Dress Me Up Like… Mad Men! (by Cajsa Lilliehook)

While Van’s busy making the stars shine for all the music fans tonight, I’m ringing in the New Year alone with a bottle of champagne. If you’ve ever watched “Mad Men”, you’ll know that lonely housewives and long hours of work are common in the Draper household. Every New Years Eve, I feel a little bit like Betty.

Don Draper. Workaholic, visionary, lover, liar. If he had a choice, he’d be at the office on New Year’s just like my husband is now. Armidi was the obvious choice for an expensive tailored suit, with a Blaze shirt and tie tinted Don’s signature grey. The Rude Boy hat from Kari is pure 60’s sophistication, worn here with the Petrelli style for a little modern edge. I had to make a pocket square, and threw in a copy of the moon landing newspaper for a little Kennedy-era ambiance. Of course, business necessities like rocks glasses and ashtrays are easily toted in this smart leather briefcase, found OnRez.

Tonight, Betty Draper is all dressed up with no place to go. When I think of her character, I picture this scene in her blue dress and the ugly aftermath. She’s a potent reminder that beauty is very different than happiness. There was no finding her exact dress, so I bought a wildly different blue stunner, the aptly named “All Eyes On Me” dress from Icing. I fell in love at first sight with this design, and when I read it was inspired by Goldfrapp’s Supernature I was completely sold. Rich jewel tones, peacock feathers, AND my favorite band?! Clearly, this was made to be my New Years gift to myself. Paper Couture’s artistic jewelry is the only appropriate embellishment, with matching blue pumps and a jeweled purse fit for any retro trophy wife.

Cajsa, thank you so much for the perfect excuse to do this. My itch is still not scratched, I’m picturing Joan and Roger now…

On Van:
Skin: The Abyss – Scorpio in Dystopia
Hair: Sinistyle – The Petrelli in Rust (Edited to Fit Hat)
Suit: Armidi – Classic Italia Suit in Grey
Shirt and Tie: Blaze – Power Suit (White Options, Tie Tinted Grey)
Shoes: Storm Schmooz – Men’s Black Shoes
Pocket Square and Newspaper: Made by Me
Briefcase: Pukk Abel – Elegant Burgundy Leather Briefcase

Rocks Glass: Neptune Lighting – Shot Glass 1
Ash Tray: No. 3 Feathers Interior – Blue Butterfly Ashtray

On Candy:
Skin: Tuli – Unnamed Skin Version 2 in Light (Past Group Gift)
Eyes: Miriel – The Jeweled Collection in Miriel – Blue Opal
Hair: ETD – Loraine in Blonde
Dress: Icing – All Eyes On Me
Shoes: Maitreya – Group Gift Pumps in Blue
Earrings: Paper Couture – Sapphire and Diamond Earrings
Purse: Rebel Hope – Hope Gown Pillbox Purse in Blue
Manicure: Gianetti – Nails in Punch

Poses:
LAP – Dude VI
LAP – Material Girl

For Slurls, see our Designer Locations page.

Dress Me Up Like… Barbie and Ken! (by TearSong Vaughan)

We’re skipping around our “Dress Me Up” request list, this time to TearSong Vaughan’s “Barbie and Ken” suggestion! A few of the ideas we were given immediately started my brain sparking, and this vintage toy shoot was among them. Thanks so much for the fun concept, I had a blast!

Naturally, Barbie has far more accessories to choose from. I chose to do “Spotlight Barbie”, a gorgeous classic model from the the 1950’s, but it was no easy task achieving that kind of glamour. I went to both of my go-to vintage dress shops, Ivalde and Ingenue, and did a lot of thinking before selecting Betty Doyle’s “Begin the Beguine”. I could have gone with a long black gown and added the net bustle myself, but my heart really skipped a beat when I saw this dress, and I knew it was the one. The hair was my next challenge, but I stumbled upon a perfect blonde updo from Aoharu, a former group gift (yay!). To help mirror her outfit, I added a rose corsage, a pair of opera-length gloves from Fleur, and made a quick pink scarf in Barbie’s signature color. For jewelry, I chose the elegant stacked black pearl necklace from Paper Couture, and a pink and black cocktail ring to wear with drinks after her performance.

The original Ken came with little more than swim-trucks and a smile, and for me, there is no avatar who rocks this look better. Years ago, when all the guys were sporting badly-textured board shorts, my husband stumbled into Barnes’ Boutique and found the holy grail of men’s retro swimwear. Two years, a couple contest wins, and a few propositions later, they’re still fresh and still his favorite. He’s wearing Nylon Pinkney’s “Gamer Guy” skin, complete with Ken’s trademark painted-on hair. The sandals come complete with sculpted toes (tintable) and texture-change straps, and were a pretty amazing deal from J’s considering they were only L$280. The surfboard was a little more pricey, but it did come with animations and looked a thousand times better than any other I could find, and the hand towel is another great freebie from Bare Rose.

On Candy:
Skin: Rockberry – Lily in Light (POE Hunt Find)
Hair: Aoharu – Nikki in Milky Montblanc
Eyes: Miriel – The Iridescent Collection – Blue Opal
Dress: Ingenue – Begin the Beguine
Shoes: Storm Schmooz – Laque Platforms in Black
Gloves: Fleur – Long Leather Gloves in Black
Necklace: Paper Couture – Black Pearl Necklace
Ring: Barracuda – Reed Ring Rose
Corsage: Twisted and Spoiled – Twisted Rose Dress Pin (Lucky Chair Prize)
Barbie Scarf: Made by Me

On Van:
Skin and Hair: Nylon Pinkney – Gamer Guy Skin (In Your Library Folder)
Eyes: Miriel – The Jeweled Collection – Zircon
Swim Trunks: Barnes’ Boutique – Retro Hawaiian Swimming Trunks in Red
Sandals: J’s – Men’s Belt Sandals (Red Option)
Hand Towel: Bare Rose – Face Towel in White (Free!)
Surfboard: Namiko Surf Shop – Indigo Surfboard

For Slurls, see our Designer Locations page.

Dress Me Up in… Creamshop! (by Achariya)

The second half of Achariya’s “Dress Me Up” request was head to toe Creamshop: for hair, jewelry, and clothing… with a little hint that she loved the ponchos. I fell hard for them too (and about half the shop, to be honest!) but I went with my gut and started with the pleated balloon skirt and bright tight set instead.

Purple and pink isn’t seasonal, it’s not at all sophisticated, I can’t really explain myself, but I just love it for winter this year. I knew I was going to add a ton of color to this outfit, so I topped the skirt and tights with a great (Free!) simple black blazer and tank combo. I rock a LOT of tomboy looks since I accepted my first pair of jeans into my RL wardrobe, and the casual rolled-sleeve menswear look always makes me feel sexy. I pulled the plaid Creamshop scarf from my inventory, but I did buy these fantastic scripted earrings and quite a few more goodies for another day. My shiny red shoes were another great freebie from the Style Magazine boxes (still there), and the matching red bag was a group gift from ETD. Also from ETD, the lovely limited edition “Sea Nymph” braid [Sorry Ach, I just couldn't work the Creamshop hair, much as I lusted after it] and I wore one of my favorite makeup choices from the Wax Poetic line to turn up the volume.

Color will always inspire me, especially when used liberally and boldly. I actually had a serious aversion to purses in SL, and this splashy red purse cured me instantly. I chose the yellow texture of Creamshop’s lightning bolt earrings for some clashy style points, and I just had to take a close-up of this insanely detailed safety pin charm – a passing look at the scarf doesn’t do it justice. I almost forgot to mention the short leather gloves from Fleur, in my favorite shade of the fatpack, turquoise. And before you laugh, I have it on good authority that rolling around in a box of crayons is totally the “next big thing”. Take that.

Skin: Love.Love.Love – Wax Poetic in Rio
Eyes: Miriel – Iridescent Collection – Peacock
Hair: ETD – Sea Nymph in Coral (No Longer Available)
Shirt and Jacket: Cafe Yui – Black Jacket (Only $L1!)
Skirt: Creamshop – Balloon Pleats Skirt in Pink
Tights: Creamshop – Balloon Pleats Tights in Purple
Shoes: Style Magazine – Roger Vivier Rose Shoes (Free!)
Earrings: Creamshop – Thunder Earrings, Yellow Option
Scarf: Creamshop – Check Charm Stole in Grey
Gloves: Fleur – Short Leather Gloves in Turquoise
Purse: ETD – Hobo Bag in Patent Cherry (Past Group Gift)

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

To Grandma’s House We Go! (Verse 1)

The Holidays are almost here, and Santa’s already leaving presents under the tree. I’ve been busy hunting and gathering all over the grid, but it’s always nice to take a little time out to spend a quiet cozy night with friends and family. This month we’re taking some time to appreciate Grandma, whose crazy vintage wardrobe always keeps us warm… and cool.

On my first trip to the store, I immediately started shopping for Van. He’s always up for rocking a nice floral, and the overall retro aesthetic is perfect for a stylish guy with a little charisma and individuality. Of course, there’s even more for the ladies, and all at prices ranging L$30-L$100! We took a little trip back to the scenic Tesh Garden Center for some holiday shopping, and stopped to take these shots of our favorite winter-weather options.

The striped blazer is the warmest menswear option available, which Van has paired here with the snappy plaid slacks. The layered floral button-down adds another subtle pattern, with a splashy pink bow-tie from a free Anubis Style outfit. I edited a Bare Rose scarf to drape around his shoulders for a little extra warmth, and he chose his favorite red Storm Schmooz shoes to match. He fell in love with Starley’s white hair textures back at the launch of the Quad, and it seems a perfect choice for shopping on a snowy day. Add a pair of black Paper Couture gloves to match, and he’s fit to chop down any virtual tree.

My look is usually a bit more colorful, and I’ve been loving pinks and lavender this season. I started with the maze shortcoat from Grandma, threw on a bright pair of Emery jeans, and tucked them into these fantastic knitted socks (probably my favorite buy from the store, and only 30 linden!). I bought every color of the ETD rain boots as soon as I heard about the L$35 sale, and the pink shade works great for this look. The blue Aoharu scarf and purple mittens matched perfectly and were no-brainers, and I decided to add a slew of fluffy white accessories to the mix. My ear-muffs were an advent gift from Sway’s Creations, the charm corsage is a Jetcity freebie, and the fluffy fur key-chain is a Love Soul Christmas gift from the Copain group. The cute braided hairdo is from TekuTeku, and my skin was (I believe) a past freebie from Di Chantilly; but I could no longer find the store in world.

On Van:
Skin: The Abyss – Scorpio in Dystopia
Eyes: Naughty Designs – Gabriel’s Blue Eyes in Blue-Green
Hair: Celestial Studios – Devyn in Pearl (Black Hat Texture)
Shirt: Grandma – W Flower Shirt
Blazer: Grandma – R&B Stripe Jacket
Pants: Grandma – G Check Pants
Shoes: Storm Schmooz – Men’s Red Shoes
Gloves: Paper Couture – Painted Tipping Outfit Gloves
Bow-tie: Anubis Style – Farfallino Uomo Grobino Giorno Outfit Bow-tie (Free!)
Scarf: Bare Rose – Wakaz-O-Matic Scarf in Red

Pose:
LAP – Dude VII Pack

On Candy:
Skin: Di Chantilly – Jessica (No Slurl Available)
Eyes: Miriel – The Arctic Collection – Snow
Hair: TekuTeku – Anne in Red
Coat: Grandma – Simple Maze Shortcoat
Pants: Emery – Dial a Cliche Violet Jeans
Socks: Grandma – Blue Knit Socks
Boots: ETD – Rain Boots in Pink
Ear-Muffs: Sway’s Creations (Advent Gift)
Scarf: Aoharu – Chiffon Wide Scarf in Blue
Charm Corsage: Jetcity – Jetcity Accessory 1 (Attached to Right Shoulder, Free!)
Mittens: Sweeter than Candy – Multi-Knit Mittens (Free!)
Fur Key-Chain: Love Soul – Christmas Fur Key-Chain (Copain Group Gift, L$200 Enrollment Fee)

Props:
Lotta – Shopping Bags (Past Freebie)

Pose:
Happy Dispatch – Female Pose Pack

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.

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.

Tea House of Heart

Cleaning out your closet can be style catharsis. Not only do you purge the bad, but sometimes you’ll discover shiny hidden treasures that you never knew you had. From the depths of my inventory and an unknown time, I present to you my favorite “House of Heart” review styles!

Like many of you, I’ve been on the House of Heart subscribe-O-matic list for a while, and I’m always amazed when I receive each new release gift. Sheltered Heart goes beyond excellent customer service by generously providing a sample of her new creations with each update. For the thrifty fashionistas (like me!), it’s really become something to look forward to. Besides the fantastic freebies, I’ve always been struck by the sheer variety of styles. I wanted to emphasize the diversity of looks that can be achieved first with a very theatrical shoot, and for me “drama” usually means “geisha”; shown here with a ruffled lolita twist.

Bare Rose has the most beautiful kimono-inspired costumes, and even though I own nearly all of them, I can never resist another. The Nadeshiko outfit is 5 colors of pleated, lace-edged ruffles, and I’m even wearing the included fishnets and choker – the set was too beautiful to mix and match. My Digital Eyes freebie fan makes another appearance (Morgan Kincess recently released this to her group), and my Kanzashi spiderweb is part of a (Free!) Soulfire geisha hairstyle available at the Free*Style home. These geta sandals I spied on the stylish feet of Efemera Bisiani – with eight colors and two style options (rounded or square), they’ve become the stars in my geta collection. Oh, did I mention they’re only L$100?

The Magika hairstyle has a mix of exotic beauty and a high-fashion edge that make it perfect for more daring and adventurous looks. I instantly thought oriental, but the spiky softness says “punk” or “neko” just as loudly. If words like “shy” and “traditional” make you itch, this is the hair for you! Most of my House of Heart styles required a little adjusting, this one included, but the finished product is well worth the time. My skin is another stunning creation by Fricka Morgath, a gift to her group members. I own all of her Geisha makeups, for obvious reasons, and I can’t wait to add more.

Of course it’s not all spiky futuristic Geisha hair! On the opposite end of the spectrum, we have the Ashiyya hairstyle, with a posh sculpted beret. I once knew a very striking girl with a gold-sequined beret, and tried to channel some of her quirky chic style for this look. I love this simple T-shirt dress from Emery, it’s hipster cool and a great basic. My Sugar Cube leather jacket is another wardrobe essential, easily dressed up with a fancy Veschi scarf and some fierce gold heels. I recently joined the “She’s So Unusual Shoes” in-world group for a pair of crap shoes (har har), and found these sexy lace-up pumps in the group archive. Yay! The rest of my accessories followed suit: a pair of golden hoop earrings, a sculpted bracelet from Baiastice, and the golden box from the Miriel hunt worn as a purse.

The beret is texture and color-change, so it’s a breeze to mix into your outfits, but I think my favorite part of the hairstyle is the simple side-gathered chignon. It somehow manages to feel sophisticated and casual at the same time – the hair is almost as versatile as the cap! I wear a lot of hat-hair in the fall and winter, and this is a great one to add to your collection if you do the same. I’m wearing Sin Skins’ latest group gift in tone 5, and my Candy Nails in gold to polish it off.

Hair: House of Heart – Magika in Black
Skin: Frick – Geisha in Group Gift Makeup
Eyes: Miriel – Anime Eyes in Gold (Free Wearable Demo!)
Kimono Dress, Choker and Stockings: Bare Rose – Nadeshiko Outfit
Geta Sandals: Dark Eden – Nu Kua Geta Sandals in Midnight (Square Option, Tinted Red)
Kanzashi: Soulfire – Geisha Spiderweb (Available Free at the Free*Style Home! Juicy (115, 115, 23))
Lashes: Aoharu – Geisha Lashes
Fan: Digital Eyes – Valentine Fan (Past Hunt Find)

Hair and Cap: House of Heart – Ashiyya in Coffee Bean
Skin: Sin Skins – Group Gift in Tone 5
Eyes: Miriel – The Arctic Collection – Midnight Sun
Dress: Emery – Glam Rock Dress
Jacket: Sugar Cube – Maze of Love Outfit
Shoes: She’s So Unusual Shoes – Tied Pumps in Gold (Group Gift)
Scarf: Veschi – Muffin Top Dress in White
Earrings: Ume Mode – Loop Pierce
Cuff: Baiastice – Sculpty Bracelet in Light Gold (Past Group Gift)
Purse: Miriel – Free Golden Box (Golden Cage Hunt Find)
Manicure: Candy Nail – Basic Nail in Gold
Lashes: Cake – Flutter

Poses:
Vain Inc – Boudoir Pack (Past Hunt Find)
LAP – Material Girl

Curious about some of the vocabulary? See Foreign Fashion Vocab for more information.

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

Sound Garden

The summer nights are cooling down, and autumn is sneaking back into our wardrobes. One of our favorite fall fashion trends has been an explosive use of patterns; particularly those of the flowered variety. We always love fresh fashion ideas, and you can’t get much fresher than a floral.

Not every man can rock a flower-printed cowboy shirt. It takes courage, a tousled rock-star haircut, and the right accessories, but any truly stylish man can pull it off. (Remember pink, guys? Florals are just the next frontier) Van is a little bit of a Dapper Dan, and reached for a Shai bowtie and his favorite Wrong suspenders to add a little formality, but kept the earthy vibe with some basic cuffed jeans from Artilleri. The paint-splatter freebie shoes play up the colors of his Saya shirt, worn here without socks for a casual feel. His super-sexy hair is by Armidi as usual, and his favorite icy blue eyes are (of course!) from Miriel.

Going through my dollarbies from the Kuri Style opening sale, I fell in love with this skirt and its plaid/floral fusion pattern. Most of the floral outfit mixes in the magazines are made with multiple patterns, creating an almost clashing fashion aesthetic that feels thoroughly modern and cool. I used that inspiration in choosing this ethnic-printed Bare Rose scarf and these plaid stockings, but kept them in similar shades for a little more approachability. My puffed-sleeve shirt is Aoharu, making it’s third appearance, and illustrating a point of view Van and I are proud to voice: “If you have one, wear it!” There is no need to buy a new pair of jeans if you’ve got a great vintage pair already. Wear your oldies with pride! The boots are by PixelDolls, scripted to change color and magically match anything you own, and need to be imported out of the virtual world, now. My curly pony was a past release gift from House of Heart, a store which is packed with amazing hairstyles of every kind, AND is always generously giving away samples of their newest designs with each update. And my skin is the recent Cupcakes and Rosemar collaboration skin gift, a beautiful blend of both designers’ talent.

On Van:
Skin: The Abyss – Scorpio in Dystopia
Eyes: Miriel – Jeweled Collection – Zircon
Hair: Armidi – The After Party in Red
Shirt: Saya – Flower Style Outfit
Pants: Artilleri – Bobby Jeans in Black
Shoes: Shiny Things – Painter Shoes
Bowtie: Casa del Shai – The Classic Tuxedo Bowtie
Suspenders: Wrong – Suspenders in White

On Candy:
Skin: Rosemar and Cupcakes – Birthday Suit Skin – Freebie #2 in Cameo
Eyes: Miriel – Light Blue (Realistic Size, Free Wearable Demo!)
Hair: House of Heart – Ginnifer in Platinum
Shirt: Aoharu – Gingham Balloon Dress Puffed Blouse
Skirt and Socks: Kuri Style – Rose Outfit
Boots: PixelDolls – Desert Boots (Black Option)
Scarf: Bare Rose – Peepul Outfit (Pink Option)
Manicure: Gianetti – Nails & Melee Claws in Rose Diamond
Lashes: Cake – Flutter Lashes

Poses:
LAP – Dude VI
Kuri Style (Only L$10 for three poses!)

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

Mo mo mo!

As a minstrel once sang, “I think I’m turning Japanese.” Lately there’s been an explosion of coverage on Japanese designers, thanks to Beanie Canning and others with excellent taste, making it easier than ever for us to indulge! Today’s look is a tribute to Sumomo Kawashima, a blue-skinned beauty and intriguing fresh face on the Japanese design scene.

Momo’s is a new store with a distinctly candy-coated aesthetic. Offering mix n’ match separates in bright sugary shades, it’s the perfect shop for young fashionistas with a sweet tooth. This time I’m only wearing her new “Yummy” dollarbie tattoo, but a quick glance at the feeds will give you a peek at the rest of her delicious designs. I first noticed Sumomo some time ago – as a pink-haired, rainbow-tattooed, blue-skinned little pixie, she’s kinda hard to forget – and I was happy to see her pop up on Fashion Finds advertising her creations. When I saw myself in this (Free!) fantasy skin from Heaven Sella, I instantly thought “Momo!” and tore through my ETD willow packs for a funky pink style. (I know it’s a bit attack of the clones, but it sure made me smile! Heehee) I slipped into my new L$30 dress from Parallel Love and took a quick trip to the ultra-cute tattoo parlor, and everything fell into place.

This is my first time wearing a real dress on this blog, which shocked me, because I’m fanatic in my real life. I actually spent every year from 17 to 22 in nothing but skirts and dresses – I bought my first pair of jeans since childhood last year, for work. And so, to mark this historic occasion, I decided to go as girly as I could. Frilly white socks from Rebel Hope and a matching ribbon belt add a naive charm to the look, and a Blanc daisy corsage keeps it fresh and summery. I’ve got a thing for yellow heels, especially when they’re only L$35 for three colors like these classy buckled pumps from Ryouta Works. I wore a yellow Pin Up Dolls hair ribbon to match, and added a quick coat of Candy Nail’s lemon Jel Drop polish for extra impact. For the cherry on top, I reached for a double-scoop of Aoharu’s Ice Cream Earrings. Seconds, anyone?

Skin: Heaven’s Skin & Shape – Blue Fairy (Free! At her uemachi location: uemachi (22, 71, 29))
Eyes: Free Speerit – Blue Eyes (Past Group Gift)
Hair: ETD – Eglantine in Cerise
Dress: Parallel Love – Heart Lace Dress in Purple
Belt: Rapis – Siro Dress
Socks: Rebel Hope Designs – Candy Socks
Shoes: Ryouta Works – Simple Pumps in Lemon
Ice-Cream Tattoo: Momo – Yummy Tattoo (Only L$1!)
Stars Tattoo: Shi*t Happens – Rainbow Star Tattoo
Corsage: Blanc – Gingham Check Dress
Hair Bow: Pin Up Dolls – Cindy Outfit (Tinted Yellow)
Earrings: Aoharu – Ice Cream Earrings – Blue Hawaii x Cassis
Manicure: Candy Nail – Jel Drops in Lemon

Poses:
Kuri Style (Only L$10 for three poses!)

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

Lucky Kitty

It’s Lucky Chair madness!!! Almost everywhere you go these days, there’s a board or a chair promising untold riches – and all you have to do is wait for your letter. This festive mini-kimono look has been a flawless good luck charm.

Summer is always a busy time for us (poor Van is working 18-hour days lighting up the summer rock shows), and SL play-time has unfortunately been cut back. But I have been using those precious hours wisely, to catch up on all the amazing freebies I’ve been missing. First stop was Beanie Loves Japan!, a lovely and indispensable guide to Japanese content on the grid, where I spied these anime-influenced eyes. From there I headed out to snag the B11 mall opening gifts, especially this gorgeous makeup by Heaven Sella which is funky, free, and comes with three color combos. I found this “Lucky Cat” mini-kimono at a neko and child avatar store called Green Apple. It was only L$150, so I didn’t feel too anxious gambling on a child’s outfit, but as you can see it fits us adults just dandy. I recently went back and bought the extra 8 obi belt options as well, for only L$30. My yummy pink and blue ice cream bar is available in the Aoharu lucky chair now, and the only actual lucky find I’m featuring, but most if not all these stores listed do feature lucky items (No less than 5 of which I won while Slurl hunting. It really is a lucky kimono!).

Yes, those ARE lucky cats in my shoes! These platforms are the first shoes I’ve bought in ages – for some reason they’re the hardest thing for me to spend money on – and I’ll tell you right now that I’m in love. She’s So Unusual Shoes! is fast becoming my favorite footwear stop, thanks to the original and wonderfully creative designs (not too mention the appealing price tags!). I even had an opportunity to brag on them recently when I ran into the always lovely and fashionable Miss. Olivia Connaught, part of the Free*Style team and thusly one of my heroes. I wanted to keep my hairstyle cute and young, so I chose these messy buns from ETD and added a couple of sweet hair-clips for good measure. The bow was a free gift from Accessories by Eolande, a store I hadn’t visited before the recent Ohana Isle hunt, and the pale pink daisy is part of the October Kanzashi set from Flower & Willow. I’ve spent a fortune on my kanzashi obsession, and I only want more. My tabi (separated toe socks) knee-highs were part of the free kimono available from Giorno Brando, and the jeweled nails are part of a staggering 100 free manicure gloves from Nonon Labs. Thanks Beanie! The goldfish fan was only $L8 from Demi Demi, with many more patterns available, including one with pretty particle fireflies.

Skin: Heaven’s Skin & Shape – Yuko Make Pop (B Option, Free!)
Eyes: Cabochon Eyes in Ajisai (Free!)
Hair: ETD – Brittany in Red
Mini Kimono and Obi: Green Apple – Kimono Dress in Blue Lagoon
Tabi: Giorno Brando – L$0 Kimono (Free, obviously!)
Platforms: She’s So Unusual Shoes! – Mishi’s Lucky Cat Platforms
Hair Bow: Accessories by Eolande – Bow for ETD Phoebe (Pink Texture, Free!)
Hair Flower: Flower & Willow – October Maiko Kanzashi (Pink Option)
Manicure: Nonon Labs – Nail 52 Pink (Free!)
Fan: Demi Demi – Goldfish Uchiwa Fan (Only L$8!)
Ice Cream Bar: Aoharu – Ice Candy 001 (Lucky Chair Item!)

Poses:
Izumiya Poses
Digital Dragon Designs – Vintage Pin-Up 1

Curious about some of the vocabulary? See Foreign Fashion Vocab for more information.

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