Bananas!

I’m never been a big shoe-shopper. Unless I’m missing something important, there’s a truly amazing sale, or I’m close to leaving the house barefoot, I never buy them. Rowan Carroll’s shoes fit into a separate category: wearable art.

When I read the sad news about Unusual Isle closing, I knew I wanted to blog something really special. I’m a huge fan of her imaginative prim-work, as you can see in my “Lucky Kitty” post and in “Funk Me Pumps“; and these shoes illustrate all the reasons why. My favorite of her designs boast a clever concept, intricate prim construction, and always make me feel distinctive and original. Her Carmen wedges are a perfect example of those qualities, and are sexy and fun to boot. I decided to let them take me away, and ended up dressed as their namesake, the inimitable Carmen Miranda. With her for inspiration, they’re clearly dancing shoes, and work just as well in a nightclub or on dusty roads. Just don’t forget your trusty tambourine!

I always wear my darkest Chai skins when I want to be beautiful and striking, and Carmen certainly was both of those things. I went with a House of Heart style with a simple bun that made it easier to construct my turban, which is attached in two places and based on a Bare Rose bandanna and an Artilleri scarf. I bought a sculpty banana OnRez for L$30 before finding the sculpt map in my own library, and made the apples and grapes myself. The feather are sleeves of a gown, tinted white. Her high-waisted flamenco skirts and ruffled tops stretched my styling muscles, but I think I captured the feeling with a puffed sleeve from an Aoharu dress, and a Celestial Studios bandeau. I edited the length of my skirt pleats all around to mimic that rumba-style graduated fluff, and added a jacket-layer corset to heighten the waist. Ropes of gold necklaces from Bonita’s and Second Mirage catch the light and clinking bangles add music to my movements. Care to join me for a weekend in Havana?

Stop by the new She’s So Unusual Shoes location today! Thistledown (221, 131, 25)

Shoes: She’s So Unusual Shoes! – Carmen Platforms
Skin: LF Chai – Antonia in Cinnamon
Eyes: Lemania Indigo – Esther Williams Eyes
Hair: House of Heart – Ballerina in Black
Bikini Top: Celestial Studios – Bandeau Bikini Top
Shoulder Ruffle: Aoharu – Jewel Horse Dress in White
Pant Layer: G.L.A.M. – Chiffon Babydoll Dress
Skirt: Ceres Clothiers – Dotty Marilyn Dress Skirt (Edited a LOT)
Corset: CheerGirl allen – Champagne Corset (Only $L10!)
Small Chain Necklace: Bonita’s Jewelry – Platinum Chain Necklace
Triple Chain Necklace: Second Mirage – Tory Necklaces in Gold
Bangles: Yak & Yeti – Indian Devdas Glass Bangle Set in Red (Wear All Together and Hand Attachment Options)
Manicure: Candy Nail – Basic Nails in Gold
Lashes: Cake – Flutter Lashes

Headdress:
Scarf A: Bare Rose – Trench Coat Scarf (Worn on Chin, Edited to Fit)
Scarf B: Artilleri – Silky Scarf in Yellow (Tinted Green, Worn on Mouth, and Edited to Fit)
Feathers: DeFleur Fashions – Ariella Feather Sleeve (Tinted White, Edited to Fit)
Bananas: yamazaki Loon – Banana
All other fruits and crappy tambourine made lovingly by me.

For Slurls, see our Designer Locations and Photo-Shoot Locations pages.

Coat Check

The autumn leaves have tumbled past my windows for weeks. Yesterday, the first snowflakes fell. I can’t tell you which was sweeter – their beauty, or my sadness for the season’s change – but I smiled, just the same.

Growing up, I always dreamed about the winter fashion issues of the magazines, but lived a reality in my sister’s hand-me-down coats. Today, I have a lot of pride in my ability to thrift and re-purpose old clothes in new ways – and I’ve carried that over into my second closet as well! Today I’ll go from fall to winter in Little Rebel’s plaid trench coat, as quick as a haircut and a scene change.

I’m not the kind of girl who’s afraid of the big bad wind, so I rolled up my sleeves and left my legs bare to the ankle in these cozy knit socks from Kuri Style. I settled on a boho-hipster feeling with some shiny buckled flats in a punchy red, and a Bare Rose scarf with a few strands of beads. I don’t mix metals, so my G.L.A.M. waist-cincher was literally a great fit. Naturally, whenever I need a knit cap, I always turn to this Cake hairstyle with its many scripted textures.

Every 20-something fashionista needs a pair of aviators, especially in a traffic-cop amber color like this Laqroki pair. My prim nails are the orangey-red version of Candy Nail’s profile reward manicure, scripted with 3 other edgy color combinations. For both looks, I chose Miriel’s watercolor eyes to echo the aqua and violet tones of the plaid jacket, and a Nylon skin with flushed cheeks for that brisk winter-weather look.

First snow! I’m listening to “Vespertine” and “Felt Mountain”, and Dean Martin’s “Baby, It’s Cold Outside!” – what’s on your player? I threw on a pair of plum tights from Fleur, some stripey earmuffs, and buckled on some fur from Antonia Marat’s “Kat’s Meow” coat. I love these mixable furry bits, they kept me warm through last year’s second winter. A pair of black ETD booties to match, a fluffy white skirt for girly appeal, and a classic Blaze button-down finishes the look.

This so, SO cute braided hairdo is a BP* treasure in the challenging MnM acorn hunt. Yes, it was a little confusing, but not only are the prizes fantastic, Creamy Cooljoke has laid it all out for us HERE. THANK YOU! In this closeup you can see the blushing cheeks and subtle teal eyeliner that make this skin a cold-weather favorite of mine. To finish it off, I added some stardusted prim nails from Love Soul and pinned a delicate gold flower to my collar for sparkle.

Skin: Nylon Outfitters – Urban Eyes in Pearl
Eyes: Miriel – The Multicolor Collection – Watercolor
Hair and Cap: Cake – Boho in Burgundy
Jacket: Little Rebel – Trench Jacket
Socks: Kuri Style – One-Piece 93 Knit Socks
Shoes: Style Magazine – Roger Vivier Chips Tacco Flats (Free!)
Belt: G.L.A.M. – Waist Cincher with Gold Embellishment
Scarf and Necklaces: Bare Rose – Tietop Bolero Outfit (Blue Option)
Sunglasses: Laqroki – Pilot Shades in Brown
Manicure: Candy Nail – Abstract Nails (Orange Option, Free Gift for Profile Picks!)

Skin: Nylon Outfitters – Urban Eyes in Pearl
Eyes: Miriel – The Multicolor Collection – Watercolor
Hair: BP* – Autumn Loose Braid (Hunt Find!)
Shirt: Blaze – Boyfriend Button-down (Past Group Gift)
Coat: Little Rebel – Trench Jacket
Collar and Cuffs: Artilleri – Kat’s Meow Coat (Black Fur Option)
Skirt: Digit Darkes – Flexi Bubble Skirt in White
Tights: Fleur – Opaque Tights in Plum
Shoes: ETD – Kristin Booties in Black
Earmuffs: KA Designs – Colored Earmuffs
Brooch: Baiastice – Grandma Outfit Brooch (Past Group Gift)
Manicure: Love Soul – Starry Sky in Purple

For Slurls, see our Designer Locations and Photo-Shoot Locations pages.

Through the Looking Glass

When I read Kristi’s challenge on SLimply the Best, I was intrigued. I’ve said before that I hate changing my shape – I don’t mind a little extra butt in system skirts, and I’ve grown attached to some of Candy’s flaws – but I’ve been making some clothing based on my actual wardrobe, and thought a little comparison sounded fun.

I have a closetful of vintage accessories. The best and worst part of being a window-dresser and vintage buyer are the amazing finds I’m tempted by nearly every day. And the most treasured of them all, is my red belt with the enamel butterfly clasp. Somehow it always adds just the right amount of glamour to any outfit. I spent hours and hours painting it by hand in photoshop, but it was more than worth it to own one in every color. Lately I’ve been pairing it with a high-waisted skirt (in both lives), and based this pleated number Candy’s wearing on the purple skirt I’m wearing in my photo. I chose an underwear-layer tank top by Camie Cooper to free up the jacket and shirt layers for the rest of the outfit, and a nearly identical gold Yummy necklace. My jewelry collection is heavy with antique hearts and lockets and other ladylike things – if the song “I Enjoy Being Girl” comes to mind, I’m not afraid to admit that I actually own and wear petticoats and gloves. A little editing to a Bettie Page scarf, a pair of over-the-knee socks, and things started falling into place. HCT was the perfect place for my two-toned hair, and the length and highlights on Lillian were a dead-ringer. My skin was definitely the hard part, but I found a makeup match in Mela’s Peacock. In the end it was a laugh, and I had a ball doing it. So… who wants to see Van’s pretty face?

Skin: Mela’s – Peacock
Eyes: Lemania Indigo – Esther Williams Eyes
Hair: HCT – Lillian in Exclusive Red
Shirt: It’s All Good – Tank Top
Skirt: Candy-Pants – High-Waisted Skirt in Amethyst (My Design, Un-Released)
Belt: Candy-Pants – Vintage Butterfly Belt in Red (My Design, Un-Released)
Socks: Fleur – Ribbed Knee Socks in Black
Scarf: BP* – Knit Scarf with Corsage (No Corsage Option, Edited)
Necklace: Yummy – Chained Heart Necklace
Ring: Kouse’s Sanctum – Lucid Diamond Ring in Gold
Lashes: Cake – Flutter Lashes

For Slurls, see our Designer Locations page.

House of Heart-Shaped Glasses

Outside summer may be long gone, but here in our windlight-world your poolside style doesn’t have to be. I slipped into a virtual bikini and did some beach bumming around the beautiful Las Arenas Rosadas (Click HERE for the original gangster “Who Let the Dorks Out” post about this stunning locale) for another look at the label-defying hairstyles from House of Heart.

I’m no longer surprised by the variety of styles that Sheltered Heart is able to create, and this batch was a perfect representation of that. I liked the idea of doing a dressed-up/dressed-down comparison again, although in this case, my “dressed-up” is pretty close to un-dressed. Back in early September when I started this post, there was still a little Autumn heat. Besides, everybody knows that sand feels better on naked feet.

With a long, lush ponytail like this, you could easily go day or night. I went with a beachy casual look, in a pair of classic white Karamia jeans and my favorite bikini-top: a leopard-print bandeau from a Blaze safari costume. The Nylon lolita shades pay homage to my favorite book, worn with a matching necklace from the same store, and I capped it off with some bright red polish.

I have a serious crush on side ponies of all kinds, and Sable is just my style. With the side-sweeping bang and loose knot at the side, it’s modern but still soft, and undeniably sexy. The length is somewhere between glamorous and bohemian, which makes it really versatile and fun to accessorize – at the beach or in the ballroom. I chose a sun-kissed Tuli skin for my setting, the “Elizabeth”, which may be her most beautiful yet.

For this look, I went into the very depths of my closet for one of my secret passions and first purchases ever. The Tousled Isabella is for showgirls only, and I knew just the stage to set. Or backstage, rather. As an amateur burly girl (or burlesque performer) and vintage-lover in real life, a lot of my early days in here were spent in search of retro content. I’ve been imagining a shoot like this for some time, and this hairstyle finally gave me a reason to feather up!

A peacock burlesque costume from Reasonable Desires is my base, worn without the gorgeous feathered train and headdress. Fleur’s long leather gloves and a pair of over-the-knee boots from the The Abyss were the obvious choice for shiny black sex-appeal, and echo the sequined cap. I went to Mika, a vintage showgirl shop, and found several perfect feathered fans before choosing this one; and I added a pair of flashy art deco-inspired eyelashes from Cake.

With Tousled Isabella, it’s really a case of more is more. A fan of black feathers in a sparkling sequined cap is perfect for performing, paired with spiral curls and a complicated bun. Sexy updo’s are a must for private dancing, and guess what? It looks great with heels. My smoky silver eye makeup is thanks to another insanely pretty Tuli Asturias creation, a gift to us lucky group members.

Hair: House of Heart – Sable in Blonde
Skin: Tuli – Elizabeth in Sunkissed/Freckled (Past Group Gift)
Eyes: FTL – Ajisai Eyes
Bikini Top: Blaze – Safari Outfit Leopard Bandeau Top
Pants: Karamia – White Denim
Necklace: Nylon Outfitters – 4 Strand Red Necklace
Sunglasses: Nylon Outfitters – Lolita Heart Sunglasses
Manicure: Candy Nail – Freebie Nail #5
Pedicure: Awesome Designs – Glitter Nails in Maroon

Poses:
AnnaH – ? Pose Pack (Past Hunt Find)

Hair: House of Heart – Tousled Isabella in Lychee
Skin: Tuli – Emily in Coal/Freckled (Past Group Gift)
Eyes: Miriel – The Iridescent Collection – Peacock
Lingerie and Stockings: Reasonable Desires – Peacock Showgirl Outfit
Shoes: The Abyss – Catalyst Boots in Black
Gloves: Fleur – Leather Gloves in Black
Fan: Mika – Carnival Fan in Black
Cigarette and Holder: Persona – Cigarette Holder (Free! Left Hand Option)
Lashes: Cake – Deco Lashes

Available Props:
Curtains: Relic – Balloon Shades (Tinted a Dark Blue)
Chandelier: Decollage – Chandelier
Picture Frame: YIPs – Frame Friends Picker (Free!)
Table: YIPs – Hotel Tables (Available Free! at the Free*Style Home)
Gramophone: Serendipity Victrolas – Fiona Fair Edition Gramophone
Book: MarillaAnne’s Grey Hare – The Merry Tales of Robin Hood Library Book (Past Hunt Find)
Small Painting: Dahaus – Bouguereau – The Wave (Part of Vain Inc Group Gift)
Vase of Roses: Dahaus – Sweet Vase (Part of Vain Inc Group Gift)

Poses:
LAP – The Cat’s Meow

For Slurls, see our Designer Locations and Photo-Shoot Locations pages.

Back in Black!

After some pretty heavy stuff from Candy the other day, I thought I would kick off our return to blogging with some cool fall looks inspired by AC/DC’s current U.S. tour.

I value simplicity in all things and I think a man looks best when he keeps his style clean and classic. The blazer and scarf combo from Casa del Shai is perfect for the season and no shirt is required, and my checkered sneakers from Armidi bring out the aqua threads in the plaid pattern. I initially experienced buyer’s remorse when I bought the fatpack, but since they’re the only casual shoes I have, I’m glad for the flexibility. You see me wearing these black jeans from Artilleri all the time. What can I say? They look great and work well in my wardrobe.

Here you get a closer look at the pattern and it’s clever prim attachments. Just like real life, it’s hard to find a good pair of glasses, and the Buddy frames from Artilleri are the only ones I wear. They provide a nice filter for my piercing Miriel eyes; a store with tons of tasteful colors for the stylish gentleman.

And now, the exact sexy opposite of simple. With Candy, I like to start at the bottom and work my way up. Her ETD Kristin boots can be had right now for a scant L$30. The textured tights from Veschi are tintable and oh-so-cute for fall, and her skirt and suspenders are a retired Artilleri treasure. I think the plaid shirt layered under an Armidi tee is very cool, it’s a look she likes to dress me in in real life.

Our cornucopia overflows with rock n’ roll accessories! Her prim manicure is a fantastic value from Gianetti. The fatpack includes ten colors and two nail lengths (a standard length and super long cat claws), all for just $L200!!! Even though Candy is a remorseless sinner, she couldn’t resist these angel wings from Sey and a long cruifix from Simply Spoiled. The scarf is a piece of the Send Me Your Sun outfit by Sugar Cube, and her diamond lip ring from Juicy makes another appearance.

On Van:
Skin: The Abyss – Scorpio in Dystopia
Eyes: Miriel – The Arctic Collection – Midnight Sun
Hair: Armidi – The After Party in Sangria
Blazer and Scarf: Casa del Shai – Heath Jacket in Midnight
Jeans: Artilleri – Bobby Jeans in Black
Shoes: Armidi – Checkered Shoes in Blue/Black
Glasses: Artilleri – Buddy Glasses

Poses:
LAP – Dude VII
Reel Movement – Rockabilly Male

On Candy:
Skin: 42 – Free Skin in Neutral (Free!, obviously)
Eyes: Miriel – Standard Eyes in Light Blue (Free!)
Hair: Boon – UZU22 in Red
Undershirt: Thimbles – Uncle Frank’s Dirty Plaid Shirt (Sleeves Shortened)
Shirt: Armidi – Love Love Me Tee
Suspenders and Skirt: Artilleri – Kyu-to Dress (No Longer Available)
Tights: Veschi – Muffin Top Textured Tights (Tinted Teal)
Shoes: ETD – Kristin Booties in Black (Only L$30 on Sale Now!)
Scarf: Sugar Cube – Send Me Your Sun Neckparts
Earrings: Sey – Prayer Earrings
Necklace: Simply Spoiled – Long Cross Necklace with Black Gems
Lip Piercing: Juicy – Diamond-Encrusted Lip Ring in Black
Lashes: Minnu Models – Thora Lashes
Manicure: Gianetti – Nails and Melee Claws in Jet

Poses:
LAP – Sweetheart Set
LAP – Material Girl

For Slurls, see our Designer Locations and Photo-Shoot Locations pages.

See the Beauty: Editorial

This is an impulsive blog. Van and I have been away from SL and the blogging scene for a few months and I’m returning with several review posts to share. All of them are complimentary and enthusiastic, like everything that we take the time to photograph and write. If you’ve read the feed today, you may know why I feel compelled to speak.

It may be just be because of my time off, but I don’t understand this new trend of criticizing someone’s style of blogging, particularly for being positive or reviewing something you think is of a lesser quality. It’s some-one else’s personal expression, hard work, and point of view that you’re attacking! Who has the right to judge taste level, sincerity, and completely subjective concepts like “quality”?

I didn’t read the SL Secret, but I first noticed this whole “pooping rainbows” movement when I was browsing Efemera Bisiani’s posts, catching up on some of what I’ve missed with a beautifully photographed and stylish blog. A colorful post caught my eye, full of comment activity (I assumed) because of the great look – instead it was all related to a seperate blog post by JellyBean Madison “Walk of Shame – Bad Blogger, You don’t get to play!“, a point by point editorial. In it she criticizes the designer’s ability, questions his reviewers honesty and judgement, and is openly insulting to those who would disagree. I personally found it incredibly offensive and viscious, especially the cheap shots hurled at the creator. An honest opinion is one thing, but there is nothing constructive about that kind of criticism.

Talking down to your audience, insulting your peers, that doesn’t make you an expert. People run their blogs for different reasons, in different ways, and of course you’re going to love some and hate the way things are done in others. I’m not even asking you to keep it to yourselves, because I love discussion and I’m curious what people really think about things – but keep some perspective! Your personal opinions about quality, about subject matter, they aren’t universal. Enough with the sarcasm, we’re all here for the fashion and no-one’s sense of style is so elevated that they’re able to speak for everyone. There is no standard of practices for the second life fashion community, and there’s room for us all to do what we love. Why spend so much time writing about what you hate?