The Unofficial Second Life® Fashion and Shopping Blog

Hey, everybody!  I’ve been on summer vaca for a couple months now, but I’m back and ready to start reviewing again.  Anything happen while I was away?  Wait… Salome did what?

I’m kidding, of course.  But before we pack it up this week, I wanted to get one more review out there, because I’ve been dying to tell everybody about Ornamental Life ever since a friend led me there several weeks ago.  The store’s owner, Shir Dryke, wrote a fantastic SL fashion blog - also called Ornamental Life - for about a year before deciding to switch to creating the fashion herself.  That experience really shows in her clothes - they’re creative and particularly well-drawn, but it’s obvious that Shir doesn’t take it all too seriously.  Just a look at the whimsical names she gives each of her designs will tell you that.

This is a tube top called Antonia Smiles and I’m wearing it in three of the available colors, named Dusk Butterflies (red), Under the African Sun (yellow), and Happy Clouds (blue).  It’s hard to pick one thing I adore most about Ornamental Life, but if I had to it would be Shir’s use of color.  Most everything is bright and saturated and really just pops off the screen at you, in the way that real clothes just can’t.  Yes, that means that the colors aren’t extremely realistic.  But ultra-realism be damned - we’re in a world where we can fly, after all.

Now, Antonia Smiles is a tube top, which I realize is a garment you can find loads of for free all over the grid.  There’s no getting around the fact that you’re going to have EMS when you wear it.  And I will freely admit tube tops are not the most creative when it comes to the lines of the garment itself.  Blah blah blah… with colors like these, who cares?  It also helps that, as with all of Shir’s designs, the textures of Antonia Smiles are extremely well-detailed and shaded.  If it’s wrong to love them because they’re tube tops, I don’t want to be right.

Call me crazy, but I like to dress appropriately for the RL season, even in SL, and this top called Summer Feels Wee fits the bill perfectly.  (I’m wearing Sprinkling Ocean.)  When it comes to layers, Ornamental Life is just fantastic - Summer Feels Wee, for example, comes with the bikini top as a separate piece from the sheer overlay, and both are on just about every layer you could want.  I’m glad to see more and more designers around the grid are making good use of SL’s layers, giving you pieces on multiple layers so you can have more flexibility in how you wear what you buy with your hard-earned Lindens.

Until recently, Shir focused her attention on creating tops, and that’s still the bulk of the inventory for sale at Ornamental Life.  But lately, she’s released some dresses, such as the Wings of Desire dress that I’m wearing here.  (The color is Blood Oath.)  I’m thrilled to see her branching out.  Wings of Desire comes with two prim skirt options, and while they’re both great I can’t seem to stop wearing the ballerina version.

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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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It was time to go. It would be a dangerous attempt, but I had to try. The night air was cool and still. The muted sounds of gunfire could be heard in the distance. I peeked out from the doorway and looked up and down the street. All appeared quiet. It was now or never. My heart raced as I stepped one foot out into the street. My other foot followed and I paused, looking again up and down the darkened roadway for any sign of movement. I had to go. It was just at the end of the block, I could make it.

Pushing off from the doorway, I sprinted through the silent air. My footsteps echoed through the walls between the buildings lining the street. I was making too much noise, but I couldn’t stop now. I’d already made my presence known if anyone was looking. I continued my run, breathing hard.

Was that someone in the shadows in the alleyway I just ran past? Couldn’t risk looking back to see. My destination was close ahead. If I just kept running I could make it.

Another sound, off to my left. I’ve been seen for sure. But I’ll make it. I know I can make it. Only a bit further and I’ll be there. I dove forward and ducked behind a barrel. I made it, but they could still follow me in. I looked around quickly. I was told this place would have something for me that I needed. Then I saw it. An image on a wall. I knew this was it…

…and it was sexy, too!

Oh wait! What? WWI stands for Worldwide Industries?! Ummm, please disregard the frazzled kitty that dove in. Nothing to see here!

Worldwide Industries, created by Minde Mills and Ichibod Etchegaray, offers sexy designs, great texture work, a little bit of dirt, and of course, barbed wire. The top and skirt in the above outfit come from an set called, “Mad Plaid”. It comes in a pack of Tan, Green, and Red colors. The socks are “Boyfriend Socks”, in the dirty variety, yes you can get them clean, too. The pack of these include tan, black, red, blue, and green. And the barbed wire leg warmers are called…wait for it…”Barbed Wire Legwarmers”. I combined these with some boots from Ambush. They’re called “Cossack Boots” and they also are a must have for every dirty kitty out there. Hey, when you enjoy cleaning yourself so much, you need to get dirty, right? Riiiight??

WWI isn’t all about showing some skin, they do have quite a few outfits and tops that are simply delightful and covering, but today I’m not that girl. The triangle bikini top shows a nice hint of underboob, which is simply adorable. I mean, come on. The skirt comes with a nice little set of glitch-shorts, which are well hidden by the skirt itself. So much so that they aren’t even required, unless you’re the prim and proper type. I would even venture to say that there are those that like to wear panties underneath as opposed to gitch-pants, for that bit of sexiness. Not that I’m saying there’s a market out there for glitch-pants-less skirts (*nodding vigorously*), but it’s great to come across some good ones here and there.

Look at those lovely socks, too. Take what would normally be a knee-high sock, pull it up to your thighs, and dirty it up a bit and you’ve got total yum.

Another outfit here is called “Fallout Kitty”. Even though I only show you the pink version, it comes with a grey set as well. Again, lovely texturing. As you’ll notice, the colors are never bold and bright. Everything has a faded look to it. They’re beat, up, they’re grungy, they’re delightful. Hey, if it looks comfy, it’s comfy. This set comes with a pair of barbed wire cuffs, too. Just what I needed to go with the leggies! I’m no Wonder Woman, but I’m betting they’ll fend off anything I don’t want going on…which reminds me, I need to take those off!

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Hello again, kitties. Have you missed me? Wait. Don’t answer that. Or, rather, answer that with a resounding “YES!”. Okay, that’s better. I have had many plans for this next post, and they’ve all been undone by one Nyte Caligari…the vixen.

That’s right, the very Nyte Caligari, of Nyte’N'Day. She had to go and release a bunch of layered tanks which no kitty should be without. Yes, this was mentioned on this site upon release, but they really do call for a closer look.

Six styles were released, which nearly fills my week, but where, I ask you, is the seventh? If you click to see the full size, you can see slightly better. Sunday, “I’m the Single one.” Tuesday, “I’m the Loud one.” Wednesday is “Crazy”, then “Cute”, “Hot”, and finally “Slutty” on Friday. But what am I on Saturday? WHAT AM I??

You know what I want? I want “I’m the…Single, Loud, Crazy, Cute, Hot, & Slutty One”. And on the back, “You haven’t got a chance.”

Oh come on. You *know* that’s funny.

But really, the point is I love them, and you will too. And I’ll also mention again that these are layered. Not some weird faux layering, which drives me nuts. You actually get a very well detailed shirt to go underneath the cute one with the sayings. They’re a total steal, I tell ya.

So who are you anyway?

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