Men's Second Style

Although it was a “new release” announcement that brought me to jada Tigerpaw’s grungy-punky-fantasy clothing and accessories shop Returned Karma, in the end it actually wasn’t the new release I ended up taking home. Not that the new release (a grunge/fantasy outfit called Biter; think Taylor Lautner as Jacob Black) doesn’t look good—don’t get me wrong, it looks great. No, it was just that, after browsing the small but varied collection of men’s items, I found myself most intrigued by this fantasy ensemble, called Sticky Rice.

Imagine that you are a young man, setting out from your childhood home into the larger world, to seek your fortune while preserving your honor. The place is Japan, the era indeterminate but possibly feudal, certainly pre-industrial. You have little but the clothes on your back, the cunning in your heart and the wits in your head. Your temperament is tough, the soles of your feet tougher, the better to endure long days on longer roads. You don’t know just what the future holds, but you know that you’ll meet it with dignity, grace and no small amount of cleverness.

Your attire is simple—after all, you don’t want to burden yourself excessively or unnecessarily—but functional. Your khaki shorts are rolled to above the knee, for maximum freedom of movement, with several pockets for stashing miscellany. The belt that keeps the shorts secure (ever more necessary as you grow ever leaner, the further you get from your mother’s cooking) also secures a few small things of varying necessity. In fact, most fine days you don’t actually wear your geta, but instead leave them dangling from your belt. Your hat is likewise slung from your back, ready should you need it. You like to think that you cut an appealing figure, but hopefully one that’s not too memorable…just in case.

The land is beautiful, the villages and towns welcoming, their residents friendly and helpful. Most of the time, you are easily able to do the occasional chore in exchange for a few coins, a hot meal or a bed for the night, so you aren’t worried about going hungry or living in misery. But you feel more at home, more connected, more whole in the open countryside, where other people are few in number and relatively far between. Somehow, you’re certain that this is where you’ll find what you’re looking for, or be found by whatever is seeking you.

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jada Tigerpaw’s Sticky Rice ensemble includes shorts with prim cuffs, belt, poncho and an optional collar/mask that, when worn, covers the lower half of your face. I love the clearly hand-painted fabric textures of the shorts, and the prim belt and poncho straps are impressively detailed. All prims are resize scripted. My one complaint is a minor but noticeable texture issue: visible edges on the poncho’s ragged flexi sections, if you look closely enough. As suggested above, the wooden shoes are belt-attached accessories only and cannot be worn as shoes. Likewise, the back-slung hat is integrated with the poncho and cannot be worn as a hat.

L$399 for the set at Returned Karma Odn Island 81, 186, 21). Choose from Black, Brown and Green (shown here).