Archive for April, 2008
RL’s been keeping me busy so I’ll try to make this short and sweet. Crimson Shadow has a freebie up till the end of the week. It’s a full outfit: shirts, pants, gloves, belt, bracelet, armband, piercings, socks, and shoes. It kinda speaks for itself. I was having SL issues and a) couldn’t attach my face lamp or b) change sky settings, so I’m sorry the pics are kinda dark.
As a word of warning, the piercings (you can see them after the cut below) attach to the skull. For most people, this means your hair will go poof. The ad art indicates this outfit was meant to worn bald, but I’d rather have a full head of hair since without it.. well.. my head’ll get cold. I used the following little trick to make repositioning the piercing from another attachment point easier. Since the prim parts of the outfit (bracelet, armband, piercing, and shoes) are all copyable, you can first make a copy of the piercing and then attach the original to skull where it wants to be while attaching the copy to another point (I used the left ear). Using this method, you can use the skull attachment as a reference as you adjust the copy into place before reattaching hair (so the former skull attachment poofs). (more…)
Disclosure: Seen in World: Yes | Review Copy: No | Friends List: Some
Notes: On Express: "Andrew Cream" skin by Garbage Prototype (Random Industries) from GNUbie. Eyes made using template by newbie_template Linden.
Post Category: Axis Mundi, Boots, Crimson Shadow, Exile, Freebies, Hair, Outfits
April 30th, 2008 at 07:16pmExpress Zenovka
LeeZu Baxter has started making men’s clothes; this is good news. Among the pieces at her new island, To The Nines, you’ll find this complete outfit, called JoJO. It’s a luxurious affair, with the broad pinstripes on the trousers matched by bands of stripes and ribs on the coat, including on the magnificently tall stand-up prim collar. (As usual, click on any of the photos to see a larger version.)
The long coat is formed with one of those flexiprims that attaches from the chest. If you’ve followed conversations in the comments to Express’s articles, you’ll know that some of us have trouble with getting these to fit. I approached with some caution, but LeeZu helped by offering to wear my ’shape’ and try it on. I had no problem at all with JoJO — it worked right out of the box. (more…)
Disclosure: Seen in World: Yes | Review Copy: No | Friends List: No
Notes: On Mr. Oh: Nora Entice - Hunter Almond by Sezmra Svarog (Nora BodySkins & Fashion). 'Danny' hair in silver-grey by Truth Hawks (Truth). Scripted colour-change "Aviator 1" sunglasses by Damanios Thetan (Collection Damani). Scratch shoes in black by Eponymous Trenchmouth (JCS).
Post Category: Casual, Coats, Jackets, LBD, Outfits, Pants
April 29th, 2008 at 04:38amMr. Oh
Especially now that I’m no longer in the competition, I figured why not discuss the “freebie” version of my entry to the Muism Contest. The majority of the items will of course come from Muism, but a bunch of others come from other spots.
To figure out what to wear, I decided to go through all the Muism freebies I’d collected over time. My first Muism product I ever tried on was their Xmas gift from last year, a red suit. I don’t get to wear that suit often enough. Next, I put on their racing jacket (which is still available, btw — it was recently added to the archives again). See, I told you it’d be handy in a costume 
.Anyway, I noticed a bit of a common trend — Muism seems to like red in freebies. Perhaps I’m (actually I know I am) taking a bad sample space, but I decided to try on a few other red things. (more…)
Disclosure: Seen in World: Yes | Review Copy: No | Friends List: No
Notes: On Express: "Andrew Cream" skin by Garbage Prototype (Random Industries) from GNUbie.
On "Ryan": "chimp" eyes, skin, and shape by shin Mathilde (=about=). Akeyo Chucks high-tops by Akemi Yoshikawa (Akeyo). "Nick" hair (tinted) by machang Pichot (AOHARU).
Post Category: Accessories, Costumes, Eyewear, Filigreemotion, Freebies, GNUbie Store, GuRL 6, Hair, Jackets, Muism, Novelty, Shirts, Shoes
April 27th, 2008 at 10:21pmExpress Zenovka
If you’re in the market for clever prim accessories to complete an outfit (or push it over the top), you could do far worse than to check out the creations of Jonny Petrova at his shop, Endless Nameless Designs. His overall style seems to be kind of generalized urban gritty punk, but there are some truly beautiful and classy items in the mix too. For no particular reason–okay, actually I worked everything around the belt–I’ve chosen to focus on a few of his pieces that fit into a “music” theme.
Jonny’s beautifully detailed Fret Belt (L$75 L$175), shown at right, comes in four sizes or configurations: male, female, giant and tiny. It’s moddable, so you can resize and fit according to your own preferences, but it’s nice to have a choice of starting points–I don’t know about you, but this simplifies my life. The main loop of the belt is detailed to resemble a guitar’s fretboard, complete with frets and strings, with the buckle assembly standing in for the guitar’s headstock. This is a gorgeous design, perfect for the rock star in your life, and at 222 prims (I think I’ve got that right) it joins the pantheon of ultra-high-prim belts in my inventory. (more…)
Disclosure: Seen in World: Yes | Review Copy: Most | Friends List: No
Notes: On Ryan: FORM skin by Zabitan Assia (FORM). "Billie" hair by Aemilia Case (Philotic Energy). Sugoi Skull of a bastard Neko tee by Maruko Sakigake (WMD). Jeans 101 by Jonathan Hugo (Fuse). Kalico Neko Ears by Kenny Sleeper (Kalico Kreations).
Post Category: Accessories, Casual, Endless Nameless Designs, New Items, Novelty
April 24th, 2008 at 09:10amRyan Darragh
So, when I made that horribly long post a week or two back I said I’d hoped I hadn’t forgotten anything. I did. But don’t worry, forgetting made this post a lot better. I probably wasted just about all my luck on lucky chairs, but I managed to grab three E’s from two chairs in a span of 24 hours while I was at two stores.
So what I forgot was the Camo Tank from F.A.T. Designz that I picked up a few weeks ago. I only remembered the tank when I received a reminder that F.A.T. Designz was celebrating its first birthday with a weekend-long party. The part I find coolest is that the designer, Alfred Kabuki, has pushed his designs back into real life as well. Which means you can tell the real world what you do to the dj’s wife just like in SL. On top of having relatively reasonable prices (most products from my glance last weekend in the 80 to 110L range) the store also has a lucky chair and camper chairs for extra free stuff. Both switch between various products. I happened to see an “E” on the chair and received the RAW I pants when I checked to see if the tank was still out. (more…)
Disclosure: Seen in World: Yes | Review Copy: No | Friends List: No
Notes: On Express: "Andrew Cream" skin and "Plaid Boxers (red)" by Garbage Prototype (Random Industries) from GNUbie. Eyes made using template by newbie_template Linden. "Co-Sneakers male - plaid red" by Alexa Soyer (Filigreemotion).
Post Category: Accessories, Black Maria, F.A.T. Designz, Freebies, Grunge, Hair, Jeans, Shirts, Tattoos
April 23rd, 2008 at 08:36amExpress Zenovka
In case you might have been wondering when that workaholic Ryan would be going on vacation again…it’s this week. Sean and I are leavin’ on a jet plane for New Orleans tomorrow morning, and we won’t be back until May 7. So, sad but true, you won’t be hearing much from me in the meanwhile. Try to refrain from sending IMs as they’ll surely cap while I’m away. You are more than welcome to e-mail me at ryandarraghsl (at) gmail dot com, and who knows?–I might even respond. 
I’ve got one more post in the works for today or this evening, and I’ll try to get pictures taken and notes made for one or two more that I can work on during the very occasional vacation “downtime” (it does happen). Express and Mr. Oh will keep you informed and entertained while I’m away, so do check in. Look forward to a well rested Ryan when I get back!
Post Category: Announcements
April 22nd, 2008 at 11:18amRyan Darragh
Literally as well as figuratively right next door to Artilleri, designer Floatie Hock’s Hell Bop Bar and Clothing Garage in Saimaa sells retro clothes at great prices.
My favourite has to be this olive-coloured shirt. Perfect for bowling, but without any wordy or cheesecake logos, just this screaming tiki figurine (click the photo to enlarge), the 1950s olive colour and broad black stripe up the middle. Superb. It’s called Bob Olive Shirt and it comes on shirt- and jacket-layers for only L$75. (more…)
Disclosure: Seen in World: Yes | Review Copy: No | Friends List: No
Notes: On Mr. Oh: Nora Entice - Hunter Almond by Sezmra Svarog (Nora BodySkins & Fashion). Fuwagime hair in black by hiko Nino (Happy Dispatch). 'Blues' sunglasses by Winter DiPrima (RaC). Freebie jeans by nike Tatham (Star Hitters).
Post Category: Accessories, Casual, Hell Bop, Jackets, Pants, Period, Shirts
April 21st, 2008 at 03:27amMr. Oh
I was in a barren and empty sim, the hour was late and it was dark (I had forced midnight) when a mysterious message urgently demanded my attention. “Your mission, should you choose to accept it: for the next issue of Second Style, highlight some of the best individual designs in SL fashion of the last twelve months. This IM will self-destruct in ten seconds. Nine. Eight….”
I logged out quickly, but not before triggering a sly smile ( }:-> ). I knew that this assignment would challenge me like no other, and I would have to rely on all my skills and training. How to select just a handful of items from the many released over the past year? It seemed…impossible.
Hopefully my superiors will agree that I have succeeded. All of these creations epitomize the best of what SL design has to offer. In chronological order by month of release: (more…)
Disclosure: Seen in World: Yes | Review Copy: Some | Friends List: Some
Notes: On Ryan: “Adam” skin by Hart Larsson (PXL Creations). “Jack” skin by Posy Trudeau (Flesh Peddlers). “Maxwell,” “Damien” and “Pete” hair by Truth Hawks (TRUTH). Classic Jeans by Jesseaitui Petion (Aitui). Oslo boots by Eponymous Trenchmouth (JCS Shoes). Spencers dress shoes and Old Shoes by Fallingwater Cellardoor (Shiny Things). Coffin Ring by Allegory Malaprop (Schadenfreude).
Post Category: BareRose Tokyo, Business, Casa Del Shai, Casual, Costumes, Cubic Effect, Draconic Kiss, Dressy, Fantasy, Formal, GearShift, Gothic, Jackets, Outfits, Period, Silent Sparrow, Sportswear, Steampunk, [Men's Corner]
April 17th, 2008 at 01:25pmRyan Darragh
Now, I don’t mean “guywear” in the sense that it’s clothing Lloyd Dobler would wear. (”The world is full of guys. Don’t be a guy. Be a man.”) It’s just that “menswear” seemed somehow not quite right here. Yes, I’m making it up as I go along. Anyway, Lloyd might well wear some of this stuff. I’m thinking by the end of the movie.
I seem to recall that Garbage Prototype had dropped one or two vague hints during the two months or so it took him to redesign and rebuild his shop and completely revamp his clothing and body lines for men and women. I think he just likes to tease like that. This is the kind of thing that just nags away at me from the back of my brain, kind of like my mother, or my conscience if I had one, or the approach of Christmas when I was a kid. I had also visited his website and seen his teaser video, so I knew that interesting things were afoot at the Circle-K. When he finally said, “Okay, I’m not ready to open yet, but come and take a look if you want to!”–I most definitely wanted to.
I honestly don’t know what my expectations were. I didn’t expect the shop’s casually elegant atmosphere to so slyly reflect Garbage’s creative approach. I know that I was surprised by some of the designs–wow, Garbage did a suit?–and impressed by the range of items and choice of colors. As a collection it felt focused, consistent, and very much an expression of a designer’s vision. I couldn’t wait to pick his brain. (more…)
Disclosure: Seen in World: Yes | Review Copy: Yes | Friends List: Yes
Notes: On Ryan: Random Male Skin, eyes and various hairstyles by Garbage Prototype (Random Fashions). Men's Oxford Leather Shoes by Tesla Miles (TESLA). On Sean: "Dante" skin by Lost Thereian (Naughty). "Poynter" hair by Liam Oliver (Armidi). "Trader" jeans by Dragontat Zagato (Desert Moon Clothiers). Classic Jeans by Jesseaitui Petion (Aitui). City Walk dress shoes by Fallingwater Cellardoor (Shiny Things).
Post Category: Business, Casual, Coats, Designer Reviews, Dressy, Hair, Jackets, Jeans, New Items, Random Fashions, Shirts, Shorts, Skins, Suits, Sweaters, Ties, Vests, Yukirei Greene
April 15th, 2008 at 01:14pmRyan Darragh
Thing is, sometimes you just want simple. Simple and comfortable. Simple and comfortable and quality. It’s the last one that’s often the difficulty. Understandably, great designers tend to tackle difficult things — complex pieces with many layers and brocades and stripes and often prim add-ons. And, yeah, we love ‘em. But sometimes, you just want simple.
So here’s a set. Alphamale is an up-and-coming shop, maybe even an up-market-and-coming-on-strong shop. Yelmer Pfeffer is the main alphamale and his partner, Mariska Simons, runs Blacklace next door. They’ve been up and running for months, but when I stopped in this week, they were going through an impressive and extensive remodelling and an expansion that included culling older pieces with which Yelmer was no longer satisfied. He was wearing some excellent blue jeans with a blue t-shirt. I turned immediately to the vendors but bought this colour instead. It’s a set they call, simply enough, Brown Jeans with Two Tees. And the contents are exactly as stated. (more…)
Disclosure: Seen in World: Yes | Review Copy: No | Friends List: No
Notes: On Mr. Oh: Nora Entice - Hunter Almond by Sezmra Svarog (Nora BodySkins & Fashion). Keith (brown hat, nocturn hair) by Starley Thereian (Moderno). Scratch shoes in Sand by Eponymous Trenchmouth (JCS). Hawke glasses by Nibb Tardis (primOptic).
Post Category: Alphamale, Casual, Jeans, Outfits, Pants, Shirts, Urban
April 14th, 2008 at 09:17amMr. Oh
So, Muism dropped a freebie. It’s been blogged a few times. Honestly, I don’t like it much. The flexi prim bottom to the jacket looks a bit weird. While the prims come in a few sizes and are modifiable, they are no mod and the collar and tail are linked, limiting the proportions of the item so there’s a chance you can’t fit them correctly. However — its a freebie, and beggars can’t be choosers. Maybe you’ll need it for a costume. Who knows? I’m wearing it with the sleeves rolled up, but you can wear it with sleeves rolled down as well. The non-prim part can be worn on the jacket or shirt layer. Grab it by joining the Muism group and looking in the archives.
Anyway, I’m wearing more than just the jacket. Under it I’m wearing a white tank from Draconic Kiss, available for free in the far back corner of the store. It comes in four colors: white, black, red and blue. There’s also a tshirt pack with the same colors too. The back corner seems like a discount corner in general, there is other stuff for relatively cheap back there. All are available on the shirt layer only, which limits their usefulness. However, they do fit under jackets in a pinch and are quite useful like that, and the price can’t be beat. (more…)
Disclosure: Seen in World: Yes | Review Copy: No | Friends List: No
Notes: On Express: "Andrew Cream" skin by Garbage Prototype (Random Industries) from GNUbie. Eyes made using template by newbie_template Linden.
Post Category: Draconic Kiss, Freebies, Gloves, GuRL 6, Hair, Izumiya, Jackets, Jeans, Muism, Novelty, SF Design, Shirts, Shoes
April 13th, 2008 at 08:55amExpress Zenovka
I’ve come to be a great admirer of goth clothing by several SL designers–Draconic Lioncourt, Raven Pennyfeather and kaia Ennui, just to name a very few. This isn’t a genre I explore in RL–I couldn’t possibly afford to do it properly, and on top of that I now feel I’ve been spoiled by the richness of what’s available in SL. I worry that RL designs even remotely accessible to me might earn only a “Meh” in response. This is a consequence I did not foresee when I first left Help Island. They should warn you in advance.
Ah well, screw it. RL may be day-to-day and mundane, but SL doesn’t have to be. Consider “Adrien” and “Gabriel,” two new designs created exclusively for Crimson Shadow by Draconic Kiss designer Draconic Lioncourt. A surface description would make these two ensembles sound more alike than not: jacket, shirt, vest and pants, with prim cuffs and flexi tails for the jacket. It’s true, and unsurprising, that they have some design elements in common: simple black shirt and pants; sumptuous, baroquely patterned vests; flexi falls at the wrists. Anyone can look at either and see Draconic’s loving, bloody kiss. And yet the two are at least as different as they are alike. (more…)
Disclosure: Seen in World: Yes | Review Copy: Some | Friends List: No
Notes: On Ryan: FORM skin by Zabitan Assia (FORM). "Nick" hair by machang Pichot (AOHARU). Oslo boots by Eponymous Trenchmouth (JCS Shoes). Gold Diamond Celtic Ring by Alyssa Bijoux (Alyssa Bijoux Jewelry; custom mod of her own original design).
Post Category: Crimson Shadow, Dressy, Fantasy, Gothic, New Items, Outfits
April 12th, 2008 at 10:33amRyan Darragh
“They say the city of Kalico was once an industrial hub, where most people in the country congregated, worked, and lived. I, personally, find that extremely damn hard to believe anyone came to this city because they wanted to. They came because they had to. They came because everything was here. Everywhere else had nothing! Nothing at all! It’s like someone decided to slap every technological, social, and business aspect of living into one giant concrete hell. We don’t know much about what life was like before ‘it’ happened, but we definitely know what ‘it’ is. Everyone does. It’s the stuff of stories that parents would tell their little kittens so that they would sleep at night. But ‘it’ definitely happened, and ‘it’ destroyed everything.” – So begins the roleplay info notecard for Kenny Sleeper’s new-and-in-progress “Kalico City.” I was familiar with some of Kenny’s emo/neko/punk designs from his shop Kalico Kreations, and Aidan featured some of his designs in a previous post, but his new venture sounded intriguing (although I find I don’t have enough time to devote the amount that serious RP calls for). When he mentioned that he had also been creating some new designs so players can trick themselves out in style, it was clear that a visit to Kalico City was called for. Who knew what grungy, post-apocalyptic wonders would await? (more…)
Disclosure: Seen in World: Yes | Review Copy: Some | Friends List: No
Notes: On Ryan: "David" Entice for Men skin by Sezmra Svarog (Nora BodySkins). "Skye" hair by Mystikal Faddoul (Mystikal Hair Designs). Akeyo Chucks high-tops by Akemi Yoshikawa (Akeyo).
Post Category: Accessories, Casual, Designer Reviews, Fantasy, Grunge, Jeans, Jewelry, Kalico Kreations, Neko, Shirts, Shoes, Shorts, Tattoos, Ties
April 8th, 2008 at 11:09pmRyan Darragh
Gonna make this short and sweet. There’s a hunt going on at the Haute Couture sim until 8 am 5 pm SLT tomorrow. There’s one gift for guys at the Chez store there, the charcoal pinstripe suit. Mr. Jacobus reviewed this suit last year. Its double-breasted and its a pinstripe suit. I like that. a lot. And its layered with separate jacket, tie, and shirt layers for flexibility with a wide variety of other shirts and ties. I haven’t shown them, but the shirt comes with prim cuffs for wear without the jacket. They’re a bit big but can be modified to size.
Also, I’m wearing free hair and eyes from UncleWeb, following a tip from Creamy on Free*style. My only beef with these eyes is that they have reddening (like real eyes) near the edges, and it makes those disaffected, aloof “model shots” where you look off to the side look rather ugly. The hair only comes in specific colors, though I was decently successful at tinting the browns into reds and darker browns. Also, I was unable to the find the first style of freebie hair (I found 2, and am wearing 3, and 4 is for women). If anyone sees the first style, tell me. I’ll give you a donut.
Finally, I decided to let Mike Oxlong wear his original skin, the LF0y male skin from Eloh Eliot, that Creamy packages with the shape at Free*style HQ. LF0y has a fancy manicure and pedicure going on due to its heritage as a female skin. If you want to fix it, just head over to Eloh’s blog and download the textures yourself. A bit of time in photoshop and you can fix em 
Disclosure: Seen in World: Yes | Review Copy: No | Friends List: No
Notes: On Express: "M67" shoes by Damen Gorilla (Adam n Eve).
Post Category: CHEZ, Dressy, Events, Freebies, Hair, Suits
April 7th, 2008 at 10:15pmExpress Zenovka
I’ve been having some recurring issues with my wrists of a late, so typing has become more of a pain. Therefore, I’ll let the pictures do more talking and minimally explain the relevant information. First off, I’m wearing a free sweater, scarf, and sunglasses from the Rahz II Store. There’s also a free necklace available there too. The store has a 50L sale going on where some of the items (often packs of 2 to 3 shirts) are sold for only 50L. It doesn’t apply to every item in the store though, so keep an eye on prices. The items are mod no copy so pick up a few and tint away. The hair is Sleek in “Faded Chestnut”, available for 1L from ETD. (more…)
Disclosure: Seen in World: Yes | Review Copy: No | Friends List: No
Notes: On Express:"Dante tone 4" skin by sachi Vixen (Adam n Eve) from Skin Fair 2008. "Vivant Chestnut Newbie" skin by CJ Carnot (Fleur) from GNUbie. Eyes made using template by newbie_template Linden. "light_mohawk" hair and "wild_short" hair by DMAT Allen (mod's hair Paris).
Post Category: Axis Mundi, El Trebol, Elephant Outfitters, Eyewear, Filigreemotion, Free Dove, Freebies, GNUbie Store, JCS (Jeepers Creepers Shoes), Jewelry, Outfits, Pants, Random Fashions, SC Design, Sales, Shirts, Shoes, WMD, Wild Thing
April 6th, 2008 at 11:25pmExpress Zenovka
Sorry, you have to make allowances for the occasional “Wizard of Oz” reference. Just roll with it.
I’ve feel like I’ve been all over the map lately, stylistically speaking–and don’t get it wrong, I’ve got some fun stuff in the works for next week. But today I venture back into very familiar territory with some casual designs that you know are the kind of thing I live and breathe. Dan Senyurt’s new Club Shirts have everything a casual shirt needs: silky smooth fabric texture, neatly cuffed short sleeves, notched collar with handsome drop shadow, and front patch pocket. They come on the jacket and shirt layers and can be worn neatly tucked in, as you see here, or more casually untucked. An open and untucked version is also included, perfect for layering with your favorite tank or tee, or just catching the breeze on an especially warm spring day. (more…)
Disclosure: Seen in World: Yes | Review Copy: Yes | Friends List: Yes (Epo)
Notes: On Ryan: Vivan skin by CJ Carnot (Fleur). "Enda" hair by Aemilia Case (Philotic Energy). Ribbed Tank Top by Shai Delacroix (Casa Del Shai).
Post Category: Business, Casual, Dan Senyurt, Dressy, JCS (Jeepers Creepers Shoes), New Items, Shirts, Shoes, Sweaters
April 4th, 2008 at 05:01pmRyan Darragh
Every once in a while, I find advertising artwork so impressive and intriguing that I feel compelled–I have no choice…cannot…resist–to yield to the twitch in my index finger and click “Buy” (or perhaps it’s “BUY!”) without further hesitation. Such was the case with “Byron,” by designer Darwin Mizser of AVid. There was something so very aloof and enigmatic about the model, and the clothing designs were presented so beautifully, that I found myself all but powerless to resist. I have quite shamelessly tried to recreate here some of that air of cold mystery. (more…)
Disclosure: Seen in World: Yes | Review Copy: No | Friends List: No
Notes: On Ryan: FORM skin (Pale, with eyeliner) by Zabitan Assia (FORM). "Modern" hair by Tami McCoy (Hair Styles by Tami McCoy).
Post Category: AVid, Fantasy, Gothic, Outfits, Period
April 2nd, 2008 at 04:15pmRyan Darragh
RL’s been keeping me busy so I’ll try to make this short and sweet. Crimson Shadow has a freebie up till the end of the week. It’s a full outfit: shirts, pants, gloves, belt, bracelet, armband, piercings, socks, and shoes. It kinda speaks for itself. I was having SL issues and a) couldn’t attach my face lamp or b) change sky settings, so I’m sorry the pics are kinda dark.
