Men's Second Style

Um, wow.  Without intending or certainly planning to, I seem to have taken a little break.  How did that happen?  I guess I just needed a bit of a breather—I’ve still been around in SL, but doing some fun stuff rather than “working” quite so much.

Also, I blame the Oscars.  My most sincere thanks to the Academy for upping the Best Picture ante to ten nominees while also cutting the interval between announcement of the nominations and presentation of the awards!  This makes my annual game of Oscar Catch-Up all the more intensive.  In the end it’s a lot of fun, but it does take up a lot of time.  For the record, I’d have given Best Oscar to Franco.

Oscar season is over now, though, so I can return you to your regularly scheduled programming.  Stay tuned for that casual stuff I promised you umpteen days ago.

It’s pretty much impossible to discuss men’s formalwear without directing attention to at least one of edo Tone’s impressive tuxedo designs. I look forward each year to edo’s new line—he is prodigiously talented, endlessly creative, and his texture work is second to none. The only problem I have browsing in edo’s store is that, if anything, there are too many choices, and this year is no exception—it’s almost too much to take in. However, after extensive perusal, one new design did stand out. Read the rest of this entry »

No, no, of course I’m kidding.  About that second part.  I would never encourage any kind of electoral misbehavior.

But you can vote, if you’re into that kind of thing.  And early, if you like.  The Glance Fashion Awards nominees for 2011 have been announced, and you have until 15 February to vote for your own favorites in twelve different categories.  Those of you with sharp eyes will notice that this very blog was nominated in the Best Indy Male Fashion Blog category.  If you like what we’re doing here, please consider casting your vote for us.

No matter who you vote for, please vote!  Remember, you don’t get to complain about who wins if you don’t vote.

A good jacket pushes back. When you bend your arms, the bunching of thick fabric, the slight creak as fabric rubs fabric… you know it’s there; a good jacket pushes back.

Kal Rau‘s Brown Blazer and Black Blazer are great jackets. There’s subtle pushing back all over the place and details to die for. Look in particular at the lines in the sleeves, the detail of the pockets and buttons. This is nice nice stuff—the Black Blazer, too.

And they fit! As any regular reader will know, I often have had trouble fitting jacket prims, but this was a delightful exception. As well as the jacket garment, there are natural-looking sleeve cuffs, a jacket bottom that hangs quite naturally in a variety of poses, and a lapel collar.

Each colour jacket is available with one version to wear simply as a jacket over your own shirts, as on the right. But there is a second version included with an attached shirt of its own. To this end, there is a second jacket garment which has the untucked shirt integral to it, and there are alternative sleeve cuff prims and collar prims.

Brown Blazer and Black Blazer are L$350 each. The jacket garments are NoTrans and the prim elements are all NoMod, NoTrans.

You’ll find Kal Rau‘s main shop at Second Island Square (64, 106, 23). While you’re there, have a look at Striped Sweater M2 (L$230) and Polo Shirt M5 (L$290) as well.

Additional link photos shot at Alhambra.

If I’ve observed previously that creating white or even light-colored clothing in SL is a thankless task—and I’m sure I have—it’s only because it’s so eternally true. Even so, there are fearless designers who from time to time take that plunge, which I consider to be an especially bold one. Shiryu Musashi’s recent foray into the wide white wastes, his “Holidays in Cortina” formal suit, is a beautiful and tremendously successful accomplishment in oh-so-sophisticated ivory. It’s perfect for your own travel excursion to northern Italy’s Cortina d’Ampezzo, or perhaps SL’s virtual equivalent. Read the rest of this entry »