the goodies available at this round of C88. But there are tons more, and I’ll endeavour to feature some of those very soon too.

But if you can’t wait, here’s your taxi!

 

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Just Jez: The Mens Dept. Makes it easy to look good this Xmas!

by Lisa Millar ♥ 2 Comments

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The Mens Dept has to be one of the resounding success stories of Second Life retail 2013. Every time I visit it’s busy, especially in the first few days after a new collection is revealed. I don’t really know why this is but I think it’s because having menswear, accessories, poses and other male-orientated goodies located in one spot is just more accessible than searching the grid. Certainly I struggle when looking for quality items for Jez to wear (because he’s bloody useless at shopping for himself) and visiting The Mens Dept allows me to kit him out in quality from pretty much his handsome head all the way down to his stinky toes. This round is as exceptional as any other, but highlights for me this time include this mesh sweater from XIAJ. It’s available in a number of prints and plain varieties, but for me it had to be this great wintry wool print.  Jez didn’t have a really festive jumper, and now he does he looks very Christmassy indeed. It’s an incredibly reasonable L$185 per jumper too, which means you can add a few of these mesh lovelies to your  fella’s winter wardrobe without breaking the bank.  As you can see from the photos the sweater photographs extremely well; the texture is nice and crisp, and the red and navy combo on this particular selection is bang on trend.

Of course, you can’t just have a good jumper, you need some quality jeans to team with it, and that’s where APHORISM come into play. They’re selling some fantastic denim jeans at The Mens Dept. that really must not be missed.  Now, I am very fussy about certain items in SL, you’ve probably noticed, and jeans are very near the top of that list. Why? Because they are so easy to get wrong. You have to suggest depth and wear on a good pair of jeans.  All too often textures aren’t applied correctly which is a shame, because when textured correctly a pair of denim jeans can really look stupendous in-world. You need to suggest creasing in the right places, as well as wear and tear, because denim jeans always look better when they’re aged a bit. Not only that, but they need to ‘hang’ on the avatar correctly, depending on the fit. Baggy jeans can look like a pair of MC Hammer pants if the shape is wrong, and straight-leg pants can just look incredibly flat. It’s a balancing act that few designers manage to pull of successfully, but fortunately APHORISM have successfully risen to the challenge.   I’m exceptionally impressed by these jeans.  They fit just right, and really look the part, especially the vintage options.  The creasing is spot on, not just at the top of the thigh but also around the calf area too.  They’re styled as regular jeans and I would say that’s correct, they’re neither too thin or overly baggy, and in my opinion that makes them an absolute must have for a male avatar. Not only that but they’re just L$200 a pair, so they’re a bit of a bargain. I think Jez looks brilliant in them, but then again I’m biased:)

Snapshot_005Last but not least, check out Jez’s pose. He’s using the pack from POSEOLOGY, also available at The Mens Dept., and it’s a very nice selection of male poses indeed. There’s no over-the-top posing here, just nice stands that allow for great photographs and work really well in-situ.  You can buy them individually for L$25 each, but Jez insisted on splurging ion the full pack for L$100 because he hasn’t got many quality poses in his repertoire, and I agreed these were pretty good for the price! So there you have it, a few picks from this round of The Mens Dept. Take your fella, drag him down there if you must, and get him kitted out for Christmas in style!

Here’s your Taxi to The Mens Dept. 

25 for 25 Hunt STARTS TODAY!!

25 for 25 Hunt STARTS TODAY!!

by Lisa Millar ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

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Hi-Ho! Hi-Ho! A-Hunting we will go!! 

Now who doesn’t like a hunt at Christmas? Hmm? (Well, I like a nice drink too but you get my point!)

 The 25 FOR 25 Hunt launches today, 5th December, and features 25 stores selling hunt items priced at L$25.

It couldn’t be simpler really, and you’ll find items from established brands such as SOMNIA, APPLE MAY DESIGNS and CIRCA LIVING, mixed in with some less well known labels making this a brilliant way to familiarise yourself with content creators new and old!  The items range from fashion to furnishings, and at my time of writing I know of at least one ToddleeDoo item included that you won’t want to miss! There are some great bags, and some jewellery too. You can check out the full-range of items on the official blog.

In this shot I’m wearing two of the prizes: a fabulous jumper from SOMNIA  (it’s that template again! I think it’s taken over Second Life! Not that I mind, I do like it:) and Sanura Snowpaw has chosen to texture it in a great striped knit that’s really effective and well worth your L$25. (In fact you get FOUR jumpers in the package for your dosh, so it’s well worth a punt!)

I’ve paired it with a rather lovely, delicate necklace from  BLIENSEN + MAITAI.  It’s called ‘Songe Floral’, and I *think* it’s a lily.  It has pearls inside (alas, you can’t see on this picture but trust me, they’re there) and it hangs upon a waxed cord with clasp. You get both silver and gold versions for your L$25, and I’m very taken with it indeed.  Happy Hunting!

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