Second Style Magazine

Tete à Pied sells skins. We all know that, and we are glad they do because they are GOOOD! I’m just not much of a skin reviewer, so I never really get to it to throw of all my clothes and show up for the camera naked for the sake of you all wanting to buy nice skins. My bits are mine and even when bought, I just don’t feel like exposing them.

However….. last night I received a group notice from TàP designer Roslin Petion that she and CJ Carnot have released a lovely classical retro outfit that can be bought with a limited release skin. Now that triggers my curiousity, because you can be good with skins… but are you good with clothing too? So this morning I hurried over to the Noveau sim where Tete à Pied is located and had a difficult moment when I really did have to choose between the cocoa and the slate version of the outfit. After lots of internal deliberations I chose the cocoa one and i’ved not regretted it. The brown tweed is luxurious, the optional prim fur collar a beauty, the soft pink frilly blouse is as well textured as we might expect from one of Shai Delacroix’ outfits and the knee long skirt is so chic.

I could go on forever on this outfit, but ofcourse there came a skin with this textured poetry. And you will want to know if it meets the usual high standard of TaP. Well, it does. I took the Medium Bronzage because it goes well either with my darker and lighter hair and the make up is everything I could hope for in Roslin’s skins. The lipstick is the most gorgeous red I’ve ever seen the eyes have a quiet rust/brown day make up. Although just beautiful I cannot do anymore without my prim Lynnix’s lashes, so I did keep them attached. What I particularly like about TaP skins is the hint of blue in the skin… when you take a very close look it’s as of you see the veins under the skin. So realistic. The only downside to this skin is what i think the quite heavy shadow under the chin, but that might be a light problem I’ve been having lately with my computer.

Oh, I IM’d CJ to compliment him on the release, but in my enthusiasm I must have made a mistake…. this is what he answered: “thank you, I haven’t seen the Fevrier yet, it’s still January”. Hehehe… it’s my wishful thinking… cannot wait to see what’s in store next month.

Nouveau Estate, Tete a Pied Skins – Womens, Mens, Female, Male., Nouveau (199, 154, 251)

Seen in world: yes

Review copy: no

Friends list: no 

Just spotted a couple of new fashion related blogs, and I wanted to pass on the URLs. I’ll be adding a link over on the sidebar too.

First, some of the writers from PXP decided to open Style Disorder, which is written with the same breezy, “I’m IMing my shop-a-holic friend” style that Willow, Arbel, Canimal and Starley used on PXP to such great effect.

Second, take a look at She’s So Unusual, written by Rowan Carroll which aims to inform readers about smaller, newer, less expensive designers. Rowan has a great eye for style and a great writing voice. I’ve really enjoyed what she’s written so far.

Nyte Caligari often releases outfits that I just want because they are so well done, even if right then and there I have no opportunity for wearing them. Last week such an outfit was released. A catsuit called Merrrcy. Pitch black, shiny and with a deep back that is way to dangerous for good girls. And will he be begging you for mercy when you are dancing the night away in your favourite club, raving to the music in the mesmerizing coloured lights. This cat suit is sweet poison, he won’t know what hit him till it’s too late. Merrrcy is also available in the darkest red.

Nyte often does multiple releases and this time is no different. Next to the cat suit she released a cute lingerie set Flurry in 5 different colours, with the cutest fluffy ultra micro skirt for the ultra daring among you. The fluffy texture is coming back as a trimming of the bra and the total, including panties, stockings and garter is just smashing. Further there is a skirt outfit called Honey which is a set composed of a black mini skirt, a black top and a belted, off the shoulders, sweater that is available in 4 warm shades. Every day cuteness at its best.

The fourth and last release is a skirt outfit called Plaidem with a flexi plaid skirt and a colour washed jeans jacket. It’s for sale in 4 different tempered colours, or as a convenient fatpack. The reason I chose this outfit to be in the photo, besides the over all look, is definately the jeans jacket. I love it. Well detailed and well textured. I just adore the two pockets on it and how well you can see the double stitched seams. I have matched it here instead of with the tanktop that comes with the outfit, with a necklace that Earhtones designer Lucas Lameth has made and of which the green gems match the green of the outfit just perfectly. I’d like to mention the boots separately. I found them in a store on Deimos, near Shai Delacroix’ shop and fell in love instantaneously. Snake skin boots with an included sexy walk. Indispensible and irresistable with a set like Plaidem.

Nyte ‘N Day is located at CoutureIsle (101, 125, 48)

In these photo’s: Merrrcy cat suit in black: *CS* Charmed Skin 40 ~ Red Gloss, ETD’s Couture Collection The Crop in dark brown, Artilleri’s tatoo Old School and Au Naturel’s Back Buckeld Heels. Plaidem Green: ETD’s Couture Collection: The Half Up in smoke, Tete à Pied’s  Bronzage Medium Seductress, Earthtome’s Grazia necklace and earrings in gold/everglade and Au Naturel’s Snakeskin Boots.

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… says Elisabeth Gürtler, Grande Dame of the Vienna Opera Ball about nightlife and “La Dolce Vita” in Vienna on the home page of the Viennese tourist board. Well on her journey to beautiful cities around the world, Sol Columbia takes us to Vienna next and I must admit… there isn’t much sin in these lovely casuals…. they are delicious though…. After opening up Luminous Island Sol has been working on some separates as well as on some jewelry (!) but it’s so nice to see a fresh complete outfit featuring the walls of the new shop

Vienna was released a couple of days ago and comes in three different colour sets. Green, with green and brown capris, black with black and withe ones and pink with pale pink and deep red capris. The top and vest come in different layer options to suit your personal needs. I like Sol’s textures on this outfit.. the ribbed shirt and the subtle knitwear of the vest. Whereas the black version is almost tomboyish, and the green just very clean and fresh, the pink one is very feminine and that’s just because of the colours ofcourse, but still, it is nice to see that one outfit can be so versatile when you match it with different hair skin and acessories

After building the new sim, Sol told me that she was looking forward to get back to making clothes, and although she sees herself as a slow worker I think she’s been doing quite fine delivering these outfits to the world.

Luminosity: Luminous Island (83, 117, 31)

In these pictures: Vienna Pink:ETD’s The Chignon (couture collection) in Ash Brown, Gala skin Tan Wine and Black, Thin Strap Heels By DD Designs. Vienna Green: Naugthy Designs’ [ND] “Angel II” hair - tahitian sunrise, Naughthy Designs’Alina Singles Fair skin- “Eye Shadow Natural Beauty” and Thin Strap Heels By DD Designs.

Review copies: yes

Friends list: no

A couple of weeks ago I ran into Artilleri’s Antonia Marat and she told me that she was planning on getting a bigger place for her shop. I think Antonia is a wonderfully crazy designer, who has totally a style of her own that puts a definite signature to all her clothes, so I was quite curious to see this place and asked Antonia whether she would let me know when she moved.

The other day I received notice from Antonia that the new place was up and running and that she had decided to make no fuzz of the opening….. The clothes and the accesoiries, the hair and the tatoos… everything has been put on display and it looks gooooood. Basically the shop is more of the same trusted old place, but MUCH more… A 50′s diner with a black and white checkered floor… Very Grease, very Rock ‘n Roll. It’s just bigger so there is more room for the designs and you get a less cramped feeling. Right at the entrance Antonia has her releases on display, and although I’m not such a rock chick, I could not resist the Katzzen outfit, with it’s feline texture and pink petticoat. Just for the fun of it, I matched it up with the awesome Jamie short hairdo and for the first time in my life, both SL and RL, i’m wearing a tattoooo… old school.

The surroundings are fun, there is a nice terrace, a gas station, vintage cars (that wil catapult you when you try to sit on the hood for a picture LOL), a beach, Antonia’s home and ooooh… a little playground with a swing, a picknick table and a twister game laid out…. if only that would work…I’d be playing all day . Did I mention that it’s at 702ft up in the air?

I hope this new place will inspire Antonia to give us, fashionable residents, more of her unique and funny designs. Visit Artilleri in: Axel (200, 190, 702)

Seen in world: yes

Review copy: no

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Those of you who are regular guests at Calendon will probably know her, but I’ve discovered only yesterday a fabulous designer who has been active in SL for quite some time now. I was dancing at my regular bar and saw a friend in one of the most fabulous formals I’ve ever seen…. beautiful caramel colour, rich texture, awesome design. It puzzled me because I could not remember if and where I had ever seen a gown like this. When I asked her about it, she invited me over to the shop of this miracle worker and I spent quite some time talking to this lady who is not only a SL, but also a RL fashion designer. Her name? Shenlei FLasheart. Her shop? Prim and Proper.

I intended just to hop over for a moment, look into the collection, maybe buy something and head home, after all it was becoming quite late, but we ended up talking at length about Shenlei’s passion, creating beautiful, historically correct costumes. She calls it an obsession, I call it a gift. Shenlei before turning to fashion used to be a cosutme designer in RL and now she creates Victorian clothing in SL, elegant gowns that are amazingly accurate… Regulars and residents of Calendon probably wear the day dresses just like I put on a pair of jeans, but these clothes make great formals!

A lot of her designs are being inspired by the father of Haute Couture, Charles Frederick Worth, who came from London to establish in Paris the still existing House of Worth. She uses multiple layers of prims to make the gowns have a very lifelike look. Lace is often used as a sheer top layer to finish off a gown. In this picture I show you the House of Worth inspired Forget Me Not gown in pale blue (anno 1895). The puffy, layered skirt, the detailed bodice and the lovely frilly ruffles on the shoulders make this gown so special. Shenlei also designs and makes matching jewelry and these Edwardian diamond and gold earrings are just the finishing touch to the outfit.

Totally awesome.. and in no way old fashioned, is the day dress in this picture (anno 1900). Très chique. It is in the colour smoke, a delicate silvery grey colour, full of surprising shades. The fur trimmings are luscious and so soft, you’d want to touch them constantly. The flexi prim skirt moves naturally with you, it’s not overreacting, leaving you hidden in the flexi fog that you sometimes see. And these are only two examples of Shenlei’s talented designs. She told me that almost every weekend she releases new designs and that she often makes limited editions, just ten per gown… and it is all so affordable! Prim & Proper has a faithful group of customers but is not very famous outside of the Victorian sims. I think that’s a loss to the rest of the residents and would love to see the designs in world more often.

So Prim & Proper sells Victorian designs, but that does not mean that it cannot be very well combined with modern clothing. I went back today to pick up this very cute mink capelet that looks great with an elegant outfit like House of Zen’s Abyss which was released earlier today. Shenlei told me full of enthusiasm that in a forthnight the shop will be replaced by a bigger one that will also have enough space to put the men’s clothing on display. She would like to invite all of you to visit Calendon, which often is the stage for events and exhibtions that deserve more attention in SL.

Sometimes I can get so happy from a sleepless night, especially when I find a hidden treasure like Prim & Proper.

Visit The Tea Society, Prim & Proper, Caledon Store, Caledon Tamrannoch (180, 29, 23)

Seen in world: yes

Review copy: no

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Fade Dana of D3volution (we are not men, we are deeeeevo) already attracted a post at PXP, and when Roslin Petion, one of my fashion muses dropped a landmark on me and said “You MUST go,” I obeyed.

D3volution’s main store in Muir is like a cross between a redneck trailer park after a tornado and a what-if post-Three Mile Island America. Atmospherically, it doesn’t get much better than what Fade’s constructed. I agree with Chip Midnight’s assessment: Fade is one of the best building texturers in Second Life. (You can see Chip’s eerily disembodied hand in the lower right corner of my picture.)

Happily, Fade Dana is also a budding fashion designer, mostly providing a selection of deliciously shaped and textured berets, fedora hats and other head pieces: Armored soldier helmets for all of your tank girl needs, two sets of goggles and on and on. To find the vendors, by the way? Click on the roll up garage door (or cam inside the building.) OK, so Fade is great at building, but maybe needs a little work on product placement. Her berets are fabulous though and come with a selection of adornments like flowers, stars and other little knickknacks. I was surprised, given the setting, that she didn’t make a “fallout shelter” symbol beret or “biohazard” symbol beret. Who knows? Those could be sitting in her inventory.

If you’re looking for a little ooh-la-la for your hair, or maybe you need some incredibly detailed riot grrl wear to finish an outfit, make this a destination on your list. Don’t miss out on the other great “gently used” military surplus items on the second floor of the garage.

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

In this photo: skin: Innocence (Dawn 01) by Canimal Zephyr, Canimal; hair: Party Girl III (rose) by Lost Theriean, Naughty Designs; beret: Maverick by Fade Dana, D3volution; choker: Stoned choker by Fallingwater Cellardoor, Shiny Things; tee: I <3 Toxic Waste (modded) by Fade Dana, D3volution; skirt: olive plaid by Sol Columbia, Luminosity; boots: Nemesis by Etain Peregrine, Dark Eden; pose: Attitude by Torrid Midnight; on location: D3volution

Hair Fair 2007 is coming soon and it’s not too late to start planning those vacation days now! Last year’s event was such a wild success that it’s on again — and this year’s organizing committee learned a lot from last year’s event. Just a few of the tidbits include: hosting the fair across multiple sims and providing support to a charity like Locks of Love, which provides free hairpieces to children with long-term hair loss due to any medical condition. (Kind of a mini-Relay for Life, but with a more SL friendly abbreviation: LOL).

I’m sure there will be lots and lots of hoarded new releases to unleash on the grid and one of the very best things about Hair Fair is finding that new up-n-coming hair creator — maybe someone you’ve never shopped before but always meant to get over there. Having so much support from so many creators makes it possible to do that.

Hair Fair 2006 was so much fun I went diving into the archive to find Second Style Fashionista’s coverage. Here’s a new release round up, an article at Linden Lifestyles about Hair Fair Freebies, and the winners of the Miss Hair Fair 2006 contest.

This year’s Hair Fair will be April 6-14, 2007. You can see more details on Elika Tiramisu’s blog.

This adorable black dress comes with a sash, attached underskirt and striped leggings–all recolorable. Canimal Zephyr says she named it Lulu & Sugarpie because they’re the first words that popped into her head when she had to name it. The name has a cute ring, but fortunately for us, Canimal is much better at designing cute casual clothing than she is at naming it!

There’s a bit much highlighting around the skirt hemline for my taste, and I had to lose several inches off my waist to get the sash to fit–thank goodness this is Second Life and you can do that in an instant!–but otherwise this one is a winner. The dropped waistline and softly pleated skirt are very feminine without being over the top. I especially like the way the striped leggings peek out beneath the sheer underskirt to give the whole outfit just the right touch of quirkiness.

The pumps are by Polyester Partrid, available at Yummy in Tableau (170, 186, 30). When you buy them, you get three styles–all totally useful–a blue and pink pastel pattern, a shimmery gold pattern (sans bling) that goes with just about everything, and this red and black pair called Kiss because it’s got red hearts and lips.

Canimal in Canimal (210,61,26)

Seen in world: Yes
Review copies: Yes
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Valerie McDunnough invites you to attend her urban male fashion show featuring five of Second Life’s top men’s designers: Men In Action, FORM, Reaction, Desert Moon, and [Renegade]. The show will be on January 13, 2007 at 1 pm SLT on Nantli Xolal (gesundheit) 35, 106, 277. (Note the Z coordinate!) If you need to shop for some decent looks for your boy — this is the event you should go to.

Sylfie Minogue — the queen diva of the stiletto — has finally opened a great big main store on her own sim. No more shopping for Sylfie’s fabulous shoes from a laggy vendor — that alone is enough reason to celebrate. Her new main store is crammed with normal lag-free (but primmy) vendors and has plenty of room for new designs. The store is in one corner of the sim, and the rest of it has been carefully terraformed and landscaped into an steamy, jungle filled island — she intends for inhabitants (and guests) to roleplay living in a lush romantic tropical paradise. The grand opening party will be on Thursday, January 11th at 9pm SLT on Sylfie Isle. Dress code: your hottest swimwear or silk.

I suspect the vast majority of readers will greet this announcement of the viewer source code availability with a shrug and a yawn, but for content creators, there must be an eerily similar feeling about this announcement as the recent CopyBot furor. If anything, this is perhaps worse in some senses because now instead of reverse engineering the communication protocols, a clever (perhaps malicious) programmer can just remove the DRM protections in the viewer and go on his merry way.

Linden Lab attempted to pre-empt some of the furor that will inevitably result in this FAQ, but it seems to say basically that “We’re not the copyright police. Please consider using the DMCA.”

On a technical note I’m thrilled (I am a programmer by day, fashionista blogger by night), but as a content reviewer and consumer I am deeply concerned that many content creators will lose some portion of their sales to thieves. Perhaps more details about disincentives to steal content will be revealed during the technical town hall with Cory Linden tomorrow.

More thoughts here by Lordfly Digeridoo and at 3pointD.

People tell me I use the word yummy a lot…. well, that might be because I’n not a native speaker and thus my vocabulary is somewhat limited in certain aspects, but I also use it quite often because yummy… well, it just sounds delicious and therefor it can be said of many things that the SL fashion industry has to offer. However, seldom I’ve found a place where yummy is so adequate a word for as this place in Tableau: Yummy. Not only is this little shop above Nylon Outfitters called like this, it is also one of the places where I could easily buy everything on display.

Yummy sells acessoiries that are adorable. I’ve bought a beautiful locket where you can put your own picture in. It also has small bead pendants on the subtle, partially double necklace and a tiny key….. to your heart or to someone else’s? Next, my eyes fell upon a pair of very rich filigrain gold gipsy earrings that triggered me immediately and before I knew it they were in my inventory. This has happened to some of the other earrings as well because they are so well made and without bling!

Since I wanted to show you some more of the things in Yummy, I’ve bought a very nice bangle called Rustic as well (oh, what a terrible job this is….). On the wooden bangle there is a subtle string of gold thread wrapped several times around it and it has gemstones like amber and turquoise, as well as pearllike beads attached to it. It’s so detailed you can spend an hour just looking at it. When you buy the gift bag, that can be yours for just 1 $L, you will not only receive 2 very nice, promotional necklaces but also the cutest jewelry box you’ve ever seen… with a ballerina (upper photo). As said before, I would have gladly bought everything in this shop, but hey, you can’t have it all…… or maybe you can…..

Yummy is located above Nylon Outfitters in Tableau: 170, 186, 30