Men's Second Style

Have I said before that I could dress every day entirely in clothing by risey Arai and be happy? I’m pretty sure I have. At the risk of sounding like a total fanboi, I can only say (or, more likely, say again) that risey’s designs look and feel more like real, whole garments than almost anything else I’ve tried on. I don’t mean they look 100% photo-realistic; in my opinion, absolute photographic realism is a design approach that just doesn’t quite work in SL. Of course things may change in time—things have certainly changed over the last four or five years—but right now a certain level of stylization seems to make for more natural integration with the SL environment as a whole. It certainly suits my own particular tastes. It will be interesting to see what new technology brings to our virtual world.

In the meantime, though, I still want to look good. So do you. risey’s Buttoned Hoodie is a great choice if you’re looking for an impressive centerpiece for a casual, smart Fall ensemble. The fabric texture looks fine and supple, more like a comfortable shirt than protection against the chill, but what looks in front like just a casually open collar turns out to be around back a naturally draped and rumpled hood. As always, risey has made the garment highly flexible by including both clothing-layer and prim items in different versions, for more wear options than you may know what to do with. In addition to the hooded collar and cuffs, both long and shorter (“medium”) sculpted garment bottoms are included. You also get the optional black turtleneck sweater, which with its nicely sculpted collar is a complete (if very basic) garment in its own right, and Shinobazu gloves for those particularly crisp days. The collar/hood is resize scripted, but the other prim pieces are conventionally moddable. Choose from six solid colors (Blue, Gray, Green, Khaki, Mocha and Red) and three patterns (Brown Check, Cobweb and Map Black). L$450 each at :sey (GREED 153, 183, 61).

I’ve had my eyes on Ryusuke Loon’s Mods Layered Boots for a while now. I first spotted them when I was looking for some gladiatorial sandals to wear with silks—I tried on a demo, very much liked what I saw, but in the moment had no idea what to do with them. Time went by, as it does, and the demo folder rattled around in my inventory, occasionally making puppy eyes at me. Over time I’ve found that, far more often than not, intriguing and unusual designs that find their way into my inventory (even if only in demo form) eventually find their way into an actual outfit. In this case, the puppy eyes did pay off…it just took a little while. Ryusuke’s boots are handsomely constructed—big, bold and fabulously detailed, with gorgeous leather, fabric and metal texturing and intricate prim lacing. The shape is high yet slouchie, with a low yet clearly defined heel and dramatic profile; unsurprisingly, each boot is made up of two separate attachments (foot and lower leg). Touch scripting allows you to choose from nine differently colored textures for the fabric lining.

As fantastic as these boots are, I do have to offer one significant caveat: they are not moddable. An included notecard explains that this is due to the embedded scripting—presumably for the fabric color change—and that resize scripting has not been used due to the number of prims involved. I still feel strongly that shoes simply must be re-sizeable, one way or another, and these just aren’t…but I’m crazy about them! I do so hate ethical dilemmas.  I leave it to you to make your own decision. Two sizes are included, Medium and Large, but still it’s even more important than usual to try the demo before purchasing. You may need to adjust your shape to achieve a good fit (the notecard also mentions some suggested slider settings), and you’ll want to make sure that you’ll be happy with the end result.

Available in Black and Brown. L$380 a pair at Massimo (Sugulite Island 128, 141, 601).

I’m also wearing Drusus DuCasse’s “Maru” hairstyle. This is one of several different but thematically consistent styles in the new range released in the last few weeks at Zanzo. This short, casual style is barely contained by the integrated cloth headband; touch the band to choose from a baker’s dozen of different fabric patterns. L$200 at Zanzo (Zanzo 182, 192, 22); each color pack includes three different tones. Take home the complete edition of all 30 color variations for L$1000 (50% off).