SHIKI Shapes by Jeckie Hax

July 14th, 2008 at 12:09pm Ryan Darragh

I go back and forth on shapes.  Let me tell you what I mean by that.  I like my own shape–I made it myself, and I don’t share it around, so it’s unique to me.  I’ve tweaked it over time, but only a little here and there.  It just feels right to me.  (A) I’m satisfied with it, although sometimes I wonder if I might want to be taller, and (2) I don’t want to have to re-fit all my attachments, so there’s no way I’m making significant changes.  For myself, I don’t see any need for pre-fab shapes.

On the other hand, I look at some of the shapes created by, say, Vasean Talamasca.  The shapes in his collection at Flesh Peddlers are attractive, sexy, even exotic.  I see a lot of guys roaming the grid who, frankly, could use some guidance from somebody with a good eye.  I don’t mean to be judgmental, and I’m naming no names, but if you look like a muscle-bound, top-heavy gorilla on steroids, I might have bumped into you.

Jeckie Hax is partner in crime to Shinichi Mathy (SHIKI Design) and the talent behind SHIKI Shapes.  Jeckie mentions in one of her informational notecards that shiki means “The Four Seasons” in Japanese, and to me this suggests not only the flow of time but the balance inherent in the succession of the seasons.  Perhaps it should come as no surprise that Jeckie’s shapes demonstrate balance, proportion and harmony applied to the human form, or at least its representation in SL.

I’m going to let the pictures do most of the talking, with only a few specific comments from me on each shape.  Hopefully the pictures (full body, torso and face close-up for each shape) will show you enough to know if one of these might be a good fit for you.

Jason is one of Jackie’s more recently released shapes.  He’s fit and muscular, with capable-looking arms and legs, but not overly built.  His face is square and strong, but the features strike me as sensitive.

Jowell is also recently released.  He too is in good shape, with broader shoulders and a slimmer waist than Jason.  He has a similarly square face and jaw, but his features seem more strongly masculine.

Jack seems a bit less “built” than either Jason or Jowell while still being quite fit.  His features make him not aloof or distant, but certainly a bit of a cool customer.

Junior could be a swimmer or diver.  His build is lithe and lean rather than bulky, and his features feel calm and confident, with a more angular, less square jaw.

Ryan (the name is just a coincidence, I’m sure) is the most boyish of the bunch, with his slim build and narrow waist.  His features are more delicate than the other four, but they’re still clearly masculine.  This shape is the one that comes closest to my own, so you may actually see me wearing this one occasionally.  Some of my friends tell me I should be willing to explore my other side, the one that goes to the gym at least once or twice a week, so maybe this would be a good start. 

All shapes come in Small, Medium, Large, and Double Large sizes.  These equate approximately to heights of 6′7″, 6′9″, 6′11″, and 7′0″ in SL’s seemingly arbitrary measuring scheme.  Shapes are Modify / Copy / No Transfer, so you can shrink your feet to fit properly in shoes or bring down your butt size to look right under a long coat.  You also get a bald head form for the eyebrow shape, although I’m not wearing that here–I’m wearing another bald form that shapes the eyebrows on this skin to my satisfaction.

Also included is a styling notecard with recommendations for skin, hair and eyes.  I have not attempted to follow the styling recommendations for each skin here.  Instead I’ve used the same skin, hair and eyes throughout, mainly as a control, so you can see the differences of the various shapes themselves at work.  A good shape, even if designed with a particular skin in mind, should look good with a variety of skins.  Of course the combination of skin and shape is a powerful one, and you may well get different, even better results if you wear Jeckie’s shapes with the skins she recommends for them.  (She recommends–and shows in her ads–a Millage Valenti skin for these shapes.)  I think they all look great with this skin (”Thomas” by Tricky Boucher, available at Belleza).

Jeckie’s shapes are priced at L$1000 each.  No demos are available.  In my experience this is not uncommon for shapes, so I’ll lament this lack in a general “it would be nice” way.  For the the benefit of the customer, the availability of a demo would be a helpful gesture that would allow him to inspect the shape more closely on his own terms, even in his own wardrobe.  I’m thinking the demo could be no-mod and have, say, really big hands and/or feet to make it unwearable in public.

These and a wide range of other male shapes are available SHIKI Shapes (Jonetsu Isle2 RAKUEN 44, 50, 23).

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

Notes: On Ryan: "Thomas" skin by Tricky Boucher (Belleza). "Broder" "Broder" hair by Avant Scofield (The GL). Boudoir Boxer Briefs by Shai Delacroix (Casa Del Shai).

Entry Filed under: Designer Reviews, New Items, SHIKI Shapes, Shapes