Men's Second Style

It’s been a while since I had a Guest Style Consultant make an appearance here. Actually, looking back I see that it’s been longer than a while. That’s surely not because I haven’t seen other guys out there doing a great job at putting themselves together. They (you) are certainly out there, and I have extended the occasional invitation here and there. But sometimes, sadly, the answer just isn’t yes. Read the rest of this entry »

Bigger is not necessarily better. I know, I know—size matters, and all that. People do say that. But as always, it’s not what you’ve got: it’s what you do with it that matters. Read the rest of this entry »

The snow crunched under Etienne’s feet as he slowly and deliberately made his way across the great open space that would, in warmer weather, be a verdant lawn. It was a long way from the manor house to the stand of trees on the south side of the grounds, and already he was beginning to feel the chill. It would not do for him to be shivering with cold; it simply would not. Read the rest of this entry »

When he stepped off the train into the empty station, he felt not fear or apprehension but, rather, simple annoyance. He hesitated for a moment and turned to signal the porter, but the porter had vanished back into the car and the train was already pulling out of the station in chuffing clouds of steam. He was annoyed because it had been no small task to secure passage to New Babbage on such short notice (notwithstanding the urgent nature and secretly noble origins of the request), especially in a style to which he was most comfortably accustomed. He was annoyed because he could see clearly that, in spite of all extravagant promises to the contrary, no one was there to meet him. He was annoyed because he could see that the nearby hostelry was the Mechanix Arms—no doubt a fine enough establishment, but it was not the Brunel Hall Hotel, where he had rooms reserved for his immediate occupancy. Read the rest of this entry »

He hated the term. He hated it, but no matter what he did, no matter who he tried to be, he could not escape it. He had been trapped by it from the very beginning, from his very incept date, for the phrase had been prominently featured in his homeostatic promotional material—in shining, swirling letters, in multiple languages, and repeated in subliminal whispers that could barely be heard, yet made their way deep into the mind and all but guaranteed a purchase, if not actual satisfaction. In fact, if he had come with an interactive instruction manual—which he had not—the phrase would no doubt have been emblazoned across every virtual page.

Basic pleasure model.
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In J-horror (and to a certain extent in horror from Asian countries other than Japan) there’s a well known archetype: the scary girl with long hair. She is traditionally a ghost or spirit, often with a horrifying face and inhuman skin, and she is most definitely scary. She is almost always bent on vengeance for wrongs done to her in life. Think of the central supernatural figures in “Ringu” (“The Ring”), “Ju-On” (“The Grudge”), and “Janghwa, Hongryeon” (“A Tale of Two Sisters”, actually an example of K-horror )—you’ll know just what I mean. Read the rest of this entry »

It is not widely known that the Fae Airborne Legion played a critical role in several key victories during the Clockworks Campaign of 1864. In fact, the very existence of the Fae Airborne Legion is not widely known. This is doubtless due to the fae people’s resistance to fame and publicity. Written history (human, of course, as the fae keep no such tradition) is all but mum on the subject. Nonetheless, oral histories of fae and human alike document and retell tales of decisive victories, such as the one at Gorham Grange, that would surely have been routs but for the contributions of the FAL. Read the rest of this entry »

I was more than a little amused when I read a recent comment from Rhys, something along the lines of “going more steampunk.” It was funny because I was already putting together a steampunk feature in my head, having realized that it had been a while since I had been to Babbage. Unfortunately, finishing it up took longer than I had anticipated—but here we are at last! Read the rest of this entry »

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 »

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 »