Style
second
Issue #24
The best of Second Life clothing, hair, skins, accessories and more
STYLE ICON:
FELICITY BLUMENTHAL ARCHITECT SQUARE
HIGH CLASS BRIDE FRESH FACES:
Sascha’s Design ALTERNATIVE BRIDES AN INDIAN WEDDING
PLUS: Postcards Mini-Guide Turning Japanese Bleeding Edge and more!
contents
Fresh Faces 12 Bleeding Edge 16
issue 24
28 High Class Bride Uma Cewalin brings us amazing mix and match pieces to make wedding gowns like you’ve never seen.
Architect Square 22 Mini-Guide: Wedding Venues 26 Postcards 40 Mini-Interview: Clio Cardiff 54 An Indian Wedding 58 Bachelor Party 72 Turning Japanese 74
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42 Style Icon: Felicity Blumenthal Violet McGinnis interviews the fashionable Felicity Blumenthal about her personal style and second life. 48 Honeymoon Couture Surarin Piek brings you honeymoon looks for in and out of the bedroom. 62 Alternative Brides Iris Seale finds bridal fashion for all walks and themes of Second Life.
This is our comeback issue and we’ve added some new faces to Second Style! Introduce yourself to our new writers and welcome back your favorites.
HeatherDawn Cohen
Iris Seale
Iris Ophelia
Even though HeatherDawn is the new owner of Second Style, she is not a new face. She has been around since it’s beginning managing advertising and design. She also owns Dawning Concept, a modest clothing shope in Green.
Iris is the Managing Editor of Second Style. She is also an editor on Shopping Cart Disco and spends her free time living on the corner of Dude and Catastrophe.
Iris is a veteran fashion writer in Second Life. She’s spoken on the subject at the Fashion Institute of Technology as well as to staff and students of the London College of Fashion, and in numerous publications including the New York Times. She is also the Fashion Correspondent for Hamlet Au’s New World Notes.
Dancien Graves
James Schwarz
Vivianne Draper
Lordfly Digeridoo
Dancien Graves covers men’s style for Second Style Magazine. He also has a weekly column on Shopping Cart Disco, in addition to blogging at Strange Pixels and Brutal. He’s a very busy guy.
James Schwarz brings to light the often overlooked alternative male styles in Second Life, adding diversity to the usually limited SL male wardrobe
Vivianne Draper is trying to do every job (except escort!) in Second Life at least once. She has been a business manager, a DJ, and has produced many events. Her latest foray is magazine staff writer for Second Style. She also writes a weekly column for Shopping Cart Disco. In her free time she enjoys sleeping.
Lordfly Digeridoo is an accomplished builder in Second Life. He holds an Urban & Regional Planning degree from Eastern Michigan University, and his work has been featured in the Wall Street Journal and the Detroit Free Press. Lordfly writes a monthly article on architecture for Second Style.
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Ana Lutetia
Amika Jewel
Graciana McMillan
Gidge Uriza
Ana Lutetia is a fashion bloggers in her own blog and started out as model and evolved to Avatar Stylist and magazine writer.
Amika Jewell is from Japan and has a shop called “Mon amie” in the omotesando sim. She likes shopping, exploring the world, and communicating with people all over the world. I’d like to show you nice Japanese creators’ stuff and some culture too :)
Graciana McMillan has been with Second style nearing a year and has previously written Runway Reviews. Going in a new direction soon with mini-guides and hopefully some other new tricks she has hidden up her sleeve.
Gidge Uriza writes the Date Night feature which runs Saturdays on Second Style. Gidge will be featuring the best styles for dates and some of the best places as well!
The Fresh Faces column is about presenting new designers to the SL™ fashion scene.
Marni Grut
Violet McGinnis
Brigitte Belgar
Leah Mcullough
Yes that’s my pixel mug, I’m Marni Grut. When in SL I enjoy dressing up as a human cupcake and running a store called Royal Blue and writing my weekly column for second styles blog (Tuesdays!). In my Real Life, I spend my time in the search of the loc-ness monster and his many friends.
Violet McGinnis loves fashion and writes for the Second Style magazine and blog. She can be found shopping around the grid or relaxing at home with her AI corgi, Steve.
Drawing inspiration from multifarious and droll encounters in-world, Brigitte is pleased to offer thoughts on most anything related to Second Life in Second Style’s advice column. When she isn’t engaging in various tomfoolery, Brig spends time snooping around for inspiring pieces to share on Second Style’s blog.
Leah was “born” in Second Life in December 2007 and fell in love with it. She’s a writer, designer, model, photographer, and sometimes, also a blogger... She speaks English and Spanish and is a writer for the Second Style.
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editor’s note This is my first editor’s note for Second Style, but it’s the 24th issue I’ve looked forward to with antsy anticipation. I’ve been in Second Life for almost three years and tried to experience all of the aspects that have interested me. I quickly fell into loving fashion, designing, photography and then writing. I made my own brand, Punch Drunk, and I cofounded the Shopping Cart Disco blog, where you can still find me. Second Style has always been what I considered the pinnacle of class and style in Second Life. It’s an amazing experience and great honor to edit and be involved with my favorite magazine. Second Style has been gone for a little while, but we’re back with a vengeance. You’ll notice many of your favorite writers back, along with some new faces. We want to welcome Dancien Graves, Leah Mcullough, Lordfly Digeridoo, Violet McGinnis, and Vivianne Draper to the magazine. They all bring with them a wealth of experience and visionary talent. We’re also introducing a ton of new features and bringing back some old favorites. Second Style Magazine may look a little different, but we’re still all about bringing you the best and brightest of Second Life fashion. June is the traditional month of weddings in the US, so we’re featuring weddings as our theme this month. Uma Cewalin is bringing you original and extraordinary wedding gown looks. Vivianne Draper and Amika Jewell show us a look at an Indian and Japanese wedding, respectively, while Lordfly Digeridoo brings us the finest in first homes for the new couple. James Schwarz and Dancien Graves have amazing looks for the guys, and Ana Lutetia gives us outfits for the wedding guest and takes a look at wedding venues, rings and cakes. And speaking of old favorites, Violet McGinnis is bringing us the Style section, renamed “Style Icon”, with an interview with Felicity Blumenthenal.
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assistant editor’s note In my two years with Second Style, I’ve had some amazing opportunities. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting gifted and devoted designers, witty and passionate writers, and some of the most fashionable virtual fashionistas. I’ve been with the magazine through highs and lows, seen the staff come together to support each other in crunch periods, and had more than a few panicky late-night planning sessions with HeatherDawn. However, this year I started noticing more and more that the occasional panics could have been avoided-- would have been avoided in the past, even. The past two years have been a period of tremendous personal growth as well. When I started working at Second Style, I was just wrapping up my second year of University and now, as of June 5th, I’ve graduated. My fourth year brought with it a workload like I’d never experienced before, and a level of mental exhaustion that I just couldn’t stay on top of. Through this period and the inevitable burn-out that followed, I realized that I had lost something that Second Style needed in its Managing Editor. My own passion and devotion have waned, bowing under the weight of that exhaustion. I could never leave Second Style altogether, at least not without leaving Second Life as well. The fact is that it’s an inspiring and interesting source of opportunity and expression, a creative community of like minded men and women that will always be near and dear to me. I’ve decided instead to step back to the position of Assistant Editor, to allow for someone who has what I currently lack to do the readers, contributors, advertisers, designers, and the magazine itself full justice. So in that spirit I welcome Iris Seale to the Editorial chair, and I know you will all love the changes she has in store!
Iris Ophelia 10 | Second Style Magazine
The best of Second Life clothing, hair, skins, accessories, and more
Publisher, Editor-in-Chief Advertising Sales and Senior Layout Designer HeatherDawn Cohen
Issue #24
Managing Editor Iris Seale Assistant Manager Iris Ophelia Senior Staff Writers Ana Lutetia Staff Writers Graciana McMillan Amika Jewell James Schwarz Dancien Graves Vivianne Draper Lordfly Digeridoo Brigitte Belgar Violet McGinnis Guest Columnists Uma Cewalin Surarin Piek Founder Josie Hamilton Cover Credits
CONTACT US: http://www.secondstyle.com (PDF version) Story ideas: editor@secondstyle.com Comments: letters@secondstyle.com Ad Sales: sales@secondstyle.com
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Model: Uma Cewalin Hair: ‘Pushed and Shoved – blonde tones’ by (VW) Skin: ‘Lyla’ by Redgrave Lashes: *bf* ‘fucsiafeather’ Top: ‘Pink Diamonds’ by Meghindo Skirt: ‘La Vie en fleur/champagne’ by Leezu Baxter Gloves: ‘RoseDusk savoir turtleneck top gloves’ by Maitreya
fresh faces By Ana Lutetia With no graphic background whatsoever, Sascha Frangilli has been designing and creating gowns since December 2007. Her creations have photo sourced parts that Sascha fiddles, modifies and edits to create her unique gowns. Sascha’s only releases dresses that she is completely happy with and that would buy for her. At the classy, spacious and simple to navigate around store you can find demo and big vendors to show you what exactly the gown looks like. Last but not the least; Sascha interacts with her group members and showcases fashion shows in her sim quite frequently. All of the gowns are available in several colours for everyone to pick their favourite. They are prefect for gifting with modifiable and transfer permissions.
SAS – Evi Evi is perfect for a classy event with its striking neckline and collar. The gown comes with several options for the prim skirt: Battleship skirt, Normal skirt and sleek skirt. There is also an optional prim collar that gives this dress a bit of a retro touch.
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SAS – Marce Marce is a romantic dress with a flower print in the chest and little prim ruffles in the arms. It has different skirt options: Fluffy flexi skirt, Sleek flexi skirt, Battleship skirt and Cocktail flexi skirt. There are also glitch pants and pencil options for the different lengths of the prim skirt. The colours available are Salmon, Magenta, Pink, Turquoise, Lavender, Black, Red and green. The SL glitch with alphas is not kind for this stunning creation and depending of your pose it might look odd.
SAS – Mercato Mercato is a glam Battleship skirt and the versions. The feather that will make you st Since all dresses com you can also wear it for a different look. M dark rich colours with
mourous gown with e Sleek skirt with Train r broche is the detail tand out in a crowd. me with a pencil skirt t as a cocktail dress Mercato is available in h a glitter top.
SAS – Rumble Rumble is an extremely versatile dress. The low neckline ending in a belt defines an extremely female silhouette and different printed skirt options make it perfect for different occasions. The skirt options are Battleship flexi skirt, Cocktail flexi skirt, Mini skirt and Sleek flexi skirt. There are different colours to choose from.
SAS – Zuzu Zuzu is, definitely, not the type of gown you can see in every store. It’s sexy with flowers covering what needs to be covered finishing in a chiffon flowing skirt. This dress doesn’t have the skirt options as the previous do but it’s certain to get noticed in a party.
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By James Schwarz Formal 2.0 “It’s black, it’s white” is what most people would automatically say or think of when men’s formal wear is bought to the table, but there is a whole sea of options these days; the usage of color and infusing the traditional formal look with contemporary style elements just to name a few. With that said, formal wear doesn’t always have to be a Michael Jackson song. Everyone loves the black long tailed coat, white shirt Tuxedo combo because of its classic elegant appeal and distinguished sophistication but outside of the banquet hall, the opera or the wedding reception it pretty much loses its function (unless you’re part of a period theatre ensemble). So if you want something with the same suave factor of a proper Tux minus the where-the-hell-can-I-wherethis again question in mind then a nice well fitting black suit Is where it’s at. A decent fitting suit, a black one in particular is an absolute essential to a man’s wardrobe not only because of its elegance but also its multi functionality, a guy can wear it to work, to lunch, a night out, a date, a meeting with the girl’s parents, his engagement party, his wedding, his son’s graduation, his son’s marriage and finally his funeral! I know right?! Enough said. My version of the black suit formal look has a twist of boldness and shimmer with Barerose’s Bellezza jacket in black, underneath is a nice crisp white dress shirt which is a part of Hoorenbeek’s Tux set, for the pants I have on what I consider one of Armidi’s classics the Ruvido slacks and Hoorenbeek’s Allen in black for shoes. The magic is topped off with a kitschy bow tie from Adjunct. The look may be a bit unorthodox but it works well. We’ve agreed that black suits are cool, but unless you’re one of the men in black and have a closet with dozens of black suits, people will think you don’t own anything else, which is why you got to mix it up every once in a while by switching from black to brown, a very warm color that can go both ways from casual to dressy and in this case in between, think going out for drinks after work 16 | Second Style Magazine
or Friday night out. For this look I’ve selected Surf Couture’s suit jackets, who would’ve thought a tropical beach store made suits? It’s perfect for that loosened up end of the day look. For the trousers we have a nice straight cut piece called Boyd from Whippet & Buck, and some black ‘work shoes’ the Marteno by Kalnins. Alright so we’ve covered those two; Dressy Formal and Casual Formal, another thing you should have in your wardrobe is Holiday Formal. This consists of lighter colored fabrics; they’re more relaxed and
are ideal for daytime parties. Meriken gives us this wonderful gingham gray suit that just screams yacht party, underneath is the Old Bramton vest from Gbberish and the for shoes, House of Curios’ casual loafers (a bargain at 30L). The timeless sunglasses are from Vintagewear. So whether you’re the groom, the best man or just someone’s plus + 1 it’s always good to have alternative formal wear lying around in your inventory cause you’ll never know where that next TP will lead to.
Lordfly Digeridoo Howdy everyone! I’m Lordfly Digeridoo, recent addition to Second Style. If you hang out primarily in fashion circles, I’m sure you have no idea who I am. There’s a reason for that: I don’t know anything about fashion. Putting pants on is an arduous process. My avatar owns perhaps three outfits over six years. My best fashion foot forward is a hoary professor’s jacket and Porn Star hi-tops. You get the picture. Rather than filling my inventory with clothes, however, I chose to do something else: fill it with architecture. Since I joined Second Life in 2003, I’ve managed to build many structures: Homes, shops, entire sims. I’ve done work for Microsoft, Warner Brothers, Xerox, and the University of Alabama.
ARCHITECT SQUARE My work has been featured in the Wall Street Journal and the Detroit Free Press. In other words, if you build shops rather than make pants, you have a slightly higher chance of knowing who I am and what I do. Regardless of my supposed credentials, I’m here to help you out when it comes to architecture. What makes a good building from bad? How can you tell a good texturing job from another? What about good use of space? Are prims an issue? Does the space flow? Does it feel more like an experience, or a set prop? With luck, over the months I should be able to help you with all of this. But first... This being the wedding issue, among the first things new couples do is move in together. Judging from recent personal experience (I just got married in real life in March), I can tell you it’s an arduous process. Simply combining household items is a quick spiral into madness (as well as yard sales). This doesn’t even take into account the actual home you’ll be living in. For the newlyweds among us, buying your first home together is probably one of the first collective purchasing decisions you will both participate in. As such, it’s important to have a good starting point. You won’t get it, however, by browsing through the classifieds. Searching for homes, prefabs, or house will net you hundreds, if not thousands, of results. It seems everyone’s a hawker of housing. How do you separate the wheat from the chaff, then? For most of us, you would ask your friends. But what if most of your friends don’t even have homes? What if your only housing-savvy friend is someone trying to get you to buy one of his ghastly designs? Fortunately, dear readers, you have me to help you. A great starting point for anyone in need of housing is Barnesworth Anubis’ home collection in Demersal. Situated
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Architect Square > Continued from page 22
over 16 beautifully landscaped acres, his homes are all rezzed out for display and demoing purposes. Barnesworth has been in Second Life for at least four years. He’s been building for the majority of that time, and it shows. Barnes is one of those excellent builders who can easily distinguish his building style from those of others. Indeed, I can routinely spot a Barnesworth house from a mile away while exploring the mainland. He’s just that good. Want examples? Alright, how about his “Villa Ravello” prefab? Clocking in at a mere 133 prims, the rustic villa gives you over 800 square meters to furnish in two floors. Tall windows flood the room with potential light, matching the similarly designed swinging french doors. While many designers work off of existing floor plans, many run into issues with floor space; many uses that are common in real world designs are either pointless or actually counter-intuitive in Second Life (a tiny half-closet has no use in Second Life, for instance) Barnes comes up with his own stylish designs, resulting in a decidedly uncluttered floor plan that allows maximum usability. It also handily cuts down on prims, always a concern for furnishing on limited plots. Barnes’ sense of space and flow between one room to the next is the work of a master. Rooms are defined not by intrusive walls or obvious barriers, but by the mind’s eye; you can just tell the separation of the two “rooms” in the Villa, for instance, by the incidental doorway between a wall turning the corner and the steep spiral staircase. Texturing is another one of Mr. Anubis’s strong suits. By introducing very subtle shading patterns on his walls and floors, he created a deeper sense of space than most other prefabs. While some go overboard with the shadowing and shading, Barnes’ designs do not attempt to dominate a scene, but rather melt into it. He creates the vast majority of his textures, adding another level of uniqueness to already stellar design handiwork. Indeed, by controlling the look and feel of the materials, his designs unify better than homes made with simple texture packs. Finally, like most of his designs, Barnesworth has seen fit to include privacy windows (for those honeymooners among us), locking doors, and an extremely intuitive rezzer system that makes placing your home a snap. The price for all of this in
the Villa Ravello package? A mere $L2000. Split between two newlyweds, it’s less than $US 4.00 a piece. Save some of the honeymoon money; Buy a house! Villa Ravello is only one of Barnes’ many designs. Indeed, his store is absolutely filled with his dozens of homes, all with a handy link to the demonstration site (if you want more proof of his architectural expertise, look no further than the store design itself; a tri-level post-modern design, built deep into a mountain. Simply stunning work here). There’s the Angolo, a cantilevered home made of stone and plaster with a unique fireplace. There’s also my personal favorite, a Japanesethemed home called Yakushima. Square in design, the home offers two cozy rooms and a generous semi-enclosed outdoor area, complete with pond and garden area. In addition, there are matching furniture sets within the home for separate purchase, just in case you needed some more stuff to go with your fabulous new house. In sum, you simply cannot go wrong with a design by Barnesworth. His dozens of designs are all absolutely exquisite, and his building skills allow him to cover a plethora of styles that can suit almost any mood. As newly wedded people, you shouldn’t be worrying about buying a house to live in; you should just worry about living happily ever after. Barnesworth’s homes promise that and much more.
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WEDDING VENUES By Graciana McMillan Devoted Hearts Wedding Chapel at LoveKnot Weddings (194, 52, 39). Lush reception areas and gorgeous landscaping makes this venue a must see. Those embarking on marital bliss at Devoted Hearts can choose from a gorgeous traditional church setting or an outdoor seashore option. Lovers Enchanted Chapel another venue from LoveKnot Weddings (107, 190, 22) LoveKnot actually offers 5 Wedding locations, and 6 Honeymoon settings for diverse wedding needs. The Enchanted is a gorgeous area with an amazing reception area. It is a destination not to be overlooked. Ceremonies to Treasure at Singer Island (175, 76, 22). Dance areas, dinner seating, and a large cathedral church are just a few of the jewels of this venue. Dance the night away on parquet floors overlooking the ocean, just don’t forget to make a wish for the happy couple at the wedding wishing well. Offering personal tours and 4 different wedding stations among other amenities such as tea party bridal showers. Cameo Isle Victorian Wedding Village at Cameo (69, 99, 22). For the couple that wants to step back to a simpler time, this quaint chapel is no frills, but rich in style. Ride the cobbled streets in a horse drawn carriage and enjoy the scenery on your first moments as a married couple. Garden Wedding from Pretty in Pink Weddings at The Marina (114, 216, 22). Providing amazing rich colors in an outdoor oasis. Falling leaves and flickering candles in this natural setting create a special atmosphere of romance for any lucky couple. 26 | Second Style Magazine
Hair – ‘Pushed and Shoved – blonde tones’ by (VW) Skin – ‘Lyla’ by Redgrave Lashes by *bf* ‘fucsiafeather’ Top – ‘Pink Diamonds’ by Meghindo Skirt – ‘La Vie en fleur/champagne’ by Leezu Baxter Gloves – ‘RoseDusk savoir turtleneck top gloves’ by Maitreya
By Uma Ceawlin | Photography by Asami Schnyder
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HIGH CLASS BRIDE Poses from Sai Pennell’s Imperial Elegance
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Hair – ‘Yuria – black’ by ++DEJAVU++ Hat – ‘Ribon S hat W’ by !!WILD O Top – ‘Silk Gipsy’ by Paper Couture Corset – ‘Corset – Black’ by +plus Skirt – ‘LBD Ginkgo Flexi Skirt’ by Leezu Baxter Brooch – ‘scf/left flower/s’ by !! WILD O
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Hair – ‘STD.Gloxhair erotic cyber – mocha’ by a.C Store Skin – ‘Imani’ by LAQ Jacket ‘classic pinstripe blazer’ by Armidi Brooch – ‘sculpted pearl rose corsage’ by SwallowTail Top – ‘Carmela – bustier in nude’ by MichaMi Vest – ‘Itimo Leather Vest – black’ by Armidi Pants – ‘Limited kogo skinny pants’ by Armidi Shoes – ‘Slinky stilettos – white’ by Maitreya
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hair – ‘o’ – onyx by fashionably dead Skin – ‘Moscow Light makeup4b’ by LeLutka Hat - curved feather hat - chapeau tres mignon Skirt - charlotte peach pants/prim skirt by beauty avatar couture lelutka - leggings browns kalnins shoes – coquette Lashes – ‘Bohemia paradise 1’ by [glow] studio
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hair – ‘Faye’ – white by Maitreya Skin – ‘Lyla’ by Redgrave Hat – ‘hat_fabricB/white’ by LeLutka Top – ‘Boho in white’ by Gigi Couture Belt – ‘leather belt – white’ by (P-K) Skirt - ‘HASU’ by ::SUGARCUBE Flowers (shoulders) – braided rosette tunic shoulder roses by Paper Couture leggings in white by M*A*ii*K*I Shoes – ‘mina flats platinum’ by >TRUTH<
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Hair – ‘London Import’ by (VW) Skin – ‘bird – heavy brow’ by Fashionably Dead Hair accessory – ‘lace head dress’ by Picnic Make up – ‘Messy Make up’ by >M< Dress – ‘FLEUR DE PAPIER’ by CHANTKARE Socks – ‘socks mit suspenders - seafoam’ by Pig Shoes – ChiChi Pumps – cream’ by Maitreya Flowers by =Feather=
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Hair – ‘Sasha bun’ by (P-K) Hair accessory (flower) by Artilleri Dress – ‘Hansika dress’ by {Zaara} Top under – ‘Guppywhite’ by [twee] Necklace - (Tableau) Protection Necklace - protective eye Tattoos – ‘sacred’ by GoK
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POSTCARDS Dear Brig, I’m been very close with a group of friends in Second Life-- there’s four of us-- for several years now and one of the group is about to celebrate her virtual nuptials. As we were brainstorming ideas for her wedding gift, one of my friends suggested that we surprise the bride and groom (who have been squatting in a welcome area until now) with a house. I loved the idea and agreed to go in on it until I realized the cost of homes. Despite my desperate attempts to steer them away from pricey palaces, my two girlfriends are dead set on a SL house that I simply cannot afford to go in on. Now, I’m stuck; I’ve not only said yes to going in on the house, but don’t have any ideas for a more budgetfriendly wedding gift. Help! Desperately Dodging Debt Yikes. I don’t think I need describe to you the mystifying (and convenient) powers of the phrase: “Let me think about it and get back to you.” It’s a phrase I highly recommend utilizing in your second and first life. That’s something to keep in mind for next time, though. For now, you’ve got to address the situation at hand immediately. Depending on how long 40 | Second Style Magazine
you’ve been trolling about avoiding confrontation (and how far ahead the wedding is) you have several options. First, you’ve got to be up front with your friends about not being able to go in on the cost of the house they’re looking at. The longer you put it off, the more painful the admittance will be. There’s any number of explanations and excuses you could make: “I’m afraid that Linden Labs is investigating my account and I need to put a hiatus on all spending until further notice;” “I’d rather wait until the (SL) housing market really hits rock bottom before moving on anything;” “My RL bank went under” (visit www.fdic.gov for a list of failed banks to help you out here); or, “I was intoxicated the night I agreed to that; I’m afraid I can’t be held responsible for my actions.” That said, the truth is probably the easiest explanation; “I’m sorry, but I’ve realized that my budget simply doesn’t allow me to go in on this gift anymore.” There’s quite a few budget-friendly wedding gifts that might be appropriate as replacements. You can’t afford to go in on the house, but what about furnishing a room or two? Even purchasing a cute couch, fridge, or anime-equipped bed would demonstrate an attempt to help furnish their new SL
together. If you’d prefer to pare down spending even more than that, how about offering to take their wedding pictures for them, or even arrange the wedding pictures in an album or photo collage for their new home? Maybe, unlike me, you’re skilled enough to even build them furniture? Be creative and think outside of the box. My guess is that your acquaintances won’t be so upset about your change of mind that they’ll boot you from their friends list, and that the couple will be so busy basking in marital bliss that they won’t scrutinize your gift as much as you’re imagining they will. Dear Brig, I’ve been invited to a wedding with a ‘pirate’ theme next month, but I not only lack pirate attire-- I lack the desire to dress up like a buccaneer. Knowing the groom, I’ll be banished from the watercraft where the ceremony is being held (via the plank and a sword) if I’m not clad appropriately. What can (and should) I do? Perturbed Plunderer Your first option is quite easy: don’t attend the ceremony. I’m going to make the assumption, though, that you want to be present to witness the union of your marauder friends. If that’s the case, then it’s really most appropriate to adhere to the rules of attire that they’ve set for their ceremony. It might not be your cup of tea, but the day isn’t about you-- it’s about them wanting to celebrate their virtual marriage in whatever style they desire. You have a myriad of options as far as your attire goes. You could jump in with both feet and just fully embrace the theme, purchasing an entire pirate ensemble as a way to display your love for the couple-- hat, dagger, tattoos, and all. This, though, might not make you the most comfortable since you don’t seem exactly enthused about high seas happenings. (Who is comfortable, anyway, with a blade hanging on their hip or anywhere near their groin?) What about getting a pirate-inspired pair of boots to sport? A hairstyle that incorporates a handkerchief, a little parrot to wear on your shoulder, or some beads for your hair (think Johnny Depp here) would all fall into the category of pirate accessorizing, but wouldn’t put you over the edge that I think you’re weary of. Let
yourself have a little bit of fun here and remember that a few concessions on your end will mean quite a bit to the couple (this goes for any bizarrely themed wedding you’re invited to attend, in RL or SL). Toss on a few accessories and think about the more important questions at hand: How will you learn to talk pirate in time for the ceremony, where will you find a treasure chest to wrap your present in, and how on earth are you going to stomach the salmagundi? Savvy? (Editor’s note: Brigitte Belgar, etiquette extraordinaire, is featured here in a new monthly column where she answers all your questions relating to manners and politeness in the vast world of Second Life. Think of her as your very own sarcastic Emily Post. You can send her your own questions at brigitte.belgar@gmail.com and maybe you’ll see them here in Second Style!)
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Style Icon
By Violet McGinnis In the harried but selective search for my first Style Icon, I realized I already had one in front of me Felicity Blumenthenal. Fashionista, blogger, magazine advertising whipper... (Felicity works for ROLE in her spare time coordinating ads and promotions.) Felicity is a busy girl! She had a few moments to stop and talk to me while I shot a few of her favorite outfits. Violet McGinnis: When did you first Rez, and why? (What brought you to Second Life?) Felicity Blumenthal: My Rez date is 1/28/2007, for Felicity. I did have a previous avatar, who was circa sometime around July 2006. I read an article about Second Life, and was curious. But when I started using Felicity, I knew I wanted to start writing my own blog. So I thought a fresh start would be good. Violet McGinnis: What were you doing before the fashion scene? Felicity Blumenthal: I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do very much, shopped, met people, I think pretty much the newbie scene. I made a lot of great friends though, who all seemed Continued on page 46 > Second Style Magazine | 45
Style Icon
> Continued from page 45
to always ask where I purchased what I was wearing.
something I would love to buy, then I can’t really put it out there for other people to purchase.
Violet McGinnis: Does anyone work on My Second Closet ( http://mysecondcloset. blogspot.com/ ) with you?
Violet McGinnis: Who is your favorite SL creator? Skin, Hair, Clothes, Shoes ? (the major 4 Fashionista Food Groups)
Felicity Blumenthal: Yes, a few months ago I asked Keeley Huet to join me. She and I became friends, and she has a really unique look and style, so I thought she’d be a great addition.
Felicity Blumenthal: Okay, SO hard for me to choose one of each... I will just say my favorite of the moment. Skin would be Tuli, Hair would be Truth, Clothes....gah! Hmmm... just so many I love, okay, Paper Couture’s new spring line. And Shoes, I’d have to say Shiny Things, good ol’ faithful.
Violet McGinnis: Who influences you most in your fashion and in your second life? Felicity Blumenthal: Hmmm... in my real life, I don’t think there is anyone specifically... honestly, if I were to pick a person, it would be my grandmother LOL. She’s very timeless with her taste, and she’s always taught me about accessorizing, or things that she felt were in bad taste. I guess that is sort of silly, but she’s a very stylish woman. In Second Life, wow... there are tons of people... Keeley Huet, Babyhoney Bailey, Ana Lutetia, Bayberry Lilliehook... I could go on and on. I think I pick up a little something from everyone. Violet McGinnis: It’s very easy for bloggers and fashionista sorts to all influence each other. Violet McGinnis: How do you feel about system skirts? Felicity Blumenthal: I actually like them, if they are done well... Casa Del Shai has one of my favorites. I like them for pencil skirts, and ignore the fact that my butt can look a bit large! =) Violet McGinnis: So you don’t use a “skirt shape” then? Felicity Blumenthal: nooope! I just let my booty hang out. Violet McGinnis: Kudos! Violet McGinnis: Do you think you’d ever get into fashion creation, as so many bloggers have done in the past? Felicity Blumenthal: I would love to... but I don’t think I have the knowledge, or skills. I have tons of ideas, but I am afraid whatever I would create might just be mediocre. I think if its not 46 | Second Style Magazine
Violet McGinnis: Would you permit us with a skirted overview of what you do when you’re
Style Icon
> Continued from page 46
not being a gigantic, awesome fashionista in SL? Felicity Blumenthal: LOL... I am so far from a gigantic, awesome fashionista. My SL is busy a lot with magazine work, I’ve actually neglected my poor blog a lot lately. But I love doing what I do, its fast paced, and gives me the chance to speak with a lot of designers. Especially new ones, I am always thrilled when I discover a small shop that is *new to me*. I try and spend time with my friends in-world when I do have free time, going out dancing, or just hangout at my beach house even. My RL keeps me busy as well, so its quite a juggle. Violet McGinnis: Where are you off to when I quit asking you questions? Felicity Blumenthal: I am off to my RL, to wake my 4 year old who has been napping entirely too long! Violet McGinnis: Thanks Felicity. :) Felicity Blumenthal: Thank you Violet! 1st Look Jeans: Armidi - Grace Jeans - Antique Tank: C.Smit - Elegant Music Top - Brown/Gold Shoes: Redgrave - Wildcat Heels - Leo Jewelry: Genesis - Autumn Set Hair: Foam! - Floe l - Red A 2nd Look Outfit: Paper Couture - Jasmine Vest Shoes: Aoharu - Long Python Gladiators - Silver White Necklace: Bonita’s Jewelry - Pearls Long Loop Bracelet: Bonita’s Jewelry - White & Pearls Bracelet 4 ~#2 Hair: Bish - Haley - Deep Sienna
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Lingerie:Intimizzio / Kensington Notte (Beaded) - White 1 | Eyes:Unique Megastore / Expressive eyes brown BIG by Nany Merlin | Skin:ISSIGONIS / FeiYan (high-con/halo1) | Hair:Zero Style / Angelina*(Chestnut)_M | Nails:Candy Nail / #P013 Glitter Gradation | Necklace:boing fromage / Lady Cameo Set (SILVER) - With Sautoir (Spine) 50 | Second Style Magazine
by Surarin Piek
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Denim:Armidi Limited / (F/Capri) A001 Jeans [Light Classic] 2 | Nails:bijou / nail Garden[Lotus] | Vest and Shirt:Paper Couture / (parts of outfit)Jasmine | Skin:ISSIGONIS / Ayumi4 (high-con/breeze2) | Eyes:Unique Megastore / Expressive eyes brown BIG by Nany Merlin | Hair:TRUTH / Minx - caramel | Bag:Dark Mouse / Straw Summer Bag (Red) Shoes:Kalnins Footwear / Coquette | Hat:ICoN / hat beige | Sunglasses:ROLE OPTIC / SG-57 Gala v1.2 | Earrings:LUCUS LAMES / The Awakening, Earring | Necklace:LUCUS LAMES / The Awakening, Necklace (Gold) | Bangle:LUCUS LAMES / Heartwood Bangle Studded Thin
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Hair:DEJAVU / MADEMOISELLE Black | Nail: bijou / nail PS(warm)[Ruby] | Skin:ISSIGONIS / Ayumi4 (high-con/ eclipse2) | Eyes:Unique Megastore / Expressive eyes brown BIG by Nany Merlin | Dress:M * A * ii * K * I / Strapless & Patent Yellow | Shoes:Stiletto Moody / Pinup (Patent Color Set) | Bangle:Armidi Gisaci / (Right) Snakeskin Bangle - Steel | Clutch:DeLa / Clutch “Chanel” Gray (L) | Necklace:Swallowtail / Gloomy Flower Necklace
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Jacket:COCO / TailoredJacket(Beige)_Jacket | Shorts:MG fashion / SailorShorts | Cami:MichaMi / Selma Camisole (top) in Nude | Eyes:Unique Megastore / Expressive eyes brown BIG by Nany Merlin | Skin:ISSGONIS / FeiYan (high-con/waterfall1) | Socks:Maitreya / Toeless Slouch Grey/Blue | Boots:BAX COEN / Ankle Boot Brown Suede Hair:69 / rush2 - fadedbrown - | Hat:TESLA / ‘Lyanis’ hat (color change) | Nails:CaNDy NaiL / #000 Basic Nail Indigo | Flowers(hand)Paper Couture / Antique Flowers | Bag:MANNA Boutique / Hepburn (epaule)
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Nail:bijou / nail Garden[Lotus] | Swimsuit:Casa del Shai / Zambia Safari Swimsuit | Eyes:Unique Megastore / Expressive eyes brown BIG by Nany Merlin | Skin:ISSIGONIS / FeiYan (medium/breeze1) | Sandal(Hand):LOTTA / Anne Marie (wht) | Cuffs:LUCUS LAMES / Feuille Naturelle, Cuff Black/Crimson | Hair:TRUTH / Minx 2 - coffee | Necklace:Swallowtail / Naturalist Necklace B
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M INI IN TE RV I E W
Clio Cardiff By Iris O phelia
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Second Style: Can you tell us a little bit about who you are and what you do, Clio?
naturally that I’d go in that direction. I started designing mainly to make things to wear myself, for that matter.
Clio Cardiff: In SL, well... I am a fashion designer making mainly clothing for females... formals or ‘classy casuals’ (as I like to call them).. BUT, I do have an RL, which is my full time ‘life’, and in which I am a college student. *smiles*
CC: This sounds a bit stupid, after over 2 years of SL, and after running a business for over 2 years (with times of more and less success)... but in the beginning, being a college student, and one that was just using sl as a ‘game’, I really didn’t intend investing money in it, so I basically started making clothing because uploads were cheaper than the clothes I could buy from elsewhere, and was tired of the freebies I had. This means I still wore trash for the first few months... but we all have to start somewhere. *smiles*
CC: Therefore I have SL designing as my hobby, mainly. But it has taught me a lot and gave me the chance to learn to do things I would have otherwise never encountered CC: It’s not in anything fashion related in college, though, just engineering. *laughs* It’s a VERY sterile subject, in many ways... So SL is an escape. SS: Oh wow, that is a shift. Do you do drafting or anything similar, or is your talent more of a pure hobby? CC: I’d say I mainly just do whatever comes out... I’m self taught and so I often have to ‘change’ from what I have in mind cause the thing just wouldn’t come out right... It’s mainly a trial and error... I’m surprised I even ended up with some decent items in the end! SS: So you design primarily formal wear-a lot of very fancy dresses and gowns. is there any reason in particular that this has been your focus? CC: Mhm, I guess the main reason was that when I was moving my first steps in SL, I had friends who would hang out with me in formal clubs... and I also used to work as a sales rep in a store that sold formal gowns and silks (quite a combination, huh?) so, I just got used to people wearing gowns around me... I would rarely wear something else, myself... it came out
SS: Could you describe your designing process a little bit for us? CC: Basically I first start off with an overall idea of what I want, of course... but this is generally very broad... I mean I might say: I want a large ball gown, or I want a tight long dress, or I want a casual dress... a very wide idea. Then I start placing prims. I always start with the prims because they are the thing that ‘bothers’ me the most. This process can take many hours. I place them at first, following instant inspiration... then I start walking in them, dancing in them, and I change their position or their features every time to make sure they give a good coverage under many circumstances (or at least under those ‘obvious’ circumstances that can happen inside a ballroom *smiles*). Once the prims are defined, I can get a better idea of where the design is heading... many times I just find the ideas for the textures once I see the skirt moving. Once I get the textures right (which might be long again... I am not always sure of the design I’m making, and some times I have to start over if I’m not happy!) I go with colours. I Continued on page 58 >
love colours... I think in SL we should all wear more colours, cause we have no ‘that makes me look fat’ excuse. *laughs* CC: My final step is to recolour whatever I have in a few different tones... to give more options and to make up for different moods I’m in. SS: So do you have any favourite designers, either in your own field or in others like accessories, hair, etc? CC: Of course I do! In my own field the name that will always ring a huge bell is Nicky Ree *eyes sparkle*. *laughs* SS: She’s an absolute formal wear rock star. CC: Watching her textures was the thing that really told me ‘Clio, you’re definitely NOT doing enough... get your butt to work harder!’. I am also a huge fan of all hand drawers, truly, cause being a hand drawer myself, I know what it means to be coming out with a design entirely on our own. For skins I am -not even secretly- a big fan of Hart Larsson of PXL... I love to wear his skins, I think each one of them could match my silly face with big poppy eyes... For other ‘fields’ it’s harder to tell an absolute favourite cause I happen to shop in many places, and because I know there’s way too many I don’t know. SS: Do you have any other pass-times in SL, or do you generally keep your nose to the grindstone these days? CC: Well... it’s hard to say I can be focused on work for a long period of time... RL always knocks on my doors, so I might have a couple days of full designing, and then 2 weeks of nothing. *laughs* In SL, most of my time is still spent talking to my best friend, really... SS: Do you have any messages for current and future fans? CC: I tend to terrify people when I greet them... not sure why! Don’t be afraid if you meet me and I say HI! *laughs*
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AN INDIAN WEDDING By Vivianne D raper 60 | Second Style Magazine
I hate weddings so much. It is my special form of hell to have my first article for Second Style in an issue for which the theme is weddings. It’s not marriage I object to it’s the actual wedding ceremony and even that is ok as long as a couple elopes and does not inflict their marriage on the rest of us. When Iris first asked me what I wanted to write about, I suggested a piece on wedding dresses that do not make a bride look like a meringue. Alas, someone else was already covering alternative wedding garb. So Iris suggested Indian weddings. This sounded fun. No silly dresses that resembled confections, I would get to learn about another culture, and maybe even take in a Bollywood flick or two while writing. I didn’t realize how devious Iris was until I started doing research. Weddings in India are long, complicated rituals that differ by religion, caste, region and even law. Indian weddings make your standard western wedding look like a walk in the park. Now let’s get something out of the way right up front. Well close to the front anyway. I am not Indian – not even a little. I’ve never been to India, I’m not close friends with anyone from India, and I’ve never been to an Indian wedding. So you could go out on the web and do what I did to research this (which was to read a lot and look at a lot of pictures) and you would be just as much of an expert as me – which is to say not at all. So to stray from my troubles about this article and get into the nitty-gritty, there are no less than 4 legal marriage acts in India: The Parsi Marriage and Divorce Act of 1936, which was amended in 1988 to bring it into line with… The Hindu Marriage Act of 1955; then there’s The Christian Marriage Act of 1889; and, The Muslim Marriage Act of 1939 That’s four and there may well be more. I figured I’d gone above and beyond the call of duty and stopped at four. Actually there’s a fifth I strayed upon that is a special marriage act that is for anyone and everyone not covered by the above as well as those covered by the above when they are some place other than India. I’m glad they did that because I was wondering how all those Jewish and various Pagan (Wiccan, Asatru, etc.) people in India were going to get married without acts of
their own. However I found specific ceremonies for Hindu, Assamese, Bengali, Buddhist, Jain, Jewish, Kannada, Gujarati, Kashmiri, Maharashtrian, Maithil Brahmin, Malayalee, Marwari, Muslim, Oriya, Punjabi, Sindhi, Sikh, Tamil, Telugu and Vikram Chatwal weddings. Ok, exhausted now. Hopefully I’ve done enough research to write knowledgeably about Hindu weddings and use things that are common enough to all regions. These weddings can be long and elaborate rituals lasting days and even weeks. The wedding itself is usually no longer than your average western wedding – it is the pre-wedding and post –wedding rituals that take all the time. But since I have only two pages we’ll stick to just the wedding day. Thankfully. The day begins much like it would in any other wedding anywhere else. The bride and groom are separate and begin to dress for the wedding. White is considered a mourning color so red, considered a color of good fortune, is usually the choice for the sari or salwar kameez for the bride while the groom may wear a paler shade of the same color. The jewelry, as you will see in the photographs, is epic. Mughal (or Moghul) jewelry dates back to the 16th through 18th centuries, and is characterized by enamel and gem set stones such as table or rose-cut diamonds. These elegant stones are usually diamonds, emeralds and rubies set in a fine high-karat gold, backed with foil to add more glimmer to the stones and then enameled on the back so the gold deteriorate from contact with the skin. As the ceremony begins, the groom arrives in the Baraat, the formal procession of the groom wherein he joins the bridal party. Then begins the Varmala /Jaimala where the bride and groom meet and exchange garlands. This is the part with the feast because all weddings must have feasts and a Hindu wedding is no exception and may possibly take it to heights unimagined by Westerners. Seriously. During all this gifts and well wishes are given to the lucky couple and a great party is had. Wealthy Indians have been known to take this to extremes. In 2004, Indian-born British steeltycoon Lakshmi Mittal reportedly spent 78 million on his daughter’s wedding. (http://www.smh. com.au/articles/2004/06/02/1086058914344. html?from=storyrhs). That’s extreme of course, but opulence is the name of the game when Second Style Magazine | 61
speaking of Hindu weddings and the more you have the more you can spend. Anyway the party goes on and then it ends and everyone leaves except the bride, groom, their closest relatives, and the officiant. Now begins the ritualizing. This is the heart of the Hindu wedding and, all partying aside; Hindus take their vows very seriously. A sacred fire is built and the couple exchanges vows before the gods while the officiant chants hymns. Then, in a ritual called Phere, a part of the bridal and groomâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dresses are tied together while they walk around the sacred fire seven times, while the seven vows of promise are read by the officiant. Each round about the fire symbolizes a part of their married life together, the first three rounds led by the bride to symbolize that she leads in the earlier part of the marriage and the groom leading the last to symbolize his lead later in life. And that, dear readers, is a *very* short summation of a Hindu wedding. It really doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do justice 62 | Second Style Magazine
to the beautiful ceremony that warrants a longer description by a more dedicated author. Let’s talk about Indian weddings in Second Life. I could see a lot of this being performed in Second Life and the infrastructure exists to do it. Wedding outfits can be purchased from Zaara, Mashooka Designs, and Bella Mia Fashion. For females, Skin Within has an Indian line with the bindis (the jewel on the forehead) included on the skin. There exist no less than 3 Taj Mahals with Indianlike settings and then there’s Bollywood in the FairChang Archepelago. I’m not sure that they do marriages but one could certainly ask. Zaara has a small club on her lovely SIM. Aradhana Voight (owner of Mashooka) has a ballroom/arena where such an event could be held. I don’t know where you would get an officiant but this is Second Life, where all things exist -- even officiants for Hindu Weddings. I would like to thank Bella Mia Fashion, Maitreya, Mashooka Designs, and Skin Within Skins for their donation and/or loan of items for this article. Thanks to Raven Halaan for the couples photography. Much of the information for this article was taken from http://weddings.iloveindia. com and, of course, from our much beloved Wikipedia. Some of it may seem paraphrased but you know, there’s only so many ways to say “they walk around the fire seven times.” About the photos: Female outfits: Zaara Indian bride and Mashooka Designs Jodhaa Princess Gharara Male outfit: Male wedding outfit by Mashooka Designs, Prerelease Jewelry: Mashooka Designs Jodhaa Rajput Jewels and Zaara Nizam set Skins Female: Skin Within Arya skin Line Skins Male: Joshua Tanned Shaved from Damiani Fashion Hair Female: Analog Dog – Fleur Hair Male: Modern Edge Raven Sunset by Influence Models: Vivianne Draper and Dancien Graves Photography: Raven Halaan and Vivianne Draper
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ALTERNAT by Iris Seale
Model: Iris Seale Hair: Maitreya-Apple Feathers: Lamb-Kill The White Swan Skin: Curio-Radiance (Pure) Top: CE Cubic Effect-Halterneck (White) Necklace: Maitreya-Coin Necklace Skirt: The Closet-Long Linen Skirt (White) 64 | Second Style Magazine
TIVE BRIDE
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Post-apocolyptic Bride: Model: Iris Seale Hair: Armidi-Roxy Skin: Curio-Radiance-Carbon Tattoos: Garden of Ku-Give Me Poison Dress: Edelweiss-Irie Stockings: Armidi-Aufiori Chambre with garter belt Shoes: Treads-Kboots 66 | Second Style Magazine
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Surfer Bride Model: Iris Seale Skin: Sand Shack Surf Co: SPF 4-Flip Flops Hair: Truth-Sehra Bikini: Armidi-Tricote Nada Model: Dancien Graves Skin - Joshua Tan Hair - Damiani Fashion Design Hair - Glide Dark Brown - Argrace Necklace and Bracelet - Morski Pas - Genesis Swim Trunks - Camo Patch Trunks - Little Rebel Designs Eyes - Summer Woods - Miriel 68 | Second Style Magazine
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Model: Iris Seale Mermaid: Mer Betta Pasithea Hair: Sixty-Nine: Model Hair 2 Skin: Curio-Petal 70 | Second Style Magazine
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Victorian Bride Model: Ryker Beck Dress: DP Serendipity La Vie en Rose Wedding Gown & Veil Bouquet: BastChild Evocative Floral “Lace and Pearl” Golden Bridal Bouquet Jewelry: :: Exodi :: Bailey’s Pearl Earrings (White Pearl) :: Exodi :: Southsea Choker (White) Shoes: Tesla Shiny Vixens “Silver Dream” Hair: Sky Everett Designs Keira Black hair Eyes: :: Exodi :: Vetro Eyes Honey (Sm)(Veins) Skin: :: Exodi :: Shiloh Coffee “Coconut” 72 | Second Style Magazine
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Bachelor
party
By Dancien Graves The Bachelor party is thought to have originated in Sparta in 5th Century BC. Soldiers would toast each other at a bachelor dinner on the eve of a friend’s wedding. Since then, it has significantly evolved into one of the wildest parties any man can have. It’s called a bachelor party in the US. In the other parts of the world it’s known as a stag party, stag night, stag do, bull’s party, or buck’s night. In the world of Second Life it remains much the same--only on a digital level. Some clubs even have bachelor party packages where one can purchase a private room or skybox for the event so they can party in relative privacy. In this article I’ll be talking about three types of bachelor parties and the clothing one could wear to them. First we will start with what I like to call “The Vegas”. Since Las Vegas first started ramping up as a major attraction it’s also been a hotspot for bachelor parties. Where else would you find a bigger concentration of entertainment, clubs, casinos and other places where one could get into a lot of trouble? Las Vegas also has the bonus of all those wedding areas, so if you want you can bring the future wife (just don’t let her come out with you on your Bachelor Party). For the Vegas Bachelor Party look you want to go dressy, but not too dressy as to look out of place and be uncomfortable. For this look I went with the Brown Casual Tux by AlphaMale, its classylooking but doesn’t look entirely too uptight. It also comes in black and blue if you prefer those colors. The hair is by Gritty Kitty. It’s called Barista and this particular shade of hair is Rusty. The hat is attached to the hair, so it’s pretty much a package deal. The great news is the hat is scripted and can change into a good number of colors and textures. The skin is one of sachiv’s newest and is called Justin. I went with the darkest tone they have (tone 4) and wore the version with freckles. You can find this skin (and about a billion others) over at Adam and Eve. The eyes are from Miriel 74 | Second Style Magazine
and are called Absinthe. Sadly, Miriel has decided to get out of the business and will be closing soon, so you should immediately go check out her store. The second type of bachelor party will be discussing is what I like to call “Ye old local strip club”. Yes, it’s the local strip clubs, and maybe you’ve been there before but this time it’s for a bachelor party and that is a whole new ball game. For this look I went with casual, after all you’ve probably been there before and there is no need to get all gussied up for familiar surroundings. Also, if things get completely insane you’ll want to be comfortable for “Ye old local holding cell”. For this look I started off with the shoes because chances are you’re going to be on your feet a lot that night. The shoes are by [hoorenbeek] they’re called Pegasus and they’re the white with black option. The jeans are by Zaara, they’re sold in a wide variety of shades for this shoot I went with the ones called Classic Jeans *Sky*. The jacket is by Armidi, it’s called the Classic Pinstripe Blazer it comes in a bunch of colors but for this one I went with black. In my opinion it gives outfit a nice almost 80’s look. The t-shirt is by ::Mechanism:: and it is called Plain White Shirt. The hair is by Argrace, it’s called Modern Rail in Dark Brown. The skin is from Belleza, it’s from the Thomas line and it’s Sun Kissed. I choose the one with the stubble on it. The eyes, once again, are from Miriel. The third option for a bachelor party is something I like to call “The Wildman”. Now, this version of the bachelor party could be one of the most fun, but it’s also the one that has the most risk. Your friend, who has been in charge of the party’s setup, has decided it would be best if you had the bachelor party the night before your wedding. While this can be a great idea, it also could be a recipe for disaster. For this look I went with the tuxedo. I mean, in theory, you could be up so late it’ll be more efficient to just freshen up a bit and then head to the wedding. The tuxedo is by [hoorenbeek] and it’s called just that “Tuxedo”. The shoes are by them as well. They are called JP and they come in a decent selection of colors. I went with black. The skin is from the Thomas line by Belleza and is the Sun Kissed shading with a bit of stubble. The hair is called Glide in Dark Brown by Argrace. For this outfit I chose sunglasses. Because nothing say s “No baby, I’m not hung
over on the happiest day of your life” like a pair of shades to hide the red eyes till your best man can hand you some eye drops. They’re called Recon and they’re made by Role Optic. There are many other types of bachelor parties but I thought you would enjoy a look at the three most common ones around today.
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By Amika Jewell
spring like. :) A big flower accents the top of the gown, attached to the Chest point. For a more picture-perfect look, and because the veil is an alpha texture, it may clash with certain hairs with transparent areas and look funny. To fix this, I suggest wearing a simple, full prim, elegant hair.
This issue is about ‘Formal Wear’ which is quite a challenge for me, but allow me to tell you about some Japanese formal wear designers. Shown here is a pretty white wedding dress made by Masuri Dryke (*DP Serendipity’s owner). The carefully white layered veil makes this bride dress perfect and beautiful. This dress was made quite some time ago, but those qualities are still up to date, and totally worth mentioning. The dress has one skirt layer and two optional prim skirts, which gives it an added thickness and bulk - making the dress all the more realistic. AOHARU is another store where you can get wedding formal wear. There are many colors to choose from. Transferable gowns are another option, so that you may give (or get!) them as a present. I thought yellow looks much more 76 | Second Style Magazine
I know when people say ‘formal’, they think of the typical formal occasion, western gown. I do as well, but this time let me show you the Japanese formal outfit : the kimono. In traditional Japanese wedding, the bride wears a Kimono called Shiromuku, Kurobiki and so on, much the same as wedding dresses in western style. It appears there is not an accurate kimono dress in world, although there are certain styles for each period in Japanese history. In Second Life they tend to be a bit of a mix between various periods which can portray inaccurate facts about their history, so I’ll show you some as reference for you to see. Those KIMONO were made by neko Harrop (FUKUNEKO’s owner). Fukuneko not only made several types of Kimono, but also traditional hairs and accessories. She really loves Kimono and has tried to create them accurately in world.
This white hat is called Tsuno Kakushi, which has a certain meaning. Tsuno means horns, and Kakushi means ‘to hide’. In old Japanese time, Tsuno was a symbol of ‘anger’, and people thought that to hide Tsuno meant to be honest and kind to one’s husband. It used to be said that women become the devil when they became jealous, so people wear Tsuno Kakushi as a charm during the wedding to avoid possession. These accessories are called Kanzashi. There are various types of Kanzashi and those are called “Birakan”. Tomesode is a prestigious formal style of Kimono, and it is like an evening dress in western style. This Kimono is from Jolly Joker, and made by ponpochi Rau. This Kanzashi is made by aoimizuno Meili (Le Petit Prince’s owner). I know she is known as a steam or cyber punk designer, but she can Second Style Magazine | 77
also make delicate and beautiful accessories. This style is much closer to RL Japanese Tomesode. I know anything is possible and wearable inworld and it is not always necessary to be completely accurate, but I wanted you to know some of true traditional ways of Kimono. This kimono : orizuru is made by sato Yifu (Kurotsubaki’s owner). This Kimono is more suitable for Furisode, which single women used to wear as formal. The differences between Tomesode and Furisode are the sleeves. Tomesode has short sleeves, while Furisode has long ones. Also, a Tomesode’s designs are more simple than Furisode . In the past, Japanese girls used to show their affection by wearing Furisode, but when a woman got married, she wouldn’t wear a Furisode anymore. At that point, she would cut the sleeves and use it as Tomesode. Those traditions were very interesting and an effective way to show us how young girls would become ladies in past fashion eras. In Second Life, there are so many beautiful and fashionable Kimono, however I think it would be much more interesting to know the background/ history of those outfits. Though there are some sims showing us different Japanese styles, in my opinion, there isn’t one that is a true reflection of the ‘old’ japan and its rich background and history. Hopefully one day there will be a place in SL where we can experience traditional Japan and be overwhelmed by the desire to wear Kimono.
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