I hardly know what to think any more, much less say, when Eponymous Trenchmouth releases a new shoe creation. At some point, one runs out of superlatives. There are just no more words. At least, there are no good ones left that I haven’t already used.
That said, my first response to Epo’s recently released Kool Kats loafers was, “Oh, these look terribly smart.” Epo’s reply: “Thank you. I was inspired by an old pair of two-tone Hush Puppies! The green ones are copied from mine. But my favorites are the Umber ones—not so much a color as an absence of same.”
These slim, crepe-soled loafers remind me of a pair of steel-grey suede (not two-tone, alas) Hush Puppies I had and loved some years back. I could go on and on about Epo’s gorgeous texture work , his immaculate prim construction, his beautiful interpretations for SL of RL designs—and I have previously done so, many times, and without doubt will do so again. At the risk of falling into the perilous trap of repetition, I do direct your attention to the shoes’ faithfully recreated lines and profile, the fine leather texture, and the precise, realistic stitchwork.
As for me, I’m honestly not sure which are my own favorites. The Umber shoes are indeed fascinatingly neutral in color, like a shadow on concrete, but this doesn’t mean they’re boring. In Green, they’re reminiscent of the dappled shade of trees moving on grass. The Brown ones look rich and soft, like loam or chocolate. But the B&W pair is particularly striking, absolutely elegant in its simplicity. And there are four other colors not shown here, for a total of eight. All sport a delightfully detailed medallion on the instep.
Epo’s Kool Kats shoes are priced at L$350 a pair, or L$1250 for all eight color variations. At Jeepers Shoes (La Fortuna 1 42, 42, 23).
Modeling poses by Grazia Horwitz. Available, individually and in packs, at /GEEZ/ (Copley Square 70, 128, 24).
I cannot tell you—I don’t think I can even begin—how much I dislike the word “murse.” It’s not even a word, really. It’s just a fake word somebody made up because they didn’t want to say “man purse.” And you can see why, but still. I mean, why does it have to be a “purse” of any kind?
Because I do like bags, and men often do really get the short end of the stick when it comes to things to contain and carry their stuff in. Women of course have purses, which are (in Western culture, at least) universally accepted not just as a utilitarian necessity but as a legitimate fashion accessory, and often a quite beautiful one. They take a variety of forms, as well, for different seasons and occasions: shoulder bags, tote bags, handbags, clutches, and the list goes on. And then there are the many interpretations and variations in shape, size, color, accents, trim—they’re almost like butterflies, with no two alike.
Men have wallets. Usually in black or brown. See what I mean?
Okay, you’re right, that’s not really fair. We do have more than a few other options. Briefcases aren’t really my thing, though, at least not outside the office—too formally professional. Backpacks and satchels are fine, but very casual. Attaché cases can be quite beautiful, although they often don’t hold much more than a collection of papers. Messenger bags are a personal favorite of mine, but again they’re usually pretty casual in design. The relatively new development, the rolling laptop case, is so not sexy, absolutely not a fashion accessory, although I confess that I have started using one (I can’t say “carrying,” as one doesn’t) in RL, to and from work, to keep from straining my neck and shoulder. Getting older is, in fact, the suck. But I digress.
With the exceptions of attachés and briefcases, there aren’t many high-fashion options here. This is where the man-bag/man-purse/murse (/me sighs) trend has reared its adventurous head, attempting to provide for us men some more stylish alternatives, albeit often (in my humble opinion) with more ambition than success. Boris Juneberry’s SOHO Metro Murse is successful as well as ambitious, practical and beautiful at the same time. It’s stylishly shaped and finished in rich (Corinthian?) leather, with handy exterior pockets and shiny metal fittings. Click to choose from five different leather colors (Black, Brown, Camel, Cognac and White) and five metal finishes. Choose from three colors (Black, White and Gold) for the optional clipped-on sunglasses. Six preset combinations are available, or you can customize each element individually to make up your own unique look. The bag also includes a “hold” pose, so hopefully it won’t appear to float magically around in the air, at least not too much.
The detailed leather textures are clearly photo-sourced, but they’re well assembled, avoiding most of the problems I associate with photo-sourced items. As is inherent with photo-sourced images, lighting is more specifically directional, so it may not look 100% correct from all angles. That’s to be expected, given the technique, and the resulting effect works fine for me and is not a distraction. More problematic is the fact that the bag is no mod, and no resizer script has been used, so there’s no way to size it up or down for a better fit to your avatar. The “out of the box” size is a little on the big size for me, but should probably work just fine for most guys.
Since we’re already talking about fine leather accessories, it seems only appropriate to say a few things about my footwear. These are Eponymous Trenchmouth’s (relatively) new “Franken” shoes. You may recall that Epo has done a few other shoes with similar stack heels. As you can see, those styles were rather less conventional in both color and styling. These are ever so slightly more sober and restrained, but the heel elevation means that no one will ever mistake them for anything stuffy or conventional. I love the subtle differences in the leather texture’s matte finish, and the serpentine stitching up the toe and vamp is something of a marvel—how difficult must that texture have been to piece together so precisely across the shoe’s prims? Unsurprisingly, the detailing is not confined to the more readily visible areas of the shoe. Note the subtle wear scuffs across the sole, the heavy stitching around the outer edge, the shiny nails that hold together the layers of the heel, and the embossed designer logo in the arch.
“Franken” is an entry in Epo’s new Green & Son line of shoes. Other entries in the initial offering of styles include “Colbert” and “Stewart.” Hey, wait a minute, those names sound familiar…do I detect a motif? (What, no Maddow for the ladies?) “Stewart” is somewhat to similar to “Franken,” but in glossy black patent leather with suede insets. “Colbert” is available in classic Black, Brown, Copper and Cordovan. A resizer script allows for easy fitting, and a separate “power walk” animation override is included.
L$400 a pair, with some styles available in packs at special pricing. Demos are available in the shop. At JCS Shoes (La Fortuna 1 42, 42, 23).
I guess I’m getting a little ahead of myself here. I have some beautiful formalwear to show you—possibilities for a highly dramatic New Year’s Eve party—but I thought that first I’d go directly to the after-party. Do not pass Go, do not collect L$200. Now, it’s understandable if you feel that the main event deserves most of your sartorial time, attention and budget. But don’t make the mistake of thinking that what you wear to the after-party somehow matters less. In its own way, it’s just as important. You’re still making an impression, after all! You can’t just throw on khakis and a polo and let it go at that. (Jeans and a t-shirt can work, though…if they’re the right jeans and the right t-shirt.) No, you still need to put some time, effort and attention into your after-party attire. Don’t worry, though. I’m here to help.
I have a simple philosophy at work here: The best way to make an impression at the after-party is to make a different impression. What do I mean by that? Well you may ask. Let’s say your main party of the evening is all about formal, luxurious, refined, even extravagant elegance, and the ensemble you’ve so carefully put together reflects those themes. (I’ll have some suggestions along those lines in the next few days.) Your after-party outfit should go in a different direction so people will notice—and, more importantly, remember—that you did more than just take off your jacket and loosen your tie. This is where the aforementioned right jeans and tee could work very well. In this case, though, let’s say…simple, casual, sexy, but still classy. I have just the thing.
Ricco Saenz’s “After Hours” outfit is in fact simple, casual, sexy, but still classy. Let’s run through the list together. Simple: just a shirt and slacks—check. Casual: informal colors, open collar and rolled sleeves—check. Sexy: make that deeply open collar and (so subtle you might not notice at first) semi-sheer fabric—check. Classy: crisply pressed seams and smoothly flowing fabric texture—check. Aha, all bases are covered! Excellent!
The shirt is available in four different colors: Blue, Salmon, Violet and White. The White is crisp and bright, the Blue very subtle, the Salmon most definitely not pink, and the Violet—my immediate favorite—vibrant and actually kind of exciting. The shirt can be worn neatly tucked or half-untucked, a deliberately casual sexy look that hits two of our requirements at once, so score! This trick is accomplished by means of shirt- and jacket-layer shirts, plus two different underpants-layer extensions. The texture work makes the shirt look oh-so-deliberately tousled, but not at all rumpled. Each shirt includes matching sculpted collar and cuffs, which are scripted for automatic resize and positioning. I did notice some occasional script errors, so the scripts might need some re-working, but the items are also conventionally moddable. [Note: this issue has been corrected by the scripter.] I found that I needed to use more than simple, uniform stretch to fit the collar to my satisfaction, anyway.
I don’t mean to give short shrift to the included pants. They’re nicely textured in medium grey, with integrated belt, crisp creases and back slash pockets. The belt is detailed with the designer’s brand name in back. There are no sculpted cuffs, but the pants are moddable, so you can adjust the system cuffs to your liking.
Just a few small caveats…although the fabric texture work is quite nicely done overall, some edges are not quite perfectly clean or perfectly aligned, and you may notice some skin color bleed-through at the waist-layer join line—how obvious this is will depend on your skin and shirt colors. Unfortunately, you can’t reduce this effect by wearing both shirt- and jacket-layer shirts without also eliminating the shirt’s sheer appearance. I don’t think any of these will be distractions at normal viewing distance. [Note: these issues have been addressed and corrected by the designer.]
Priced at L$225 for pants and a single shirt color, or L$450 for a pack that includes pants and shirts in all four colors. Available at Havana (Sky Beach 107, 192, 979); other locations can be found in Ricco’s Picks.
The shoes are called Swingtime, and they are by Eponymous Trenchmouth, part of his “Luciano de Vincenzi” line of stylish footwear for men. I love the classic lines of these slip-ons—they look clean, trim and comfortable. As always, Epo’s prim construction and texture work are things of beauty, exhibiting the careful construction, precise alignment and lovingly detailed artwork that are his eternal hallmarks.
For this outfit, I was particularly drawn in by the turquoise leather diamonds stitched down the shoe’s instep. Their color doesn’t exactly “go” with any of the shirt colors, but I think that’s actually part of why the shoes work here. L$400 at JCS (La Fortuna 1 51, 48, 21).
Ricco’s shirt’s sexy open collar cried out for a gorgeous necklace to shine there against the skin. I set out to find a piece that would not just “fill the space” but also satisfy all my requirements: simple, casual, sexy, classy. Believe it or not, it had been a while since I had undertaken such a search-and-destroy shopping mission. It’s challenging when the object of your desire is defined in such abstract terms—it pretty much means that it falls squarely into the I’ll Know It When I See It category. That’s nice to know, but it’s no help at all when trying to come up with productive search terms. On only my third or fourth stop (before the repeated TP requests had time to cause a client crash), I found just what I was looking for: Eolande Elvehjem’s Tribal Necklace for men. The chain’s links are substantial rather than delicate, for a strong, masculine look, and the pendant catches the eye with its graceful, organic curves. I’m wearing the necklace in Bronze, but other metal finishes are also available. L$200 at Accessories by Eolande (Larimar 205, 56, 22).
I’m also wearing the Arabesque Cross Ring by Yukirei Greene, long one of my favorite SL jewelry and accessory designers, for both the meticulous care with which she builds her pieces and the outrageous beauty they put on display. This is one of the small handful of Yukirei’s items still available at what is, as near as I can tell, her only remaining inworld shop location. (There have been no updates to her blog since July.) As with all of Yukirei’s designs, the prim construction is precise and intricate, the overall design stunning.
Just L$150 for a set that includes rings in both Gold and Silver. Pick it up–while you still can–at Skill Normal (MoonCat Izumo 119, 56, 26).
Wow, where does the time go? More importantly, where does it come from? By which I mean, where can I get more?
As you can see, I haven’t been around all that much lately. Believe me, it’s not for lack of wanting. RL (work in particular, as I may have mentioned) has been kinda crazy, and of course it’s the holiday season, and there’s only so much time to go around…never quite enough, it seems. I do have some good stuff I want to share with you, though–some coats and scarves, festive party attire, stuff like that–and I’m hoping to get in at least a small handful of posts between now and the end of the year. They may be short and sweet, but hopefully you’ll still find something worth shopping for.
It will most likely come as no surprise to you when I observe that I’m a big fan of pea coats. I also like other similarly styled coats, but I’m partial to the classic pea coat—my current RL coat of choice for winter is a decidedly non-traditional forest-green pea coat with bronze buttons. swaffette Firefly’s new Pea Coat for men has traditional, classic styling going for it in spades. The set includes: jacket-layer coat; sculpted collar, sleeve cuffs and epaulet-style shoulder pieces; flexi coat bottom; and sculpted hat. The fabric texture is dark charcoal in color, or perhaps it’s blue so dark it looks black. The cuffs, shoulder pieces and flexi bottom give the coat loose, comfortable lines rather than a skin-tight fit. You might expect that a garment so dark in color would be light on detail, but here the fabric has a clearly visible, nubby weave, and you don’t have to look too closely to notice details like big, shiny buttons and leather trim at the pockets and hem.
Priced at L$350 for the full set as shown, which includes Romany pants with sculpted cuffs and a grey V-neck sweater, which can be worn tucked or untucked. You can also buy just the coat, scarf and hat for L$250. Available at SF Design (Penryn 69, 96, 36). Look around for the freebie hair in five colors for wear with hats. (Note: I’m not wearing this freebie style here; I chose a close-cropped style, “Andy” from MADesigns, and fudged the size and placement of the hat just a bit instead.) Look around just a little more for swaffette’s freebie holiday sweater!
I’m also wearing the newish Trashville Boots by Eponymous Trenchmouth. Epo’s shoe designs are always gracefully shaped and often elaborately textured, but these boots strike me as simpler, more elemental than some of his other designs. The leather texture is clean and looks supple, and the shape is smartly defined by the smooth vamp and stack heel. Shiny metal accents (a buckle on one style, a metal ring on the other) catch the eye, and side pull tabs make them easy to pull on. Although they aren’t really detailed for it, I’ve worn them as ankle boots here—the pants’ sculptie cuffs cover any unfinished edges left by leaving off the boot tops. Of course they also look great when worn whole, as Epo intended.
Choose from Engineer and Harness styles, in Black or Brown, L$350 a pair. Available at JCS Shoes (La Fortuna 1 42, 42, 23).
Another one of those accessory-based throwdowns, this one is about umbrellas. The concept is an ancient one: if the sun is too hot or the rain is too wet, use something to block the undesirable element from affecting you directly.
So who chose this topic? That’d be HawksRock Gunawan. While he may not be a photographer or fashion blogger, the man does have a long resume. After finally killing off Are We Not Men?, Hawks teamed up with former mean girls JellyBean Madison and Rosie Shark to start The SL Revolution. He’s also a dj for Clockwork in Topgol and even more importantly for us, the man’s a machinimaniac. That’s right, cuz of Hawks this post has not one but two embedded videos featuring umbrellas for you to watch alongside the usual throwdown fare.
Express Zenovka – Not Quite Spring Yet
Its already mid-March, and no sign of spring. I guess the groundhog must have really scared of his shadow, with so we have a week or two on top of the normal six weeks of extra winter. On the bright side, at least its starting to get a bit warmer — its only raining apposed to snowing. And even better, I’m inside this car while the rain is out — what was that popping noise?
Ugh, a flat in the rain. At least the brown will cover the muck from outside as I slosh around to the back well. Glad I packed an umbrella for the evening since the skies haven’t been looking so good lately. Off with the hubcap, then the lugnuts, jack up the wheel, and sub in the spare.
Hmm.. is the rain getting lighter? It certainly does look like the sky is clearing up. Clouds are parting and you can see the evening sun illuminating the sky over the hills on the horizon. The end of this rain storm might be the first thing that’s gone my way all night.
Well, spare well is doing its job. Just need to fold up the umbrella and shake this umbrella dry. I can keep my jacket open for good it seems, the weather feels warmer already. Seems like Spring just needed a litte bit of time to get ready and shake out that last bit of winter.
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Hawks told me a day or two ago that he’d actually be doing a machinima for his throwdown instead of the regular formula. I’d already finished up most of my post by then, but I figured I needed to step up despite a relative lack of experience in the field. So for what its worth, here’s my video, mostly unrelated to the above and fresh off the… filesytem?
Novocaine Hair – Edward – smoke (250L) -DC- – Cole: Coffee – Clean Cut (900L) (Miriel) – Standard Eyes – Pewter (0L) -SCAR–TISSUE- ring lobe piercings (1L) Aoharu Boutique – Tailored JK Set Beige (385L) *MODERNO: – Basic Thermal – Lt. Gray (50L) ++NODe++ – Umbrella01(m) (385L) [W&B] – Harris Tartan Shorts WEST COAST(160L) >TRUTH< Industria Work Boots [tan] (300L) Total: 2,421L
HawksRock Gunawan – Dancin’ In the Rain?
For this challenge, I had expected to get a little more direction than an umbrella and a price limit of L2,500. I figured there would be a time period, a certain look, and I would have to jump through rings of fire. In the end, it was pretty wide open, although the price limit proved a conundrum. I guess, in hindsight, I am normally a shopper who looks for something he wants, and then if it is of the right quality I buy it. It didn’t take me long to realize that unless I was gonna take this shot naked, I had to abandon my normal skin since the price tag of L2,000 shot the entire wad.
There are two things I am not. One is a fashion blogger. The second is a photographer. Therefore, for this challenge I decided to make it my own and crank out a little machinima project. Special thanks to Ajika Laszlo, who not only created the umbrella I am featuring, but also allowed me to film this segment in his Trilogy Fashion Alley. I hope you enjoy the vid and throw your vote this direction. Also, special thanks to my girl, JellyBean Madison, who not only loaned me the use of her brand new laptop for the editing, but makes a special appearance in the vid.
Although I live in Los Angeles now, my family moved around a lot when I was growing up. From fourth through eighth grade, we lived in Kansas City, land of hot, muggy summers and cold, snowy winters. I had all kinds of winter gear that I somewhat sadly have no need for now–the number of winter days I actually need my beloved forest-green peacoat is vanishingly small. So Winter in SL for me can be something of a virtual return to childhood exuberance, if not actual innocence. I do find that the accessorizing is a lot more fun and elaborate…maybe because these days it’s not my mother picking out things for me at Kmart.
I certainly never had stuff like this. risey Arai’s Skull Muffler is gracefully sculpted, and the matching Watch Cap looks comfortably warm and fuzzy. (Feel free to comment on the decorative motif. You know you want to.) Both are scripted for easy, automatic resize and a dozen different fabric colors.
You can wear the cap with your own (or no) hair, or with your choice of “built-in” hair in black, brown, grey, orange, pink or red. The style is simple, unisex and flexi. The cap is no mod, so you won’t be recoloring the hair. The sculpted shape of the knitted cap is realistically slouched, and the thoughtful detailing includes protective earflaps and knotted yarn tie at the crown. Muffler (L$150) and cap (L$350) are both available at :sey (Isle of Tranquility 158, 110, 29).
To protect my feet against the not-so-cruel elements, I’m wearing the holiday-edition “Ho!” sheepskin boots by Eponymous Trenchmouth. (Yes, that’s right–a single Ho! has been used to avoid excessive merriment.) These are scripted for automatic resize, and they’re further tricked out with optional “sexy walk” or “power walk” animations as well as an optional sleigh bells sound effect. Three different leg lengths are included, so you can wear them as low, calf-height or almost-knee-height boots. Choose from Red or Green at the special price of L$100; other colors are available as part of Epo’s regular “Ugh” boots line for L$200 a pair. Get yours at JCS (La Fortuna 92, 56, 21)–just look for the faceless snowman.
Sometimes I’m just not sure what approach to take when I’m putting together an outfit or outfits for an article. I mean, putting outfits together obviously follows a certain basic process that doesn’t change much–clothing that makes for a certain look, shoes that play along nicely or even make a statement, maybe some jewelry or other accessories that tie it all together. And there’s always the question of hair, and possibly a particular or even themed skin…but I digress.
So, anyway, yes, the process is pretty well defined, but for me the question is always, “What’s the hook?” By which I mean, What makes it special? Where’s the fun? What’s the challenge this time? What’s in it for me?
And sometimes the “hook” seems to come out of nowhere. In this case, I think it was born from the mingling of accumulated inventory folders, all of which contained items I wanted to feature here. That, and the earworm of an old sit-com theme song that I just couldn’t shake. “Come and knock on our door…” (Sorry, but you may as well suffer along with me.) This suggested something of a challenge to me: three designers, three different looks, zero repeats. Aha! And I was off. It took longer than I thought it would–so what else is new?–but it fulfilled the requirement of being fun. And if SL isn’t fun for us, why are we bothering?
As you may have gathered from the post title, the three designers I threw together in an unwitting threesome are Devon Dinzeo (clothing, Dinzeo Designs), Eponymous Trenchmouth (shoes, JCS) and Aleri Darkes (hair, Diversity). I think the results were overwhelmingly positive and speak for themselves, but of course you must be the ultimate judge. And so I present to you the results of the challenge I presented to myself.
My efforts were assisted in no small measure by the fact that many of Devon’s clothing designs are sold as “pre-fab” outfits. I’m not a separates purist, and I have no problem with this when the designs are well done and the individual items are also wearable separately. Devon’s Jonas outfit (L$175) is simple and casual, including just sweater and jeans. The sweater is colored in beautiful earth tones, and the horizontal stripes are not overwhelmed by the subtle but effective contour shading, which gives a form-fitting look. The jeans are straightforward but well executed, newly bright blue rather than faded, with some realistic wrinkles and folds.
The loose, casual hairstyle is Aleri’s “Conall” (L$175 in color packs) in Ginger Red. I’m a huge fan of Aleri’s styles, and this one is no exception–in fact, I like it a lot and suspect it will be on my short list for the foreseeable future. I had some fun fitting this style (it needed more tweaking than usual in the back, for some reason), but time spent fitting hair properly is time well spent and I’m not complaining. If you’d rather avoid the admittedly tedious fitting process, Aleri always provides a notecard with head size and shape settings, which you can use to modify your own shape slightly, so the hair fits without any further adjustment.
The shoes (or boots, in this case) are aXion, by Eponymous Trenchmouth. This is Epo’s newest offering, although it has been out for a while now. The detailing on these is off the hook–look closely at the weather-proofed leather and canvas upper, the webbed nylon strap, the rubberized sole and toe cap, and the plush lining visible at the rolled top. Even the tiny Gore-Tex tag is exactly right. I’m wearing these in Brown, to go with the coloring of the Jonas outfit, but they’re also available in Black, Blue, Gray, Olive and Sand. They’re scripted for automatic resize via touch menu, for your fitting convenience. Take them home for L$350 a pair, or L$1250 for the pack of all six colors.
Here you see the Dooger outfit (L$175), again by Devon Dinzeo. Dooger has kind of a hippie-hipster-beatnik kind of vibe, with its black turtleneck sweater and suave beret-style hat. The black sweater is detailed with dark gray piping, which catches the eye without distracting, and it comes with a thick sculpted collar. You also get a shirt-layer “puffer” garment, so you can give the sweater a looser, rather than skin-tight, fit. The goal-grey pants look a little more clearly photo-sourced than the Jonas jeans, but still with some softer details that look hand-drawn.
Again in Ginger Red (it’s my favorite of Aleri’s colors, so shoot me), the style here is “Adrien” (L$175 in color packs). It’s parted slightly off-center, long on the sides and in back, but pulled up in a soft, loose ponytail. The simple, undecorated hair tie is scripted for color change–just touch the band and choose from a bundle of different colors.
The Rigger boots I’m wearing here are reworked versions of an earlier style by Epo. These replace the earlier versions and are based on the aXion shape. The form is more shoe than boot, with relatively low, rather than high and dramatic, upper and heel. An admirable redesign. Choose from Black, Black Cherry (shown here), Brown, Desert Camo, Field Camo and Work Boots. Scripted for resize, just touch and choose from the pop-up menu. L$350 a pair, or L$1250 for the pack of all six colors.
Devon’s Frolito outfit (L$175) includes a simple white dress shirt, black V-neck sweater and deep black pants. The shirt is provided separately on the shirt layer, so it can be worn on its own (although I haven’t worn it solo here). Two versions are provided, one to be worn with the supplied prim collar, the other designed to be worn without. I can’t decide which I prefer–the prim collar is undeniably crisp, but the soft shadow shading under the hand-drawn collar really makes it stand out. Let’s just say it’s great to have the choice. The jacket-layer sweater is trimmed with gray-and-black stripes at neck, bottom hem and on the sculpted rolled cuffs. The pants are quite dark, but on closer inspection you’ll see that they have clean, sharp crease detailing and subtler wrinkle and fold shading, which keeps them from simply blurring into a dark smudge.
“Landon” (L$175 in color packs) is a lush, elaborately sculpted style with flexi strands in back, probably the most atypical (for me) of the three styles featured here. That’s not to say that I don’t like it a lot, though. It strikes me as something of a cross between perfectly coiffed secret-society member and something, I don’t know, less reserved, more adventurous.
The shoes are both old and new. “Old” because Epo’s Oslo ankle boots were first released almost a year ago, but “new” because they’ve been updated with script-driven automatic resize, and because Epo has added two new colors: Mid Brown and Black Cherry. Although I chose the Black Cherry Riggers to go with the Dooger outfit, I couldn’t resist Oslo in Black Cherry–the deep, almost wine-red color is just too delicious. Old or new, they’re a classic that I keep coming back to again and again. L$350 a pair, or L$1250 for the pack of six colors. You’ll be glad to know that the map of Oslo printed on the lining is still intact. In a world of impermanence, it’s good to know that some things don’t change.
Clothing by Devon Dinzeo is available at Dinzeo Designs (Kanerock 116, 44, 28).
Shoes (and boots) by Eponymous Trenchmouth can be found at JCS (La Fortuna 92, 56, 21).
Hairstyles by Aleri Darkes are available at Diversity (Addictive 95, 169, 294).
* Disclaimer: The title of and descriptions in this article are not intended in any way to portray the Real Life or Second Life behavior or personalities of any persons mentioned herein. All participants 18 or older at time of production. Proof of age on file.
Summer may be over where you are–it is where I live, at least technically–but it’s always summer somewhere in SL. Even if the days are no longer warm outside your RL window, you can still catch a wave or work on your tan in SL. Here are just a few ideas to get you rolling.
Whether it’s at the beach, poolside, or just running through the backyard sprinklers, getting wet is a summer tradition. To make a proper appearance at any aquatic event or gathering, it’s essential to be properly outfitted. And I’m not just talking about swimwear, either, although that’s a very good start. No, you’re going to need more than a pair of trunks. You’re also going to need accessories, equipment, and maybe some toys. What boy, of any age, doesn’t love his toys?
Shinichi Mathy’s collection of men’s swim trunks features bright tropical designs and fabric textures that look soft and comfortable. Nine different styles are available, priced at L$130 each; here I’m wearing the “Golden Daze” trunks, but I also like the “Cream Soda” design. And really, what says summer better than a colorful aloha shirt? To coordinate, I’ve also thrown on Shinichi’s “Tropical Blossom” style. Several different fabric prints are available (L$160 each)—you know you’re going to need more than one. Check out the “Bird of Paradise” shirt (with “Midnight Sea” trunks). I can almost taste the Mai Tai now. Available at SHIKI Design (Shiki 103, 159, 23). Shinichi’s Spring and Summer collections have been moved upstairs to make room for the new Autumn collection downstairs.
DarkLour Watanabe might not be the first designer to come to mind when you think about beach gear—how often do neko boys and girls go swimming, anyway? Whether you do the kitty thing or not, his swimwear and accessories might just be all you need. You can take home any or all from the collection: tank top in narrow ribbed fabric, board shorts, flip-flops and beach towel, plus bikinis for the ladies–all just L$50 each. There are nine different designs to choose from; “Paw Print” is shown here. There’s also a store-logo’d freebie set. You actually get two different beach towels, one to wear over your shoulder, the other to throw on the sand and sit. The shoulder towel has flexi ends; the ground towel includes unlinked single and couples poseballs (poses not shown here). While you’re there, check the generous freebies display for the retro-styled portable radio—it’s scripted with 137 color choices, musical note particle effects, and a “tuner” that changes your land’s audio stream. Available at Neko Gear (Ganesha 137, 206, 21).
On the one hand there are the things you know you must have. On the other hand, there are the things you never knew you needed. Eponymous Trenchmouth knows this deep in his creative soul. His new “jelly” beach shoes for men may already be on your mental wish list, or you may have had no idea there was such a lack in your life. Either way, the world is better now that they’re in it. Your inventory may feel the same way. There are three different styles: Finz, a classic open sandal (here in Bronze); Mavericks, a ventilated loafer, complete with side buckle (at left in Sea Grass); and Reef Rider, a casual slingback shoe (here in Blue). All are meticulously textured to resemble translucent flexible plastic, although to my amazement no transparent prims have been used–the translucency is a cleverly crafted illusion of texture. (Epo said of his experiments with transparency: “Every single internal prim edge showed.”) The Mavericks and Reef Rider styles feature drainage holes, so your feet may get wet but they’ll dry out quickly. Another challenge Epo faced was building the prim shoes and shaping the system shoe form such that the avatar’s feet (which can actually be seen inside these jellies) look natural rather than squashed and misshapen. This isn’t a concern with most prim shoes, and the shoe form’s usual job is simply to compress the avatar’s feet so they don’t poke through the shoe. The task here was much more difficult. But all the effort pays off–these seem so real, you can almost feel the jelly squish as you walk. Each style comes in six different colors. Available for L$200 a pair at the new JCS main store (La Fortuna 1 57, 65, 23).
Any serious yet stylish diving enthusiast should be sure to check out Kaikou Splash’s diving gear and accessories. Kaikou’s line of gear includes diving masks (L$75) and fins (L$60) in different styles, plus a wide range of air tanks (L$55). Masks and fins are scripted for color change (mask by touch, fins via HUD, and the tanks come in a wide range of styles, including different metal finishes and decorative artwork, some slyly humorous. Available at Splash Aquatics (Gooruembalchi 112, 194, 70).
In SL, even Michael Phelps (although he would undoubtedly miss his LZR Racer) might well wear a more traditional, non-high-tech racing suit by Birdy Shepherd. The simple, classic styling of these suits includes subtle shading, color-coordinated stripes, identifying numbers in back and prim tie in front. Both square-cut suits (L$50; style “sq-3A” is shown here) and Speedo-style suits (L$45) are available in a variety of color combinations. Birdy’s shop also features a selection of beachwear and other casual clothing; I’m also wearing his Loose White Plain Shirt. Available at JGD (Envy 33, 115, 21).
When we were growing up in the suburbs, like any kids my sister and I loved playing in the water throughout the hot Los Angeles summers. We didn’t always have a swimming pool, so sometimes it was a Slip ‘n’ Slide, a Donald Duck water fountain, or just the garden hose. We did eventually graduate to self-made games of “Jacuzzi Twister,” which I’m still surprised our parents didn’t shut down immediately. Tastes change, of course, and as we grow up we all put away childish things and take up more sophisticated (not to mention expensive) hobbies. No matter what, we never stop enjoying the coolness of water on a hot summer day.
This is an expanded version of the Men’s Corner column originally published in Second Style Magazine (Issue #22).
Ryan : I love wearing sandals. I grew up in the U.S. Midwest, not exactly a farmboy, but still I spent more than my share of time running around barefoot. Even as an adult, at the end of my workday, the first thing that happens once I get home is the shoes come off. All summer long, I’m looking for any excuse not to wear shoes. For me, sandals are the perfect solution–they can complement any look, from completely casual to somewhat dressy. Even if I can’t be lounging on a balmy patio, awaiting the arrival of companions bearing frosty tropical drinks, my feet may well think that I am. I’ll wear sandals with pretty much anything (although, hmm, I have yet to try them with a tux). In fact, I sometimes get crap for wearing sandals when others find it stylistically inappropriate. They’re entitled to their opinions, of course, even when they’re wrong.
So, Mr. Oh, I’m glad you proposed this collaboration! (Yes, I absolutely acknowledge that this was your very good idea. The readers can give you the credit if they like it, and blame you if they don’t.) I want to make sure that everyone knows how much lobbying I had to do to get you to let me include this first selection, the very casual Beach Bum flip-flops, by tatoo Korvin. I’ve had them for ages, and rather than getting old and languishing in my inventory, gathering virtual dust, every so often I find myself breaking them out again. I think that kind of repeat wearability warrants a solid recommendation. They’re touch-scripted with over 4600 variations (I counted): 63 different main shoe colors and textures; 74 different strap colors and textures; 9 different stitch and sole colors. Handy strap and shoe texture charts are included for reference. You also get seven built-in walks and optional sparkle, just in case it’s a sparkly day for you. What these lack in gravitas, they make up for in sheer fun. Simple but classic. L$250 at D2TK (D2TK 207, 225, 66).
Mr Oh : Over 4000 variations, and all are great for the pool and beach, but there are some sandals I know we both love, sandals that are supremely versatile even without scripts or sparkle: Fallingwater Cellardoor’s Boho for men. You’ve written about them before, but they remain favourites and I can’t imagine an article on sandals not mentioning them. These are good strong leather soles with matching leather straps that are full of interesting detail without being overly ornate, with steel rivets that manage to be a design feature as well as provide firm and sturdy fastening.
Available in 4 colours (slightly darker colours in real life than the photos, where I’ve flood-lit them to show the details better), Boho sandals cost L$250 per colour, available at the main Shiny Things store. Buying a colour gives you access to shoe shape and prim sandals in five sizes. A demo pack is available which will show you all the colours and let you try all the sizes.
Ryan : Mr. Oh, when you’re right, you’re right–the Bohos have long been my “go-to” sandal of choice. In that arena, the Bohos now have some company and competition in the form of Eponymous Trenchmouth’s new Havana sandals, released this week at JCS. Pardon me while I wax rhapsodic over the artistic and technical accomplishment the Havanas represent. The lines are smooth, clean and beautiful but unmistakably masculine; the leather textures are wonderfully realistic without looking “crispy” or flattened-out. I’m constantly amazed by the tiny details that might seem unnecessary to some but are so clearly important to Epo–look at the stitching detail on the inner strap surfaces, or the brand tag inside the shoe, on the bed of the sole. Like the Bohos, these are sandals I would gladly buy and wear in RL, if only I could. They’re available in your choice of four colors: Black, Dark Brown, Medium Brown, and Khaki. The Havanas are also Epo’s first shoe scripted for automatic resize. Six size presets are available, ranging from Very Small Indeed to Nearly Gargantuan. L$350 a pair at JCS (La Fortuna 51, 49, 22).
Since I’m already talking about sandals by Epo, I wonder, Mr. Oh, if you have seen his line of “jelly” shoes for men? Only one of the styles, Finz, is a true sandal, but its cousins, Reef Rider and Mavericks, are equally, equally whimsical and certainly welcome here by association. I was privileged to get a look at an early men’s jelly design while it was still “under construction.” The question Epo posed to me then was: “Are the men of SL ready for jelly shoes?” As I recall, in the end we agreed that only time would tell. In some ways, I think these are even more an impressive technical accomplishment than conventional shoes as they must successfully create the illusion of translucence without actually using any transparent prims. (When I asked about that, Epo sighed and said, “I tried. Every single inner prim edge showed.”) All things considered, I think they’re quite remarkable. Each style is available in six different colors. A bargain, nay, an absolute steal at L$50 a pair, a price that surely doesn’t even begin to reflect the amount of work that went into their creation (but check the Asides for a freebie). You can get them at JCS (La Fortuna 51, 49, 22).
Mr Oh : I guess it’s no surprise that an article on footgear mentions Fallingwater and Eponymous. But now I want to show you some beautiful sandals from a designer you might not associate with shoes. It’s Karigan Ducatillon of Husky GFX. She’s best known for her fantasy outfits. But the quest for realism and completeness led her to design complementary boots and shoes. Thankfully, Husky have the policy of selling these separately.
Here then are the sandals that were designed to accompany the desert outfit Junayd. They are only L$150 and available at the massive new Husky GFX main store in the men’s boots hall. There are no demos available but the sandals come small enough for men’s size 0 feet like mine, and you can make copies and expand them from there if need be, since Husky allow copy and modify.
Despite their costumed origins, Junayd sandals also look great with many different kinds of outfits from first century togas to twenty-first century suits. Available in black or brown, these are finely-treated leather featuring hand-tooled motifs on the straps and even on the side of the soles. What you notice first, however, is the distinctive toe-piece which serves to provide some much-needed definition to the otherwise block-like Linden Lab avatar foot.
Ryan : Mr. Oh, it’s highly interesting that you should mention the, shall we say, minor limitations of the avatar foot. JB Gazov has two words for you: prim toes. JB’s Men’s Belt Sandals have what are described as “Natural Real Toes,” and the first reaction I got was a stunned “Wow, those feet look great! What skin is that?” I think we can say that this is one idea that works. The forward leather strap of these simple belted sandals cleverly hides the division between your avatar’s “real” foot and the sandal’s “artificial” toes. Given the (yes, I’ll say it) ridiculously, pathetically simple shape of the avatar foot, the clear, unavoidable truth is that these prim toes look far better and more realistic than any skin designer, no matter how talented, can ever hope to accomplish with skin artwork. The sandals are touch-scripted for selection from six different strap colors: Black, Blue, Brown, Cream, Dark Brown, and Red. Via the touch menu, you can also adjust the skin color of the toes and choose from three different toenail colors. L$280 (and worth every penny) at J’s (TSUKISHIMA 207, 232, 22). A time-limited but fully functional demo is available in the shop.
Mr Oh : Well, there you have it: several of our favourite sandals (as of today). We’ve not really included flip-flops except for those first pair of Ryan favourites, but you’ll find a number shops that make good ones. We also didn’t go into comparing Japanese geta or zori sandals — that would be a mammoth article of its own.
I’ll just briefly fill you in on some “honourable mention” sandals that didn’t make into the shortlist for one reason or another: Also at Husky GFX, you’ll find some other sandals, the handmade Medieval (L$150) and the very Roman LaceMaster (L$349). No demos available, but they should work even with very small feet, judging from Junayd. Then there are a bunch that will not go small enough to work with my size-zero feet, but which may work with yours: inexpensive but stylish are Sandals for men (L$70) available only in brown at Wither in otaru (demo available); B&G (Boys & Girls) have a range of inexpensive modern sandals: Pool (L$100), Beach (L$100) and Roman (L$150) in 6 colours each (price is per colour; no demos available); and finally the nearly-high-heeled Jumeira (L$380) sandals with their interesting netting and scripted jewels, available from Massimo (demo available).
Ooh, I almost forgot: if you don’t have them already, don’t forget to hop over to Robin (Sojourner) Wood’s shop to pick up a pair of the wonderful barefoot socks (free), a must for wearing sandals with long trousers. These are copy-ok, so you can paste a pair into each folder of sandals.
So put away those heavy boots and lace-ups and relax with us!
So, I picked up this period suit a little while back, with a certain larger, themed article in mind. For a variety of reasons, that didn’t quite work out–it happens, unfortunately. Ever since, it’s been sitting in my inventory, waiting patiently, reminding me every so often that it’s still there, still beautiful, eager to be worn. Absent the larger article’s context, I couldn’t decide how to present it. Finally, last night, it came together in my head…with, as the song says, a little help from a friend.
DoC Eldritch’s “1846 (Blackened)” suit has a fantastic Old American West feel–I can easily see Al Swearengen wearing it just to intimidate Cy Tolliver or impress Mr. Wu, unlikely though he might be to achieve success in either endeavor. It represents true, lovingly maintained gentleman’s finery of an era when true finery might be found but rarely, and then it was quite likely to be ill cared-for and shabby. Not so here.
DoC has not only created an elegant suit of quiet, understated beauty–he has thoughtfully provided the component garments, individually and in combination, on a variety of layers, for ultimate flexbility. On the jacket layer you’ll find the coat alone, vest alone, and coat and vest together. The shirt is included on both shirt and undershirt layer. The doubly belted leather pants (shown below, at right) come on the pants layer only, but I don’t see this as a shortcoming unless you desperately need underwear-layer pants for tucking into boots.
The coat prominently showcases some of DoC’s trademark buckles and straps, both front and back. On this garment more than on some others, they feel more functional than recreational, but as always there’s a definite, delicate balance being struck. The fabric textures are all beautifully detailed, with strong wrinkles and shading. The coat and vest collars are particularly impressive, with what looks genuinely heavy drape and deep underlying shadows. When worn together, the combination is especially dramatic, but the coat is equally striking when worn with no vest, just the crisp white shirt.
As you can see, I think this suit is beautiful in its out-of-the-box “noir” coloring; it reminds me of the old black-and-white Westerns my dad used to watch on Saturday afternoon television when I was a kid. However, the clothing items are moddable and, thanks to the wonderful shading work, they take tints quite nicely. This works fine for the vest, but it’s a bit more problematic for the coat, with all its buckles. Even with the very flexible layer offerings included here, it’s not possible to tint the coat and vest different colors while wearing both at the same time. This isn’t a criticism, just an obervation; I suspect tinting is not something DoC intended.
Permissions are Modify / Copy / No Transfer. The “1846″ suit is priced at L$395. Available at DE Designs (DE Designs 204, 132, 30).
All pictures are unretouched, in their original “natural” color. Thanks to LB for suggesting the perfect boots to go with this suit!
Whenever I talk about the design work of Eponymous Trenchmouth, there’s a not insignificant risk that I’ll end up going on and on–ad infinitum, to infinity and beyond–about the quality of workmanship, the attention to detail, the elegance and creativity in design. I suppose that kind of evangelical fervor can be surprising to some, particularly in this context. Sometimes I get the vibe that people are looking at me funny behind my back and thinking, What’s gotten into him? It’s just shoes, right?
Wrong. Epo’s shoes are always meticulously planned exercises in form, function and beauty, executed masterfully, with painstaking care taken over every aspect of design and execution. It’s a passion beyond the norm. Some might call this Obsession.
I call it Art.
Whether Obsession or Art, I’m all in favor. Epo’s newly released artistic obsession (obsessive art?) is called “Toltec,” and it earns its name honestly by virtue of the clear influences of Mesoamerican decorative artwork. Epo has not attempted to create shoes that a Mayan or Aztec warrior would wear–it’s nothing that straightforward. Rather, he has drawn inspiration from Toltec art, taking certain design elements, integrating them in stylized form into the shoe’s form, and using them to beautiful effect. Notice the rounded, almost scalloped leatherwork that runs from just above the toe to the top of the instep. Here you see the Clay/Olive variation, which is probably my personal favorite; you can also choose from Black/Red and Brown/Lizard.
Also new is “Sebastian,” which makes use of the same last (upper form) but is finished very differently. Here we find a variation on the classic brogue or wingtip shoe, with artistically perforated leather that for most men today provides ventilation rather than drainage. The shoestrings have shiny metal aglets–a nice touch. Shown here in Colonel Mustard, “Sebastian” is also available in Carmine Red, Coal Black, Chalk White, Olive Drab and Midnight Blue.
The underlying “bones” of these shoes are no less interesting than their decorative surface. I described “Sebastian” as a brogue “variation” due to its somewhat high rather than traditionally low heel. Both “Toltec” and “Sebastian” are classic stacked-heel shoes, with heels built up in layers of material, typically leather. A single small invisiprim keeps your foot from showing through the elevated arch. An integrated sculpty sock-textured “ankle” (above the shoe) dramatically improves the apparent fit–no more gaps around your tiny ankles and squashed, misshapen feet! You do need to wear the included matching socks for the best blend, which I suppose technically makes for a less flexible shoe. No points off for this, though, since the only good-looking dress socks I have were all included with shoes from JCS anyway.
Small, Medium and Large sizes are included with your purchase. Rather than fitting these to specific foot sizes, Epo recommends that you “choose the size that looks best with your build.” I agree wholeheartedly–crank your foot size down to zero (to avoid the dreaded show-through) and wear the shoe size that looks best on you. It is, after all, all about proportion.
An extra, optional right shoe in each size contains a “power walk” animation. This may come in handy if you don’t use an AO but can’t stand the default walk.
Permissions are No Modify / No Copy / Transfer. Both styles are priced at L$400; demos are available in the shop. Available for purchase now at JCS (Tean 244, 64, 26).
Sorry, you have to make allowances for the occasional “Wizard of Oz” reference. Just roll with it.
I’ve feel like I’ve been all over the map lately, stylistically speaking–and don’t get it wrong, I’ve got some fun stuff in the works for next week. But today I venture back into very familiar territory with some casual designs that you know are the kind of thing I live and breathe. Dan Senyurt’s new Club Shirts have everything a casual shirt needs: silky smooth fabric texture, neatly cuffed short sleeves, notched collar with handsome drop shadow, and front patch pocket. They come on the jacket and shirt layers and can be worn neatly tucked in, as you see here, or more casually untucked. An open and untucked version is also included, perfect for layering with your favorite tank or tee, or just catching the breeze on an especially warm spring day.
Like Dan’s other shirts, these include optional undershirt-layer “correction” garments intended to cover tiny gaps in and between the Linden layers when wearing low-cut pants. A handy notecard explains the purpose of the various clothing layers. I did a more detailed comparison in a previous review, and they do make a difference.
The Club Shirts are available in six Bright Tones (Blue, Green, Mauve, Orange, Red and Yellow) and six Earth Tones (Carbon, Granite, Indigo, Lotus, Potassium and Sandstone). Permissions are No Modify / Copy / No Transfer. The shirts are priced at L$250 each, or L$1200 for Bright Tones or Earth Tones packs of six shirts each. You can try a demo in the shop for L$1.
I’m also wearing Dan’s Corduroy Pants, which accomplish very successfully something that appears to be one of the more frustrating challenges in clothing design for SL: vertical stripes on fabric, in this case narrow-wale corduroy. As you can see better in this close-up, the corduroy fabric looks natural and soft to the touch. Dan has also carefully worked in realistic highlights and shadows at the fly, beltline and pocket edging as well as slight fabric pull and puckering. These cords are available in Black, Blue, Brown, Buff and Grey, and each pair can be worn with a black belt, brown belt, or no belt. Black and brown prim belt buckles are included, which allows for the subtle effect of the top buckle edge rising above the top of the pants layer. Permissions on these pants are Modify / Copy / No Transfer. They’re priced at L$195 a pair, or L$750 for the pack of all colors. Demos are available for L$1.
Now, this is where you know Dan works his real magic on Ryan: the irresistible temptation of the Sweater/Shirt Combo. I am now officially putty in his hands. Resistance became even more futile when I realized that, through the magic of careful design and judicious use of different clothing layers, these can be worn untucked as you see here, untucked with slight “overhang” from the shirt, or tucked in. My mother would approve.
Take your choice from six muted colors: Black, Chocolate, Claret, Cold Blue, Ochre and Slate. Permissions are Modify / Copy / No Transfer. L$15o each, or L$650 for the pack of all six colors; L$1 demos are available.
All items can be purchased for yourself or given as gifts via the vendors at Dan’s main shop: Dan Senyurt Menswear (Ciraco 100, 163, 128).
For footwear, I’ve chosen Eponymous Trenchmouth’s newest exploration of the ankle boot, called “Dublin.” Smartly styled and low enough in height that no separate upper attachment is required, these come in six finishes: Black, Black Cherry, Brown, Crimson, Sage and Snake. Each features beautiful texture work and meticulous prim construction, including a low heel and side laces with shiny metal hardware.
Some of the most fun and surprising elements of Epo’s designs are things you might not notice if you only look at the shoes on your feet, from a “normal” perspective. Consider the Dublin city map printed on the inner lining of these boots, just as his earlier “Oslo” boots featured an interior map of that city. And don’t miss the almost ridiculously detailed soles, with their heavy stitching, heads of tiny cobbler’s nails in the heel, and scuff marks. Work like this is truly a labor of love.
Permissions are No Modify / No Copy / Transfer. Priced at L$400 a pair; a demo is available in the shop. A pack of all six finishes is available for L$1200, and unless I read the signage wrong the permissions on the boots in this pack are differently set as No Modify / No Copy / Transfer.
Since one round of Valentine’s Day-appropriate ideas seems hardly sufficient, I thought I’d share a few more suggestions with you. Here’s hoping that one or more of these designs will fit into your romantic plans. And remember–sometimes, something you buy for yourself is also a gift for some else…if you do it right.
Keth Mommsen’s “James After Hours” (L$150) is part of the “Signature Line” at Eros Designs. It seems to be conceived and presented primarily as an add-on to the James Tuxedo (L$500), but it also stands on its own as great, inexpensive “after-party” formal attire.
The set includes Dress Pants and After Hours Pants, classic white tuxedo shirt on both shirt and jacket layers, socks, and moddable rolled prim shirt cuffs. You can wear the shirt tucked or untucked by combining the shirt-layer shirt with the two styles of pants; the jacket-layer shirt is untucked only. The pants are inky black, with not much in the way of detail to be made out, but for me the real star is the shirt–the fabric seems to have actual sheen, like a fine all-cotton shirt would have, and there are enough wrinkles to suggest that it’s done its formal duty and is now ready to relax. The prim cuffs fit nicely right at or just below the elbow, where the shirt’s sleeves actually end, and they’re easily moddable for proper size, so you can make sure they don’t look too bulky. Available at Eros Designs (Eros Cove 113, 133, 25).
For when the party is well and truly over, any of the new “Kippers” slippers by Eponymous Trenchmouth will provide an elegant alternative to bare feet or socks that may be in, ah, less-than-optimal condition. No matter which of the six styles you choose–Crimson Quilted, Fleur de Lys, Gold Flies, Marasali Carpet, Royale, or Woven Leather–your feet will be impeccably attired for intimate or just plain comfortable lounging back at home.
The Royale style is my own favorite, with its deep purple velvet toe, wide purple-and-gold braid trim, and finely embroidered crest. Each of the other styles is similarly constructed, with nicely detailed fabric or leather textures and coordinating braid trim. Permission are No Modify / No Copy / Transfer, so if you’re hunting for a gift…enough said. Each pair includes slippers sized for smaller and larger feet, and one with an optional “power walk” animation. Priced at L$300 a pair; a L$1 demo is available in the shop. The Crimson Quilted style is on sale for L$150 for Valentine’s Day. Available at JCS (Jeepers Creepers Shoes) (Tean 236, 80, 25).
For Valentine’s Day, or just for Love, Mhaijik Guillaume has greatly expanded her collection of “heart” jewelry designs. The ring I chose to go with this post-formal outfit is Mhaijik’s Loved Ring (L$250). It’s shown here in the black O-Ring style, which I thought worked with the black rumpled formalwear, but it’s also available on brown leather thongs.
Close inspection reveals a collection of tiny but detailed decorative and symbolic elements, including red and white gemstones, delicate links of chain connecting two metalwork hearts (it does take two, after all), and a small engraved tag bearing a reminder that you are indeed loved. This ring is moddable for size but, no doubt due to tiny prims already at minimum size in the decorative items, would only size down so far.
The Heart Knot Ring (L$100) is a perfect match for the choker-style necklaces Mhaijik released for Valentine’s Day last year (see page 47 in Issue #7 of Second Style Magazine for a picture). Simple brown leather thongs thread through a precious-metal heart (shown here in Gold) and simple Earthquartz bead. The knotted ties on the ring’s “underside” have flexi ends, a nice little touch that you’ll know about even if nobody else ever sees it. Also newly available is the Leather and Copper ID Ring (L$100), which has engraving that changes at a touch, like the engraving on the bracelets below.
The Heart Bracelet on Leather Thong with Gold ID Bar (L$250) and the Heart ID Copper Bracelet (below, also L$250) are scripted like the ID ring to change between engraving that depicts one simple heart or a row of four. Here, a cleanly polished metal plate is mounted on a trio of leather thongs to create a bangle-style bracelet that’s beautiful in its simplicity. Around back, flexi ties adorned with beads keep the bracelet securely in place.
In addition to the detailing on its metal plate, the more complex Heart ID Copper Bracelet uses strands of twisted metal to bind the whole piece together. In real life, these would undoubtedly cause bodily injury rather than being simply beautiful. I love “impossible” design touches like this–isn’t that part of what SL is for?
Mhaijik’s jewelry designs are available in a variety of metal finishes–Gold, Copper, Platinum and Silver. All designs may not be available in all finishes. Available at Mhaijik Things (Pheosia 56, 227, 152).
If you want to make just one stop, all three designers also have shops at Second Guy Mall (Sweetgrass 86, 104, 262).
For my final post of 2007, I thought I’d make just a few suggestions for possible New Year’s Eve party attire. It seemed to me that formalwear was called for, so here are just a few of my favorites, some recent, that haven’t been featured here before.
If you’re looking for a beautifully designed traditional tuxedo, consider the variety of styles by designer edo Tone. The simple, classic style at right (L$400) has clean lines, a notched silk collar, and silk-edged pockets. The pants are elegantly textured, with a cleanly defined crease. The shawl collar tux at left (L$500) is done with the same attention to detail. Also available are a “High Grade” tux (L$600), with jacket textured in deep charcoal rather than inky black, and for variety a grey tux (also L$600). Note that the prices given here are for the tuxedo jacket and pants only; all tuxedo styles are also available in “coordinated sets” with wing collar shirts, vests, cummerbunds, and ties in various colors and styles. These accessory items are also available individually, so you can mix and match or expand your wardrobe with specific items to your personal taste.
A few formal shoe styles by Hays Uriza are also conveniently available in the shop. Here I’m wearing the Straight Tip Suede Shoes (L$500; two sizes included), a classic lace-up style with matte rather than high-gloss finish. All available at Styles of edo (currently at Chuginadak 216, 173, 43, but moving to a private sim in January 2008).
Nobody puts a personal spin on vintage-styled designs like Shai Delacroix. Her “Le Smoking Leopard” Tuxedo (L$650), available in Brownstone (as shown here) or Black, takes us back in a heartbeat to the days when lounge lizards walked the earth. Now you can join their ranks in style they never even dared dream of, as Shai’s butter-soft, gorgeously hand-drawn fabric textures are luxurious enough to sink into and never want to leave. The set includes leopard-print jacket with wide wide lapels (natch), velvety coordinating pants, and shirt/tie combos that let you go tieless or wear your choice of necktie or proper bowtie, either tied (prim) or dashingly untied…so smooth, so suave. Available at Casa Del Shai (Casa Del Shai 151, 100, 691).
This awesomely unconventional tux cried out for equally remarkable footwear, and to meet that challenge I’ve chosen the new “Shanghai” shoes by Eponymous Trenchmouth. The tooled-leather uppers feature amazing tapestry-style artwork and a Chinese coin “medallion” set in the instep strap. The tapered toe stops short of an actual point in a stylishly blunt snub. Be sure to inspect the shoes closely for subtle but loving details like the design pressed into the bottom of the leather sole and the inside tags. Four color combinations are currently available: Black/Red (at left), Black/Blue, Black/Steel, and Gray/Silver. Epo tells me that Brown/Gold and Black/Gold styles are also in the works and should be out in the shop shortly. Priced at L$400 a pair, or L$900 for a pack of all four color combinations. A demo is available for L$1, and a samples is out in the shop for your personal inspection. You can find these at JCS (Jeepers Creepers Shoes) (Tean 236, 80, 25) and at the JCS shop at Second Guy Mall (Sweetgrass 86, 104, 262).
If you’re hoping to make a dramatic entrance (or exit), consider the Cocoa Tux with Floral Tie (L$400) by swaffette Firefly. The chocolate color of the fabric is more dark than milk, too dark in fact for any of the brown dress shoes I had in mind. The set includes belted pants with prim cuffs, jacket in four styles, and shirt/vest/tie combinations (plus prim tie) in a subdued but eye-catching floral print.
Here I’m wearing the jacket with its long flexi bottom, strikingly lined in gold satin, but you also have your choice of skirt-layer jacket bottom, narrow-fit and wider-fit flexi jacket bottoms, and flexi formal tails. I’m a big fan of designers who provide a variety of wear options for different looks in a single garment package. You can pick this up at SF Design (Innisfree 134, 49, 538) and at the SF Design shop at Second Guy Mall (Sweetgrass 86, 104, 262).
Happy New Year to everyone, and here’s to a great 2008! Thanks for reading.
You probably already know that I’m a horror movie buff. One of the classics of the genre is F. W. Murnau’s 1922 “Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens” ["Nosferatu, a Symphony of Horror"]. The film was ssentially an unauthorized film adaptation of Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula, and although character names and some plot details had been changed (Max Schreck starred as “Count Orlok,” not Count Dracula), Stoker’s widow sued the production company–and won. All prints were ordered destroyed, but thankfully some survived. (Wikipedia presents a decent summary of the film’s history.) Far from genteel or gentlemanly, Schreck’s undead count is arguably the most feral and beastly interpretation of this iconic character. Murnau’s film was mind-bogglingly re-imagined by Warner Herzog in 1979 as “Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht” ["Nosferatu: Phantom of the Night"], this time with Stoker’s original character names and with Herzog’s “best fiend” Klaus Kinski in the Max Schreck role.
Designer Allegory Malaprop’s new NosferCoat, just out at her shop Schadenfreude, shows its inspirations clearly and is indeed very Max Schreck in its execution. (The Wikipedia article features a great still photograph of Schreck as Orlok, wearing the very coat that inspired this one.) The coat, or rather the elaborate set of components that make up the coat in all its variations, includes jacket-layer clothing items for long and short coats, a “puffy” shirt layer (adds volume if you aren’t wearing another shirt), prim sleeve cuffs and sleeve “expansions,” and a flexiprim coat skirt. Scripting in the coat skirt allows for individual placement of the skirt attachment in standing, sitting, sitting on ground, walking and running poses–a handy notecard explains it all. You’ll also find coordinating pants (and glitchpants), and an additional packaged object includes extra, less typically useful items. Male- and female-specific items are included in set, so the coat is suitable for both. If this sounds like a lot, it is–this is a carefully planned garment with a variety of options and an exhaustive supply of components. You may never need some or even several of the pieces, but it’s great to have all the options.
The NosferCoat comes in five colors: Midnight, Noir, Sanguine (shown above, at left), Sepia (at right), and Silver Screen (at top). The coat can be worn long, with prim skirt, or as a shorter jacket. I love the coat’s fabric texture, which somehow feels deep and clouded, like just-mixed waterolor, and the colors look old but not dirty or dusty. The prim skirt has a more complex construction than many I’ve seen, which gives it additional fullness and realism in motion as well as at rest. As Allegory points out in the coat’s informational notecard, the men’s coat skirt fits closely and has very little “poof,” so you may need to do make some adjustments to fit it properly to your avatar. I find it helpful to use a version of my shape with butt size set to zero when fitting and wearing prim skirt items like this, as they tend to hide the butt contours anyway. Permissions are Copy / Modify / No Transfer. Priced at L$200 each, or L$650 for the pack of all five colors. Available at Schadenfreude (La Reina 180, 170, 27).
Although Max would undoubtedly have worn something simpler and more traditional, here I’m wearing the new SOMA boots by Eponymous Trenchmouth. I think their beautifully detailed leather textures make them a perfect spiritual (if not necessarily stylistic) match for Allegory’s period coat. These are half-boots with a higher upper than Oslo, Epo’s other recent dress boot design, but like Oslo they require no separate attachment for the upper. As you can see at left, if you look carefully, the top of the boot may poke through pants in some more unusual or extreme poses, but I saw nothing objectionable with any of the poses in my regular AOs. Two styles are available, with the leather of the uppers pieced together differently, in two color combinations each (Black with Grey, and Grey with Black). The boots are carefully shaped and textured, with a bright side zipper and a little “slouch” to the leather. Two sizes are included (foot size 20 and 40), as well as an optional “power walk” animation. Permissions are No Copy / No Modify / Transfer. Priced at L$400 a pair, or L$900 for a pack containing all four variations; you can try a demo for L$1, and samples are out for inspection in the shop. Available at JCS (Jeepers Creepers Shoes) (Tean 236, 80, 25) and at the JCS shop at Second Guy Mall (Sweetgrass 86, 104, 262).
Contrary to my first impulses, which decidedly leaned toward “overboard,” I ultimately decided to keep the jewelry piece count down for this outfit. However, I felt that I could safely wear something elaborate and still remain true to the spirit of the spirit of the other designs. The Gold Stacked Chain Ring by Mhaijik Guillaume is made of five delicate chains, meticulously constructed of tiny gold links, bound together by larger links and decorated with tiny brilliant diamonds set in small gold plates. The ring attaches to the left hand by default, and the set also includes two single-chain rings, for ring and pinky fingers of the right hand. If you look closely, you may be able to tell that I’m also wearing the pinky ring, but the larger ring is shown here in close-up so you can get a look at the detailed workmanship. Permissions are Modify / No Copy / Transfer. L$250 at Mhaijik Things (Pheosia 56, 227, 152) and at the Mhaijik Things shop at Second Guy Mall (Sweetgrass 86, 104, 262).
At the risk of reinforcing my admitted bias toward menswear that may best be described as “preppie,” I want to share with you these new sweaters and pants by Relika Itamae. Although Relika has been creating women’s fashions for some time, this is her first menswear item. Relika says, “The Lucas Collection is indeed my first set for men. I have been told by some of my male friends that I should do men’s items, too, so I decided to give it a try and had much fun making [these]. I am definitely planning more men’s items in the future. Suggestions are always welcome, of course! ” Her new “Lucas Collection” includes layered sweaters in six different colors paired with pants in three colors: Fall Leaf and Green Shimmer sweaters with Brown Country pants; Dark Grey and Navy Blue sweaters with Classic Light Grey pants; and Cherry and Turquoise sweaters with Classic Black pants.
Each sweater, provided on the jacket layer, is layered over a simple untucked shirt that shows slightly at the collar and below the sweater’s ribbed hem. Although the shirt adds a nice sense of fit and finish, the main attraction really is the sweater. The colors Relika has chosen are rich and jewel-like, and the highlighting and shading provide a beautiful, opulent sheen–a great design choice that makes an otherwise classic and simple design into something special. Look closely and you’ll see a subtle crosshatch design in the weave. As the owner and wearer, you’ll be glad to know that they look great from the back, too. Permissions on the sweaters are Copy / No Modify / No Transfer.
The pants have nicely defined creases as well as some wrinkling and slight, realistic fading at wear points–check the knees in the picture at left. Although this detailing shows up more clearly on the Light Grey pants shown here, it’s also present on the darker pants. Although it doesn’t show with these untucked sweaters that fall over the waistband, the pants have a simple belt, so they’re suitable for neat wear with tucked-in shirts as well. Permissions on the pants are Modify / Copy / No Transfer.
“The Lucas Collection” is priced at L$200 per set (in color combinations as described above) or L$500 for the pack of all three sets.
Available at Relika (Eventide Far East 77, 185, 4).
For those of you keeping score at home, the spiff shoes I’m wearing are the new ”Oslo” by Eponymous Trenchmouth. These are actually ankle boots, which at this low height don’t require a lower-leg attachment, and feature a buckled strap across the instep and an elastic side inset. As always, Epo’s textures are detailed and so beautiful that you just want to sink into them and stay all day. I find these boots an interesting combination of dressy and casual, with truly classy lines that will dress up a fairly casual outfit and sturdy contrasting stitch detailing that’s very down-to-earth.
Available in four colors: Black, Brown, Grey and Tan; priced at L$400 a pair or L$900 for the pack of all four. Smaller and larger sizes are included, and there’s an optional “power walk” animation override to give you a confident, manly swagger. Be sure to check the shoe lining for a handy street map of Oslo, just in case you’re ever lost there. You never know.
I don’t know about where you live, but October was hot where I live. It didn’t feel like autumn in any way. Now that it’s November (either finally or how did that happen so quickly? depending on your perspective), and starting to cool down a bit, it’s time to think about dressing for fall. I love this time of year–digging deep into the dresser’s biggest drawer for sweaters is one of my favorite things.
The new “Autumn” set by swaffette Firely of SF Design is destined to be another of my favorite things this season. If you look good and feel good in earth tones, take a look and give it your serious consideration. Its contrasting textures are beautifully coordinated, and the different clothing items layer flexibly for a variety of looks suitable for different levels of “dressiness.”
The outfit includes a dark brown jacket, V-neck sweater that can be worn tucked or untucked, a plain white tee for optional layering under the sweater, and slightly worn brown jeans with and without belt. In addition to a skirt-layer jacket extension, flexi jacket tails are also provided. The “Countryboy” jeans can be worn with or without the sculpted-prim cuffs. They are full-rise, and although I prefer a lower rise they do look fine with the jacket, and the longer, untucked sweater will give you a longer torso if you decide to forego the jacket.
Jacket, sweater and jeans all have beautiful textures–the smooth suede of the jacket, the finely woven wool of the sweater (hmm, I wonder if it might be cashmere?) and the rougher, worn denim of the jeans are all well suited for the cooler weather that’s finally upon us, at least in North America. The contrasting fabric textures make this more a collection of carefully chosen separates that work perfectly when put together than an “off the rack” outfit. I love seeing how different designers approach prim accessories like cuffs for pants and jacket tails. These are well executed and blend well to look like parts of a whole garment rather than added-on “extras.” They’re moddable for size and fit, but even so the inclusion of the jacket tails in two sizes is helpful and much appreciated–one is bound to be a better fit than the other “out of the box,” and if nothing else this gives you a starting point that’s closer to the goal.
The sweater looks great either with or without the included white tee layered underneath. Permissions are Modify / No Copy / Transfer, so you can tint the tee if you like. A small “sfd” logo appears on the sweater and is stitched on the back pocket of the jeans as well. The outfit set is a bargain at just L$275, but you can also buy the individual items separately in a variety of colors, if you want to mix and match or just expand your options. The open jacket (L$125) comes in Black, Blue, Brown, Green and Red. The V-neck sweater with plain white tee (L$80) is available in Black, Blue, Grey, Red and Tan. The “Countryboy” jeans (L$125) come in Black, Blue, Brown and Faded. All can be found at SF Design (Innisfree 192, 54, 537), at the SF Designs Menswear store (Lotus 236, 172, 142), and at the SF Design shop at Second Guy Mall (Sweetgrass 86, 104, 262).
I find myself compelled to suggest not just one but two shoe styles as possible pairings with this outfit. Although previously mentioned here when released in their classic Blue interpretation, the gorgeous Carl Perkins suede shoes by Eponymous Trenchmouth of Jeepers Creepers are now available in six colors. To the original Blue, Epy has added Black, Brown (shown here), Gray, Olive, and Wine. Two sizes and an optional “power walk” animation are included. Available for L$400 a pair (or just L$1200 for all six colors) at Jeepers Creepers (Tean 236, 80, 25) and at the Jeepers Creepers shop at Second Guy Mall (Sweetgrass 86, 104, 262).
Fallingwater Cellardoor’s new Spencers are wonderful sculpted-prim shoes that feature triple buckles atop smooth, seamless leather uppers that are shiny but not glossy. The look is clean and detailed, contemporary and classic, all at once. The Spencers come in five colors: Black, Brown (shown here), Burgundy, Navy, and Tan. Three sizes are included for your fitting convenience. They can be yours for L$325 a pair; a free demo is available in the shop. Pick them up at Shiny Things (Shiny Falls 165, 177, 37).
Also new is the Leather and Gold ID Ring by Mhaijik Guillaume. This piece features a simple but beautiful, almost yin/yang construction: gold and leather, mineral and animal, hard and soft, the two elements held together by interlocking “dovetail” joins. This ring is also available in Silver and in styles delicately engraved with “moi” on the metal section. Just L$75 at Mhaijik Things (Pheosia 56, 227, 152) and at the Mhaijik Things shop at Second Guy Mall (Sweetgrass 86, 104, 262).
Just because it’s autumn doesn’t mean the sun has gone away to hide behind cloud–you’ll still want some stylish eyewear. The Jetsetter sunglasses by Twob Larsen of Suite17 are just one entry in the Suite17 line of eyewear for men and women. Their design is sharp and clean–in fact, they feel to me like sunglasses Brad and Angelina might wear when they’re “hiding from the paparazzi.” You know…when they want to look like they’re trying to conceal their identity without actually concealing their identity. This trick should work for you, too.
Priced at L$250 per pair and available at Suite17 (Phloston Paradise 22, 160, 25).
I happened to bump into Shai outside her shop the other night (a coincidence, I swear, although I know she thinks I’m her personal stalker). It had been ages since we had done more than exchange an IM or two and it was great to catch up with her. When I mentioned her new Greek Boy outfits she was excited and confided that these feel to her like something of a “return to my roots.” I couldn’t agree more–the richness of the fabric textures and the jewel-like colors take me back to Shai’s Heath Jackets, Irish Sweaters and Flaunt Jeans from last fall. This feels like perfect timing to me as summer winds down and the boys head back to school. How about one last Mediterranean blow-out before classes start up? I’m thinking Mykonos.
The Greek Boy outfits come in four different color combinations: Navy (above), Ruby, Chocolate, and Khaki (at right). Don’t let the simple color names fool you, though–each set includes jacket, vest and pants in colors that coordinate rather than match. You get slacks (with optional slouchie prim cuffs), glitch socks, corduroy jacket, vest with tucked and untucked shirts, and prim school crest pin.
The slacks have a nubby-looking, almost rough texture with a large but subtle woven check pattern. The slouchie prim cuffs remind me of the ones Shai included with her recent Southern Comfort Suit, another favorite of mine.
If this look doesn’t work for you, never fear–the prim cuffs are optional, the slacks look fine without them and are moddable so you can adjust length and cuff flare to your liking. In case you’re wondering, I’m wearing Eponymous Trenchmouth’s new “Scratch” shoes in Brown (L$400 at Jeepers Creepers, also available in Black, Sand and Sand/Brown two-tone).
Outfits like this one are all about the layering. Shai understands this and has never been stingy with wear options. The shirt can be worn tucked or casually untucked, and you can throw on the jacket or leave it at home (or conveniently available in your inventory, as the case may be).
As beautiful as the jacket is, in some ways it’s a shame to cover up this lightly ribbed sweater, with its lovely texture work. Note also the turned-up cuffs of the shirt’s overlong sleeves–a seemingly small touch, but nicely authentic detailing.
Shai’s Greek Boy sets are priced at L$400 each, or L$1200 for the pack of all four color combinations.
If you haven’t yet visited Second Guy Mall – The Center for Men’s Clothing, now is a great time to drop by and check it out. I’ve been following this venture since early on, but I’m impressed by its recent redesign and growing roster of resident designers (several of whom have been featured here on Men’s Second Style) and thought I’d take the opportunity to mention it here. The mall has 30 shop spaces and is geared toward those who are looking for high-quality men’s casual, athletic, club, and business clothing–all in one spot. This isn’t the only shopping area dedicated to men’s styles in SL (Manhunt Mall has been around for at least as long as I can remember), but proprietors Balthasar Balhaus and LB Fellini are committed to providing an exceptional level of features and service.
Resident designers will be carefully selected for their quality design work.
A weekly shopper’s notice will go out to mall customers (Second Guy Avatar group members) alerting them to new product lines and events and occasionally inviting them to come by and pick up a free article of clothing or accessory. Resident designers will provide quality freebie items on a rotating basis.
Once in the mall, shoppers may be greeted by an employee who will be familiar with the various resident designers and their inventory and can offer assistance in finding just the right items. This concierge service will not be available around the clock, but every effort will be made to have staff on hand during peak traffic periods.
Occasional “meet the maker” events will be scheduled so customers can come to the mall and meet a resident designer in person. Events will be scheduled to suit European, Western Pacific and American time zones.
As of my most recent visit, designers with shop locations at Second Guy Mall include: Jeepers Creepers by Eponymous Trenchmouth – Guillaume por homme by Mhaijik Guillaume — SF Design by swaffette Firefly — Made Men by Rockwell Maltz — Get Butch by Butch Adzebills — Head-Toe by Casper Dionne — Drawmachine by Armin Wiefel — Jonx Bicycles Cycling Apparel by JB Vuckovic — The Young Urban by Trevor Turner — House of Zen by Zen Deledda — Desert Moon Clothiers, Brief Encounter and M2M Gear by Dragontat Zagato
Second Guy Mall is a venture of Balthasar Balhaus and LB Fellini. Men’s Second Style is not affiliated with Second Guy Mall, but I am impressed with their concept and encouraged that they see men’s fashion in SL as being worthy of such an effort.
You can visit the Second Guy Mall at Sweetgrass 86, 104, 262.
I became aware of how important shoes are to a man during the Clinton impeachment.
Before, I had assumed that shod equaled good, and so long as my wheels matched my belt (or nearly so, poverty’s limitations being what they were), I was golden. But it was David Boies who taught me wisdom. Boies was Clinton’s primary attorney during the impeachment hearings. Now, this is a man who ranks amongst the top 10, perhaps top five, attorneys in the world. The man lives in an 8,000 square foot Georgian-style pile of bricks in Westchester County. He’s got two wine cellars–one for bottles, and one for cases. And, beyond all human reason, the man wears Land’s End suits with black running shoes. All the time. In court. In the SUPREME Court.
It was in response to this affront that I formed the inflexible opinions on what constitutes proper footwear for men that I hold to this day. I have tennis shoes and I wear them–just not with my suits. I’ve seen men on the train wearing their workout shoes to the office, like the temp assistants. It ought to be, in a just world, a caning offense. Ryan was kind enough to extend me the opportunity to review the remaining three pairs of Eponymous Trenchmouth’s superior collection at Jeepers Creepers (Tean (240, 87, 24) and I have to admit: each pair is, to put it bluntly, extraordinary.
Jeepers’ Spartacus is a beautifully done squared-toe monkstrap that radiates savoir faire. The stitching is rough and has a bit of Old West ambience, but the delightful mottling suggests that Trenchmouth knows the old trick of polishing your brown dress shoes first with brown polish and then a second time with black, to lend the leather an antiqued elegance. The strap is fastened with a gold button on either side, engraved with a flower, and overall the shoe works for both high end suits (I especially like what it does for my Luna) and jeans and sweater. The Spartacus is a utility shoe for men of taste.
The Carl Perkins is not as utilitarian, although I hoped it might be. As Flusser is purported to have said, a blue suit ought to be accompanied by blue shoes, and that’s exactly what I attempted. The Perkins, however, is a decidedly informal shoe, albeit a very well-crafted one. While sophisticated, the light navy suede, the rounded toe and the thick sole all add a casual air that rebuffs a suit.
Jeans then! With which the Perkins truly shines. The Perkins uppers, like those of the Spartacus, are detailed to perfection: fine stitching at the cap, brass grommets, laces draped over the leather, even realistic wear creasing. The shadowing is perfectly integrated and gives the impression of both substance and depth. The Perkins is a classically styled casual shoe that transforms your everyday denim into a something more elegant.
Finally, the Roman Polanski. Like their namesake, these shoes have a European sensibility, an understated but subtly challenging sense of drama, and a bit of cheek. The Polanski is a hybrid shoe–the brogueing along the vamp suggests a more formal shoe, while the wide strap loafers the package up a bit. This is a summertime shoe, suitable for linen and sunlight. And like all the new Trenchmouth designs, it is deftly mottled, naturalistic, and detailed.
So, maybe you’re one of the best attorneys in Second Life–do you really want to earn a caning by sporting tennis shoes with your suits? Of course not. The Rebel Collection at Jeepers Creepers (Tean 240, 87, 24). $L400 per pair.
Eponymous Trenchmouth knows a little something about guys. She knows that there’s a bad boy somewhere deep down inside each one of us, looking to break free…or at least get the chance for a little self-expression. Her new line of shoes called “Rebel” includes six styles, each named after an icon famous for (among other things) pushing back against the restrictions of society in one way or another: James Dean, Robin Hood, Henry Morgan, Carl Perkins, Spartacus and Roman Polanski.
James Dean is remembered for astonishing performances in just three films, perhaps most notably Nicholas Ray’s “Rebel Without a Cause,” in which he struggles with and rebels against parental and societal authority. Dean cultivated the rebel image for the public as well, or perhaps the studios did it for him. His namesake in this collection is the sharp-styled shoe I’m wearing here.
As always, Epy’s prim construction is meticulous, her textures beautifully detailed. The uppers are a combination of leather and suede, bound together by heavy stitching. Rich charcoal-colored suede is flanked by supple leather in two lighter shades of grey and topped with thin black flexi laces. The pointed toe, thin leather sole and low heel make this a proper dress shoe, but it’s also perfectly comfortable with your favorite jeans.
Robin Hood incited rebellion against what he saw as unfair taxation and distribution of wealth and resources. “Steal from the rich, give to the poor” was his motto, and he lived by it daily. How he managed to do all this while still looking stylish in green is beyond me, especially as he didn’t have these shoes to work with.
Slightly less pointy than the James Deans, but no less artfully turned out in green suede, the Robin Hood loafers for me epitomize perfection in the slip-on style: simple, classy styling and restrained, minimal decoration. I’ve never been fond of tassels or decorative leather frills on loafers, although I have nothing against a shiny penny. In addition to a design that’s contemporary yet classic, beautiful suede texture and fine construction, these shoes feature nothing at all, which makes them perfect in my eyes.
In Raised on Radio, radio historian Gerald Nachman said of Henry Morgan: “He was ahead of his time…. He was a great mind who never achieved the success he should have.” Nachman called Morgan radio’s “first true rebel because–like many comics who go for the jugular, from Lenny Bruce to Roseanne Barr–he didn’t know when to quit.” Henry Morgan was also funny as hell, never hesitating to skewer anyone who in his opinion deserved it, even his own advertisers.
Whether this style is one Morgan himself would wear if he were still with us, I can’t say. The glossy, finely grained leather of the upper has a slightly rough, more interesting texture than mirror-shiny patent leather, with some subtly pebbled grain around the silver buckle. The buckles have some occasional bling, more than subtle but far from overpowering.
All six Rebel styles come with nicely textured socks. A bonus optional “Power Walk” animation override is included in an “extra” right shoe–simply wear the “Power Walk” shoe to activate the walk animation. Complete details are provided in a notecard.
The Rebel collection of shoes is available for L$400 a pair at Jeepers Creepers (Tean 240, 87, 24). Be sure to allow some time to enjoy the comfortable, lounge-like atmosphere of the new Men’s Department–free Martinis all around! And review the prominently posted Notices which explain Epy’s customer service philosophy, notably her declaration that “All sales are NOT final!” She wants you to be her satisfied customer.
Secundus will be covering other Rebel styles in an upcoming post!
Due to a massive power outage in my building I was unable to access the internet. After going through the five stages of grieving (denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance) I decided not to stare at my blank computer screen and went out to enjoy the Canada Day atmosphere and celebrations across the city. Canadians and Americans, please enjoy your festivities.
And now on to fashion. As always, if you have your ear to the ground and stumble across a really great designer please send me an IM. Please note that for the month of July I’m taking a break from this weekly column.
Casa Del Shai. A follow up to the suave elegance of last week’s Barong Tagalogs with a westernized twist in the Amorsolo and Luna suits. The traditional Filipino shirts have been paired with a suit jacket that has been embroidered/screen printed on the back panel and a crisp pair of matching slacks. The ensemble sells @ 600L and can be purchased in Deco (112, 150, 30).
Sale @ Indie. Don’t forget to check out Indie Rainbow’s stores in Louise and Sede di Marte before July 5th and take advantage of the liquidation sale on his hand drawn goodies for men and women. Once the sale is over his current collection will be retired.
VR Phlux. Another addition to the swing collection. “Harris” is a sharp tweed suit with shirt and tie, vest with pocket watch detail layer, jacket layer and belted “Hollywood” slacks. The suit sells for 300L at phlux (169, 163, 35).
Aitui by Jesseaitui Petion Dog Tags (175L) and various tattoos (75L – 600L)
Identify yourself as a follower of Aitui by wearing a branded Dog Tag which can be customized with your own graphics, if you have the know-how. Male and female versions are available – each having a long and short chain version. The 1L demo with notecard has been provided for potential buyers to try on before purchase (please be advised that the neck wear can not be made any smaller than the demo). The tattoo area of the store has been updated with full torso body art – some striking Polynesian designs in black and green in as well as a samurai irezumi swirling with vengeance in colour or grayscale purchase options. All tattoos come with versions in the undershirt, shirt and jacket layers and are suitable for wear by both males and females.
Available @ Aitui (200, 175, 27).
Permissions: Dog Tags, Copy / Mod / No Trans; Tattoos, Copy / Mod / No Trans
Disclosure: Seen in World: Yes | Review Copy: No | Friends List: No
Mhaijik Things by Mhaijik Guillaume Various ear piercings (25L – 100L)
Mhaijik for Men now offers her first unisex piercings: 1 set (with two separate options for the left or right ear) and 12 individual pieces. Your choice of a collection of loops, plugs, tunnels and other ear wear in the brand’s usual style of vatrious metals with some sculptie designs.
Available @ Pheosia (55, 229, 151).
Permissions: Mod / Trans / No Copy
Disclosure: Seen in World: Yes | Review Copy: No | Friends List: No
Muse by Caliah Lyon Kaimana necklaces (250L each) and Kaimana bracelets (150L each)
After months of superbly made women’s jewellery Muse releases its first male product: simple, casual bracelet and necklace options. Created from articles collected from the seashore the beach-inspired accessories reflect hand-made island craftmanship. The Kaimana necklace and bracelet are sold separately with two choices of cord (ivory and tan) and three bead hues (amber, bone and fern). Each piece is strung with wood and shells as well as semi-precious and pearline gems. A fatpack is available with both cord variants in all bead variations and gift versions available via the vendor.
Available @ Linji (143, 151, 49).
Permissions: (unknown)
Disclosure: Seen in World: Yes | Review Copy: No | Friends List: No
Philotic Energy by Aemilia Case Fuse bracelet and necklace (150L each or 400L/set) and Hamb Bag (225L each)
The compact “Hamb Bag” messenger tote has slick graphics and comes in either black or white base colour with your choice of green/Force, red/Atomic or yellow/Juice stripe. The funky, trendy bags have a zip pouch with prim zip tag. The Fuse jewellery comes with a necklace and matching bracelet in your choice of gold, silver and red rust and can be purchased in a fatpack. Although they have been sized for a smaller female neck, they can be edited and sized to fit the larger male neck.
Available @ Plio (193, 39, 593).
Permissions: Copy / Mod / No Trans
Disclosure: Seen in World: Yes | Review Copy: Yes | Friends List: Yes
TRUTH by Truth Hawks Betty (475L), Black Lagoon (475L) and Day of the Dead (475L) tattoos
The TruthInk brand of body art now offers three unisex torso tattoo styles with more on the way. “Betty” (released June 13) is an ode to Betty Page and pin-up art, “Black Lagoon” has been inspired by the mercenary chracters from the anime of the same title and “Day of the Dead” is a macabre celebration of life and death. Each style is sold as a complete set of 7 wearable options varied between front, back, back and front, sleeves and full wrap-around in undershirt and shirt layers.
Available @ Odessa Luxurious (9, 184, 26).
Permissions: Trans / No Copy / No Mod
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• CLOTHING
Ambush by Faye Gelfand Various tees (75L each)
If you’re a sucker for graphic tees add this shop to your folder of landmarks. The store rolls out with several brightly coloured shirts with various distressed, gritty graphic treatments. A purchase set will include versions of the top in the undershirt, shirt and jacket layers. The store itself is a collaboration between designers who currently offered a selection of accessories such as belts, hats, bracelets, glasses, kneepads and legwarmers as well as shirts, pants and footwear for male and female avatars alike.
Available @ Shantos (141, 131, 525).
Permissions: Copy / No Mod / No Trans
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Desert Moon Clothiers by Dragontat Zagato Polos and Tanks (75L each)
A slew of body-fit shirts from DMC – 5 tanks and 3 athletic polos. The design and quality speaks for itself. Tanks are cut close along the neck and shoulder blades creating a nice silhouette. Polos feature athletic stripes and numbering and come with a prim collar. Both are shaded to emphasize that manly cleavage.
Available @ Goodelli (229, 193, 26).
Permissions: Mod / Trans / No Copy
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Revelation by Noaru Semyorka Various tees (50L each)
14 body-fit graphic tees from one of the designers from the Revelation cooperative. The shirts come in tucked (shirt layer with underwear extension) and untucked (jacket layer) versions. Buyers have a choice of purchasing from a variety of colours overlaid with silhouettes, symbols and iconic imagery. Noaru’s work is always finely textured and reasonably priced. The Revelation designers have a new home in a retail district of Amat with goods for both men and women including gestures and tattoos.
Available @ Amat (223, 109, 24).
Permissions: Trans / No Copy / No Mod
Disclosure: Seen in World: Yes | Review Copy: Yes | Friends List: No
Savvy? by Dakota Buck Lucas Pants (90L each or 300L/4-pack) and Robin suits (150L each or 500L/4-pack)
With several swanky releases for the ladies under her belt, Dakota creates her initial releases to appeal to a male audience. Her mid-calf pinstripe “Lucas Pants” are befitting for both male and female curves and come in 4 colours (blush, earth, nautical and slate. Pants have a french-like leg cuff and pronounced button-down belt loops. The “Robin” suits are an adaptation of her earlier female outfits. The jacket and shirt combinations are paired in vivid, high contrast colours: silver-purple, gold-blue, brown-green and vermillion-teal. The shawl-cut lapels peel back to liberally feature the dress shirts underneath.
[Random] by Garbage Prototype “Chad”, “Eric” and “Geoff” hair (350L/6-pack)
Rarely a week goes by that Garbage doesn’t release a new men’s hairstyle. This week brings three new short cuts with windswept bangs from left down to the right. All styles are close-cropped around the ears and balance between neat and disarrayed strokes. “Chad”, “Eric” and “Geoff” can be tried before purchase using the 1L demos. Styles now conform to a new retail system of The 4 numbered sets are divided into four colour tones.
Available @ Louise (56, 113, 651).
Permissions: Copy / Mod / No Trans
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• SKINS
The Better Man by Heizeus Khan Phillip Skin (500L)
Here’s to hoping this is one of many skin products from content creator, Heizeus Khan, whose modest store has a selection of long sleeve shirts, eyes, zombie skins and now “Phillip” – a photorealistic that comes with complimentary shape and brown eyes. The skin itself is clean shaven and comes in a single tone. With a store motto like “You don’t have to look like a girl to look good” we can only hope that this designer continues this high quality, affordable vein of products. It would be nice to see additional tones and facial hair options in coming weeks as well as a demo.
Available @ Port Seraphine (149, 40, 29).
Permissions: Copy / No Mod / No Trans
Disclosure: Seen in World: Yes | Review Copy: No | Friends List: No
Million Dollar Skin Lab by Hybel Koba Tan Skin with Goatee (900L each)
Continuing with updating his current skins with existing facial hair options, the Tan Skin can now be purchased with the strip goatee. The sunbathed skin is tintable in appearance mode and is available with and without chest hair within the purchase set. As promised, the skin creator is gradually incorporating the facial hair options he established with his first line of skins on all subsequent skin developments. Demos on-site.
Available @ Ifrit (254, 19, 30).
Permissions: Copy / Mod / No Trans
Disclosure: Seen in World: Yes | Review Copy: No | Friends List: No
• CHECK OUT
DarkStar Designs by Gaia Goodnight Alternative Gear
This store offers an interesting selection of alternatively styled hair, clothing and accessories for emo/goth/(steam)punk culture subscribers of both sexes. The top floor holds several avatars including Final Fantasy characters and the ever-cute Moogle. Available @ UNLIMITED (104, 55, 33).
END by Jonny Petrova & Tip Top Shapes by Nikki Lian Kitschy prim accessories & Shapes and eyes
Side-by-side these shops are owned by SL couple Jonny and Nikki. While he offers prim merchandise, often with a satirical slant, she offers a small selection of nicely proportioned male and female shapes in addition to eyes. Available @ Tammora (229, 43, 76).
Happy Biouvac by Penny Patton Army Surplus and Steam Punk Accessories
A highly detailed collection of conscientiously textured clothing and prim attachments. Within you will find various military issue uniforms, belts, boots and head wear including gas masks, goggles and helmets. This week Penny releases a survival backpack laden with axe, pick-shovel, and gas mask canister as well as a bucket hat. Offerings also include a 10L pair of aviators. Available @ Koreshan (159, 30, 27).
There’s something about the swing era that continues to fascinate. Count Basie, Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, Glenn Miller, Duke Ellington–the names of the giants are still well known today. The songs and tunes are familiar to virtually everyone: “Begin the Beguine,” “Jumpin’ at the Woodside,” “And the Angels Sing” (I’m partial to Della Reese’s pre-”Touched by an Angel” cover myself). Designer Versu Richelieu of VR Phlux (currently in transition from the original name, VR Designs) has recently taken inspiration from the era and created several new outfits with vintage styling. We hope you enjoy this joint review–I’m covering three outfits, and Cat is reviewing two others. And don’t dwell on the fact that the location for my pictures is entirely period-inappropriate–that was more for fun than anything.
The “Leo” outfit you see here includes two shirts with necktie (one with long sleeves, another with rolled sleeves), high-waisted striped trousers, braces, brown prim pork pie hat, and simple two-tone shoes. The shirts are provided on the shirt layer, with the braces on the jacket layer. This not only allows the braces to overlay the shirt properly, it gives you the option of wearing the shirt without the braces, or vice versa if you are so inclined. The shirt color, bold tie pattern and striped trousers all come together in a bit of sartorial harmony you just don’t see every day–this is probably my personal favorite of these five outfits. Although that may only last until I look again at one of the others. “Leo” is priced at L$200.
The shoes included with these outfits are a combination of system shoes with a two-tone pattern and simple prim soles. It’s a great touch to include period-appropriate footwear essentially at no charge, but to me the beautiful clothing really cries out for top-quality prim shoes. I’ve matched each outfit with a pair of Dress Oxfords by Eponymous Trenchmouth, available at Jeepers Creepers. These shoes are just gorgeous–take a look, and I pretty much guarantee that you’ll take home a pair or two.
“Rudy” includes vest and trousers in a classic windowpane check pattern, shirt with tie, braces, black prim pork pie hat, and simple two-tone shoes. This time, the shirt is on the undershirt layer, suspenders on the shirt layer, and vest on the jacket layer, all to accommodate natural layering. The bold check pattern works very well–the white lines stand out smartly from the black background. The vest backing is smooth grey satin, with a simple ribbon cinch. A long, eye-catching silver watch chain falls gracefully along the right trouser leg, almost to the knee, a bright visual accent to the dark fabric. This is a perfect ensemble for the sharp-dressed man out to catch an eye or two. The “Rudy” set is available for L$250.
I was able to chat just briefly with Versu this week, and I asked her about the philosophy behind her SL design work.
“I don’t think I have a design philosophy other than, I make what I like, what looks good to me and hope other people like it as well. It is not about making as many outfits as I can to generate as much income as I can. I only make an outfit if I am inspired to do so.”
She went on to say, “I find when I am making something, whether it is an outfit or a building, if it does not appeal to me personally I lose interest in it and it becomes drudge work. RL has plenty of that, I don’t need it in SL too!”
Don’t think that Versu’s collection has nothing for dressier, even formal occasions. The “Rick” tux, worthy of Bogart himself, comes with double-breasted jacket, shirt with bowtie, braces, trousers and simple shoes. Once again the various clothing pieces are designed for natural layering and flexbile wear: jacket on the jacket layer (with skirt extension), shirt on the undershirt layer, braces on the shirt layer.
The jacket’s fabric texture is clean and smooth, with crisp black bowtie and shiny black studs. In classic fashion, the trouser legs are accented by a full-length satin stripe. A crimson pocket square provides a touch of color, drawing the eye like a rose blooming in the snow. This is the perfect ensemble for a special evening with your very own Ingrid Bergman. You can take it home for L$300.
All of these designs, along with a variety of other themed outfits by Versu, are available at VR Plux (phlux 169, 163, 35). The beautiful Deco-styled build is worth visiting for the architecture alone.
Photographed on location at the Sands Jazz Lounge (Sands Island 1 66, 17, 24).
In a period when the government imposed production restrictions to fund World War II, the fashion industry wavered between exciting innovations like artificial fabrics such as rayon and the disheartening crush of shortages. Often, these scarcities directly influences resourceful new systems for creating clothing. Innovation was born out of necessity. Pre-war men’s suits consisted of a jacket, vest and two pairs of matching trousers. In the climate of the restrictive economic climate of the a world at war in the 1940s, practicality transformed the suit into a single vest or jacket and a pair of pants – a style convention that has remained ever since.
Men’s fashion during the decade is characterized by subdued colours, limited trimmings, fit-to-waist jacket cuts with wide lapels and waist pleated pants with center creasing. All aspects in Versu Richelieu’s new Swing Collection*. Male audiences are treated to several suits befitting of an era when big band music was in full swing, Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman burned up the screen in Casablanca, and German starchitect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe brought his style of European design to North America.
VR Phlux revives the retroactive 1940′s man.
The Bugsy tuxedo (300L). Named after the infamous Austrian-American gangster, Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel this double-breasted wool (possibly cheviot) tux tucked with white handkerchief would have customarily been worn to formal and semi-formal “black tie” events, which occurred after 5 P.M. (events after 6:00 P.M. warranted more elaborate “white tie” attire). The two-button tuxedo features framed velveteen notch lapels topped off by prim wing-tipped collar and silky bow tie for the fibery cotton dress shirt. The pleated trousers are vertically flanked by a lighter fabric along the outer pant leg. Wearing the pants with suspenders raises the waist to “Hollywood Waist” height as the confines of the pants layer alone does not allow for the high-cut waist that was the aesthetic of the day.
In this purchase set you will receive: tux jacket (jacket layer), suspenders (shirt layer), dress shirt (undershirt layer), tux skirting (skirt layer), tuxedo trousers (pants layer), prim collar and tie, and two-tone shoe (show layer) with prim soles
The Joe suit (200L). Casual in name and styling, this suit has a laid-back appeal this suit sans jacket would be a great choice for a night out at a local jazz bar or strolling along the boardwalk after work. The ensemble comes with silver cufflinked shirt with short collar. Pinstripes have always made a smart, chic fashion statement. The set pairs black pinstripe slacks with a jacquard-like dress shirt with pointed collar and two-button cuff. To accomplish the entire man-about-town appeal the dressed down outfit can be topped off by the simple felt pork pie hat with its characteristic flat top and small brim.
In this purchase set you will receive: suspenders (jacket layer), dress shirt with tie (shirt layer), pinstripe slacks (pants layer), pork pie hat (prim), two-tone shoe (shoe layer) with prim soles.
Suits have a charm that throws back to a time of lost innocence in the simple things in life. The Swing Collection uses minimal shading, relying primarily on the depth of the fabric itself to establish visual impact. To accommodate the high waist, the upper portion of the pants waist is attached to the suspenders. Each set is a complete outfit from head to toe, including a pair of two-toned textured shoes with prim soles which can be seen in the vendor ads in-store. As a prim shoe fascist my personal preference is to tie on a sharp pair of loafers or wingtips to complement the elegance of the collection.
Slick back your hair with Dapper Dan brand hair pomade, tuck your favourite 12″ Tommy Dorsey LP under your arm and head down toVersu’s flagship store at phlux (169, 163, 35) before heading to your sweetie’s house to start an evening of old timey romance.
Every once in a while, you see something and think, “I’ve needed that all along–I just didn’t know it!” My most recent such experience was with these bowling shoes, just released by designer Eponymous Trenchmouth of Jeepers Creepers. Her new Strike! Bowling Shoes come in two color variations, as seen in the accompanying pictures. Here you see the “Black and White” version, which is accented by a sharp red stripe. Both feature realistic leather texture, bright metal grommets, and flexi red laces.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve caught?myself zooming in on these shoes just to admire the highly detailed leather texture and sturdy stitchwork that looks as though you could actually feel how bumpy it is. Here I’m wearing the “Red and Black” version, the two darker colors accented by a snappy white stripe. Grommeted holes on the sides provide for ventilation. The only thing missing is the smell of Lysol, which when I was growing up was used at bowling alleys to keep the rental shoes allegedly germ-free, if not actually clean. I guess some things do change.
The men’s version comes with a psychedelic bowling ball (pictured), which somehow seems the perfect accessory. Just don’t go swinging it around mindlessly during casual conversation. These shoes are also available in a women’s version, which comes with an optional sexy walk. I didn’t try these out, so I can’t comment on how sexy the walk is. I know we have some women who follow along here regularly–maybe we’ll get a comment on these.
For men, these shoes are reasonably sized for feet set at?size 30 or smaller (for women, they are sized to fit at size zero). If your feet are larger, you will need to dial them down to avoid the dreaded “show-through.” The traditional size tag on the heel of each shoe has no particular relevance in SL, but it’s a fantastically cool and authentic design touch.
These spiff new shoes are available for L$300 a pair at the new Jeepers Creepers main store (Tean 240, 87, 24).
The very talented Catero Revolution started the review of the first and brand new men’s collection from Paper Couture. I take the relay for the following!
I was dragged in the Paper Couture’s shop by my dear friend and favourite stylist Iumi Cline. She wanted to show me the first Lu sisters’ release for men, and also to play doll with my avie. Girls
The shop at Tableau is delicately designed and deliciously early 20th century styled. This was the first good surprise. The picture of the Lu sister above the big stairs gives the tone: women of taste with a strong personality. Just like the new spring-summer 2007 collection for men! The clothes are hanging, just like in a real boutique. There is space to walk around and to easily use the camera. The music stream broadcasts classical music (where in SL do you find a shop with a classical music’s stream?). One of the best shopping experiences I had in SL. Omg, time to start, let’s try those new outfits, I can’t wait!
Faux Fur Jacket (300L$): complete outfit with grey pants and, on the shirt layer, an assorted jacket with a luxurious fake fur collar, and a green sweater which comes with prim attachments for collars and cuffs. Unfortunately, in the copy I bought, the prim collar is no-modify, so I couldn’t stretch it to fit my neck, and my neck is not the biggest in SL, believe me! But the outfit does it without it. Look at Ben on the picture, he is so proud to be so elegant and stylish, slightly precious He won’t tell anybody, but I’m sure he is daydreaming about the stars Movie stars!
Cream Casual Tux (200L$): another complete outfit at a totally bargain price. And what an outfit! Beige short pants (modable) and a cream knitted zipped vest, Irish style, worn on a classic white shirt with a black bow tie, all that on the shirt layer. The outift’s name is perfect: casual-chic, dressy-laid back, Ben has his place everywhere, every time with this outfit. And he starts to think he is TPed into a Visconti movie, I assure you!
Spring Ruffle Shirt & Jacket (250 L$): the last outfit is composed of faded blue-grey jeans (no-modify, unfortunately) and a simple black jacket on a ruffle shirt, both on the jacket layer. One more time, the mix is astonishing, but works perfectly. The final touch is given by cream gloves. Ben has some new movies’ flashbacks, he thinks about “Funny Games” by Michael Haneke, or “Clockwork Orange” by Stanley Kubrick… wow, freaky ! Maybe a matter of weird contrast and decadence. Oh my I’m losing my mind For sure this outfit is the opposite of common
Funny-nostalgic, cartoon-chic, smooth-decadent? How to talk about the Lu Sisters’ style for men? Probably a dash of each one. Maybe we just have to enjoy it without searching references or being prejudiced. Like the sisters said: “We owe nothing to our mother”, and “After all it’s very difficult to understand our work if you have no taste…” Aren’t they lovely!:-)
Assets: Definitely the style, totally unique and no mainstream! And also the more-than-fair prices.
Liabilities: no-modable pants and attachments, and maybe the top pieces on a single layer, but it can be an asset for men in a hurry!
Best mix with: other hand drawn pieces of garment (like those from Barnes Boutique or Nylon Outfitters both at Tableau, so easy!). Shoes: those by Eponymous Trenchmouth (Jeepers Creepers) and those by Fallingwater Cellardoor (Shiny Things), since Fally had the wonderful idea to release her shoes in many sizes (including a new version of the Citywalk shoes): with the no-modify pants from Paper Couture, the small size is the only one to fit.
Do you want a bath of creativity and originality? It’s at Paper Couture main store @ Tableau (160, 100, 25).
I was surprised and pleased a couple of days ago to get an IM from designer Eponymous Trenchmouth of Jeepers Creepers: “Hey, check out these new boots!” Words like that are music to my ears (both sets). I’ve been looking for some ways to shake up my look lately anyway, so this opportunity was not to be missed. The new Rigger Boots come in six different color/pattern combos: Stealth, Camo, Mud, Sand, Sky, and Urban. Here I’m wearing them in Stealth, just because the black goes so well with the emo/neko thing I’ve got going today. These boots have a fantastic, glossy shine to them. Note the dangling flexi laces and loose tongue–nice touches all around. You’ll need really tight jeans to tuck them inside the boots like this; the Super Slim Extreem Vintage jeans by Lost Thereian are perfect, but any that allow you to mod the flare way down will do just fine.
The Riggers can be worn either as high-tops (16 holes) or with rolled-over low-tops. The high-tops are actually two pieces, a foot attachment and a leg attachment. A handy notecard is included that explains which pieces to wear together, and a reference picture shows how the eyelet holes should align when the leg attachments are adjusted properly.
The rolled-cuff low-tops are single attachments worn on the foot. Here you can get a good look at the impressive detailing of the thick, chunky, tready sole as well as the fabric texture on the inside of the rolled-down cuff. You really expect to leave serious footprints behind when you walk around in boots like these.
The other styles share the same quality construction but are textured with different colors and patterns. With six styles to choose from, you’re bound to find one that fits you like a glove! … so to speak. Priced at L$400 a pair (includes high-top and low-top versions), all six styles of the new Rigger Boots are available now at Jeepers Creepers (Tuliptree 185, 176, 30).
I hardly know what to think any more, much less say, when Eponymous Trenchmouth releases a new shoe creation. At some point, one runs out of superlatives. There are just no more words. At least, there are no good ones left that I haven’t already used.
As for me, I’m honestly not sure which are my own favorites. The Umber shoes are indeed fascinatingly neutral in color, like a shadow on concrete, but this doesn’t mean they’re boring. In Green, they’re reminiscent of the dappled shade of trees moving on grass. The Brown ones look rich and soft, like loam or chocolate. But the B&W pair is particularly striking, absolutely elegant in its simplicity. And there are four other colors not shown here, for a total of eight. All sport a delightfully detailed medallion on the instep.
Modeling poses by Grazia Horwitz. Available, individually and in packs, at /GEEZ/ (Copley Square 70, 128, 24).
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Ryan : I love wearing sandals. I grew up in the U.S. Midwest, not exactly a farmboy, but still I spent more than my share of time running around barefoot. Even as an adult, at the end of my workday, the first thing that happens once I get home is the shoes come off. All summer long, I’m looking for any excuse not to wear shoes. For me, sandals are the perfect solution–they can complement any look, from completely casual to somewhat dressy. Even if I can’t be lounging on a balmy patio, awaiting the arrival of companions bearing frosty tropical drinks, my feet may well think that I am. I’ll wear sandals with pretty much anything (although, hmm, I have yet to try them with a tux). In fact, I sometimes get crap for wearing sandals when others find it 
