Red and Re-read

High-Waisted Pants: Sailor-Style

The high-waisted pants series continues! (Finally!)  You can check out Part One here.  Today, we’re looking at sailor styles.  The sailor style pant is an iconic example of fashion appropriation: first, the civilian world appropriated a military style, and then the ladies took the mens’ pants and made them their own.

There are a few features that stand out when comparing › Continue reading

Tags: A-Bomb, Adam n Eve, Aitui, Clawtooth by Clawtooth, Emvee Cuba, Icing, Miel, Muism, Periquita, Veschi, [LAP]

Footwear Expo: Specialty Shoes

Clock’s a-tickin’, folks, Footwear Expo ends tonight!

There are several shoes styles that defy easy categorization, like these two.  Sure, technically, they’re flats and boots, but really, their unique function means they don’t quite fit in.  The pointe shoes on the left include prim feet, allowing the ribbons to really form to the foot.  The shiny rubber rainboots had me itching to find a nice rainy sim to splash around in.

The three shoes above also don’t fit nicely into standard categories, but then, normal isn’t really › Continue reading

Tags: Aitui, Armidi, Creamshop, Demina Design, G Field, Imagen Skins, Kari & TW, Kitties Lair, Lazy Places, Philotic Energy, Pulling Strings, SLink, Smile Shop Fukuoka, Sn@tch, Surf Couture, Tooter Claxon

IDK

idk is a new store, a collaboration between veteran designers Esme Michigan of Uncle Wiggly and Chav Paderborn of Steamstress.  They describe the general aesthetic of their clothing as “kind of scene style like ish.”  Now, neither me nor my av is particularly “scene,” but many of the offerings are versatile, and suit a variety of looks.

I love love love the Drape Tops.  They’re a bit of a cross between a graphic tee and a dressier blouse.  The drapery around the neckline is very flattering, and the wrinkles on the midsection and shoulders lend a comfy feeling to the shirt.  The graphics are simple, elegant, and not overdone.

In the top pic, I’m wearing the idk Bubble Skirt.  The charcoal and black stripes are deliciously moody, while the shape of the skirt is playful and fun. The combination of those qualities make the skirt delightfully quirky and wearable.

Also worn is Tiny Bird hair.  I’ve been really digging on all the hairstyles Tiny Bird has been releasing, and the name coordinates nicely with the graphics on the shirts. There are sleeker, more polished styles at Tiny Bird, but my favorites are the hairstyles that are very RL-wearable: a bit messy, with wavy bits flying out, but totally chic.

Other things I’m wearing: my two favorite tattoos, from Tramp Stamp and Aitui.  Skin from Imagen, with great freckles and makeups that coordinate with the outfits.  Miriel eyes — get them now; the store is closing soon.  Jewelry from VG Republic (currently closed) and Dark Mouse.  Dark Mouse has the best everyday costume jewelry, and I wear their stuff all the time.  Stockings from Sheer — love ‘em.  One of my own skirts, the Dovely Linen Skirt from Vanitas Vesture.  Shoes from Detour and GL Designs.  The ruching on the Detour London Flats adds just the right amount of detail, and the GL Designs wedges are color-change; gotta love color-change.  Finally, poses from one of the masters, Reel Expression.

Outfit 1 Credits:
Hair: Tiny Bird Olivia in Wheat
Skin: Imagen Irene skin, Este tone, Humo makeup (lucky chair)
Eyes: Miriel Standard Eyes in Gilded Plum
Tattoo: Tramp Stamp Rowan
Shirt: idk Drape Top Black Bird
Skirt: idk Bubble Skirt (Horizontal Stripe) Charcoal
Bracelets: VG Republic Color-Change Resin Bangles (store closed)
Stockings: Sheer Stockings 04: Torn Fishnet Black
Shoes: Detour London Flats – Black

Outfit 2 Credits:
Hair: Tiny Bird WillowC in Ginger
Skin: Imagen Irene Skin, Este Tone, Patricia makeup (previous hunt)
Eyes: Miriel Standard Eyes in Champagne
Tattoo: Aitui Tattoo – Fire Fish Sleeves – method – worn
Shirt: idk Drape Top Silver Birdbranch
Skirt: Vanitas Vesture Dovely Linen Skirt – Green
Jewelry: Dark Mouse Charming Set in Sliver
Shoes: GL Designs Hips Wedges
Poses: Reel Expression  – from Movement and Vintage sets
photo layout inspired by juicybomb.com

Tags: Aitui, Dark Mouse, Detour, GL Designs, idk, Imagen, Miriel, Reel Expression, Sheer, Tiny Bird, Tramp Stamp, Vanitas Vesture, VG Republic

RFL eLDee Parle Dress

So, this is the eLDee Parle dress, one of the dresses to benefit the Relay for Life.  I picked up the Parle dress as soon as I got the subscribo notice — I love the piratey-inspired playfulness.  I have a special place in my heart for eLDee — it’s where my noob self first discovered sculpty sleeve goodness.  I remember saving up my first camping lindens to buy an eLDee outfit.  So, I like to keep an eye out for new eLDee releases that tickle my fancy.  The Parle outfit?  Had to have.  It’s adorable, and  it’s a wonderful set for mixing and matching.

The Parle outfit is an RFL exclusive, so be sure to pick one up while they last, and support a good cause.  To supplement the outfit, eLDee has recently released a set of Parle blouse/corset sets in a variety of colors.

 Keeping with the piratey theme, the jewelry had to be gold and richly detailed.  I chose the Miriel secret necklace, an old favorite.  I used to have a similar necklace in RL, with an antique key pendant, and my SL version is gorgeous.  The stacked bangle bracelets are from one of my favorite jewelers, Dark Mouse.  All her stuff is well-textured, with lots of attention paid to delicate prim work.  These bracelets come with a pair of matching earrings, not shown here but awesome. 

The stockings are from Sheer.  I enjoy the intricate vine pattern, and the holes are beautifully and accurately detailed.  Also beautiful and detailed are the Biker Boots from Redgrave.  The worn-in texture and open buckles add a gritty, tough element to the mix.

The hair and skin were gifts I received just as I was pulling things together for pictures, and they’re perfect for the outfit.  Now, I’ve said before that Kallisti Burns, the creator behind Discord Designs, is cooler than I am.  So, when she dropped a folder on me recently, I knew that whatever was inside would be awesome, and I was right.  The Lydia hairstyle is edgy and sexy, with the sharply angled, piecey bob and loose strands in front of the eyes.  The skin is [42]‘s recent release, part of the Angel Kisses II set.  Imandra Wycliffe has taken her freckled Angel Kisses skins and given them richly saturated eyeshadows perfect for a wild night out. 

Eyes: Kunstkammer Surrealist Eyes – Olive Green
Hair: Discord Designs Lydia in Bronze
Tattoo: Aitui Fire Fish Sleeves – Method – faded
Skin: [42] Angel Kisses, neutral tone, makeup 8
Dress: eLDee Parle RFL CF Exclusive
Necklace: Miriel Secret Necklace in Jet/Gold
Bracelets: Dark Mouse Paint Splashed Gold Bangles
Shoes: Redgrave Girls Biker Boots in Black
Tights: Sheer Tights 12: Torn Vines
Poses from Elisa

Tags: 42, Aitui, Dark Mouse, Discord Designs, eLDee, Elisa, Kunstkammer, Miriel, Redgrave, Sheer

Fashion Relay Challenge: Post 11

Ah, so it’s my turn in the Fashion Relay Challenge, organized by the lovely Sasy Scarborough.  I’m excited to be part of this, and even more excited to be following Kallisti Burns of Discord Designs.  I admit it — Kallisti is way more bad-ass than I am.  And I’ve been looking foward to stealing a bit of her edginess and making it my own.

I chose the Needful Things Death Raven Armor Bracers from Kallisti’s appearance as her boy George.  For me, they feel like futuristic, post-apocalyptic bangle bracelets, and I have a weakness for bangles!  The hand straps and included fishnet gloves really help to integrate the bracer into the outfit as a whole.

For the bulk of this outfit — the shirt, skirt, and boots — I chose pieces with easy-wearing, everyday versatility.  The shirt I’m wearing is MichaMi’s Fearne in Black.  Its higher neckline keeps things from being too flashy with the short skirt, and the rich texture of the shirt is reminiscent of a favorite old t-shirt, worn and deliciously soft from years of wear and washing.  It includes the belted sash, and is sold on all layers for versatility. 

The Jules Jeanskirt, shown here in Dark, is one of Maitreya’s newest releases.  While the denim miniskirt is just as iconic in its own way as cigarette pants or a classic white buttondown shirt, it brings its own its own personality.  The short length and denim fabric give the outfit a playfulness that would otherwise be lacking. It includes several options for the prim attachment, including a belted version not shown here.

I love a knee-high boot — they lend both formal structure and a bit of toughness to any outfit.  These are the Maitreya Billow Boots in Black.  Maitreya’s shoes always have the most exquisite textures, and these boots are no exception.  They’ve become a staple in many a fashionista’s wardrobe, with their slouchy, casual, boho-style.  I also think part of their appeal is their RL impracticality — I don’t know about you, but I’d be forever tugging at them to keep them from slipping, and the leather would quickly wrinkle and look worn, losing its suppleness.  The boots come with three sizes, and a pair with resize scripts, so they’re guaranteed to fit you, with minimum effort.

Now, on to the accessories.  First are the Celeste glasses from PrimOptic.  These were my first glasses in-world, and they remain a favorite.  The shape of these frames is retro without being vintage, and I like that.  The glasses include an awesome script that allows you to change the color of the frame, the tint of the glass, and the position of the glasses on the head — on the nose or pushed back on top of your head.

Black Pearl earrings from +Plus, shown here in Silver, are one of my current obsessions.  I love a big earring in-world, the kind that would be so heavy in RL that your earlobes would ache after a few minutes.  However, I do not care for the giant SLut earrings.  This pair is the perfect balance in size and class, in my opinion, and the shape and texturing are lovely.

The Broken Long Strand Pearl Necklace from Caroline’s has been around a while, but it’s still a playful twist on a classic, and I still like it.  I like the goody-two-shoes aspect of the pearls, combined with the bohemian recklessness of wearing a broken necklace.  I’d like to point out that while the necklace is no-mod and the long length almost guarantees a poor fit, the designer Caroline Apollo offers free resizing.  She’s very professional to work with, and I had resized pearls in less than 24 hours.

Last but not least, we arrive at hair and skin.  I’m wearing Truth’s Victoria style in Auburn.  Proceeds from sale of this style benefit the Australian Red Cross, to help with Victorian bushfire relief.  And, it’s my absolute favoritest style on the grid.  I love the careless curls piled on top of the head, with that artfully-messy-yet-elegant feel.  Works equally well with jeans or a gown.

It’s no secret that I have a huge crush on Adam n Eve’s recently released Bliss skin.  There’s such a naturalism to it, without looking overly photosourced.  This makeup, one of the four freckly skins in the line, is FrecklyCat, and features almost-black tipped cat-eye eyeliner and rosy red lips.

I’ve had a great time with this challenge, keeping with the spirit of things and pushing the boundaries of my usual wardrobe choices thanks to Kallisti Burns.  I now pass the baton to Arcadia Nightfire of Fashion 360, and hope she enjoys the challenge as much as I have! 

Credits:
Hair: Truth Victoria in Auburn (tinted)
Skin: Adam n Eve Bliss T2 makeup FrecklyCat
Glasses: PrimOptic Celeste Glasses
Earrings:  +Plus Black Pearl Earrings in Silver
Necklace: Caroline’s Broken Long Strand Black Pearl Necklace
Top: MichaMi Fearne in Black
Tattoo: Aitui Fire Fish Tattoo, worn
Wrist Gear: Needful Things death raven armor bracers (punk ninja gothic style)
Skirt: Maitreya Jules JeanSkirt Dark
Boots: Maitreya Billow Boots – Black
All poses in the post are by Dove Swanson of [LAP] Long Awkward Poses

Tags: +Plus, Adam n Eve, Aitui, Caroline's, Maitreya, MichaMi, Needful Things, PrimOptic, Truth

Something pretty

So, I found this pretty dress while sorting inventory the other day, and haven’t wanted to take it off! I feel so ladylike in this ensemble!

The 122 Classical dress from Kuri Style is a rich brown with a nice soft sheen, delicate white flowers scattered about, and green vegetation along the hemline and the bodice.  The dress also includes a navy long-sleeved polka-dot under-blouse, but I like the simplicity of the dress alone with its notched strapless bodice.  

For accessories, I wanted subtle details — pieces with enough character to stand on their own, but wouldn’t distract from the whole of the look.  The Supernova strappy wedges from Shiny Things are the perfect balance between dressy and casual, great for everyday.  I’m particularly fond of these shoes, as I own a very similar pair in real life.  And the Porte des Reves jewelry set from Kunstkammer, which includes earrings, bracelet, and necklace, is delicate perfection.  I love love love the necklace —  from far away, it’s simply an ornament to compliment the dress; up close, it’s a beautiful tiny vignette.   (Click the link for a close-up.)

For skin and hair, I wanted to continue the pretty-girl-next-door look.  The skin is Adam n Eve’s Bliss skin, in the Freckly makeup.  I’ve been crushing on this skin since it came out; it’s soft and smooth and approachable, with a gentle scattering of freckles across the nose and cheekbones.  Hair is from Truth; I’m trying to wear all the hairstyles I stocked up on during the sale!  This style is how my RL hair often ends up — half-pulled-up, with pieces falling out, a bit wavy, the ends piecey and sticking out a bit.  Of course, Truth’s version looks quite a bit more polished than mine usually does!

Credits:
Kuri Style 122 Classical dress
Shiny Things Supernovas in Sand Bloom
Truth Caitlin 2 in Auburn (tinted)
Aitui Tattoo – Fire Fish Sleeves – Method - Worn
Adam n Eve Bliss t1 makeup Freckly
Kunstkammer Port des Reves jewelry set
Please visit http://slurls.wordpress.com/ for store locations

Tags: Adam n Eve, Aitui, Fashion, Kunstkammer, Kuri Style, LOTD, Shiny Things, Truth