Men's Second Style

When I recently put together a new and very different avatar for myself (in response to a Style Throwdown challenge from Express), I never intended for him to be a one-shot deal.  Frankly, the investment (in skins, hair, and attitue) was not exactly insignificant, and I not only planned but promised to bring him back now and then.  I figured, if nothing else, he’d provide a way for me to explore and present some designs that might not otherwise be quite Ryan’s style.

Trevor Turner has been creating the Young Urban line for a good while now, refining his technique along the way, and his recent designs, while still low-key and relatively straightforward, have been ever more polished and interesting.  Take for example the Vest shown here.  The neckline scoops casually low, the fabric texture is slightly, comfortably rough rather than refined and smooth, the shading depicts realistic tugs and tension in the fabric rather than arbitrary wrinkles.  Wear it alone, with tee, or with short-sleeved white shirt and prim cuffs.  L$190 each in four colors: Black, Blue, Brown and Grey.

Trevor’s Sweater Vests are a little more conservative, with a shallow V-neck and no shirtless option.  Conservative doesn’t have to mean stuffy, though–I like the way the untucked sweater rides slightly higher on one hip, allowing a glimpse of the belt on that side.  Asymmetricality like this sn’t an accident in SL; slight imperfections and apparent serendipity have to be carefully planned.  The vest can be worn neatly tucked, untucked, and with loose shirttails.  Although similar to the shirt on the other vest, the shirt artwork here hasn’t simply been recycled: it’s clearly different, carefully fitted to the higher neckline.  No prim cuffs here, as the shirt is short-sleeved, but if you also get one of the other vests you could always use those cuffs with this set.  Available in five colors: Black, Blue, Brown, Green and  Grey.  Priced at L$125 each, or L$400 for the pack of all five colors.

Trevor’s Striped Shirts are simple but classic.  The look is thin, comfortable, form-fitting jersey fabric.  Wear them tucked or untucked in your choice of six colors: Blue, Brown, Green, Purple, Red and White.  L$100 each, or L$450 the pack of six.  The similarly constructed Raglans are boldly color-blocked in Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Purple and Red, with faux V-neck accent stitching and a center-front patch pocket.  These are L$100 for a single, L$400 for all six colors.  I also like the Black Jacket, with its brightly colored hoodie.  In fact, I wouldn’t mind seeing this jacket in other colors as well, perhaps brown or grey.  For L$125 you get the jacket with integrated hoodie in Blue, Green, Red or Grey.  The set also includes the open jacket without hoodie, prim hood and a shirt-layer “puffer” for filling out the jacket sleeves.  A pack that includes hoodies in all four colors is L$400.

Throughout I’m also wearing Trevor’s Jeans.  The style shown here comes in Blue and Grey washes.  Both look comfortably well-worn in that well-loved way, with softly faded pocket and other detailing.  There are more elaborate jeans out there, but these look great and get the job done.  You can wear them with or without the gold belt.  Priced at L$100 a pair; other styles are available in the shop.

All of these designs by Trevor Turner can be found at Young Urban (Kmadd Enterprise 26, 232, 26).

If it’s true that clothes make the man, I’d argue that accessories may well make the outfit.  At the very least, there’s definitely a strong symbiotic relationship between the two.  It seems only appropriate to say a little about the accessories featured here, and not just relegate them to the Notes.

The shoes are Emilia Redgrave’s new Athlete Sneakers.  (If you consider shoes to be clothing rather than accessories, I hear you–I go back and forth myself.)  These are handsomely sculpted high-top sneaks with thick, cushy-looking soles and leather uppers detailed with fine stitching and perforations for ventilation (no need for Dr. Scholl’s).  There’s no resize scripting, so you’ll need to fit them the old-fashioned way: by stretching them manually.  Ahh, good times!  Six different color combos are available for L$290 a pair, or L$690 for either of two different three-packs.  You can pick these up at Redgrave (REDGRAVE Mens Fashion 34, 234, 22).

Note: Since this review was published, these shoes have been revised significantly, and definitely for the better.  A resizer script has been added, so no more need to stretch them manually to fit to your avatar.  Also, a shoe version without the upper collar is now included, for easier fitting with pants (or just the option).  Also, two of the original color combos have been re-worked, so if you bought these early on you may now be the proud owner of a collector’s item.

The two jewelry pieces are by Masaru Raymaker.  I actually had these in mind (and inventory) for the aforementioned Style Throwdown, but couldn’t include them there solely due budget considerations.  (It’s harder than you might think to put together a complete avatar and keep it within a certain budget.  It all adds up pretty quickly.)  Here you see the Angel Cross necklace (L$200), carefully wrought in silver and suspended on a black leather thong.  Touch to choose from five different semiprecious gems for the centerpiece stone.  The Flame Cross ring (L$300) is an intricate piece, truly stunning up close, with tiny, delicate silver scrollwork surrounding a diamond-studded Greek cross in gold.  This ring actually comes as a set, with male and female versions included; transfer permissions allow you to share one with someone special.  At M.R.M. (Baines 32, 120, 21).

I had also hoped to include Rohal Schnyder’s Cato IV sunglasses in that Style Throwdown, but here again I was thwarted by the budget.  Rohal’s eyewear designs have quickly become some of my favorites, with their stylish designs, precise prim construction, and absence of large 2-D textures that take ages to rez fully.  Extensive customizations are possible via HUD or touch menu.  You can tweak to your satisfaction the following: size; bling; frame color, shine and texture; lens color, reflection, transparency and gradient.  Two preset positions (on nose, on head) are provided, and you can specify a third “custom” position of your own.  An almost unbearably cool and suave animation plays when you adjust the position–I’m sure I laughed out loud the first time I saw it.  You can turn this animation off, but I can’t imagine why I’d ever want to.  L$399 at ROLE Optic (Panerai 121, 92, 301).

Now, as for the watch…ahh, the watch.  Behold the MONACO Triton Men’s Watch, by LeonTubrok Beamont.  This multi-zone beauty tracks three time zones, because after all you’re just that busy and have just that many friends in just that many time zones around the world, if not more.  I’ve just barely begun to explore all this complex, richly featured device offers.  It’s highly customizable via touch menu, chat command and notecard configuration.  You can choose from seven different precious metal colors for case and band, adjust the size, and select your preferred time zone settings.  Other adjustable settings include second hand animation (a low-lag option is available), chimes on the hour and/or quarter-hour, and “flash” (bling).  Rather than flat round prims with the hands “printed on” and surrounded by transparency, the hands here are finely crafted nanoprims, which provides exceptional clarity.  You also get a resizable HUD clock, which can be rezzed inworld as a wall clock if you like.  Also included is an impressive presentation box with fully functional display watch; I’m afraid to check the prim count.  The MONACO Triton is available for L$1200 at IcaruS  (Rue D’Antibes 113, 150, 28).  A thing of beauty truly is forever a joy to behold.