Men’s Corner: International Style

March 9th, 2008 at 08:37pm Ryan Darragh

In celebration of International Women’s Day on March 8, this issue of Second Style is focusing on international style. It seemed appropriate to see what’s out there along those same lines for the male of the species. Hey, I’m all in favor of solidarity with our fashionista sisters!

The kimono (the Japanese characters literally mean “something worn”) is the national costume of Japan. Over time, the word “kimono” has come to represent a particular type of traditional full-length garment: T-shaped, straight-lined robes that fall to the ankle, with collars and wide, full-length sleeves. Kimonos are wrapped around the body, always with the left side over the right (except when dressing the dead for burial) and secured by a wide belt called an obi, which is usually tied at the back. Today, men wear kimonos most often at weddings, tea ceremonies, and other very special or very formal occasions. The Qui Kimono by Zen Deledda (L$400) features flexi robe sleeves, a prim obi, and an elaborate dragon design embroidered in gold and red on the deep black robe. Because of the way the prim robe sleeves attach, some poses do cause the flexi robe sections to hang less naturally, so you may find that some poses in your AO work better thanothers. Permission are Modify / Copy / No Transfer. Available at House of Zen (Hinode Shima 195, 98, 25).

A kurta is a loose shirt falling either just above or somewhere below the wearer’s knees, traditionally worn by both men and women in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan. It can be worn with loose salwar pants, churidar pants (a tight-fitting variant of the salwar) and even jeans. Kurtas are worn both as casual everyday wear and as formal dress. The Burgundy Kurta by Oryx Tempel (L$275) includes a kurta in patterned dark burgundy fabric with creamy trim at neck and bottom hem, white salwar-style pants, and a cream-colored flexible dupatta, striped in gold and worn in a more contemporary style, draped over one shoulder. The dupatta looks great, but for some reason it was more trouble than I expected to get it fitted to my satisfaction. Eventually I got there–could be I’m just picky. Permissions are Modify / Copy / No Transfer. Available at International House of Style (Loepa 54, 192, 53).

The kilt is an item of traditional Scottish highland dress, a traditional garment of modern Scottish and Celtic (more specifically Gaelic) culture, typically worn by men and made of fabric woven in the pattern of a clan tartan. According to the Old English Dictionary, the noun derives from the Scandinavian verb to kilt, originally meaning “to gird up; to tuck up (the skirts) round the body.” Although the history of the kilt stretches back to at least the end of the 16th century, the nationalism of the tradition is relatively recent—it was only with the Romantic Revival of the 19th century that the kilt became irreversibly associated with Highlanders. Rather than featuring a specific clan tartan, the Fanfir Kilt by Karigan Ducatillon (L$700) is made of plain charcoal-black wool fabric, and so can properly be worn by any and all, regardless of clan affiliation. The set includes a cable-knit turtleneck sweater with sculptie collar, flexi woolen kilt, short and long rolled socks, prim laced shoes, and prim belt with sporran, or pouch. The fabric textures of the sweater and kilt are beautifully rich and realistic. The belt’s leatherwork is embossed with delicate Celtic knot designs, and the silver buckle is engraved with a triskele composed of three prancing horses. The sporran is decorated with small decorative tassels and stylized Celtic dragon artwork. If you’re not certain that a kilt is the proper expression of your own masculinity, Fafnir leather pants (L$150), which feature similar detailing, are also available. Permissions are Modify / Copy / No Transfer. Available at Husky GFX (Tarnotopia 117, 100, 26).

Lederhosen (literally, “leather trousers” in German) are knee-breeches made of leather. Traditionally worn by Germanic men of the Alpine and surrounding regions, they have remained regionally popular and are commonly associated with virility and brawn. Although some men enjoy wearing them for casual excursions and social activities, today they are not often seen outside folk festivals and beer gardens. Nevertheless, they have remained a symbol of regional pride, and their role in Bavaria can be compared to that of the kilt in Scotland. Rabea Mayo has three different lederhosen styles (L$350 each) in her shop, in various colors and with slight differences in detailing but all with traditional decorative embroidery. (I’m wearing Style 603.) Each set includes shirt, lederhosen, knee-high socks and coordinating non-prim shoes. I admit that I can be a bit of a prim shoe snob, but these are quite nicely done and work well with the ensemble. Permission are No Modify / No Copy / Transfer. No Mod clothing in general, and pants in particular, usually sends up a red flag for me, but in this case I don’t see it as a big problem. There is no cuff flare to worry about fitting properly with shoes, and I myself can’t see any reason to make the shirt “puffier.” Available at Rabea Design (Muenchen City 64, 125, 25).

The Maasai are indigenous African semi-nomadic people that live in Kenya and northern Tanzania. Clothing among the Maasai people varies by age, sex, and place. Shúkà is the Maa word for sheets traditionally worn wrapped around the body, one over each shoulder, then a third over the top. Red is a popular color, but blue, black, striped and checkered fabrics are also worn, as well as multicolored designs. Both men and women wear wooden bracelets, and Maasai women regularly weave and bead jewelry, which also plays an essential part in body ornamentation. Although the meaning of the bead colors can vary, white usually stands for peace, blue for water, red for warrior, blood or bravery. The Maasai warrior ensemble by Oryx Tempel (L$300) includes shúkà with shoulder wrap in bold red with white stripe and blue patterned cloth, plus prim headband, earrings, armband, bracelet, beaded necklaces, and wooden staff. It’s worth noting that Oryx has re-worked the headband and necklaces since I did the photo shoot for this article, primarily to replace some alpha-transparency components in the necklaces with prim items. The new items are slightly different in appearance, but they’re consistent with the original designs shown here. Permission are Modify / No Copy / Transfer. Available at International House of Style (Loepa 54, 192, 53).

For sake of simplicity and focus, I’ve presented here just a few examples of “real world” styles that you can find in Second Life. Of course there are any number of other styles and genres that could be considered “international” in a larger sense—goth, neko, Gorean, the list goes on. The beauty of SL is that all are equally possible.

Historical and other details drawn from various Wikipedia articles, as linked throughout.

This is an expanded version of the Men’s Corner column originally published in Second Style Magazine (Issue #17).

Disclosure: Seen in World: Yes | Review Copy: Some | Friends List: No

Notes: On Ryan: "ML020" skin and "L020" hair by Yukimaru Koba (Z#road Men’s Shop). "Hunter" skin (Espresso) by Sezmra Svarog (Nora). FORM skin by Zabitan Assia (FORM). "Jack" skin by Posy Trudeau (Flesh Peddlers). "Crow" skin by Chip Midnight (CMFF). "Derek" hair by Aleri Darkes (Diversity). "Gabriel" hair by Lost Thereian (Naughty). "Nekoge" hair by hiko Nino (Happy Dispatch). Boho Sandals by Fallingwater Cellardoor (Shiny Things). Aruba Beach Flip Flops by Devyn Carmichael (Last Call).

Entry Filed under: House of Zen, Husky GFX, International House of Style, Men's Corner, Outfits, Rabea Design