New: Southern Comfort Suit @ Casa Del Shai
August 7th, 2007 at 05:46pm Ryan Darragh
Shai Delacroix hits close to this boy’s heart with her new Southern Comfort Suit. Although I’m not a New Orleans native, I kind of married into the city and now I try to get there for several days at least twice a year. Shai’s new suit epitomizes the casual elegance of Southern summer living–it’s perfect whether you’re wandering the French Quarter shops and galleries, listening to the music drifting through Jackson Square, or sipping Sazeracs and Pimm’s Cups with friends at Napoleon House. If you’re lucky it might be all three in lazy succession on a hot summer afternoon, with a break somewhere in the middle for an elegant lunch in the garden courtyard at Bayona, or maybe just a roast beef poor-boy at Johnny’s. Later on you’ll be heading out to hear some live music–who’s at Preservation Hall tonight?–but for now, it’s all about relaxation.
The Southern Comfort Suit comes in three colors: Chocolate, Cream, and Charcoal (not pictured here). Each suit includes jacket, white linen tucked shirt (with underwear extension), white linen untucked shirt (on the jacket layer), belted pants, sculpted prim cuffs for pants and jacket cuffs, and prim bowtie. The fabric texture suggests material similar to seersucker, but seersucker cuffs wouldn’t slouch like this–I suspect an imaginary fabric just as perfect for SL summers as seersucker is for the Crescent City.
Recently we’ve been seeing some creative use of sculpted prims to do things with clothing that would otherwise be impossible, like shaped cuffs on shirts, jackets and pants. Shai has used sculpties to give this suit loose, slouchie cuffs on the jacket and pants. I haven’t heard a lot of feedback from others on this look, so I can only speak for myself, but I love the way she makes the look work for this suit.
The sleeve cuffs are slightly but noticeably loose, the pants cuffs much more so. This lends the suit a more casual air than it would otherwise have, and I found that this was best complemented by finely crafted sandals that walk the line between dressy and casual–dress shoes with this suit just seemed too much. The jacket sleeves are finished such that the jacket can be worn without the prim cuffs, but the pants are not. Make sure this distinctive look appeals to you, as the pants just don’t work the same without the cuffs.
The shirt is thoughfully designed so it looks great when worn casually untucked, without the bow tie, or both. Small, shiny buttons with the glow of mother-of-pearl beautifully finish off the fine linen shirt and give it additional richness. As usual, Shai’s fabric texture has a wonderful depth and her shading adds realistic wrinkles and folds without making the garment look messy. Such attention to detail makes any garment a thing of beauty to admire and a pleasure to wear.
The Southern Comfort Suit is priced at L$800 for the set. Available at Casa Del Shai (Deco 112, 150, 30).
Photographed on location in the Big Easy sim (Big Easy 128, 220, 25), a nicely executed SL build representing various New Orleans city landmarks. Although some geographical liberties have necessarily been taken, the Jackson Square section–which includes St. Louis Cathedral, the Cabildo, and the Presbytere–is more than reasonably accurate and instantly recognizable. You can also visit Café du Monde and wander several blocks of the French Quarter.
Disclosure: Seen in World: Yes | Review Copy: Yes | Friends List: Yes
Notes: On Ryan: "David" Entice for Men skin by Sezmra Svarog (Nora BodySkins). Boho Sandals by Fallingwater Cellardoor (Shiny Things). "Rectech" glasses by Cienna Rand (Primcrafters).
Entry Filed under: Casa Del Shai, Casual, Dressy, New Items, Suits
10 Comments Add your own
1. Ben Vanguard | August 7th, 2007 at 7:18 pm
I’m sorry to not agree with you for once, Ryan, I think the pants work very well without cuffs, I showed them like that in slmen.com. You just need to modify slightly the length, that is all!
So this suit is, in my humble opinion, really versatile, and anyone can enjoy it!
The special RFL version has no modify pants, but fortunately they are set at the perfect point to be worn with or without the cuffs.
BTW, great association with the boho sandals from Shiny Things!!!!!
2. Ryan Darragh | August 7th, 2007 at 7:29 pm
Thanks for sharing your own view, Ben!
Be sure to click through to Ben’s review via the link in his comment to see this suit without the prim pants cuffs–you may like them better that way than I did.
3. Ana Lutetia | August 8th, 2007 at 5:18 am
Excellent article, Ryan!
The suit is really gorgeous and love to see it with the sandals.
4. Oscar Page | August 8th, 2007 at 8:44 am
I like the idea of sculpties to creatively finish off an outfit, but they just don’t work for me. It’s especially rough to stretch them out on pants because if you stretch them and attempt to keep the same size ratios they become too long. And if you stretch them on either X & Y side they just end up looking weird. I had that same sculptie problem with the suit from Last Call as well.
I do have this outfit in the purple RFL version and it’s very nice sans sculptie prims. Appropriately I wore it to Hef’s Playboy sim for a live concert last night. I was going for a little outlandish in color and very classic old school. This outfit (in purple) nailed it on the head for that occasion.
5. Joshua Walsh | August 8th, 2007 at 10:37 am
Okay, this skin looks much better on you today than in your previous post that focused on these skins…did you do something different?
Nice suit. I have to admit I kinda cringed at sandals worn with it, but since Ben Vanguard thought it was an interesting combination, I found myself giving it another thought.
6. Ryan Darragh | August 8th, 2007 at 1:18 pm
Oscar, I feel for you every time I hear about your frustrations with prim accessories–hair, shoes, clothing add-ons, whatever. Some designers have started including hair and shoes in smaller, medium and larger sizes…maybe we’ll start seeing the same thing with prim clothing add-ons. Just a hint to our designer friends out there.
I don’t think I did anything different with the Entice skin this time out, no slider setting changes or anything. Of course the pictures were taken in a different environment, with different lighting conditions–maybe that makes the difference? The lighting in some of these pictures is quite warm, something I usually avoid in the studio, especially with skins as I don’t want to affect the skin tones.
7. zunix | August 11th, 2007 at 5:01 am
I bought two white and gray colors. Unfortunately, it is over price for the quality. Not much lady really think it was nice when I was wearing it. I only good at the picture among other product in the same line. One time wearing is quite enough. Twice, noway.
8. Catero Revolution | August 18th, 2007 at 3:54 am
Ben is ever turning heads and minds with his distinct fashion style. It’s some sort of Jedi mind trick. Notice how when he gives his stamp of approval to the use of the Boho sandals the hardened heart melts. Very unusual, Ryan, but it definitely looks dapper. The backdrop, the lighting in the photos looks phenomenal. Really makes me want to make a trip to N’Orleans.
I have never met any lad or lass that doesn’t look like a million bucks wearing Casa Del Shai clothing. The designs are always sophisticated and sexy - and fortunately, she does so consistently for both male and female audiences.
As for Oscar, he is quite a strapping lad. I can see how he may have some difficulties fitting prim attachments to his Adonis-like proportions. Shed no tears for him, Ryan, for he is a chick magnet of epic proportions regardless.
9. Sean Clancy | August 19th, 2007 at 12:08 am
I have to admit I kinda cringed at sandals worn with it
It’s a Southern thing. You wouldn’t understand.
10. Men’s Second Style &hellip | August 26th, 2008 at 12:00 pm
[...] 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 [...]
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