Virtual Fashion

As I have mentioned already in my previous post, I will post some of my virtual style now and then, since my virtual closet is pretty much packed with stuff, cuz I buy lots of outfits, especially for my live performances and special occassions.

I'm kinda sort of a fashionista in my own way, not the type that gets certain stuff cuz it's IN or the fad at the moment. I never and would never be mainstream I guess. I combine my style with products from well known, unknown and upcoming SL designers. It's comparable to RL like, combining designer stuff with second hand and no-name products. I'm mostly in search for undiscovered or upcoming great designers, cuz obviously, almost all shopping addicts buy from well known designers.

I remember discovering some great designers, before they got famous, like Maitreya for example, when she used to have her shop in a small store near Celestial Studios. The first item I bought was the "Grace" sandals and I was so impressed how well done they were. She later on transferred her shop to a skybox with more items like a few boots, some hair and clothes, until she finally opened her shop on the island she's on now. That's when I realized, that she was successful in selling her products. You see, when people all of a sudden, can afford an island to put their shop on, then they are making money for sure.

Another designer I discovered for myself was the Minnu Model Skins designer. I remember seeing 3 or four beautifully made skins in a small rental spot within a huge shopping mall by accident. Oh did I already mention I despise malls? I had to walk through that huge mall, fly up to the second floor to get to the little spot where the skins were, cuz when you teleported there you landed in the middle of the mall on the first floor. I immediately (an alt) bought one skin, when I saw the skins. Later on she opened up her own little shop somewhere (thank god not in a mall anymore) and I bought more skins (well my alt did), cuz there were more varieties then at that time.

When I discovered that Maitreya and Minnu Model Skins got together on their own island, I was sure then, that I have a great sense for great fashion and products, thus discovering upcoming great designers. Now everybody who’s fashion conscious wears their items. Wow! I guess I can be a great talent scout huh?

If you ask me now what I define ugly, when speaking of ugly products, here's how I define products which are absolute crap, in short - I wouldn't even wear them, even if you pay me for that:

Shoes

• Cartoonish looking. I mean have you ever seen shoes in real life? Well then at least create them as close as possible jeeez! Heels, heels, heels OMG! Please get them right if you create them or don't sell them. Or sneakers looking like clown shoes wtf?
  
• Texture… or is there even one?
• Shape - What's up with the shape? For example boots that look like you're wearing huge textured tubes on your legs, well I know they are mostly made of cylinders or whatever, but they just look shitty period.
• Bling. I guess we don't have to discuss about this. As a newbie, you might be impressed when you first rezz inworld and see bling for the first time in your second life, but please stop the bling insanity. Perhaps a decent light bling on jewelleries, with an interval of 30min. if you can't avoid using them. I dunno.
• Heel click sound. I don't know if this annoys you, but it sure does annoy me.

Bad example:

Good example:

Bad example:

Good example:

Clothes

• Bad design. What’s a bad design for me? Let me explain one example of what a bad design is. If a top clothing is suppose to be like a corsage, then emphasize the décolleté, like how it is in RL. You don’t make a cut that almost reaches your neck.
• Bad texturing. Let’s be honest folks, who likes clothes that look like it’s a badly made body paint? Well I don’t pay for stuff like that. If it’s a 3D world, then make it 3D! More realism please!
• Seams. If you can’t get them right, don’t sell them.
• Butt cracks. Another thing I'm not very impressed about. Ok, it might be tolerable to see them on ladies but guys? Hell no! I always had a difficult time finding some decent business suits without butt cracks. I mean if the blazers are just painted on, you see the scary butt cracks. Do that in RL and someone will shoot you. I got so many great looking business suits for women, unfortunately with butt cracks, so I ended up buying a suit made for men, where the jacket is partly made of a skirt to hide the butt crack.
• Bad shading. What's up with a guy wearing a shirt and looking like he got tits? And mind you, the shirt was created only for guys, so no cross dressing involved here. Or jeans with the ass shaded like it sagging wtf?

Bad example:
Take note that this item is actually being sold

Good example:
Take note that this item is a freebie

Hair

• Alpha textures who bites avatars... help! Have you seen your eyelashes on your hair lately? Scary isn't it? Or bald spots on your head like you got a certain type of disease?
• Huge...very huge hair! Please be aware that you will need an extra house for those hair collections one day. Are they made out of mega prims? Just wondering. I believe if you're going for an anime or cartoon type looking avatar, then it's probably cute to exaggerate, cuz cartoons mostly have bigger heads than their bodies. But if you're trying to look as realistic as possible, thus imitating your RL look or RL in general, then please stop that shit. Some hair are so huge, mostly long hair styles, that the avatar wearing it, looks like it's wearing a cape.
  
• Exaggerated flexy hair. They move on their own, they might run away one day.
• Toupet or wig looking hair. How to explain this, if you seen people wearing them in RL, like it's already screaming: I'm a wig! Don't touch me! They mostly look molded, like you just put one complete hair picture on a single prim. Or the torus alignment are so perfect, it looks like a flower pot placed on you head. Wait a minute... it is a flower pot! This is also common with hair styles with no bangs, like the comb up style. I know it's not easy to create those styles, but if they look nasty, don't sell them!
  
• Sculpted hair - a delicate topic. They definitely look great if well done, but the danger is, if they take too slow to rezz or don't rezz at all, then all you'll see are balls! Sometimes avatars with such unrezzed sculpted hair looks like a group of balls just ate their whole head.

Bad example:
Is this suppose to be anime hair?

Good example:
If the bad hair was suppose to be an anime hair

Bad example:

Any mesh hair fetishists out there?

Take note that this hair is actually being sold

Good example:
I think we don't have to argue that this designer creates most of the best hair in SL

Unlike hair, shoes and skins, it is unfortunately still not usual in SL to try on clothes before you buy them, so it's a great waste of money if you happen to buy a shitty product. As far as I am concerned, I haven't seen stores yet who offer demos of clothes. So if you buy one, based on the items photo/ad, it's kinda taking a risk also, cuz photos can be manipulated and you wouldn't see on those pics if the seams are indeed aligned.

Watch out for item pictures, that don't show the back side of the item, especially jeans! I already wasted my money on crappy items. Looks good on the front but the back is fucked up. Also a special tip for newbies, before you spend money on any product, double check inworld stores and SLX first, before buying. Believe me, you will be pissed off if you see the item you bought, available as a freebie, cuz it's probably a freebie!

This is pretty much how I look like in my everyday SL life, well mostly in casual outfits and not overdressed in gowns lol!

Hair: Sirena
Body Shape: Self-made (I sell body shapes btw)
Eyes: Gracile
Scarf: Lo lo Flexi Scarf (modified)
Blazer: Lindmann Business Suit for Men
Pants: Sexy Jeans by Drawmachine (my favorite jeans)
Bracelet: Seiko LeMay
Nails: I&K Glamour Nails
Earrings: Freebie Hoop Earrings (modified)

Hair: MMS Hair Dianna (modified)
Dress: Icing
Shoes: Ash & Diamonds
Sunglasses: Fnky
Bracelets: 7 Deadly Prims
Ring: My wedding ring from my SL husband
Choker: Freebie choker (modified)
Earrings: Freebie Hoop Earrings (modified)

Coat: SiniStyle
Hair: ETD
Shades: Fnky
Shoes: Maitreya
Socks: Maitreya
Jeans: Draw Machine

I mostly wear business outfits or casual clothing during my regular SL days. I'm a tight fit skirt fan and I'm not fond of prim skirts unless they are part of a gown. Perhaps it's because that's also my RL style. More fashion posts to come! So stick around!