New: “Nosferatu” coat @ Schadenfreude + JCS Shoes, Mhaijik Things

December 29th, 2007 at 12:09pm Ryan Darragh

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).

Disclosure: Seen in World: Yes | Review Copy: Some | Friends List: Some

Notes: On Ryan: FORM skin (Very Light, with Eyeliner) by Zabitan Assia (FORM). "Illusion" hair in Blood (how ironically appropriate) by Khai Sinister (The Abyss).

Entry Filed under: Coats, Dressy, Fantasy, Goth, JCS (Jeepers Creepers Shoes), Jewelry, Mhaijik Things, New Items, Outfits, Pants, Period, Schadenfreude, Shoes