..is going to be a relaxed affair. Slobbing about and eating nonsense while the weather plays silly beggars outside. At least the sun always shines in Second Life eh?
There are still LOADS of events to enjoy in world. The Arcade is still going strong, as is the Skin Fair, and you’ll find it a lot easier to get into both at the moment now that the initial hysteria has blown over. Both events are still busy though, and this pleases me. So much hard work goes into arranging and organising events such as these that it’s satisfying to know the contributors will be heartily rewarded with lots of lovely Lindens.
So, speaking of Lindens, I spied something nice and sassy to splash mine on earlier this week. It’s all Sable’s fault. She turned up at mine wearing a splendid shirt and sweater combo that it was all I could do not to kick her and her missus out of the house while I rushed off to grab myself one.
Quality meshwear is reassuringly expensive, and this ‘Cropped Double’ from Auxiliary is just that. But that’s because it’s entirely original, created using Photoshop CS5, Zbrush and Maya by the brand owners Ivy Graves and Tyr Rozenblum. No templates are used here. It’s all hard work, and the quality shines through, with the textures perfectly applied and the shaping made just right. Even though it’s a simple shirt and sweater combo it would be so easy to make a hash of it. Sloppy design and crude detailing are the undoing of many a mesh item, but no such worry here, it’s utterly spot on in the execution.
The plaid texture choice is perfect, the buttons and stitches are clearly visible and the shape of the jumper with its chunky cuffs compliments the attached shirt perfectly. Something else that impressed me about it, daft as it sounds, was the sharpness of the collar. It’s well defined and sits beautifully on the body, and here’s another thing, the back of the Cropped Double is just as impressive as the front. Where the textures meet at the back the item is finished well, and it sits in a pointed hem just above the centre of the buttocks. It wears very well indeed.
In fact, it’s not hard to picture wearing this in real life, and I also discovered when wearing it I could wear a size smaller mesh than I usually sport, which was interesting to me…quality counts!
Probably the best thing for me about this piece though is that it looks like it took time to make, and that’s always what I want to see when I wear something in Second Life. When I splash the Linden-cash I want to be able to love what I’m wearing and know that I got good value for money. I also want to make an impression for the right reasons, and Auxiliary is the kind of label that ensures that will always happen. Cropped Double is available in a number of designs at L$300 a pop, and I think I’ll be making a return visit to stock up…
But that’s no hardship, the store is a joy to wander around, filled with enticing items that are clearly lit and well laid out. I wasn’t the only avatar paying a visit to the store either, which is always encouraging. It’s impossible NOT to make a shopping list during your visit either; I’ve got my eyes on the Owl ‘Slouchy Tank’ for example, as well as the very ‘Alluring Mini’ skirt range. I’ve also fallen totes in love with the brilliant ‘Bunneh Hoodies’, perfect for Easter of course!
A final note, just because this is a virtual world it doesn’t mean that customer service should ever slip. When I purchased my Cropped Double, Second Life was having a fit, so I didn’t receive my item. I’m pleased to say that when I dropped a notecard on Tyr Rozenblum with my transaction history it was remedied in a flash, no quibbles at all. That’s something that I always find reassuring and makes me want to return to buy more!
So however you choose to spend your weekend, I hope it’s a corker. Mine as you can see will be spent raiding the fridge for wine and cooking up a nice juicy steak..although I should really be wearing an apron to avoid splashing my nice new top! Ah well…toodles!
Kitty wears:
Kittywitchin' 