Second Style Magazine

Update: Second Style #6, our holiday themed issue is now available in world (check our HQ in Green or get a copy from any vendor!) or get a copy from our website as a high resolution PDF. I hope you enjoy it! And, also let me wish you a very happy holiday time and all of the best for 2007 on behalf of everyone at Second Style.

Isn’t this the best cover we’ve ever done??? When I saw my proof copy of #6 last night my jaw hit the floor. That’s cover girl Starley Thereian wearing the Celestial Studios/Dazzle Ice Enchantress Limited Edition. Cover photograph by the amazing Launa Fauna.

But we have lots lots more inside. There’s an interview with Starley Thereian, the return of our Men’s Corner (in the theme of holiday party wear), a fantastic 40s film noir style black and white photoshoot (outfits by Roslin Petion, photography by Rob Danton) and a whole layout of gorgeous holiday gowns. But that’s not even close to everything: Style Girl, Inventory Raid, Designer’s Tip, Fresh Faces spotlight, two great fashion mini-guides and much more!

It should be out in a day or so… so be watching!

My… the Itamae family surely has some gifted clan members. Did Celeb talk to you some days ago about shoe designer Yuka Itamae, I would like to share with you the brand new designs of Relika Itamae.

Relika is a starting designer who is currently building up her collection at her little shop in Plush Micron. A week or so ago she sent me some samples of her roll neck sweaters which looked very comfortable and are available various lovely, fashionable colours (dark brown, fuchsia, golden ochre, petrol, olive and rust) and two different belts (a black and a brown one). It’s the kind of sweater you can wear with anything not too dressy. I’ve been wearing mine with a lot of outfits already. In this picture I show you the olive one on a pair of indigo jeans. I like simple things, which are well textured, and these sweaters surely are. It looks like a soft chenille fabric, all warm and cuddly.You can either buy a single sweater in the colour of your choice, or go for the very convenient fatpack.

Today I received again a sample of Relika’s work and now I became really enthusiastic. It’s a retro print skirt outfit which comes in three different versions. A black and white one, teal and white and orange and brown. How I love the subtle prim belt on the waist and the matching beads necklace.  It looks elegant. Retro yes, because of the texture of the top but modern in lining. I decided to show you Relika’s ad so that you can see all three of them, showing you just one would do no justice to these yummy outfits.

Relika has not started too long ago as a designer and is very eager to develop. I suggest we all keep a close look on her, because these first designs are absolutely promising. You might want to visit Relika’s blog to be the first one to know about new releases: http://relikaitamae.blogspot.com/

I’d like to use a little of this blogspace for wishing all of you happy holidays. Spend time with your loved ones, in SL and RL alike, enjoying the festive atmosphere which by now is all over the place. Take care and be good to eachother!

Relika’s shop is located in Sc Design Plaza, Shopping M, Plush Micron (230, 203, 22)

Seen in world: yes

Review copy: yes

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Browsing SLExchange for a HUD photo organizer, I came across something rather startling. Camo high heels. Now I’ve been in SL and on this planet just long enough that that in itself isn’t very startling. What was startling was that they were on the front page… at the top… and searching a half dozen SL Fashion sites, I found nothing– NOTHING! Now I don’t know how old these shoes are, but I’m pretty sure they’ve been out for more than a few days (where their absence from the fashionistas’ watchful eyes would make more sense).

So okay, down to business. Why are these shoes so exciting, or is it just the egg nog talking? The Commando Pumps by tatoo Korvin of D2TK come with 10 walk animations to choose from, as well as your choice of 70 camo textures and optional “sparkle”, all controlled by clicking the right shoe. The camo textures might be a deterrent, except there are so many variations for every colour, running the gamut from traditional-looking camo to the peachy-keen pink camo shown in the snapshot over yonder. I had considered shooting them with some sort of Block-style outfit before I realized there was a texture that would even work with the pseudo-professional outfit I was already in.

Seen in world: Yes
Review copy: No
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In this photo: skin: Alina (Lily Shine) by Lost Thereian, Naughty Designs; tattoos: Cute by Scarlet Singer, LUSH; hair: Cyberpunk (brown black) by Kin Keiko, Kin; eyes: Deep (Aubergine) by Starley Thereian, Celestial Studios; top and pants: Pixels in Pink Tuxedo by Elikapeka Tiramisu, ETD; shoes: Commando Pumps by tatoo Korvin, D2TK; manicure: RFL Pink Ribbon by Lexi Morgan, Ink Slingers

Some stores just make shopping less about money than it is about fun. Not just wall of products, not just nice clothes. Antonia Marat’s home base, artilleri, has got to be one of the best examples of this. Her main store in Gama is a 1950s diner dream, complete with vintage prim gas pumps, and store branches usually feature elements of this theme as well, like booths and jukeboxes.

But this isn’t new, and she’s not the only one who goes after ambiance as much as sale space. She also arranges everything to be extremely helpful to her customers, and a great demonstration of this? Today, Antonia released the Lulu bracelet, which is as you can see a collection of bangles printed with Antonia’s familiar rockabilly flare. Next to these bracelets in the NEWS section? Two suggestions for matching the shade of green that dominates her new accessory. A lot of long-time fashionistas may have no shortage of green, but flashback to when you were a little newer… Cute bracelets, that’s a given, but do you have anything to wear them with? Maybe the only greens you have are pastels? How much time would these extra three prims save you? (Should I stop speaking interrogatively?) Realistically this can’t be done with every product in an entire store, but it’s a pretty thoughtful idea to whip out now and then, especially with things like jewelry.

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A little aside here; a great freebie to pick up if you don’t already have something similar is Mystical Cookie’s MystiTool HUD free edition, from Mystical Cookie Designs. While the full version (which is on sale right now for 50% off) has more features, the freebie alone has avatar radar, animation stop button, bug scanner, poser, emoter, a sit shield, sky platform rezzer, chat-range notifier, flight assist, reset all scripts function, and even a particle sparkly thing button (Edit: This is actually a non-physical vehicle, not just a random shiny doodad maker like I thought). For free. FOR FREE. This is nothing new for most seasoned players, but getting a Swiss-Army-HUD like this one is a necessity for everyone, and did I mention that this one is free?

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Review copy: No
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Yuka Itamae sent me several pairs of shoes last week to check out and I have to say I’ve been enjoying them quite a bit. Inspired by some encouragement from Gita Gaea (of Shine — see her fabulous clothes here at Linden Lifestyles) Yuka’s been branching out into all sorts of designs and styles.

For now, I think her simplest shoes are also her best — my favorites among the samples she sent were the giraffe print heels and the simple, but fashionably elegant black pearl heels (both shown). Can a girl ever have too many black strappy sandals? Just one opinion here, but I think the correct answer is no. But if animal prints and chic strappy sandals aren’t your preference, Yuka also has an entire line of shoes featuring pretty prim flowers along with several other designs in a poupourri of colors and styles.

Seen in world: Yes
Review copies: Yes
Friends list: No

In this photo: skin: Cursed Ruby Catseye by Portia Sin, Sin Skins; hair: Punkish (dirty burnt) by Elika Tiramisu, ETD; dress: Giraffe Fever by Shai Delacroix, Shai; jewelry: Snowflake by Astry Mirabeau, Digital Adornments; shoes: Giraffe print by Yuka Itamae, Yuka Shoes

Besides being very busy getting her new sim build, Sol Columbia from Luminosity has managed to enrich our SL with yet some other of her wonderful creations over the last couple of weeks. In her blog I read about Trieste, which is in some way the succesor of the succesful Ravenna outfit. People have been asking Sol for more skirts like the Ravenna. An elegant knee length flexi-skirt with a satin trim and waistband. An exquisite not too casual skirt that is perfect for almost all occasions. So Sol decided to create Trieste, based on the same skirt. Trieste comes in 3 colour themes, green, blue and silver and has a cute poloneck shirt to match it, as wel as two longsleaved undershirts. Wear it either with some pretty sandals or with comfy sneakers and you’re ready to conquer SL.

We may expect more creations named after beautiful cities since, and I quote Sol on this: ”Cities around the world [..] help me create new names and also to inspire ideas”

Credits: The hair is Calla’s Red Poppy Lights in Golden Blonde, the skin: ND’s Alina Natural Beauty, the earrings are Grazia (!) by Earthtones and the shoes are Dazzle’s Libertine Stiletto Snowy.

For the time being, Luminosity can be found at: Igbo (62, 43, 30). And for those who are curious about the new sim… visit Sol’s blog, there are some previews. It’s going to be quite a beautiful build (http://flapjack.modwest.com/ )

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I’ve got a soft spot for kitties. The animal I’m most allergic to is the animal I am most fond of, so I’ve got quite an array of kitty accessories for someone who rarely ventures outside of their own species.

I’ll mention that I’m absolutely ashamed that I hadn’t tried Miriel Enfield’s eyes before she dropped the Natural and Unnatural Cat Collections on me. They’re quite glossy and luminous, and more to the point, hyper-realistic. Eyes are one of the most important modifications you can make to a basic avatar, and these are great windows to the kitty-cat soul inside.

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Review Copy: Yes
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Quite a change of pace is mentioning Sunnivah Jiutai’s supremely unique hairstyles from MAU’s & MEJ’s. This store has everything from clothing to weaponry, but the hair section features some of the most striking styles that I’ve seen in months.

There are some plain-Jane long and straight hairstyles, but what I’m talking about are a half dozen styles that will ring bells for fans of Chinese fairytale films like “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”, “The Promise”, and the soon-to-be-released “Curse of the Golden Flower”. Hairstyles fit for a Chinese princess from dynasties long past, draped in trembling silk and dipped in jade ornaments. Shown is Padma, which I originally intended to wear with some sort of long-sleeved oriental gown… which I realized I don’t have any of. For the sake of accuracy a kimono would look ridiculous, so my focus changed from Chinese princess to Chinese demoness assassin. …I take my costuming very seriously, so stop laughing and enjoy the hair.
Seen in world: Yes
Review copy: No
Friends list: No

In this photo: skin: Beach Brat (m3) by Ambyance2 Anubis, Naughty Designs; tattoos: Body Graffiti (asian theme) by Canimal Zephyr, Canimal; hair: Padma by Sunnivah Jiutai, MAU’s & MEJ’s; eyes: Unnaturals (red) by Starley Thereian, Celestial Studios; lashes: Pretty by Lynnix Muse, Lynnix Lashes; dress: Espionnier by Ginny Talamasca, Dazzle; shoes: High-heeled sandals (red) by Jackal Ennui, Lassitude&Ennui; earrings: Kef (black silk) by Random Calliope, Shy Neon; sword: Tek Yakiba by Ayame Musashi, Musashi Blades

 Hmmm as said in my previous Things I liked post, there are so many yummy things in my inventory, that it was too hard making a single selection… so I took myself up to it and dug in again and what fun I had. Trying on outfits half forgotten, zooming in on spledid textures and detailing… time flies when you are having fun…. This is the first outfit I ever bought. It’s Nyte Caligari’s Business Major. The top and jacket are a single layee, so you cannot wear them apart, but hey… who cares.. when you look sharp like hat in an outfit, you don’t think of mixing and matching. Besides… since it was my only decent looking outfit, I was wearing it all the time anyway. THe hair is ETD’s Mod, the skin is sunkissed Earth by Gala and oooh the bag… I love it.. it’s the CD Charlotteville Tote, by SAC.

 Folded Flag, by Paper Couture. People, this is awsome. Paper Couture is true SL haute Couture. This is from the fall 2006 collection. No in between releases for Paper Couture. A collection is released… and I cannot wait to see what will be presented for spring 2007. RL designers Victor & Rolf have designed a small collection for H&M which was an absolute hit. The fall collection of PC reminds me of their work, but it’s absolutely original. The frill jacket is to die for, with prim shoulders and skirt layered tail. The top of a lush folded antracite. The sheer flexiprim skirt moves just like if it was a real fabric. It has a little red flower corsage and… a tiny hat with a veil. I’m sure there are avies that look stunning wearing it, but I’m not one of them. The gogo boots are Asri Falcone’s and they come with a sexy walk. The skin is ND’s Alina natural beauty, and the bun is part of the skin pack.

Ginny… what will become of us when you close Dazzle at December 31? This is the Marissa dress from her hands. I’ve heard from Dazzle for the first time immediately after it closed last October. I read the Dazzle blog over and over and could not believe I had missed out on these designs. The day I stumbled upon this dress in a yard sale is definately one of the best in my SL life so far. The texturing is so beautiful, it melts around my shape and it looks so silky soft. The cross over neckline is superb. It is quite a cleavage, but so chique. the painted belt is sleek and looks natural. The shoes are ETD’s Metal Heels and the hair is Naughty Design’s Angel II in Tahithian Sunrise. The pearl bracelet? It’s an old freebie that i’m still very fond of.

Next to Nyte ‘n Day, Simone! was one of the first designers I discovered when I came in world. This is her Ella in silver. I remember being so impressed when i first walked through her huge store and had a serious shopping crisis when I realised I did have to choose between all te beautiful designs. I just wanted to have them all! But… reason took the better of me and I bought just this Ella dress. Thousends of little beads are stitched on the top and it sparkles without having bling added. The flexi skirt moves beautifully when you walk of dance… or fly for that matter. The sheer scarf is subtle which I like very much. You see a lot of scarfs that point up in the air unnaturally, but this one looks just like a light breeze is playing with it. For the hair I choose the Mocha Impassion from Naughty Design, just because I love he casual chique of it… It looks equally awsome with formal wear as it does with some stonewashed jeans and a tank top.The skin is the Sunkissed Sanguine by Gala.

Well people… so far the digging in Grazia’s inventory. Next posts will be about new things instead of looking back. Before I forget, I would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas. Have fun, stay out of trouble and make sure you don’t stuff yourselves on turkey and goose to a point that you’ll have to start adjusting all the outfits in your inventories

Nyte ‘N Day: Couture Isle (142, 125, 48) ~ ETD: CoutureIsle (221, 125, 50) ~ Gala Skins:Vaoetere (183, 8, 41) ~ SAC: Hyades (209, 123, 26) ~ Paper Couture: Barcola (80, 117, 25) ~ Asri Falcone Originals:Le Cadre (150, 223, 32) ~ Naughty Designs:Naughty (81, 113, 23) ~ Dazzle Haute Couture: Dazzle (124, 133, 23) ~ Simone!:  Simone (90, 141, 601)

Let’s face it, pantsuits can be boring–but obviously not in the hands of designer Kinyo Nino. This hot little black number has got to be one of the sharpest pantsuits I’ve seen in Second Life, or in real life for that matter. The belt and zipper details on the slacks and the jacket are creative and unique, and the whimsical fur collar is so much fun. The fur looks so real, I can practically feel its softness as I imagine my fingers caressing it.

Kinyo’s shop is full of little outfits like this–with lots of rich fabrics and interesting details. Many of her designs are sexy without being slutty. She knows how to make a woman look and feel good about what she’s wearing. She has the usual bras and thongs on display and a few sheer tops and dresses, but they come with nontransparent alternatives.

French Gallery in Pickerel (105, 244, 129)

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Review copy: No
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Well I wouldn’t quite call this a sneak peak, since I don’t think most of you will see it before the actual outfit is released. The Glacier Ice winter LE is the most recent addition to Callie Cline’s vibrant collection at FUNK. So what makes Glacier Ice stand out from the other luscious LE’s that are out for the holiday season?

Un: A beautiful snowy version of Callie’s must-have accessory, the Rainbowa.
Deux: An oh-so-Callie sequined textile that brings a classic and calm dress design up a notch.
Trois: A long, trailing fanny-bow.
Quatre: A special version of Jackal Ennui’s Eva pumps made specially for this set; the Evas in snow, with diamond-studded straps.

The LE set will also include a pretty little bracelet as another perk, though the review copy doesn’t come with one, so I look forward to hearing from lucky customers how swanky it is.

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Review copy: Yes
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In this photo: skin: Innocence (Aerial01) by Canimal Zephyr, Canimal; hair: Peppy (Ginger brown) by Elikapeka Tiramisu, ETD; dress/gloves/boa: Glacier Ice LE by Callie Cline, FUNK; shoes: Eva (LE Diamond) by Jackal Ennui, Lassitude&Ennui

Every now and then, an outfit makes me go “Whoah!”. A reaction of being purely impressed, and knowing that I absolutely must have it, at any cost. Luckily in the case of Catherine from Vitamin Ci, it was pennies for an outfit that’s pure gold. Or silver. Or red. Whichever one you like the most.

This so-close-to-a-halter dress comes with a short and knee-length skirt options, but even the short version looks super classy, especially with that coy little scarf. Can I take a moment to gush about this scarf? It’s getting more and more common, grâce au flexi prims, for scarves to be included with outfits. Typically they have just one texture, but Ciera Bergman’s gone the extra mile and doubled it up, using the single tone and the fancy tone-on-tone brocade.

If you’re stubbornly only wearing Holiday clothes right now, then don’t forget to earmark Catherine for later, and if you’re like me and you just can’t wait that long… Just think Christmas in Santa Cruz!

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Review copy: No
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In this photo: skin: Black Cat by Gala Phoenix, Empyrean Emporium; hair: Cassie by Lost Thereian, Naughty Designs; dress/scarf: Catherine (silver) by Ciera Bergman, Vitamin Ci; shoes: Eva (Coal) by Jackal Ennui, Lassitude&Ennui

It’s been a few months, but while I’m on my winter vacation from the collegiate grind Celebrity’s given me a place to scratch my blogging itch, and we’re going to get the ball rolling with some stocking stuffers that won’t break your holiday brandy budget.

These are just a few of the freebies you can pick up at Shy Neon, Random Calliope’s modest shop/studio. While some (not most, I apologize) of the jewelry does have a Gorean market in mind (the earring shown, “Kef”, comes in three traditional kajira silk colours, for instance), they have a fantastical flavour that could translate just as easily into casual day-to-day wear. Also shown is the necklace from “But I’m Not the Only One”, and the necklace and headpiece from “Slither” (which has a gazillion colour combinations and comes in a Free to Copy golden cobra).

Categorizing the style, these pieces in particular are in the same abstract to art nouveau vein as Miriel Enfield or Jackal Ennui’s respective jewelry work. These stunning creations are at least 95% primwork, with incredibly precise detailing. I especially love the graceful curls in the Slither set… And yes, they are free. Well, L$1 per set, and I can’t imagine that would put anyone off!

Seen in world: Yes
Review copy: No
Friends list: No

In this photo (I’m sorry if I forget some details, but the grid went down right as I started this section): skin: Tasty Skin (Vanilla Mocha) by Posy Trudeau, Miau Haus; hair: WLSB Faith MidNyte by Zyrra Falcone and/or Hosequeen McLean, Panache; eyes: Deep (Aubergine) by Starley Thereian, Celestial Studios; top: Deese by Ginny Talamasca, Dazzle; jewelry: all by Random Calliope of Shy Neon