Second Style Magazine

A couple days ago I wrote about the Caledon fashion design contest. One of the sponsors of the contest is Shenlei Flasheart of Prim and Proper. In real-life, Shenlei is a designer of fashion accessories — she has a degree in millinery design which a) impressed the heck out of me and b) made me a little envious of her day job! As one might expect, Shenlei has created more amazing period hats than I’ve ever seen. She must have pretty close to 30 or 40 different hat designs from a time period ranging from Regency through Edwardian times. Due to her day job and her own interest, Shenlei tries to focus on historical accuracy when she’s creating fashions in Second Life.

Recently, though she’s been constructing a set of limited edition turn-of-the-twentieth-century evening gowns in various colors. The gown I’m wearing in the photos to the left above are in a dark fuschia color, but every color I’ve seen looks incredibly fetching. The beading on the bodice of this dress is really unreal — so ornate and elaborate it must be seen — a complete feast for your eyes. I also really enjoyed the highlighting on the satin textures that were used to construct the flared skirt. And of course, the gown flows and moves so wonderfully — something that I had ample opportunity to witness when I was able to attend the end of a Valentine’s Day gala dance set in Prim and Proper’s gorgeously a-bloom cherry orchard. (Search “orchard” to find a teleport if you’d like to visit it for yourself.)

For a lover of Jane Austen (or perhaps in my case, Vanity Fair novels, Caledon will be a perfect place for you to spend some of your time in Second Life. I had such a wonderful time meeting the other residents there — all of whom were scrupulously dressed in period clothing and willing to roleplay their speech with each other. (If you value manners and politeness, you really must make plans to attend a Caledon soiree.) Even the men have delightfully charming hand kiss animations, for when a couple has finished a waltz.

Aside from the period splendor of Prim and Proper, Shenlei sometimes like to have a little fashion fancy — and that’s where the dress to the right comes into play. The shape of the dress is taken from an 1850s vintage evening gown design, but as you can see, it’s been turned right side down with the addition of loads of black lace and skelleys festooned over the garment. So whether you want to find your own Mister Darcy or you just want to add something beyond the usual gothic uniform to your clothing inventory, Prim and Proper is a fun place to shop.

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In the photos to the left: skin: Au Naturelle (minimal) by CJ Carnot and Roslin Petion, Tete a Pied; hair: Catherine (midnight) by Calico Ingmann, Calico Creations; hair rose: Dark Pink by Fiachra Lach, Essentia; jewelry: Moonstone set by Shenlei Flasheart, Prim and Proper; gown: 1900 vintage evening gown, limited edition, fuschia by Shenlei Flasheart; on location: Prim and Proper Orchard; pose by Torrid Midnight

In the photo to the right: skin: Gothique (ennui) by CJ Carnot and Roslin Petion, Tete a Pied; hair: Stacey (red/black) by Six Kennedy, Gurl6; necklace: pale ruby set by Shenlei Flasheart, Prim and Proper; gown: 1850s gothic by Shenlei Flasheart, Prim and Proper; pose by Luth Brodie