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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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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This year for my birthday, Gracie girl got me some toucans for the Freudian Slip to go along with the herons, pelicans, squids, and music monkeys that hold watch over the decks while no one’s dancing.

These toucans, like everything from Duggy Bing’s Cartoonimals, are drop-dead adorable. Their style is more exaggerated than realistic, which is an aesthetic I find I’m drawn to more and more within our virtual habitat.

The flying toucan model allows you to set a number of locations after rez so that you can program in a flight path for those who might want to give chase in hopes of fruit loops. The seated version remains perkily in place, opening its beak from time to time and giving a slight tilt of head.

There is a happy zoo at the Cartoonimals store, from door-scratching kitties to big ear-flapping elephants to small skittering turtles and even flying aliens in mini spaceships. I can’t speak for the entire inventory, but the selections I brought home were well adjusted to havok4 living and operated from low-lag scripts. This was a delightful change over some of the more lag-heavy wildlife I’d encountered in the past.

Unable to be contented by just toucans, I hurried over and begged another friend for some flamingos and treated myself to a hug-tastic monkey for the Slip. Then I discovered a few wearables lingering amid the funky critters, and it was all over but the shopping.

Yes, that’s right. Jammies. Could you die? These pjs come in kitty cat, skunk, elephant and monkey style sets that all include boy and girl friendly pjs in different color options. The tops and bottoms are nice, but pretty basic and uninspired. They’ll do the job for any pajama party you’ve got to crash, however, and no one’s really going to care once they catch sight of your slippers - which are just about the most squee-tastic novelty slippers in all SL. I am ALL about these tail-wagging, sweet-faced kitty slippers. The bottom prim is white and tintable so you have a little bit of leeway when it comes to matching ‘em up and THE EYES BLINK. Seriously. Can you live without a pair? No, I didn’t think so.

The next “oh my god, I have to have that!” is the Carmen Miranda hat. Over 350 prims in 2 pieces, this work of art is prim decadence. The minute you put it on, you get this flamboyant need for bright red tango dresses and feel the irresistible urge to wiggle a la Copacabana with Groucho Marx. I cannot defend how often you’ll have use for it or why it’s so damn necessary. It’s just…so damn necessary. From the pineapple crown to the dangling grapes and peeking monkey, I cannot imagine anything that has tickled my little-girl dress-up monster more than this hat. He gives you three sizes to choose from for the base and they all flawlessly work with the upper attachment.

I may have to beg for matching fruit themed jewelry, but I haven’t stopped squeeing yet.

Last, but so far from least, are these little pet carrier backpacks, complete with baby animals you can wear and adore. When I first got to tinkering with these, I was disappointed because the backpacks only came in a really large size that took me the better part of half an hour to fit - and even then, it wasn’t a good fit. After I explained to Duggy that most of us girls weren’t amazon women from the moon, however, he quickly obliged and made small and medium carrier straps that provide a much nicer fit with a lot less tinkering.

You know you gotta have one, and let’s face it - don’t we all sometimes crave a reason to shout “keep your damn hands off my monkey!”

Run over to Cartoonimals and you’re bound to find something that is your cuppa. If I’m wrong - I’ll eat my hat. *grin*

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The bulk of this entry was supposed to be about the Paris set from Melissa Lingerie. Since I’ve been unable to rezz a skirt layer, I’ve been traipsing about in jeans and lingerie a lot lately, and so when I spotted Paris in my review folder I thought I’d give it a go:

This set is a mixed bag for me. On one hand, I love the Spring-friendly originality of the blossoming bra. You see this kind of style IRL often with small European lingerie makers and I love how the motif is continued in the stockings and panties without exactly duplicating the large design of the bra cups. I really like this concept - color satin or sheer inlay lingerie as opposed to X number of recolors of some lace deisgn. We don’t see this enough in SL, except in tacky photosourced pieces, generally.

On the “not-so-hot” side of the fence, I really wish there was a little more panty in the panties. The barely-there triangle and parallel straps doesn’t mesh with the classy bra. Also, it would have been nice to have more than spaghetti strings for the bra. A bra with this type of delicate sheer detailing on the cups begs for a bit more substance. The execution of the pieces is where the real hiccup is, though. While this is a delightful effort, it’s just not up to the higher-end designers that SL features today. And, really, that’s okay - we need individual creators that are developing their skills in the marketplace. But, I can’t pretend that this is a completely refined piece. The piping is nothing but solid lines of base black. The degree of all over contouring and detail we’re accustomed to seeing from major designers isn’t represented here. Still it’s different enough to deserve a nod. Melissa Lingerie could be one to watch.

While I was preparing to shoot this lingerie, however, I innocently slipped into my “accessories-to-review” folder and discovered that Eolande Elvehjem is a big honkin’ cheater. At which point, the bulk of this post took a severe left turn at Albuquerque.

Yes, that’s right. Scripted color-change hair ribbons designed for ETD’s Patootie II (granted, I’m still most likely to be found wearing the no-longer-available Patootie original, but they work with that style TOO!). For the record, making things to compliment my mad favorite hair style is cheating. Wicked, wicked CHEATING. The bows are darling and have oodles of pre-loaded colors (27, actually) you can choose from - sure to match any outfit your heart desires.

The following must be done (You may wish to avert your eyes):

Squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

*straightens hair* Nothing to see here - carry on.

While poking around Accessories By Eolande I also found a few faboo items, including this must-have-for-Spring Daisy Hairband which looks good with just about every hairstyle I tried it with. It comes with the crown and flex ribbons so you can use them together or separately. There were four different color combos on display, and you know I had to snap up the pink rose, but the ocean color scheme with its robin’s egg blue stole my heart. I’m now officially on the hunt for a cute little blue Spring sundress to pair it with.

Also too darling to resist were these Pirate Beads that she’s made for a variety of ETD and Calla hairstyles. These are a bunch of fun and together with the earrings and necklace of the accompanying jewelry set make for a nummy gypsy/pirate accessory.

(More from Eolande after the cut)
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