Bare Rose was the very first store that was ever suggested to me as a Second Life noob. I had no idea about fashion in the metaverse then, some would argue that I still don’t, and I didn’t know what to expect upon arrival, but what I found blew me away. It’s now over two years since my first ever visit and Bare Rose has become a constant in my SL fashion adventures. Bare Rose offers no compromises; just some absolutely fantastic fashion at the BEST PRICES ON THE SL GRID. Now, I’ve no doubt that your ‘higher end’ labels offer just as good value for money and quality goods, well I know this to be a fact seeing as I shop at such places myself, BUT the fact of the matter is June Dion, the uber-designer behind the brand, offers some astonishingly above average clothing at a fraction of the regular cost of Second Life clothing. When you go to the store prepare to feel overwhelmed- there is an exhausting array of clothing styles for any occasion and any fashion genre. From cosplay to gothic gowns you’ll find absolutely *everything* represented here and rendered to absolute perfection. I firmly believe that if the grid were to go ‘pop’ leaving one store behind, and that store was Bare Rose, you’d still have enough fashion to keep the even the highest maintenance fashionsta happy. The only problems I ever face at Bare Rose are location based rather than quality related. The lag can be an absolute nightmare because this clothing mecca gets VERY busy and the ARC of the regular shopper here tends to be a bit on the extortionate side. There are also such a vast array of outfits on show that it can take an age to search through them all. Not necessarily a bad thing but combined with lag it can be a pain in the rear. Still, despite these minor gripes Bare Rose manages to remain at the front of the pack amongst avatars, but it seems to me that it can often be neglected in favour of some of the more elitist, and dare I say it, more egotistical brands on the grid by some, but not all SL Fashion writers. But herein lies it’s strength: it doesn’t need to broadcast from the top of Linden Towers to let us know just how ruddy good it is, we all know and word of mouth keeps trade flourishing very nicely indeed thank you very much..So, kitty rave over-this leads me on to tell you about the outfit on display here. It’s called ‘Miri’ and it’s a bit spesh. I’m wearing the grey version here, but you also get pink and black options included in the pack, as well as a long skirt option. The texture and shading selected are spot on, but what makes this the dogs cogs are the details, such as the prim bow and collar, and extras such as contrast brass buttons. Looks uber smart doesn’t it? I’m wearing it with long grey socks (not included), one of my Redgrave skins and Zero Style ‘Dana’ hair for a smart casual Sundaylicious look. BUT that’s not all…look at the bag! OMG Bare Rose produce bags too and I had NO idea until my latest visit to the ‘Bare Rose Haute Couture’ outlet. This is one of those super trendy huge bags that all the celebs brand as weapons to fend off the paparrazi and it is *utterly* gorgeous.It’s a thing of beauty that I want in real life! Again, this is perfectly detailed with brass rivets (co-ordinates well with Miri don’t you think?) combined with super strap details that look super impressive in close up. I think this is just an exceptionally classy look, and the best bit is both Miri and the Belissima bag cost under L$200 each!!! I know! Pick yourselves up off the floor! June Dion has done it again and proves without a doubt that Second Life style doesn’t have to cost a bloody fortune..perhaps if other designers followed June’s model there would be less griping across the grid with regards to pricing and the freebie culture, but that’s a whole different debate for another day. (Look, there’s only a very select few designers out there that offer similar quality, content and fabooshness to June for such low prices, the only other example that springs to mind is the ever wonderful Ivey Deschanel and her Sn@tch empire but it’s late and I’m tired:)
So, rave over. If you require further convincing zoom on over to Bare Rose HQ and if you can get in fall upon it, make like a vampire and feast yourself on ferocious fashion until you’ve gorged yourself silly and turned into the grid equivalent of Anna Wintour. Eep!