Men's Second Style

Last night he dreamt of summer again.

The rain had been falling, on and off, for weeks, and lately it had threatened to turn into snow. The days were bitter and cold, and the nights were long. But in his mind it was summer, for it was summer he dreamed of.

He dreamed of hot beaches and glowing sunsets, of bonfires and tiki bars. He dreamed of rolled-up jeans and tank tops, of sneakers and no socks. He dreamed of warm breezes and cool drinks, of long days and pleasant nights.

In his dreaming mind, he wandered long sandy stretches, with waves pulling and rushing at the whims of the moon. He basked in the sun and felt it warm him to the core. As evening fell, the crackling beach fires warmed him just as well.

But all dreams must end, and winter in the real world has its own charms. Winter too has bonfires, roaring ones that burn brightly and warm the heart as well as the feet. Drinks that are neither fruity nor tropical are instead brown, bitter, and stirred. Cozily clad friends still laugh and connect, and this is what matters most.

And, after all, there will always be dreams of summer.

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Salah Axel’s rigged mesh Rolled Up Jeans are exactly right for my personal dream of summer. They’re like my favorite perfectly comfortable, perfectly faded jeans from RL somehow translated into SL—a minor yet still happy-making miracle. The rise is decidedly low, for a fit—and look—that’s confident and sexy. All of the detailing, including a leather brand patch on the back pocket, is softly textured and well integrated into the whole garment.

Each pair includes two styles (both comfortably faded, but one rather more worn and patched than the other), each in five sizes, so you can choose the one that works best with your shape. Unrolled, full-length jeans are also available, but I loved these so much that I had to have them first. Both styles are available for women as well as men. In the shop you’ll also find belts designed to fit perfectly with these jeans.

Choose from seven different fabric colors; here I’m wearing Nile Blue. L$380 at Connors (SleeplessMUSIC 149, 128, 1725), or L$2200 for a bundle of all seven colors. A free demo is available.

On Ryan: “Ocean 2.0″ skin by Simple Spad (Zoobong). “Nekoge” hair by hiko Nino (Happy Dispatch). Plain Tank Top – White by jesseaitui Petion (Aitui). 7ommys Punk Rock Allstar hightops by 7ommy Gunes (Sentou Yousei / Battle Fairy). Trinity tattoo by Joey Williamson (no longer available).

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This post turned out, quite unexpectedly, to be something of a meditation on the enjoyable escapism I often find in Second Life. Who knew? Never fear—I have some cold-weather apparel waiting in the wings. Also, it’s warm in the Southern hemisphere!  :)