The Unofficial Second Life® Fashion and Shopping Blog

When I first blogged about Solange! Fashions almost two years ago, it was a modest little store mostly featuring top-drawer silks. There was a focus on texture quality that made everything on the shelves stand out, even if it wasn’t my style. These days, the silks and lingerie are still happily represented, but there is also a healthy and ever-growing assortment of casual and evening wear among her wares, and that devotion to texture quality remains absolute.

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This is the Mademoiselle, which can be purchased in long, short, or knee-length skirt versions, a pants version, or as the full set in different colors. I have a wee bit of trouble fitting Solange skirts, but then I have trouble fitting most skirts. Despite that, the corset and pants combo on this set is one of my favorite stand-by outfits - whenever I need to toss something on and go romping about the grid. I’m not generally a big paisley fan, but this silk top and corduroy skirt/pants combo just works. Besides, in purple the little Prince fan in me gets to squee and hum “Little Red Corvette.”

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As cocktail dresses go, the Allure has to rank as one of the best of the verse. Although available in several colors, I’ve seen the black and silver at concerts and parties galore, so I know it’s not just my favorite. The shading and highlights lend the perfect luster of silk without that over-the-top shiny sheen some designers overshoot to (I do not want my fanny to look like it’s coated in Crisco, thank you).

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Cute little cocktail dress runner-up goes to the Devotion dress with it’s rutched silk and scallopy skirt. Yeah, I’m partial to purple, what can I say?

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The royal quest to satisfy my dress envy of a particular gown that my friend Elyse was wearing, led this Cinderella to VictoriaV McMillan and VictoriaV Fashion. I was pleasantly surprised to find that there was more to this store than one very hot dress! I’ll share with you a few goodies that I found.

First THE DRESS…. when I saw Elyse wearing it at Bubbly Nightclub one night, I knew I had to have it. It’s called The Berry Dress and it was fashioned after a dress worn by a very famous Berry on the red carpet. I fell in love with the delicate work on the bodice; the roses are exquisite and, to my utter delight, placed precisely in the correct places so that there were no alterations necessary. I also have to say that for a dress with draping at the waist, which never seems to go well in SL, this one looks amazing!

It’s summer in the city and hey, even Cinderella has to work. I found the Heather All in One collection, also at VictoriaV. This mix-and-match set covers all of your bases from business casual to the power suit. Pants, skirts, and a few blouses this one has it all. I liked the idea of a summery white suit, and while not usually a fan of green, I think the green accents really add some life to each of the outfits. The only not-so-great thing I noticed was that the textures in this outfit aren’t as high quality as the textures in their formal-wear. Not that it keeps this from being a fabulous collection, it has everything you need as a girl on the go.

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It’s June and I just couldn’t get away without checking out Victoria’s line of bridal gowns. She had several lovely gowns for me to choose from, my favorite being the Barbie in gold. Yes, I said it, Barbie. I felt like Cinderella Barbie as I proceeded to glide across my floor in this gorgeous dream of a dress! I love the gold accents and the lovely and unobtrusive veil. Now all I need is a Prince Charming and I’m all set… any takers?

Last but not least we have another formal showstopper, the Alie. What caught my eye about this dress was the glittery texture on the bodice. It’s seems to be very difficult to get that kind of a look without it looking like polka dots gone wild, but I think Victoria has done a nice job with it here. It’s very elegant and refined and I felt fabulous in it.

All in all another successful shopping trip for this Cinderella, now… where did I park my carriage?

Until next time…

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Zoya

You know that your shopping experience at Datenshi Creations is going to be a little bit different the second you arrive. It takes a moment to rez, as you find yourself in a playful little open field beside flowers and a wishing well. Slowly, as your surroundings take shape, you realize you have to choose a shopping direction - one of the two more traditional little storefronts, the giant teapot, or the slightly spooky Victorian house further back nestled amid the trees.

Well, kids, it doesn’t matter which one you pick first because there are goodies behind every door.

Door #1: MUWU. This outfit is appropriately titled “Painting Madness” and I’ve been enjoying the hell out of it. It’s such a simple concept, and yet the look feels much more creative amid the glam dress up craziness most of us swirl in. The prim rolled-up cuffs add charm and detail to a the casual pairing of top and pants and the tattoo layer gloves of paint stains are another little wink.

Door #2: Kuroi Hane: If gothtastic lotita stuff is your thing, this is your place. I know this first outfit “Ichigo” looks like the uniform of a Strawberry Shortcake ice show skater, but it’s got incredible detail and it’s just so damn sweet. It comes with parasols for each hand and has oodles of prim details from the puffy bell sleeves to the belt and stocking ties.

The black “Hinata” is far more mainstream goth lolita. Both dresses have incredibly good prim skirts with great movement. The textures are top-drawer here. You can always tell how skilled a designer is by checking out the black textured items where shading and detail becomes far more challenging.

More after the cut!
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**Note** Haute Style is having a sale on select items at their store thru this Wednesday (5/21/08). If you like what you see, you might wanna run your pixels over there asap!

If you’re a sporting gal, then you know we’ve got a chance for a new triple crown winner. Big Brown has taken the Derby and the Preakness and now it’s all down to the Belmont. If he’s crowned, he’ll only be the 12th horse in history to win the big three, (the most recent being Affirmed thirty years ago in 1978). So, I spent a little time scanning through my inventory to see what would be a fun and fashionable wear to mark the occasion. Lo and behold, Forda Fairlane and Moxie Polano of Haute Style & Co. had me covered.

This Robin’s Egg gown is not my usual kind of wear, but it has a certain My Fair Lady feel that is impossible to resist. The textures are so delicate and the craftsmanship of the prims compliments the elusive qualities that make the pale pink blending into pale blue just work. You also can’t see it in the still photos, but the movement of the gown is perfect. It just…rustles. The hat which gives the ensemble it’s name is a sqeee-tastic work of art.

Part of playing dress up as a girl is wearing bold hats with silly things on them, and this lavishly feathered number with the birds nest tucked into it almost too charming to bear. Oh, and if you just want the parts that are lingerie-friendly and casual, there is the scaled-down version 2 that is sure to please.

While poking around the store, I also found the Ginnalli dress which I’ll have much more occasion to wear; it’s a formal dress that isn’t overly formal and not dated by a period style. Again, here, the textures are decadent. The lush layer of lace cascades over the blood red satin, sweeping down into an oyster shell ripple that will leave you drooling. The bodice is a stunner in itself - with a darling black satin bow. I do wish that more of the gowns offered their tops and bottoms on multiple layers. The items at Haute are premium priced and it would be nice to allow the consumer to mix and match them a bit.

Another couldn’t-leave-the-store-without pickup was the Maxie Sheer Jumpsuit. If you don’t have any involvement with creating textures in SL or any other 3d visual environment, I cannot express to you how difficult it is to lend detail and layer to black items. Black textures require an ungodly ability to manipulate sheen and light source so that it doesn’t all just look flat. Satin is also a royal pain in the ass to pull off in a visual sense because satin is only satin due to the shine and finish, otherwise it might just as well be polyester. So what am I trying to say to you? I’m trying to say that in order to make this jumpsuit someone had to make a deal with the devil. I’m not clear if there were sacrifices to the gods of virtual fashion, or if someone has agreed to the role of dark minion for a few centuries, but oh-my-god it’s worth it.

I love, love love this jumpsuit. I love the prim ruffles on the arms and legs; I love the sash; I love the sheer panels on the sides that tease you into following all the way around; I love the flirty open bodice. In short, there is NOTHING on this little number not to love. If it were cake, it would be solid frosting - it’s just that good.

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