New: Henry VIII Avatar @ Second Thoughts by Solivar Scarborough

April 4th, 2007 at 08:06pm Catero Revolution

The forecast calls for reign. I learned earlier this week that one of my favourite actors, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, will be playing Henry VIII, one of history’s most notorious monarchs, in a 10-part television miniseries called The Tudors*.

Meyers’ svelte appearance contrasts with the traditional visual portrayal of Henry which has been largely defined by artist Hans Holbein. In a move that seems to have perfectly aligned with the announcement, Solivar Scarborough of Second Thoughts (2t) released his own interpretation based on Holbien’s time-honoured image of the larger-than-life leader. Solivar’s Henry avatar includes a full skin, burly body shape, a suit of royal vestments and a built-in AO with a custom walk animation and 4 stand poses. But that’s not all! Do the words ‘free’ and ‘codpiece’ mean anything to you (if not, google it - you’ll be pleasantly surprised)?

Rebounding to the days when men wore just as much frilly finery as their female counterparts Henry has been clothed in a lavish costume topped with a jewelled felt slop hat. The only thing missing from his outfit is an entourage of vapid courtesans and a wicked case of syphillis (which the Big H reportedly died of).

The treatment of Henry’s extravagant wardrobe is historically accurate - referencing a Holbein work of art (see image to the right) - right down to the white wool leggings and gartered leg. The monarch wears a shuttle-woven knit tunic with a pronounced brocade frill running from neck to waist, textured with interwoven gold thread. The surcoat sleeves are cut and patterned with swatches of rich fabric, ending with lace cuffs. A billowing alizarin shaded robe with puffed sleeves and flexi skirt graces the king’s shoulders. The cape is framed by a broad and ornately patterned carmine-coloured mantle and is fringed with gold embroidery embellishments along the hem and arm puffs.

The garment evokes thoughts of panne velvet, satin, silk and other fine textiles. With regal gold chain around his neck and hands emphasized by gemstoned rings (they are actually textured on to the skin) one can almost picture the brawny, bearded man with auburn hair and dominant manner roaring at his attendants, “Bring me another wife!”.

All-in-all the highly detailed avatar is made up of 12 clothing layer and attachment pieces as well as a skin and copy/mod shape. The custom AO built into the mantle attachment includes animations/poses with haughty glare transitions. The device uses the Franimation system and can, therefore, be easily modified or adapted to suit the user’s needs as the anims/poses are copyable. I found that the stances to had a certain Hip Hop authority. Now I see where Biggie got his big pimpin’ from.

For 1,000L you can feign interest in courtly matters while you daydream of the smooth necks of young maidens. Visit the Second Thoughts store at Lo Lo (85, 63, 31) for this and other unique clothing items by Solivar Scarborough. On-site you’ll find an eclectic mix of period wear, contemporary fashion, men’s and women’s shapes and skins, avatars and accessories by Solivar and two other great designers: Daequix Scarborough (DaeSkins and Second Thoughts) and Gadget Gobo (Gadget).

* This site is accessible to U.S. residents only. Damn you, Showtime!

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

Entry Filed under: Avatars, Formal, New Items, Outfits, Period, Second Thoughts