Talyn Barrett from Analise Fashions has some wonderful items, but I have to say I’ve completely fallen in love with her Gypsy set.
The movement of the skirt is a little pokey, but who the flip cares? The billowy prim sleeves, the head scarf, the multi-ring gold earrings. I love it all. The texturing is absolutely sublime. The only thing missing is a tambourine and a Quasimodo look-alike to carry you up to a bell tower. Erm, not that you want a Quasimodo look-alike to carry you off to a bell tower. This set is a collaboration with Abby Coalcliff of Devilish Cupcake - Talyn’s RL sister - and is available in several colors including a spectacular RFL purple version.
And since it’s still bright and sunny outside, I have to mention that Analise’s Kini collection is a wonderful Summer swim set. You get all three bikinis in the set and each one comes in four pieces - the top on a shirt and undershirt layer, and the bottoms on a pants and underpants layer.
I did have a concern with the bottoms regarding texture bleed. As we all know, the inner thigh is a problematic area for all clothing designers. It tends to warp, so this isn’t out of the ordinary, but it’s worth noting for those unfamiliar with the delightful joys of SL crotch bleed.
I’m sure this will reassure those readers who think I do nothing but stare at my crotch all day that their views are just.
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Nicky Ree has released a new Spring Romance collection, which comes (as per Nicky’s usual) in a variety of styles with lots of options you can pick between. There’s both a print and a solid, and a bunch of different dress looks. Obviously, my favourite is the print version - there is not enough done with patterns in SL in my opinion, and Nicky puts out amazing colours like this truly springy green:
Included is a knee length skirt - which I absolutely love, we need more very classy but casual day dresses! - and the full-length, full glamour evening dress option, which also includes gloves. There are also three sets of really pretty, floaty chiffon scarves in different letngths, which attach between the breasts for a really unusual draping style. And the matching shoes are included, andI have to say that these are really, really nice shoes.
If the flowers are not your thing, fret not. All of the sets are also available in a sort of shimmery, irridescent chiffon, and the solid satin option. The solid satin looks fab on the mini dress version:
The mini dress cleverly doubles as a swimming costume - turning tops into swimwear by including swim bottoms is a great idea that helps deliver value for money, and I wouldlove to see some more of that when it works with the design like these do. I’m all about the ass coverage, so these are very much not my friend, but they are fantastic - the shading is scrumptious and you have to love the bum highlights.
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Yesterday I bought out an entire store, and I am definately blaming it on the Bossa Nova - designer Moire Georgette’s fantastic boutique. I kept noticing the same skirt in the Flickr pool, and by the 19th time it paraded by, I was convinced I had to go out and find the store of whomever had made it. And wow, I am so very glad I did.
This is the skirt I keep seeing everyone wearing, the casual Juju. The shape is lovely and the prims are very pretty; the only issue I had was with the texture on the skirt prims, which didn’t seem to match up well to the base pants. (I changed the horizontal repeat on the prims from 2 to 1 after I shot, and that fixed it for me, but I am super picky about things like this.) The base pants have nice details like a waitsband and pockets, and the skirt comes in colours for all seasons.
It’s paired with the Collared shirt from the Basics range, and I cannot emphasise enough what a wardrobe staple these need to be in your inventory. Bossa Nova sells a polo, a tank and a halter, and each one comes in a box with a black version and a tintable, copyable white version, so you can use them to match and make outfits with anything in your wardrobe. The detailing on the puckers and collar and the shading on this shirt is superlative. At $100L, that is a steal that keeps on giving.
My favourite Bossa Nova item, however, is the fabulous Confetti wrap dress with optional prim bow, which comes in four colours:
OK so maybe skip the prim bow, but the belt looks fab and is part of the pants layer, so it works perfectly with out the extra tie feature. I am a sucker for the brown version because I love the colour of the blue contrast, and it also goes oh-so-well with the free sandals from Lassitude & Ennui. Yes, free. They are available in brown, black and white, and you need to go buy every single colour because your summer wardobe is gasping for them.
Speaking of free, Bossa Nova also sells the terribly pretty Copacabana dress and matching Copacabana bikini for $1L each:
The bikini comes in a pack with the several top styles and two cuts of bikini bottoms, all on different layers. The dress, in addition to being $1L and totally lovely, also makes an excellent shirt with trousers or other skirts.
The black and white in the Copacabana designs also shows off the divine Signature jewellery collection at Lassitude & Ennui, which, like the sandals, is absolutely free. These are charming necklace and earring sets, and come in gold, silver, and black.
I have to say, it’s been a banner shopping day for me. Between the free items at Lassitude and the bargain boutique shopping at Bossa Nova, I think I spent $350L for all of these looks. Way to rock that SL chequebook…
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No, not the waxing kind of brazilian. Contrary to popular belief, while I care very much what my nether region looks like, I’m simply not invested enough in the decor style of several thousand strangers’ bits to tell them how they should trim the hedges.
Instead, it’s a reference to a swimwear store called Topless - Brazilliant Bikinis. Luckily for those of us not living in virtual Brazil, they’re not actually topless - each bikini comes with a top, which is a good thing as these bikinis are truly, truly fabulous and I want more of them, not less:
I am infatuated with the textures. I love the fact that they are not your typical SL swim fare, and I love the fact that it’s a large, no-repeat, and very detailed pattern. They could be art, and in fact, some of them are based on (but not ripped from!) the work of a Brazilian painter. I’d happily hang that art on my walls, but I’m delighted to hang it on my rack:
Although I only shot three patterns, I got eight, and I seriously love every single one of them. In addition to the textures being fantastic, these are seriously well made bikinis. The seams on the sides? Perfect. The transparencies? Perfect. The little ties? Perfect. The ass coverage? Perfect.
The only annoying thing about them is that they are no mod, no copy, and no transfer. Which means I can’t make outfits out of the or make gifts out of them.
So, alas, you’re not getting one as a gift from me, but at $110L each, you can treat yourself!
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