Something old, something new, something fishnet, something…purple

May 21st, 2009 at 05:02pm Ryan Darragh

Before we get started, I’d just like to mention out that I was working (albeit vaguely) toward a goth-themed post of some kind even before a recent discussion in comments touching on the relative merits of themed or “genre” style, such as goth, emo, neko and grunge.  To me it seemed that the upshot of our dialogue was that themed styles like these are great, but it’s good not to fall into the rut of any one style and never do anything else.  Fair enough!  I’d buy that for a dollar.

So, as I say, I was already working on something, and by this I mean that I was accumulating some things (too many things, in turns out) that I thought would work and letting the ensemble percolate in my mind, waiting for it to be birthed fully formed, like Venus.  Lest you get the wrong impression, I hasten to add that it is only sometimes that serendipitous.  Most often, I find that I have to sweat a little bit to make the magic happen.

This time, I had a whole boatload of things gathered in a folder (cleverly named “Goth boy”), but it just wasn’t coming together.  For some reason–although it was so close!–the magic wasn’t quite happening.  Sometimes this means that it’s just the wrong idea, or bad timing, but usually it simply means that some key piece is missing.  It’s as if the rug that really ties the room together has been stolen.  When that’s the case, if I bide my time and wait more or less patiently, eventually that missing piece of magic comes along, and then I’m in business.

It turned out that the missing piece of magic here was Allegory Malaprop’s new Oxford Shirt.  The shop was crowded when I got there, and as the vendors rezzed one by one I was first excited, then wracked by indecision–there were so many color choices!  Oh no…Ivory and Sepia?!?  You see how it was.  But then, off to the side, I noticed the Deep Purple Oxford Shirt with Purple Moon Necktie, and it was as if light shined down from Heaven.  I knew that this was exactly what my Goth Boy would wear.  You’ll be glad to know that I did pick up a few other colors for non-goth Ryan to wear, and that Allegory laughingly cheered me on with each agonized color decision I managed to make.

Any clothing folder from Allegory is at first a daunting prospect, with dozens of individual items reflecting a wide variety of wear possibilities and attachment points.  Flexibility is clearly her watchword, and it’s much appreciated, but you do have to pay a little bit of attention.  (I advise making a sub-folder for pieces you find you don’t wear, to make things simpler.)  The Oxford Shirts are no exception, as you’ll find a large number of clothing and prim pieces that facilitate a dizzying array of wear options.  Just a couple of highlights: you can wear the shirt with tails tucked, untucked but tidy, half-tucked, or fully messy, and with your choice of loose, almost blousey sleeves or neat, crisp cuffs.  And the fabric texture…I just want to sink in, wrap it around myself and soak up the luxury.  Allegory’s Oxford Shirts are priced at L$160 each.  As I recall, you could also buy a pack of all colors, but somehow I failed to make a note of the price (so spank me).  The Deep Purple Oxford Shirt with Purple Moon Necktie is a premium item given in return for a donation of L$200 or more to Relay For Life; look for the RFL vendor.

Although the Deep Purple Oxford Shirt comes with its own special Purple Moon Necktie, several other designs are also available.  Each sculpted tie is inluded both with and without the Oxford Shirt collar, so you can fit with your own favorite shirt or wear easily with one of the Oxford Shirts (and one attachment point is less trouble than two).  A color-change HUD matches the collar to any of the shirts.  Individual ties are L$80, or a HUD-controlled “pack” of all styles is available for L$350.  All at Schadenfreude (Lloyd 39, 50, 24).

About this time last year, Tesla Miles released her Urban Tactic Boots for men, and they quickly became some of my personal favorites.  Her new Harvey Biker Boots are put together with the same passion and care and, although they’re perhaps a bit unconventional in this context, I really like them on this Goth Boy’s pale white feet.  The heavily distressed leather textures are all hand-painted, with no photographic sources used, and the books look truly beaten and battered, used up but not yet worn out.  Detailing includes both buckles and zippers, and resize scripting makes them easy to fit.  L$500 a pair at TESLA (Tesla 41, 68, 54).

When VincentTalent Maximus told me about his new Irresistible Catch full-body fishnets, he pretty much said, “I dare you to wear these.”  I said, “I can do that.”  As with so many things in life, it turned out to be a matter of finding the right time, place and ensemble.  Unfortunately, I feel I’m not really doing them full justice here–you have to look pretty close to see that I’m wearing them.  I do think they add a certain something, though, and so you can get a better look here I’ve stripped off the shirt.  The fabric texture is pretty much seamless, with good alignment across and between the many clothing layers.  Of course, due to the vagaries of our SL avatars and the fact that it’s impossible for clothing to slip, slide or flow over the skin, you’ll see the usual pattern distortion as your avatar moves and changes poses, with greater distortion in more extreme poses.  $299 a set in a wide range of colors.  At Styria (Nelleman 180, 160, 130).

I do love me the skully accessories, and Joelle Bartfeld’s Leather and Dirty Metal Skulls Choker is another fun item that’s been kicking around in my inventory for a while without an outfit to call home.  The choker band is simply but effectively textured, and it does indeed have the look of rough, dirty metal framed in dark leather.  But it’s the little dangling sculpted skulls that both impress and kind of creep me out–like those spooky portraits in the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland, they almost seem to be looking at you…all the time.  L$100 at Simply Neko (Sheepshead Bay 40, 70, 24).

The skin I’m wearing is called Male Goth Cross, and it’s by Chrissycares Aeon.  Although no information is included with the skin, it appears to be based on Eloh Eliot’s open-source skin templates, with very Robert Smith face makeup and some enhancements to the abs.  If you’re familar with skins based on Eloh’s templates, you pretty much know what to expect–it’s not a world-class skin, but it’s not meant to be, and for what it is, it’s perfectly fine.  I think the makeup is actually quite effective.  L$450 upstairs at Aphrodites Skin and Shape (Azure Bay 228, 32, 27), or sit in the prize chair for 45 minutes and get it for free.  Is that what I did?  Let’s just say that I can get a fair amount of inventory sorting done in 45 minutes.

I love the idea of long hairstyles for men, but it’s fairly unusual for me to find a long style that I really like.  Missallsunday Lemon’s “Aerandir” is the rare exception.  It’s wonderfully flexi, which is half the fun, but the style itself is artistically impressive and quite beautiful, with braids pulled back on either side and gracefully sculpted tails in back.  The hair texture itself is worthy of special mention–the balance it strikes between stylization and realism really works for me.  Note also how, even in the Jet Black color I’m wearing here, the highlights catch the eye and define the style’s shape without overwhelming or distracting.  L$200 for two similar colors, or L$1500 for the pack of all 26 colors; some colors are available only as part of the pack.  All styles are scripted for automatic resize.  Available at Wasabi Pills (Thibedeau 40, 95, 23).

None of my usual “daily wear” eyes would do here, so I turned once again to Vince, this time for his Rose Thorns eyes.  These eyes are realistic in structure but unusual in coloring, and the contrast is striking.  The iris colors are bold and strong, and if you look closely you’ll notice that the whites aren’t just off-white but actually seem a little dirty, perhaps just slightly unhealthy.  Choose from a huge selection of colors, L$99 a pair.  At Styria (Nelleman 180, 160, 130).

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

Notes: On Ryan: Ash Jeans by Zabitan Assia (FORM).

Entry Filed under: Accessories,Aphrodites Skin and Shapes,Boots,Casual,Dressy,Eyes,Fantasy,Gothic,Grunge,Hair,New Items,Schadenfreude,Shirts,Simply Neko,Skins,Styria,TESLA,Ties,Wasabi Pills