Haute Style & Co. - HSC Emee Top

I picked up two outfits from Haute Style & Co. at the Relay for Life Clothing Fair and have been remiss in not blogging at least one of them since then - especially since I just stood and drooled over even more clothes from HSC today. The HSC Emee Gown is comprised of the grey, high neck, sleeveless top that is the centerpiece of this article, sleek black pants, prim skirt and collar and stockings to dress you to the toes.

The prim skirt is a confection of netting, layering out and floating, balanced by the net prim collar. Take both off, add a belt, change shoes, pants, or even add a different skirt and you have a whole new look for a more casual venue where chic still counts. The whole ensemble sells for L$480, only in the color shown. With the majority of pieces being perfect separates (especially for those of us with overwhelming amounts of black, grey and red in our closets) virtually the entire thing can do double duty for the price.

While you are at the Haute Style & Co. Main Store, be sure and look around - I bet you leave with more than one thing. I always do.

Top left:
Outfit - HSC Emee Gown by Haute Style & Co.
Shoes - Verve Pumps (Black) by Maitreya

Bottom right:

Oufit - HSC Emee Gown by Haute Style & Co.

Shoes - Verve Pumps (Black) by Maitreya

Belt - Courtney Buckled Belt Leather (Black) by Armidi Gisaci

The Basics - Redux

It's been a few months and some things have changed. While I still love my Fleur skins and pull them out all the time for outfits, my day to day look has switched to ::Tuli:: S5 (S6 coming soon) skins. Most often I'm in either the medium or the tan tone - natural, diva, classic or glam makeups. Tattoos still lean heavily to addiXion and iNFLiCT, though the Gecko design from Muisim is getting a lot of play time.

My favorite hair and the one I return to over and over is The Poynter by Armidi, but I recently discovered the Detour textured flexi hairs and am madly in lust, so we'll see. Writer is about all I've worn since buying it (in two colors, no less). I've looked at a lot of eyes and lashes in different colors and styles and I really don't think they are going to ever be changing - I stumbled across Glanz eyes early on and I simply love them. Along with the ::Tuli:: makeups, they are just perfect for me.

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I suppose since folks have started asking me where my hair, skin, etc. came from, I should throw out a little advice to the "even newer than I" residents. If I had to pick just one tip to hand out it would be to invest in a good skin and shape. Pick up every demo you can find and keep trying combinations until one "fits". Don't hesitate to delete the ones that aren't perfect - the right one will come along and you won't be sifting through the maybes to find it when you have the L$ to buy it. And speaking of buying it - skin and shape are not the place to save Lindens, trust me.

All Photos:

Hair - Writer (Night) by Detour

Skin - S5 Medium Diva by ::Tuli::

Eyes - Transparency Shine Eyes (Fresh Blue) by Glanz

Top left:

Tattoo - What is the Matrix by iNFLiCT

Blouse - Buone Vacanze Blouse (Mirtilli) by Gisaci

Earrings - Moon & Tide (Silver) by Miriel

Right and center:

Tattoo - Gecko by Muisim

Blouse - Dress Shirt (Blueblack) by Naima

Skirt - Leather Skirt (Black) by Naima

Shoes - Verve Pumps (Black) by Maitreya

A Perfect Day at the Beach

Tis the season for bathing suits and beaches and SL is full of terrific outfits to see and be seen in. I pulled a few out as summer starters to get myself in the mood for warmer weather. Recently I've been wearing (and blogging) a lot of clothes from Casa Del Shai and this is no exception - I adore the Zambia Safari Swimsuit (L$380). Shown here without the prim ruffles (which really make it two suits in one), the soft top and beautifully textured bottom come in all layers except jacket (very tattoo friendly). You would be hard pressed to find a pool or beach where you won't turn heads in this suit.

Chaospire is probably better known for flowing gowns and edgy fantasy outfits, but the Naiad swimsuits shouldn't be overlooked. Sold separately in blue, green and red for L$350, each set comes in a regular and sheer version in pants and shirt layers. There is also a Fat Pack that includes all three colors plus a tintable white (again, regular and sheer versions of all) for only $L800.
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Finally, for the more resort and continental beach look, Cachet's Golddigger can either be worn alone or as a cover up for another suit. With both top and bottom in all layers, this outfit's wet open textures work with just about any combination of tattoo, suit or even jeans. It comes with matching earrings and a wide cuff bracelet to finish the look, so just add a strappy pair of sandals and you are off for a day in the sun.

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Before you hit the beach, be sure and stop by Chaospire, Cachet and Casa Del Shai.
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Top left:

Swimsuit - Zambia Safari Swimsuit by Casa Del Shai

Shoes - April Sandals (Black) by Insolence

Middle right:

Swimsuit - Naiad (Blue) by Chaospire

Shoes - Verve Pumps (Black) by Maitreya

Bottom left:

Swimsuit - Golddigger by Cachet

Shoes - April Sandals (Gold) by Insolence

Maitreya - Desert Boots

I was perusing my shoes the other night and realized that I didn't own any casual shoes at all - nothing appropriate for hiking a trail or wandering in the woods. Having just picked up a few outfits that really *needed* something more rugged and less precarious than a pair of stilettos or sandals, I went searching. As I have so many times before, when I saw Maitreya's Desert Boots, I bought them immediately.

The boots come in green, brown, beige, mud and black and, for L$400 per color, you get both the laced and unlaced versions. Matching socks with prim cuffs come with each and, for the gal who spends a lot of time outdoors (or who just loves the look of these rugged boots), there is a Fat Pack of all colors available for L$1500.

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Fun is an understatement and you will love the detail and the texture of the Desert Boots. Slightly scuffed, whether you choose to lace them up for serious hiking or slide them on and leave them unlaced for a casual look, you can wear these with skirts, pants or shorts.

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For an afternoon of birdwatching (or people watching), pick up the Desert Boots at the Maitreya Main Store at Glam World.

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Both pictures:
The Birdwatcher Safari Suit (Khaki) by Casa del Shai
Desert Boots (Beige) by Maitreya

A Perfect Color - Red

I've read across several different blogs that simply picking a color and searching on it can inspire some great outfits. Since that matches my "mix and match" philosophy on Second Life fashion and I was also in a serious RED (yep, all caps) mood, it seemed like a great idea. I decided to do at least one casual look, at least one evening look and then the third could be whatever the pieces leant themselves to merging into. I also eliminated outfits that had been blogged about recently.

I had a great time pulling together a few outfits and playing around with the studio controls and came up with three "ready to go" outfits. The first outfit I happened to have acquired earlier today - Cachet's Garbage Dress, which comes with 5 different belt colors including - neon red. I love the slim upper body combined with the puffy bubble skirt and bright cinch belt. Certainly evening wear with an edge. Maitreya's Verve Pumps (red) are a perfect match for the belt. I also have to say that this was my favorite picture of the bunch.

The second outfit is pure casual with Maitreya's Dune Boots (red), X2 Gothica's Dress Shirt (red) with the Hell and Back Light jeans from The Abyss. In retrospect, I should have tried black jeans or leather pants as well since the jewelry is Earthstones Yin Yang Red Jasper/Onyx, but I liked the final look anyway. Finally, I dug into the Canimal folder and pulled out the Rocker Jacket (stripey red) and one of my favorites, the Black Lace skirt. I tried several pairs of shoe and boots and they all looked terrific with this, but when I put on the ::69:: Succubus Pumps (Dark Cherry) I knew I had the perfect pair for the picture.

So, there you have it - red, red and more red. Which is what I have - tons more red. This might be a post idea that I need to revisit on a semi regular basis, just to keep things fresh.
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Top left:
Outfit - Garbage by Cachet
Shoes - Verve Pumps (red) by Maitreya

Center right:
Shirt -Dress Shirt (Red) by X2 Gothica
Jeans - Hell and Back Jeans Light by The Abyss
Boots - Dune Boots (red) by Maitreya

Bottom left:
Top - Rocker Jacket (stripey red) by Canimal
Skirt - Black Lace Skirt by Canimal
Shoes - Succubus Pumps (Dark Cherry) by ::69::

All pictures:
Jewelry - Yin Yang Set (Red Jasper/Onyx) by EarthStones
Skin - S5 Medium Diva by Tuli
Tattoo - Gecko Tattoo by *Mu Mei Do*
Hair - The Poynter by Armidi

Paper Couture - Italian Black Jacket

I suppose that after more than 4 months, I should be more sophisticated and knowledgeable, but I'm still learning and finding things every day. Paper Couture has been on my "places to go shop" list forever and yet I'd never been until today. What a mistake on my part! As soon as I saw it, I knew that the Italian Black outfit was going to be amazing and it didn't disappoint.

With all the distinguishing features of a little black dress - you know, the ability to go anywhere and change gears with an accessory or pair of shoes - Italian Black deserves a place in every wardrobe. The outfit is composed of a three piece prim jacket that drapes across the shoulders and dips to reveal the burgundy bodice beneath. Subtle belting cinches the waistline and finishes with a burnished gold buckle above the beautifully textured mid thigh skirt. I'm not normally a fan of gloves, but the matching burgundy opera gloves absolutely finish this dress to perfection.

Fun and sexy enough for a night of clubbing, it is also a classic look for a night of dining and dancing. This is a standalone item, so only available in the black and burgundy combination, but the burgundy is such a perfect complement for the deep steely greys and blacks that the outfit will be a the top of your list for "clothes that always look just right". There don't appear to be any limitations with shoes so you can switch up the tone easily with footwear, though I preferred classic pumps and ankle boots - I can say that the black stockings that are included will get a lot of wear on their own because of the subtle shading. With the jacket making the neckline so eye-catching, limited the jewelry to earrings, which seemed to work quite well.

All in all, Italian Black would be a bargain at L$400 even if I hadn't thought to pair the three prim jacket with the Digit Darkes Relay for Life Twilight gown for a very formal evening look. The gown was a RFL Clothing Fair exclusive, but the jacket looks equally spectacular on many of my evening gowns and little black dresses that are still available - definitely experiment here.

Don't wait as long as I did, definitely visit Paper Couture at Barcola today.

Top left:
Outfit - Italian Black by Paper Couture
Shoes - Bitch Booties (Black/Black) by Stiletto Moody
Earrings - Floating Circles (Diamonds/Gold) by Earthstones

Center right:
Outfit - Italian Black by Paper Couture
Shoes - Verve (Black 2) by Maitreya
Earrings - Yin Yang (Red Jasper/Onyx) by Earthstones

Bottom left:
Gown - Twilight (RFL Exclusive) by Digit Darkes
Jacket - Italian Black by Paper Couture
Shoes - Verve (Black 2) by Maitreya
Earrings - Yin Yang (RFL Amethyst/Onyx) by Earthstones

A Perfect Place - Dickins Photography Studio

Well, with the new viewer, I discovered that my pictures were coming out even more dismal than usual, so I went on the hunt for better lighting and settings. I wasn't really getting anywhere in finding the lighting I needed to show clothes to their best advantage, nor was I finding settings that weren't difficult to work with within lighting constraints. On a whim, I did a search for photo studio and Dickins Free Photography Studio came up. What the heck, if you can't find natural lighting you like, create some, right?

From the Studio Brochure:

Our photo stations are equipped with the N30 Deluxe Modeling Studio version 2.9, loaded with 240+ poses for male and females and dozens of backdrop images.
Controlling the modeling studios is easy. You can use the commands in the attached notecard or opt to purchase a low prices HUD which is good for any N30 Deluxe Modeling Studio version 2.6 and above.

What does all this mean? It means that I spent a huge amount of time trying different options and didn't even scratch the surface of what was available. You control the station with a series of commands on a channel specific to that station. There are also menus for driving the modeling table, lighting and effects or they can be touch controlled directly. You can learn all about this by either clicking around and experimenting or reading the Modeling Studio Abridged Guide that you are given.
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You can start and stop the modeling table rotating as you move through the hundreds of poses either automatically on a timer, manually scrolling through or by choosing individual poses. There are effects such as snow, fog, bubbles and stars and a long list of various fog specific commands for density and colors. The lights can also be managed on a color by color or bank by bank basis allowing you full control of the lighting. The Modeling Studio guide and Dickins Photography Studio business card both have lots of information on optimizing your effects and enhancing the quality of your pictures.

I used almost none of the available options and only a fraction of the backgrounds, lighting and effects available (as well as being not the greatest photographer) and still got great results. I didn't even try out any of the available props this time, but you can be sure I will in the future. I can see this becoming a staple for the blog and a huge consumer of my time in Second Life.

Grab an armful of clothes (and maybe a friend), head to Dickins Free Photography Studio and have a whole lot of fun! (And don't forget to tip!)