Night Out

After a couple of weeks of hard work, it’s time for a night out.

Monica Outlander makes that easy with her latest dress, Jeanie. With its romantic ruffles skillfully placed in asymmetrical fashion around a full skirt bustled with a gemmed bow, this dress is a mix of old-fashioned and modern. The simple bodice with its artfully placed shoulder piece and delicate embellishment weighs the heaviness of the skirt perfectly.

I wear it with this delicate Asian skin from Gala Phoenix, which is almost a retro look. I have seen a look like this on reproductions of postcards, images of which I can’t find right now (though this is close). This skin was a huge boost for me when I first go it—I really like finding skins of other ethnicities in SL. I wear with Ikon’s lovely eyes (as always) and a set of earrings from Mouse Mimistrobell whose intricate construction echo the swirls on the dress. (I love when I can do this!)

“I cannot walk through the suburbs in the solitude of the night without thinking that the night pleases us because it suppresses idle details, just as our memory does.”  ~Jorge Luis Borges

Hair: :Liriope: ELN black by Ilze Erin  for :Liriope:

Skin: :GP: Honey [Dark] Jasmine-Tangerine 1 by Gala Phoenix for Curio

Eyes: FASHISM ‘Sunrise’ Eyes – Brown (ML) by Ikon Innovia for FASHISM *

Dress: Miamai_Jeanie Rust by Monica Outlander for Miamai *

Earrings: Dark Mouse Vintage Drop Dead Diamond Earring – Copper by Mouse Mimistrobell for Dark Mouse *

Dancing in the Heart

Some days it’s just great to find a dance partner and enjoy the beauty of seeing yourself twirling across a dance floor. In SL, dancing is one of the deepest cultural activities, rich with cultural meaning and social interaction.

Yesterday I got a call from Adam Peliatropis, a friend of mine and co-owner of Foxxie’s, a romantic dance club. He was trying to push the number of avatars in the sim up and asked me to stop in. Fortunately, I had this beautiful dress from monica Outlander, a brand new offering from her. I threw it on, gazed dreamily at the luminescent texture monica has made it from (and wondering how she manages to make it look like it’s embroidered silk), and adjusted nary a prim (she also builds amazingly).

I wore this sensuous skin from Tuli Asturias and beautiful jewelry from Kesseret Steeplechase. I bought the set because I visited Kesseret’s store during a hunt of some sort and she put the item right out front rather than hiding it, which gave me more time to shop. I saw this beautiful set (that includes a gorgeous vintage-looking necklace) and had to have it. I love the rectangular stones.

You can dance anywhere, even if only in your heart.

Hair: :Liriope: ELN black by Ilze Erin for :Liriope:

Skin: []::Tuli::[] The Dressing Room :: Gina 04 by Tuli Asturias for Tuli *

Dress: Miamai_Lorelei Rose Gown by monica Outlander for Miamai *

Jewelry: *KK* Victoria Jewelry Set by Kesseret Steeplechase for KessKreations

Nails: [ Love Soul ] Posing nail*Oval-Natural* by BlueStarRUI Villota for [ Love Soul ]

Shoes: Maitreya Gold – Aequus Silver by Onyx LeShelle for Maitreya

Chatty Sez

Sometimes you have to dedicate a blog to someone. Today it’s to ChatBrat Pipitta, who has been helping with SL7B and is one of my many bffs in Hey Girlfriends. I have not known Chat long but she is a real sweetheart, a hard worker, a cutie pie, and a mensch. Can you say much more for a Girlfriend?

Thje reason I named this for her is because she helped me assemble this outfit as I was doing other stuff. I say in IM, “Chatty, can I wear this dress as a top?” She says, “Harper, I do that all the time. Love it!” So I am wearing this top, a new pretty from cocoru Lemon with an off-the-shoulder sculpty prim, black with white polka dots. Can you get cuter? And then I have leggings. ChatBrat says, “I always wear leggings with tops like that.” These are leopard skin from Aoharu. Who said you can’t wear spots with spots?

The hair? Well ChatBrat says it’s ok–it’s cute but not too cute. She says, “Wear it!” I really like this hat and hair from Ilze Erin with color changing scripts for the hat and flower. I think I got it in one of those gacha machines that I love so much. We debated the boots while we were supposed to be working on something more serious. “Did you enter that in the database? Do you like these boots?” I ask her. “Yes, I did and yes! I love those boots!” she says. Another great find from cocoru Lemon.

When ChatBrat talks, I listen!

Hair: :Liriope: MOG black by Ilze Erin for Liriope

Skin: []::Tuli::[] Jade (tone 4/bl) :: 06b by Tuli Asturias for Tuli

Top: *COCO*_OneShoulderPolkaDotsDress_Black by cocoru Lemon for COCO

Leggings: AOHARU_BT_Leopard_Leggings_White 1 by machang Pichot

Earrings: [chuculet] sofia – earrings – silver/black by Farah Palmer for chuculet

Boots: *COCO*_ZipperBootie by cocoru Lemon for COCO

Black Orchid

I read a lot about the day to night look but don’t see a lot of it in SL. Come on. We don’t have to leave our offices to go to an evening party. And how hard is it to just sift through folders to find something? No wrinkles, no messing around.

However, it’s an intriguing thought, and LeeZu Baxter gives us an answer with her Elisabeta jacket and dress. I show first the jacket over a pair of her BritPants. Clearly LeeZu has copped some textures from the BritPants and there is nothing wrong with this. In fact, it provides a consistency through LeeZu’s collection and allows us to mix and match, as I have done here, putting her very groovy pants from April, 2009, with this new top.

I love how the top slips up around the buttock on the right side—very sexy. And the fins on the top echo the fins on the pants. The neckline is graceful and leads to a sexy deep cut back.

I set the look up with a skin from Minnu Palen. Minnu’s skins are truly “model” skins. They look best in a well lit environment with glamorous accoutrements. The dramatic eye make-up, the matte skin, the glossy full lips and the absolutely stunning eyebrows make this the model look, as Minnu has always intended. Do we all need to walk around SL looking like models? No. But if this is our desire in this second life, this skin will take you there.

Switch to nighttime and Minnu’s skin becomes less a statement of prettiness and more a statement of boldness. I show here the Elisabeta gown from LeeZu in its full glory. Again, we see the same top but this time it wraps around in a graceful silhouette with the slim brocade skirt and fish tail prim skirt. The once casual-seeming cuffs bunched around the wrists are now airy.

Most brilliant is the bustle with its big dark almost prehistoric flowers bunched around the back. The low cut back, once just sexy for day time, is now elegant and the entire silhouette is complex but not fussily complicated (due to LeeZu’s use of busy textures with muted subtle shades, as I have mentioned before). This is couture at its finest.

The subtly sweet dark perfume of the black orchid:

Look 1:

Hair: :Liriope: ELN black by Ilze Erin for Liriope

Skin: [LeLutka]-IFElight-makeup3(D Brows)hairbase by Minnu Palen for LeLutka

Dress: [LeeZu!] NOiR Van Elisabeta Dress Version by LeeZu Baxter for LeeZu! *

Neck bow: =DeLa*= Ribbon “Keira” on Chest by Kuranosuke Kamachi  for =DeLa*=

Look 2:

Hair: delora black by Queue Marlowe for Analog Dog

Skin: [LeLutka]-IFElight-makeup3(D Brows)hairbase by Minnu Palen for LeLutka

Top: [LeeZu!] NOiR Van Elisabeta Jacket Version by LeeZu Baxter for LeeZu! *

Pants: [LeeZu!] BritPants /black by LeeZu Baxter for LeeZu! *

Boots: .*Courtisane*. La Vivien /Blacks by Enktan Gully and LeeZu Baxter for Courtisane *

Eleganza

I have to say, our First Lady (we lucky Americans) has ushered in a new era of respect for us (I hope). Michelle Obama represents to the rest of the world, alongside her husband—that guy—whatever his name is—that American women can be graceful, chic, educated, strong-minded, and good. She truly represents many women in this country, of all races and backgrounds. She is a mother, a wife, a daughter, and a worker.

What does the African-American woman (or any woman of color do) when she enters SL and wants to represent as well? It’s not an easy thing. Some skin makers have resorted to taking their Caucasian skins and darkening them, as if that’s all there is to it. Others have decided to make new skins, giving them an orange or an ashy tint.

Abyss has come out with a few new sets of skins, all built from the ground up, it seems. There is a skin for fairer ladies, a skin for brunettes, and this lovely skin for brown-skinned women. SinSister Chastity has managed to make skins in various darker tones for this line that follow a more “realistic” aesthetic, showing a woman who is beautiful, futuristic and elegant with creamy nougat or sienna or dark rich cocoa skin. They are NOT available as Caucasian skins.

I dressed my beautiful self up with a great cocktail dress from monica Outlander. Last time I had visited Miamai, monica had a small inventory (probably six or more months ago). She has been producing like mad—separates, hair, jewelry, and her finest pieces—evening wear. I especially like how she used a print to cover both sculpty and flexi prims with gems as a decorating motif both on the skirt and around the neck (which saves on finding jewelry to wear). I paired zebra-striped shoes from Cerberus Noel and a zebra-striped cuff from Anuitka Barthelmess just to push the striped theme a little farther.

Leadership in elegance:

Hair: :Liriope: HSN black by Ilze Erin for :Liriope:

Skin: [ ama garijus ][ sunset ][ scene ] by SinSister Chastity for Abyss

Dress: Miamai_Arika by monica Outlander for Miamai Fashion Creations

Cuff: Bracelet No 301 black&zebra by Anuitka Barthelmess for *kraftika

Shoes: *GF* Figure Pumps -zebra- by Cerberus Noel for G Field

Hey, Red!

It’s interesting. You walk into this world. You have to make a “self.” When I first walked into SL, it was clear to me that I would have to have red hair. I am not sure what decided this for me so distinctly, but there you go—I had to be a redhead.

I have since diverged from this, of course. I have even worn blonde hair, which was a huge step for me personally. (Nothing against blondes. I just never saw myself as having light hair. I can’t explain it.) And I always go for the easy choice in clothes—red. (Which looks good on me in RL too.) So today, I went the easy route and chose red.

I found this dress at a store on a new sim called Period. The creator, Memai Avon, presented a number of great separates—skirts, tops, tights, leggings. Nothing was outre or niche. She offered simple, inexpensive separates that could serve in many circumstances. I purchased this pretty dress with it’s red rose motif. My shopping partner and I agreed that the flat black through the dress was kind of a cheat (black hides a lot of mistakes and problems), but the dress was reasonably priced and looks great worn, and she has a lot of other great pieces that show quite a bit of skill.

At the same mall we found some spectacular hair by Ilze Erin. Offering several styles that frame the face in a most complimentary fashion, her store deserves attention and I hope we see more from her. I dressed up this ensemble with jewelry from DarionMonkee Levitt. It’s really cute stuff made by a person who clearly has incredible patience.

And check out these shoes. Red straps, red nails—*click click* and I have them on these sexy sandals from Maris Kanto. Maris is a scripter extraordinaire (or knows one) because these shoes have a great hud for adjusting skin tone (a notch at a time so you can SEE what it will look like), nails, and hardware and size. Add to that the fun of shopping at Kalnins—regular shoppers get discounts and points based on the scripts used in the vendors. It’s all about the experience, from shopping to wearing.

“Out of the ash I rise with my red hair
And eat men like air”
~ Sylvia Plath

Hair: :Liriope: ELN red by Ilze Erin for :Liriope:

Skin: []::Tuli::[] Bella (fair/br) F.Y.L.O. red by Tuli Asturias for Tuli *

Dress: [ Last Period ] onepeace 0014 Red by Memai Avon for [ Last Period ]

Jewelry: **DM** Lena Fire by DarionMonkee Levitt for DM Designs

Shoes: Kalnins Shoes – Empress by Maris Kanto for Kalnins