At The SLB23 Shop & Hop

By Netera Landar

 

SL23B “The Golden Age of Hollywood” logo.

 

This year, I was ready to take on SL’s Birthday Shop & Hop. 

I wasn’t alone. I was with M. I have Fab Free blog’s Shop & Hop Excel sheet on my screen. I strapped on my roller skates, tied back my hair, and off we went to Aurelian. 

The easiest mode of transportation at the SL23B Shop & Hop is Pixel Box’s Wearable Scooter.

I quickly learned that even though M. never went to a Shop & Hop, he knows what he’s doing. He scanned the environment and developed a reasonable strategy. Forward, march, hit them all. But he wasn’t going to walk, run, or fly. Mr. Logical chose to visit Pixel Box and click on the wearable flying scooter.  He was already on it before I removed my roller skates and rezzed mine. 

 

Both adult and general teleports at the Shop & Hop.

Then we were off. Past the promotional signs and TPs there were 480 content creators and their gifts. Who can resist? Round one, this was my gift haul. 

Purple Moon’s free gifts were the Mabel Dress and Star Glasses. Grab them both.

 

Always first on my list are dresses Austin’s Angels can wear, and if I can get furniture for my house, I’m all for it. This time around, I got both.

  

Anastyle’s Joy dress has a classy black-and-white Art Deco/flapper-style design, perfect for any Speakeasy. I love it.

Salt & Pepper’s Lustre is a sleek burgundy number that will hug your body on romantic nights out.

Purple Moon’s Neveah Dress features a lovely floral pattern set against a black background. You’ll love the straps and curves.

I loved Purple Moon’s Neveah Dress, which I purchased, because it’s not all about getting free gifts. Supporting the content creators is just as important. I had this dress in a light pattern, and I wanted the darker floral dress because it’s beautiful.

Purple Moon’s Mabel dress worn.

The vintage Purple Moon Mabel dress with star glasses has a sweeping bodice and a wide skirt. The star glasses add a nostalgic touch.

Salt & Pepper’s Lustre sequined cocktail dress is available in LaraX, PetiteX, Reborn, Waifu, Legacy, and Perky.

Salt & Pepper’s Lustre sequined cocktail dress didn’t come in Maitreya, so I couldn’t model it, but it’s gorgeous and deserves to be worn.

Why Not’s Valencia Collection is a mid-century foyer table/bookcase complete with a mirror, lamp, ginger jars, and books.

 In terms of furniture, I rushed to get the Valencia Collection, a mid-century foyer table/bookcase complete with a mirror, lamp, ginger jars, and books. I immediately rezzed it near my staircase at home. I also picked up Bazar’s Louiza Lounge set.

Artist Judi Lynn (JudiLynn India) provided two lovely prints. One appears to have an ancient form of communication, and the other is a form and color composition. 

Netera Landar

 

 

Black Flowers

 

By Netera Landar

 

The Black Flowers store in the 4B District.

Austin’s Angels are always looking for new styles to expand our performance wardrobe. Don’t ask us how many dresses and outfits we already have in our inventory. The number is off the charts. 

Sandy Hauster mentioned that Black Flowers was part of the Saturday sale on June 13, so I headed over there to take a look. I quickly learned that they had LauraX, not Maitreya. I couldn’t buy anything for fashion shots, but I was impressed with what I saw.

You’ll find the group join and gifts outside the store.

Black Flowers is located in the 4B District with Body Form and Black Box fashion stores. It’s in an adult sim. For a mere 5L, you can join the group and receive gifts. I found gifts on the right side of the store entrance.

Left, Ginger featured in the Saturday Sale for 70L and the Happy Weekend Sale kiosks.

At the landing point, you’ll find the event sales. The Ginger jumpsuit is strapless, with a form-fitting top and baggy pants, and costs 70L. Available in LauraX, PetiteX, Legacy, Perky, Bombshell, Reborn, and Waifu, in a variety of colors.

Roxy has a jacket and pants; a halter top is needed. Available for 315L.

I found Roxy at the front of the store. The short, colorful jacket is stylish and comes in black, white, brown, yellow, red, blue, purple, and dark pink. It costs 315L. The pants are sold separately in black, white, brown, and blue.

Valentina is a lovely strapless gown that drapes beautifully on your body.

Do a search for Valentina, a gorgeous gown with a front slit. I love how it drapes over the body. Available in black, white, beige, brown, gold, green, red, blue, burgundy, purple, pink, and hot pink.

 

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/FOUR%20B%20DISTRICT/213/115/29
 

Netera Landar 

Ghee

 By Netera Landar

 

 

Ghee’s main store entrance is located on Qeestein.

For years, I’ve loved Ghee’s clothing, made by Warm Clarity. Beatrice Serendipity owned it after her, and now Sophia Paez Serendipity, her SL daughter and real-life friend, owns it. Sadly, Beatrice died during the pandemic.

Besame Dress for Lara with (Gos) Lady G. Platform Pumps, Truth hair – Mina. Glasses by LQC Barbados – Summer set.

I thought if I were going to write about women’s fashions, I’d start with my favorite stores. Over the years, I’ve invested money in the latest styles and took time to walk down every aisle to see what’s featured.

I clicked on Ghee’s landmark and was happy to see it was still there. 

Thirty-four group gifts are available on the left wall of the center section of the main store. 

 

First, the basics: it costs 250L to join Ghee’s group, but the group gifts are worth it. The group join link is at the entrance, on the left side of the center counter. There are 34 group gifts on the left wall. Behind the counter, there are numerous items priced from 1 to 10L.

The Norma Tea Dress is a Maitreya Laura exclusive and includes a HUD for the belt. Wear with open-toed heels.

Instead of listing all Ghee’s merchandise, I focused on the outfits and their classic style. Ghee offers vintage clothing to make you stand out. Anyone can dress casually, but an outfit from the 1930’s to 1960s is darn right adorable. So, check out Ghee’s Besame Rockabilly dress. It comes in Graphite, Lilac, Bluebell, Vanilla, Sugar, and Scarlet. Wear your hair in an updo and accessorize with heart sunglasses. The Norma Tea Dress is strapless and knee-length. It comes in Meringue, Licorice, Lipstick, Porcelain, Frenchie, and Bubblegum. Cashi is perfect for a holiday gathering. Of the four available textures, I liked red, white, and green. Next to it, you’ll find the winter edition of Malva, which offers a more tailored look for business casual. It comes in three textures. Snowflakes was my favorite of the three. The pattern is sweet and stylish. 

Windlight Shells Gown comes in teal, fuchsia, red, and purple. This formal gown has an operatic style.

Ghee’s formal vintage-style gowns include Windlight Shells Gown and headpiece, which is like a work of art, with its colorful array behind a mermaid-style gown.

SS16 Maxi Dress is rigged and comes in various early body sizes and one-size fitmesh. Reminds me of a metallic oil painting.

In the Outlet store, there’s a tailored suit with embroidered details in Azure, Pitch, and Fiesta. A Maxi Dress Special Edition Noir comes in rigged mesh. 

 

La Corolle Vert features a HUD in six vintage tones of green that whispers Paris in the 1940s.

La Corolle Vert is Parisian, and you can also purchase a matching hat. The color HUD features variations of green. 

 

 

In a back room, you’ll find a more erotic selection of clothing and footwear. I loved the Wanda Catsuit and the Darkness short leather dress, but couldn’t find them displayed.

 

Enjoy, 

 

Slurl: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Qeestein/142/140/1501
 

Netera Landar 

 

Alex Radikal of Tiny Bit Radikal

 

By Netera Landar

Alex's inworld store.

Alex Radikal is both a clothing creator and a DJ. For 15 years, she’s been creating Tiny clothes, and DJing followed shortly after. You’ll find her entertaining as a Tiny rabbit in Raglan Shire on Fridays at 7 p.m. SLT; at Drama Libre, a themed venue; and Out On A Limb, a small mixed avatar club in a RadioSpiral region treehouse, which is co-run by her alt avatar.

“Tiny” is an umbrella term for all small avatars, and Dinkie is a “brand” of avatars. Dinkie is the most popular of the brands, which is why some folks refer to Tinies as Dinkies. “That’s incorrect,” pointed out Alex.

 

 Alex’s friends told her about Tinies, and she was eager to learn more about these drama-free Second Life residents. 

“I found Raglan – which is synonymous with Tiny – and made friends there. While I was exploring, I came across an article on the internet about making clothes for Tinies, which explained a little about how to do it, but also the mindset of a Tiny and what makes appealing clothing for them,” Alex explained. 

Alex stated that years ago, the only popular Tiny avatar was a Wynx. Its clothing was made from sculpts and prims that go over the avatar base. The base is “crushed” or “folded. Under “every” avatar is a base avatar, which is human size. Wynx is named after the creator of some of the first Tiny avatars – Wynx Whiplash.

“I found that I could make clothes and they were pretty good, so I took a small store in Raglan to see if anyone wanted to buy them. They did. The rest is history. Tiny clothes are not just fashion, but fun; cosplay is enjoyed as is anything funny,” she said.

When Alex began making clothes, you needed to be able to build with Second Life tools at a reasonable level and be creative. With today’s mesh avatars, she said it’s essential to be competent with graphics, among other things. Newer avatars are rigged mesh and require textures made for the meshes. The time she spends creating new outfits is determined by her commitments to her other avatars. She has another business with one alt, a radio station to co-run with her other alt, and a real life. Some weeks she has no time, other weeks up to 10-12 hours. She makes clothing for all genders and occasionally does custom work.

Alex gets her outfit ideas from movies, images on the internet, what people say, and her own thoughts on what would make a cute outfit. The seasons also guide her. She has almost 1,000 releases for Wynx, Dinkie, Muso Mouse, and Titchy.

“I’ve just made two new outfits for Dinkies, which I will probably build for Wynx, Muso, and Titchy, too. They’re not even for sale yet. Each type of avatar has a different type of clothing, so it’s not just making it once; it’s making it four times, if I have time. Dinkie clothing is far and away the bestselling, but I do try to keep making clothes for the other avatars I cover, too. I mean, I started with Wynx, how could I not support them?” she stated.

Asked if there’s an outfit she adores, Alex replied, “If you make something, it’s your baby, so I love them all, but I guess the one below is one of my top favourites. I’m not Scottish, but I know how much attention to detail I put in this outfit and I’m delighted with the results. It was a commission that I was allowed to sell after I had delivered it to a customer. I have several colourways available, but this is my favorite. Incidentally, a ‘Tattieboggle’ is what the Scots call a scarecrow, so wear this, and you’re not (Nae) a scarecrow.”

Alex sells her Tiny clothing in her inworld store and on Marketplace. She offers a 10% discount to group members/subscribers who buy from her inworld store.

Alex added that it’s a mistaken opinion that Tinies are young and childish. She wants readers to understand that you are talking to an adult when you are talking to a Tiny and talk long enough, and you’ll discover that they are witty, kind, crazy, fun, creative, intelligent, considerate, inclusive…all the good things.

“Many avatars, myself included, became Tinies because they got absolutely fed up with being constantly hit on by every human in sight. Being Tiny means being considerate as well as understanding that SL is not just what the headlines say. Not everyone in SL wants virtual sex and nothing else! Tinies don’t get quite as much flak as Furries, but they are still considered odd by people who can’t see past their own noses. Don’t judge a book by its cover. Open it and read it before you pass any judgment,” said Alex.

Netera Landar 

 

Holiday Shop & Hop Women's Gift Gowns And Outfits

 

By Netera Landar

Take a minute to explore the Holiday Shop & Hop décor. Tucked away in the corner, you’ll find a reindeer ready to lift off in a Santa hot air balloon while three carolers prepare to sing a song. The stained-glass Christmas tree window is beautiful.

Attending the Holiday Shop & Hop is best done when you’re wide awake, and there are fewer avatars around you. Good luck with both. Wearing roller skates helps you navigate the 18 shopping regions. You can refer to Fab Free’s gift list or use Second Life’s Community page to see all the participating vendors. Then plan your strategy. You might not have time to click on every gift, so focus on what you want most and visit those stores. I love all the Shop and Hops, but the graphics can be quite a challenge. Pull in your draw distance, clear your cache, and use a simple AO. The event ends on January 4.

For this article, I’m going to write about the Holiday Shop & Hop gifts that most women would feel comfortable wearing. The style, color, and length are all important. I don’t know about you, but I love gowns, especially gold ones. They are enchanting and romantic. Accessorize it with your favorite diamond or gold earrings, a bracelet, and gold heels, and then visit your favorite ballroom.

So, this is what I chose from the shopping event.

Sofia’s Raindrops gold Gown is worn with Truth Soiree hair with Lights Rigged, and DE Boutique Moly Heels. The setting is at the Winter Ice Christmas Fest.

Sofia’s Shop & Hop gift is pure elegance. It’s stunning. The Raindrops Gown has a patterned bodice with a full skirt glistening with raindrops. It has a white fur jacket that rests below the shoulders, which perfectly complements the gown. 

Poison Rouge’s black Charlize Dress is daring, but you know you want to wear it. Worn with Truth Luster Brunette hair at Inspire Space Park.

Poison Rouge’s black Charlize Dress is daring and sexy. Perfect for an adult ballroom and guaranteed to make your partner happy and other men jealous.

Queen’s Forever Gown wraps around you like a silk sheet. It’s worn with Truth Imani Brunette hair at Angel Manor’s Rose Theatre.

Queens Forever Gown wraps around you like a silk sheet. Another beautiful ballroom gown or for a romantic dinner for two.

Flower Dreams Nana is a mini dress with a cut-out bodice. The hud features eight textures. The setting is a private sim.

Flower Dreams Nana is a mini dress with a cut-out bodice. A little sexier than I usually wear, but I love the patterns. There are eight to choose from.

There were several other dresses I selected that I couldn’t try on because I don’t have the new LauraX. For one, Purple Moon’s gift was a Sequin Set, a Nari Top, and a Sasha skirt. May 24’s Eva sweater dress has extended shoulders, a short length, and five colors.

For accessories, NaaNaa’s Twinkle Necklace has a charm bracelet look, and Kunglers’ gift, dangling multi-texture earrings, would be perfect for any of the above photos. Miamai’s STAR Hair Barrette has 14 gem colors, 11 pearls, and 4 metals. What a lovely last-minute touch to a special outfit. 

I haven’t tried it on yet, but I know I’ll wear GGVG Fashion’s Christmas outfit. It doesn’t have your typical Christmas colors. The jacket has a fur collar and a snowflake design. There’s fur on the pants, and it comes with boots. Belle Epoque is offering a red leather, hug-your-body Susana Dress. Great style and color.
 

Netera 

  

For All Seasons, Hilly Haalan Knows What You Love

 

By Netera Landar

Hilly Haalan’s main store’s entrance has a realistic exterior

Allow yourself at least 45 minutes if you plan to shop at Hilly Haalan’s main store. It’s the size of a mall, and you won’t know where to look first. There are so many fashions to gaze at and admire. The teleporter directories will help you get around.

The outside vendors will delay your entrance into the store. There are so many dresses to choose from.

Before you even set foot in the store, there is clothing displayed at the landing point. Here you will find short dresses and outfits, along with the group gift. Various stores are dedicated to footwear, formals, new and previous releases, accessories, lingerie, and occasional items. 

The Celestina Dress would be perfect for New Year’s Eve with its sparkling sequins.Choose from 30 colors

Inside the main store, you’ll be immediately drawn to Celestina, a sequined gown perfect for New Year’s Eve. It’s right at the entrance. There are Latex shiny dresses and outfits, as well as form-fitting formal gowns. 

 

Felicity Knit Dress with hud and the Layna Set

Short dresses in a variety of colors and styles. Even winter knit dresses. Loved the one with a hat and a matching scarf. All are adorable and realistic. 

 

The Palina dress was available in plain or patterned. There were dresses with cardigan textures. The Edith dress is perfect for a 50s venue. Some had lace sleeves and stockings. Dresses with mega huds had 60 textures. Autumn dresses had solid tops and patterned skirts. I also found Summer tops with matching maxi-length skirts. 

The Claire Dress would be great for a country venue

If you love going to country venues, check out the Claire Dress, a feminine style that will get their attention. 

The Veronica Outfit offers 35 color choices for jacket, pants, and boot

On the back wall, I found the Veronica outfit, which includes 15 different color jackets, pants, and boots, 30 sweater colors, in a new updated hud, which now gives you a total of 35 jackets, pants, and boots, and 55 sweater color options.

The Leni skirt set would fit right in a tropical setting or retro, for Woodstock

There are skirt outfits, pants outfits, and more. I found short sets, perfect for your summer wardrobe.

Join Hilly Haalan’s group and then head to the Gift building. You’ll find colorful summer dresses, a jogger’s set, a cardigan dress, Love mules, laser-cut heels, classic avatar outfits, necklaces, and more.

 

You’ll find the Occasional store near the Gift building. It’s filled with Halloween outfits. Just a glance and I saw Wednesday from The Addams Family; Jessica Rabbit, Catwoman, Beetlejuice, a Thorned Widow, a Corset outfit, to name a few. There are numerous Valentine’s Day, Easter, Fourth of July, and Christmas outfits as well.

Netera 

New Maitreya Body Announced

 

 Maitreya made news several years ago for being a breakthrough mesh body known it called "Lara." It is now getting a major update. On it's Facebook group, it posted "Coming Soon: an entirely new version, a next generation of Lara!" This one is named the Lara X.

When we created the Lara Mesh Body over 8 years ago, she was ground breaking and soon became the most popular body on the second life grid. Originally it had been our goal to stay close to the default Second Life avatar (Ruth), so that everyone could still enjoy their sl wardrobe with their Lara body. In recent years that restriction has been lifted more and more. Due to the effort of thousands of content creators in second life, who make their mesh in various mesh body sizes, a mesh body can now look any way we want it to.

Recently we’ve received a lot of requests for a Lara mesh body update. When we asked people what it was they were hoping to see in an update, most people replied they were hoping to see a more curvy or more detailed Lara with better weights. The request for smoother weights originates from creators who have expressed the difficulty they experience when creating content for the Lara mesh body (some of them therefore even decided to drop Lara sizes). As much as we wanted to improve the weights issues, doing so would always result in the breaking of content made for Lara previously.

The solution we eventually came up with is to improve Lara, with smoother weights and more detailed mesh. And to give this next generation Lara X as an extra in our next update. An extra, not a replacement. So that no-one will lose anything and everyone will only gain! This means that every Lara mesh body owner or buyer will receive Lara X for free and also still the original Lara body, to wear with existing Lara wardrobes. You can switch between them effortlessly if you wish so.

As announced, Maitreya stated those who already had the original will be getting the new one for free in their next update. So they won't need to spend extra money.

 

But not long afterwards, there was a followup post by Maitreya that was apparently in response to "some misunderstandings." They stated "we didn't make the body more curvy," saying that what was going on was that "the body does respond a little stronger to the appearance sliders," meaning if the sliders were maxed the breasts and behind would be "a little bigger. ... So if you don't want to be more curvy, you don't have to. But you do have the option to get a bit more curvy." The post would go on to say the behind had the option of physics movement and "Lara X isn't an add-on. It is a full body avatar," saying that while they expected clothes to be made for the new body, the original could be kept for existing ones as the new body may or may not work well with current outfits, "that way you will always have a Lara version that (fits) your clothing."

 

No doubt this news will be of interest to those wanting the latest and new looks, as well as fashion designers.

Hat Tip Matoazma Kazyanenko

 

image source: Maitreya

Bixyl Shuftan