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Names of Item: Nantes

Creator: blakopal Galicia

Shoppe: BlakOpal Designs

Comments:

First, from the creator: “A stylish mens suit with houndstooth tweed patterned jacket with dark suede sculpted collar, flexi coattails, and rows of small buttons down the front. Worn with copper-red colored vest with standing collar and white shirt with high collar turned out at the chin. A patterned bow tie is knotted around the neck. The vest has a subtle gear brocade pattern, and the vest has brass buttons down the front. The white sculpted shirt cuffs fold back at the wrist, with cog cuff links. The suit has coordinating pants with zipper front and prim pants flares. Finishing off the suit is a Mekanikal Belt, wide suede leather, with metal gear conchos and a large animated belt buckle with rotating gears.”

And now with some more photos and commentary…

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I decided to complement the Nantes ensemble with my PrimCision: ClockWork Cane by Talia Tokugawa. While the cane does not contain any animations, it is quite fitting for the suit.

The belt is elaborate and a joy to wear. Unfortunately I could not resize it any smaller to account for my frame, but nonetheless, it’s quite spectacular. When I have the time I will adjust it myself because it IS mod!

That’s right, no resizer scripts (thankfully)! I’m delighted to be left to my own devices with respect to modifying Nantes’ prim components.

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I thought the bowtie very spiffy and conveyed the appearance of a bookish gentleman (or gentlefox in this case) quite well.

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There are two prim collar pieces and they blend brilliantly! I did have to adjust them a little, but nothing dramatically. I find most prim collars do not mesh well with the rest of the suit, but not so with the Nantes.

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For gloves, I choose XNT~ FORTISSIMO Gloves, Shiraz (slightly modified tint) by Nix Sands.

I must add that Nantes’ shirt cuffs are exquisite, complete with gear cufflink accessories.

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Side and rear view of Nantes. I am undecided on the coat bottom, but I am more accustomed to longer coat tails that are very fluid. On the other hand, a tweed coat shouldn’t be too flexible. I might try notching up the flexi values a little.

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The vest and jacket are quite brilliant. Note how well the collars mesh.

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And on my human self.

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I am also undecided regarding the prim trouser bottoms. I did resize and adjust them for my frame but I think I need to tinker a little more.

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The trousers themselves, however, are quite nice.

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The detail of the belt is perhaps one of my favourite aspects of the ensemble. The folds of fabric are quite realistic. And again — the collars are just perfect.

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This is an outtake. While taking photos I scroll through hundreds of poses and sometimes amuse myself with what position I find myself in — like this image of casually jamming my cane up into my chin.

And I would like to end this post with four photos from a brief trip my Lady, Pipsqueak Fiddlesticks, and I took to the Babbage sims. Sadly, due to inclement lag, we did not get very far, but we did take in some of the sights.

In the two photos below, Lady is wearing Blak Opal’s Mechanique Steampunk.

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In the two photos below, Lady is wearing Blak Opal’s Shelley Gown–Black Brass.

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PS: Happy Birthday, Dearest!

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Ensemble

Main ensemble: Nantes by blakopal Galicia of BlakOpal Designs
Gloves: XNT~ FORTISSIMO Shiraz, White by Nix Sands of XCENTRICITY
Cane: PrimCision: ClockWork Cane by Talia Tokugawa of PrimCision Jewelry
Shoes: Men’s Black Oxford Captoe by Shenlei Flasheart
Monocle: GC-Monokel (Dark-Knight clock) by Grazioso Alekseev of Crie Style

Fox Avatar

Hair: The Dauphin (Powdered) by Siyu Suen of Illusions
Avatar: Male White Fox by Mephitis Jezebel of Aventity

Human Avatar

Hair: Jardar Hair – Platinum by MissAllSunday Lemon of Wasabi Pills
Hair 2 (Babbage): Elliot – LightBlond by Six Kennedy of GuRL 6 HAIR
Skin: Scorpio_Revelation by Khai Sinister of TheAbyss
Eyes: Blue Opal by Miriel Enfield of Miriel (very very sadly retired)

Photos taken at Syzygy Pyxis: FREE Photosphere for all to use (please use as you wish) and Babbage

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There is seemingly little more terrifying to a Goth punk of the old school than being confronted with “you must wear white”. Granted, some did attire themselves in white, but this was exceedingly rare, or in the form of a poet shirt here and there. But to wear an entirely white ensemble? Not I… until now.

Attending a White Ball I opted for my fox form, of course. But then came the task of “who in SL makes an acceptable ensemble all in white for an EGA such as myself?” Falln, of course.

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Last night was spent at Falln, pouring over the walls of suits, and attempting to find the perfect creation in white. I own most of Falln’s suits in three colours each (black, red and blue). In any event, I found Valeries, which I’ve reviewed in my blog previously, to be the most pleasing in white.

Once attired I was reminded of a video I recently watched on YouTube (yes, beware, RL interjection). Lately I’ve succumbed to replacing my long gone or stored Damned vinyl and tapes with CDs. This, of course, lead me to a YouTube marathon (something I very seldom find time for) featuring The Damned, one of my favourite bands of all time. I had completely forgotten that The Damned was actually on Top of the Pops, and that Dave Vanian also wore entirely white for this performance of Eloise.

What does this have to do with anything? I am merely being absolutely self-indulgent and subjecting anyone who reads my blog to The Damned (just in case there is even one person out there who has never had the pleasure of being exposed to this brilliant punk rock band). One of my video discovery favourites is Grimly Fiendish. Sadly, I could not find a video for Lovely Money (mind, I was rather surprised that The Damned created any videos at all). This recent performance of Neat Neat Neat was most impressive; Dave and the Captain, still going strong. But I digress…

What does this have to do with SL fashion? Absolutely nothing! I am, however, white, armed and dangerous.

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More photos below, along with referenced items worn.

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I will never profess to being the Punk Goth crooner that is Dave Vanian.

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Big wow, eh?

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White White White

Ensemble

Main ensemble: Valeries White by Azriel Demain of Falln
Gloves: XNT~ FORTISSIMO Gloves, White by Nix Sands of XCENTRICITY
Cane: Steel Cane by Vincente Shepherd of Gaslights Emporium (retired)
Monocle: GC-Monokel (Dark-Knight clock) by Grazioso Alekseev of Crie Style
Dagger/Syringe: ~SA~ Another Poison – customized black/white by Insania Aeon
Pocket Watch: *Mire* PocketWatch Short Silver by Ross Myhre of Mire
Broach: +RR+*ROSENKAVALIER*PINBROOCH by Yumi Pausch of ROZOREGALIA

Fox Avatar

Hair: The Dauphin (Powdered) by Siyu Suen of Illusions
Avatar: Male White Fox by Mephitis Jezebel of Aventity

Photos taken at Syzygy Pyxis: FREE Photosphere for all to use (please use as you wish)

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Names of Items: Nobles Jacket, Shirt & Tophat in Black plus Striped Trousers in Black and Striped Vest in Grey

Creator: Drack Diesel

Shoppe: Arcavim

Comments:

Whilst recently visiting Sweetlemon Jewell’s absolutely stunning Alpha & Omega Point sims with my lovely Lady, I thought it would make for an excellent photo session backdrop. While it may be viewed as somewhat sacreligious to blog another creator’s ensemble whilst photographing in their realm, I have reviewed Sweetlemon Jewell’s fine attire previously.

I had been wanting to acquire Arcavim’s gentlemanly line of attire for some time, and thought this the perfect opportunity to do so. For once I almost wished I enjoyed wearing colour beyond red and blue, for Drack Diesel’s selection of colours, while soft, were very elegant. Alas, my obsession with monochrome won out.

However, I was somewhat dismayed to learn that scripts within those prim items harbouring a resizer script would not self delete, nor were the prim items modify so I could not remove them myself. Thankfully, Mr. Diesel provided me with a no transfer/copy/modify version of all items containing scripts so that I could set as desired and then remove the scripts myself. I do appreciate this, particularly in light of impending script limits.

But I digress…

My new, wild, hair required some serious modification in order to fit the beautifully textured top hat. It was, however, a well-worth undertaking.

This room, nearly at the centre of the region, atop the central tower, appealed to me greatly with its vast open space and chess pieces. A lush sofa provides a number of places for visitors to enjoy the scene.

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Down the steampunkery stairs, one finds octahedron art, very reflective of the mysterious, dark and magical place Omega Point is.

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The details of this place never cease to amaze me. I could live here quite comfortably, thank you very much.

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An interesting spin on an organ, to be certain.

The only aspect of Arcavim’s Nobles Jacket that I did not care for was the lower prim sculpt portion. While perfectly textured, I found it did not sit naturally. It is a sculpt, yes, and sizeable sculpt clothing aspects truly are difficult to weave into an ensemble — I do appreciate that. But it’s not to my taste, and I’ve run into this before with another reviewed ensemble.

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For the most part the jacket’s lower prim sat not too badly, but I did find it detracted from the entire look. Regardless, the rest of the ensemble is gorgeously created and the fabric choices positively sumptuous, befitting any steampunk gentleman.

Naturally I saw fit to accent the ensemble with Gaslights Emporium’s (sadly, no longer with us) steel cane.

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Here, you see the jacket’s lower prim a little off centre as I’m contorted into a seated position. But look at the details of the cuffs! Very few creators go to such lengths with ensemble details.

I must mention at this juncture that the accent colours of all Arcavim’s prim pieces are modifiable with a touch script and match other components from this line of clothing — brilliant! This definitely encourages one to buy an assortment of shirt colours (for those who like colour, that is)!

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I was quite enchanted by the gear trees and garden. With respect to the ensemble, the almost-realism and depth achieved is quite unlike most creations and lends itself well to the decadent fabrics chosen as their canvas.

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While I have no comment at this time on my attire, I do draw your attention to the spectacular creation of the sim.

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Finally! Some close-ups. Of course the trousers will quickly become a favourite of mine, and I’ve no doubt will match well with items from a number of other creators.

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Jeepers shoes by Eponymous Trenchmouth is another shoppe whose offerings contain scripts that cannot be removed, and thankfully is very amenable to custom sizing and shipping his stylish shoes to me without his resizer script. I dare say he makes the best shoes on the Grid, as you can see by this view of my new Franken shoes.

XCENTRICITY’s Nix Sands provides an excellent selection of gloves, which I do actually have in all colours, and of which I tend to almost always wear ONE pair (custom tinted almost black). I suppose if I wore colours I would actually wear his other gloves, but such an adventure I am not yet ready for. Wearing a pink shirt on a dare to win the confidence of my Lady three years ago was quite enough for my radical self.

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Once again note the beautiful details of the Jacket cuffs and the lapels.

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Of course you know how much I enjoy this cravat! The cravat pin is the hallmark of a very detail oriented creator, and I’m quite pleased.

The vest is likewise a work of art.

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And finally, a rear view of the vest and trousers, again, showcasing the delightful details.

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If you have not yet acquired selections from Arcavim’s collection, I strongly urge you to do so. If you are a fur (full time or part time such as myself), ensure you contact Mr. Diesel about arranging for modify prim pieces. As we know, not all furs are created with the same ratio of dimensions as the average human and prim pieces need to be custom fit.

Enjoy!

Ensemble

Jacket: Nobles Jacket Black by Drack Diesel of Arcavim
Shirt: Nobles Shirt Black by Drack Diesel of Arcavim
Vest: Striped Vest Grey by Drack Diesel of Arcavim
Trousers: Striped Trousers Black by Drack Diesel of Arcavim
Hat: Nobles Tophat Black by Drack Diesel of Arcavim
Shoes & Socks: Franken – Black by Eponymous Trenchmouth of Jeepers
Gloves: XNT~ FORTISSIMO Gloves, Custom tint by Nix Sands of XCENTRICITY
Cane: Steel Cane by Vincente Shepherd of Gaslights Emporium (retired)
Monocle: GC-Monokel (Dark-Knight clock) by Grazioso Alekseev of Crie Style

Human avatar

• Hair - Jardar Hair (Platinum) by MissAllSunday Lemon of Wasabi Pills
• Skin - Scorpio Revelation (3A Smooth) by Khai Sinister of The Abyss
• Eyes - Blue Opal by Miriel Enfield of Miriel (very sadly retired)

Photos taken at Alpha & Omega Point (please visit these sims if you have not yet)

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Names of Items: NosferCoat & Jardar Hair

Creators: Allegory Malaprop & MissAllSunday Lemon

Shoppes: Schadenfreude & Wasabi Pills

Comments:

Yes, Ladies and gentlemen, it’s that time of year — the annual trading in of my hair. I may feel adventurous and even slip into a new skin by December.

In over three years I have had two hair styles (three if you include my new upgrade). While I absolutely must have closets filled with clothes, bureaus stuffed with cravats, and gloves and canes enough to warrant their own room, I am rather reluctant to acquire new hair and skin with the same fervour.

My reasons are several and can be summed up to say that I would sooner spend my energies on clothing, rather than the distraction of contending with a new core appearance on a regular basis. Once a year is plenty, thank you.

Although I have to say, finding elegant longer blond hair (preferably in a ponytail) befitting my person is nigh impossible. I search about twice a year and every 16 months finally secure something acceptable.

In any event, I thought that the death of my former hair would best be matched with an ensemble by Schadenfreude called NosferCoat — more than just a coat.

The Jardar hair by Wasabi Pills is a amalgam of sculpts and prims, some flexi, and some not. It is an excellent combination, and flows nicely when needed and remains still when it should.

Also note the excellent NosferCoat (Sanguine colour), and its buttons. I layered Schadenfreuede`s Strigoi black undershirt, and Strigoi Oxford shirt beneath for a stylish, yet casual appearance, complementing the NosferCoat.

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Side view of the momentous new hair style. I am rather fond of the manga mad scientist appearance, and for those who know me well, understand the appeal. As a side note, most mad scientist or physician types in Japanese entertainments possess blond hair. And no, I did not give that any consideration when creating my avatar over three years ago. Really.

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My former hair did not comprise of any sculpt components, so I’m quite impressed with how this one appears. The hair is also modifiable (as well containing a resizer script — which can be deleted afterwards), so various strands can be moved to taste and for when wearing a hat.

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I admit, initially, I found it difficult to accept my new hair (I find difficulty with changes in my appearance, in general), but now I’m very pleased.

Wasabi Pills has an ever growing offering of hair suitable for men and women, in a wide range of styles and colours. In fact, I bought another one as well — for 16 months from now.

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My only issue with the NosferCoat is the coat bottom itself. It appears quite nice under most circumstances, but I was never able to fit it to my frame satisfactorily. I do believe it’s too low in this photo. But it does bunch a bit from time to time, depending on my pose.  Although, the coat bottom definitely screams Nosferatu (I’m sure Max would agree).

However, the detail and styling of the texture and components such as cuffs and alternate pieces, are well worth having this coat in the closet.  It’s also very true to its inpiration — and is provided in many colours (I have them all).

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Schadenfreude is also very good about including variations and using multiple layers. Here is the coat as a jacket only, and without the coat bottoms. Very chic.

And I can’t go on enough about the Strigoi trousers! As a quick aside — if you do not own the Strigoi ensemble from Schadenfreude yet, please acquire it today. It’s a brilliant, playful, versatile and stunning creation, perfect for the man of wealth and taste.

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See you all again eventually (yes, I’m aware that I’m not the most prolific blogger).

Enemble Details:

Jacket: Sanguine Short NosferCoat by Allegory Malaprop of Schadenfreude
Shirt: Strigoi Oxford by Allegory Malaprop of Schadenfreude
Undershirt: Strigoi Black Shirt by Allegory Malaprop of Schadenfreude
Trousers: Strigoi Pleated Trousers by Allegory Malaprop of Schadenfreude
Shoes & Socks: Sebastian – Coal by Eponymous Trenchmouth of Jeepers Creepers
Monocle: GC-Monokel (Dark-Knight clock) by Grazioso Alekseev of Crie Style
Pocket watch: PocketWatch Short Silver by Ross Myhre of Mire
Gloves: Batty Suit Gloves by hyasynth Tiramisu of Silent Sparrow

Human avatar

• Hair - Jardar Hair (Platinum) by MissAllSunday Lemon of Wasabi Pills
• Skin - Scorpio Revelation (3A Smooth) by Khai Sinister of The Abyss
• Eyes - Blue Opal by Miriel Enfield of Miriel (very sadly retired)

Photos taken at my Photo Planetoid (which is open for all to use)

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The onset of Summer weather delivers invitations to related events such as: Cruise Ship festivities. I am faced with one such invitation this weekend. As an elegant gothic gentleman, what to do, what to do?

I considered a full Steampunk diving suit, but that really isn’t ship deck worthy. And I rather suspect my friends would anticipate such a choice. Although I did torment the party’s hostess by informing her that I would arrive in a Borat-like swim-thong. There are some dares even I will turn down.  I did take a gander at the couple of Victorian swimsuits for gentlemen available, but even I have my limits insofar as dedication to one my favourite periods in history.

After trawling through the men’s swim suit and shorts section on XStreet, as well as delving into some serious diviniation (via SEARCH), I really could not locate anything that satisfied me. I decided to throw caution to the wind and visit one of my favourite shoppes along with some inventory diving. You must understand that for me to say “I have nothing to wear”, it is a very serious proclamation indeed.

In the end, I do believe I have cobbled together a satisfactory ensemble, one befitting of my personality, preferences, favourite creators, and event.

My signature monocle and powdered wig are a must — even for a cruise ship, beach or any informal gathering.

Schadenfreude’s Noir Webbeater sleeveless shirt by Allegory Malaprop was just the thing for my gothicly inclined persuasion. Realistic fabric and a most excellent web pattern appealed to me immediately.

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Once more Insania Aeon’s ~SA~ Another Poison – blue dagger & syringe grace my thigh. I am, after all, a most unusual apothecary.

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I am pleased that Silent Sparrow’s(bluesky) belladonna:lepidoptera tattoo will finally have a wondrous purpose. I’ve had this tattoo since hyasynth Tiramisu first graced SL with this one, but have not yet had a reason (beyond private showings) to sport them until now.

The ring is a gift from my lovely Lady, and while I do not wear it often, I did feel like doing so here. The creator has long since left SL, but the ring, of course, holds special meaning.

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I had tried a couple pairs of shorts but they… fell short… of my expectations and style. I returned to Schadenfreude and snapped up these Ash Stripe Pants, shortening them for my digitigrade legs. Casual, yet classy. Perfect.

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Little Boy Blue creates some very fine, fun and exotic jewellery. If you’ve never had a chance to enjoy Tomoyuki Batra’s creations, I urge you to do so now. This piece was gifted to me by my Lady, and therefore has special meaning for me — not to mention that this vial of wearable cyanide is especially appealing to my poison-loving sensibilities.

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Yes, I do believe I will enjoy the cruise ship festivities on the ‘morrow. Prepare the iced tea, the apothecary cometh.

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Other Details:

Monocle: GC-Monokel (Dark-Knight clock) by Grazioso Alekseev of Crie Style

Photos taken at Syzygy Pyxis: FREE Photosphere for all to use

Fox avatar

• Avatar – Male White Fox by Mephitis Jezebel of Aventity
• Hair – The Dauphin (Powdered) by Siyu Suen of Illusions

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Version 2.9 Released April 30, 2010

Where to acquire: Right Here

What is this about:

Providing a list of designers selling either appropriately Victorian, Elegant Gothic or inspired (usually costume or imbued with a “Gothic” or “Steampunk” theme) gentleman’s clothing and accessories. While entire Gothic or Steampunk ensembles may not be appropriate for everyone in all scenarios, quite often select pieces can be paired with other pieces from various ensembles to create something both new and splendid.

This is by no means an exhaustive list, and vendors do change locations frequently. Moreover, if you know of a vendor who should be on this list, please contact Elric Anatine and I’ll quite happily make that addition in the next version of this notecard.

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Name of Ensemble: Gloomy (Soot)

Creator: hyasynth Tiramisu

Shoppe: Silent Sparrow

Comments:

I really try not to be biased, and objectivity is something I strive for. But where Silent Sparrow is concerned, such goals are swept away by the truth of perfection. I have never found a clothing creator in Second Life that is as accomplished and astounding as Silent Sparrow is presently. Hya is in a class unto herself for consistently evolving and producing spectacular suits and ensembles. There are other creators I enjoy very much, and I am ever on the look-out for new and exciting tailors, and others who are also developing their craft. However, I really find myself stricken with sadness between Silent Sparrow suit releases… mind, that does make me cherish them all the more.

But I digress…

One of my primary loves of Silent Sparrow’s suits are the prim tail coats. I do not know how she does it, but the tail coats fall and flutter perfectly, with stylistic grace and elegance. Sometimes I fear discussing her textiles is redundant because they are positively captivating with each and every design, laden with detail that makes clothing obsessed men such as myself weep.

Just look at the cut and fabric of those coat tails! Stunning.

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The rich swirls of Gloomy caress the torso brilliantly, and I must confess that I did not use the included neck tie with this ensemble. As beautiful as the neck tie is, it’s not my personal style, so I married Silent Sparrow’s (Ash) Batty Shirt Collar w/ Jabot with this ensemble.

Gaslights Emporium (sadly, no longer among us)’s steel cane was a perfect accompaniment to this fabulous ensemble.

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This is the second thigh syringe and dagger I have purchased from Insania Aeon. I could have modified my other, but honestly couldn’t be bothered. For an unusual apothecary such as myself, this suits me well.

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The Batty jabot is also a favourite of mine. I am always enchanted how Silent Sparrow creates a unique jabot for every suit, and ones that can be mixed and matched with other ensembles as desired. Hat’s off to Hya.

Speaking of hats, this splendid creation is from Allegory Malaprop of Schadenfreude and her Strigoi Viu ensemble. A perfect topper for Gloomy. I must interject at this juncture and state that most top hats in SL are too large for my head (difficult to believe, I know). I do not mind being a slighter male, but I forever must modify hats for my head. This one — fit perfectly! Thank you, Alle.

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Gloomy’s belt is brilliant, featuring a nicely cool crafted metal buckle, resting firmly on this hips. The suit jacket cuffs, of course, radiate with the care and attention to detail that has become synonymous with Silent Sparrow.

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While these trousers are cited as “jeans” in the inventory, they feel more like well loved and worn velvet to me. The spectacular bottoms are obfuscated by Siyu Suen of Illusions’ decadent Beau pirate boots — apologies for this, but do know that the trousers are wonderfully detailed and very rich indeed.

In addition to being obsessed with coat tails, cravats and canes, I am also obsessed with gloves. I’ve always enjoyed that Silent Sparrow fashions appropriate gloves for each suit. Gloomy’s gloves, like the trousers, have a very soft, almost velveteen feel.

And once more I must say that Gaslights Emporium’s Steel cane accents Gloomy exceptionally well.

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A side/rear view of Schadenfreude’s Strigoi Viu top hat. The decorative bat crests the rear brim, and from it flows a flutter of silken fabric.

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A complete rear view of Gloomy provides you with a view of the exquisite tail coat edging detail as well as the back of the jacket with its sensuously swirling accents.

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As always, Silent Sparrow pays particular attention to the interior of the coat tails, with luxurious fabric lining.

This is a suit you wish to caress your skin. I’m sure you’ll agree.

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Other Details:

Cane: Steel Cane by Vincente Shepherd of Gaslights Emporium (sadly, now absent from the Grid)
Hat: Strigoi Viu by Allegory Malaprop of Schadenfreude
Monocle: GC-Monokel (Dark-Knight clock) by Grazioso Alekseev of Crie Style
Boots: Beau Pirate Boot by Siyu Suen of Illusions
Thigh Syringe & Dagger: ~SA~ Another Poison – black by Insania Aeon.

Photos taken at Syzygy Pyxis: Photo Studio Planetoid (which is open for all to use and enjoy)

Human avatar

• Hair – Elliot (LightBlond) by Six Kennedy of GuRL 6
• Skin – Scorpio Revelation (3A Smooth) by Khai Sinister of The Abyss
• Eyes – Blue Opal by Miriel Enfield of Miriel (very sadly retired)

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Where have I been?

First, I will lay the blame of this post entirely on my current course of medication. This, along with other events, will partially explain my absence from my blog and life in general. As I am not one to whinge about personal matters, suffice it to say that my health has been in less than stellar condition of late and we shall simply leave it at that.

Moving right along, I am grateful for my friends and one lady in particular (/me casts a sidelong glance at Lady Pipsqueak Fiddlesticks). A more recent friend, Kulta Hannu, has declared me an enabler with my suggestions of shops for clothing and landscaping — everyone should know that I am only too happy to help others spend their Linden Dollars on fine fashions and foliage. But I will now point my paw at Kulta-chan and cry out: “Enabler!”, for there is nothing more terrifying than two women conspiring against a poor old fox.

Attend… a travesty of epic proportions…

Once upon a time, as the snows melted and gave way to Spring, a lovely Lady suggested to her gothicly-inclined gentleman fox, “I believe it’s time to transform the Physic Garden and Apothecary into a place of dead things, as though abandoned, or that we went mad… very mad.” She continued teasing her gentlefox with delightful dark images of decadence and artful decay.

This gentlefox perked at the idea, very much liking dead and dark things (of the non-tacky variety, that is), and so set about to transform their lands.

A few days ago during a visit from the resident neko and recently made Grounds Manager of Syzygy, Kulta-chan asked with growing concern, “And just how far will the dead spread?”

The gentlefox wished to quip that the dead would spread far and wide across all the lands, but he bit tongue with his lengthy fangs, and merely smiled, pointing to the immediate vicinity.

Believing the neko satisfied with the answer, the gentlefox continued with his work, unaware of the machinations brewing in the cat’s head… nor his Lady’s.

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And so it came to pass this fine evening that the gentlefox’s Lady exclaimed in that come hither voice, “I have something GREAT to show you.”

As a result of Linden Lag, several minutes passed before the true horror of what befell the gentlefox’s dark work dawned upon his furry pale face.

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Flamingos. The Dark One could not have been amused, but it is difficult to say as his relationship is deepest with the Lady of this land, and he would likely do anything for her (even remain still in Winter as she outfitted him with a scarf).

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The Physic Garden and Apothecary had been quite successfully… flamingoed… by Lady Fiddlesticks… enabled by the neko, Kulta Hannu. The Lady was greatly amused, giggling happily like a victorious school girl prankster (which, incidentally, is one of the many reasons the gentlefox likes her so… although the flamingos may be going too far).

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Even Arnold, the gentlefox’s prized albino peacock, was cozying up to one of these frightful pink creatures! As if regular feedings of marshmallows were not enough, his head was actually turned by the bright invaders.

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Betrayer! Defiant, mocking peacock. “I know a nearby campire at the beach that will enjoy your marshmallows henceforth!” the gentlefox vowed.

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Alas, this gentlefox can only resign himself to his fate. And the flamingos.

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Please visit Syzygy Selene: Physic Garden & Apothecary — with flamingos to bear witness to this travesty.

Other Details:

Flamingos, cunningly fashioned: Yo, flamingo! nr1 *pink* by Antonia Marat of Artilleri (in the off-chance that my humour is lost on some readers, I do seriously believe that these flamingos are actually quite awesome and if anyone is every in need of flamingos, Artilleri is likely THE purveyor of flamingo love).
Ensemble: Viktor by Darwin Mizser of AVid
Monocle: GC-Monokel (Dark-Knight clock) by Grazioso Alekseev of Crie Style

Fox avatar

• Avatar – Male White Fox by Mephitis Jezebel of Aventity
• Hair – The Dauphin (Powdered) by Siyu Suen of Illusions

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Name of Ensemble: Winter Wonderland Suit (Aqua)

Creator: Azriel Demain

Shoppe: Falln

Comments:

This is the third in a series of several entries regarding Wintry Ware.

Pardon the enormous image sizes, but I confess to showing off not only the ensembles, but my recently winterized lands as well. Please do come and visit; Syzygy is mostly open to public exploration and enjoyment.

There is nothing quite like touring through a winter region as an arctic fox while attired in something equally warm — Falln’s Winter Wonderland Suit.

While over a year old, the ensemble is still worth acquiring today, and available in Falln’s usual vast assortment of colours and numerous options within each ensemble.

For instance, I can opt for fur along the coat’s edges (no animals were harmed in the creation of this coat), or a jabot. I opted for the fur — since it’s synthetic (/me winks). Trousers and waist coat are available in white or aqua.

The silvery detail on this suit is truly stunning, as are the rich fabric patterns.

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The faux fur cuffs are an appropriate addition and the gloves definitely some of Falln’s best work with gloves.

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Once again I would like to draw attention to the silvery trim and exquisite fabric, evoking a cool winter feeling.

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As with all Falln flexi coat tails, this one flows beautifully. At times it flows a little too fluidly and the backside of my trousers become visible through the coat when I move certain ways, but it’s a small price to pay for such luxury.

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Kheph777 Enoch’s Gentlemen’s Fancy Clear Cane is a perfect accessory to this ensemble, with its glassy shaft and silver details.

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An exquisite look for winter, wouldn’t you say? And of course the ensemble strips down into its myriad component pieces, each one capable of being mixed and matched with other ensembles. These trousers are modify as well, enabling easy adjustment for digitigrade legs.

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Please visit Syzygy for wintry romance and ice (bring your own blanket).

Other Details:

Cane: Gentlemen’s Fancy Clear Cane by Kheph777 Enoch of Kheph’s Creations
Monocle: GC-Monokel (Dark-Knight clock) by Grazioso Alekseev of Crie Style

Photos taken at Syzygy Selene: Winter Solstice Celtic Garden of Delight (which is open for all to enjoy)

Fox avatar

• Avatar – Male White Fox by Mephitis Jezebel of Aventity
• Hair – The Dauphin (Powdered) by Siyu Suen of Illusions

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Name of Ensemble: Fur Coat (male)

Creator: Darwin Mizser

Shoppe: AVid

Comments:

This is the second in a series of several entries regarding Wintry Ware.

Pardon the enormous image sizes, but I confess to showing off not only the ensembles, but my recently winterized lands as well. Please do come and visit; Syzygy is mostly open to public exploration and enjoyment. We have skating and… Falln’s legendary twisted snowmen…

This was my first winter purchase over two years ago, and at the time I was quite taken with the elegant fur coat and gloves. I must interject immediately and say that the gloves of this ensemble match very well with numerous other ensembles, making it one of the most versatile pieces in my wardrobe — especially during the winter season. As quality gloves are a rarity in SL, I urge anyone to pick up this creation.

As an aside, Darwin Mizser has the Fur Coat ensemble in the sale area rather than the main area, for a mere L$200.

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As an older ensemble, and one of AVid’s first, it’s quite a bit different from the fantastical gothic creations of the last year. Unfortunately, I find the brass coloured coat buttons nigh impossible to match given my personal proclivities towards silver accoutrements. Moreover, the coat does not extend completely to the waist, which means one’s shirt will be visible above the trousers.  However, it’s still a must have.  And while you’re at AVid, I recommend the crimson/red Viktor.

I opted to wear AVid’s Silver Shirt (from the Striped silk shirts + waistcoat collection) and Midnight’s trousers beneath the fur coat. The silk shirts (which I also feel are a must to add to any virtual closet), can also be found the in above mentioned AVid sale area.

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Despite the age, I do believe the coat and gloves are a must for a gentleman’s wardrobe… until something better comes along in the same vein. I do enjoy the fact that the fur is not overly fanciful (yes, this is me saying this), nor is it completely worn. Elegant and stylish — just the coat for winter climes.

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Of course my passion for high and wide collars is quite noticeable. The coat bottom’s flexi works well — just a little stiff, as one would expect from this fabric. But the prim coat collar is very attractively styled.

Going to hell? Yes, we are… in a Junk ship, no less.

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Other Details:

Shoes: Evocative Boots – “Cuban Black” Ankle Boot by Paul Lapointe of BastChild Lotus
Socks: (ashes) nemu suit socks by hyasynth Tiramisu of Silent Sparrow
Monocle: GC-Monokel (Dark-Knight clock) by Grazioso Alekseev of Crie Style

Photos taken at Syzygy Selene: Twisted Snowmen & Skating (which is open for all to enjoy — watch for demented snowmen)

Human avatar

• Hair – Elliot (LightBlond) by Six Kennedy of GuRL 6
• Skin – Scorpio Revelation (3A Smooth) by Khai Sinister of The Abyss
• Eyes – Blue Opal by Miriel Enfield of Miriel (very sadly retired)

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Name of Ensemble:Candy Man

Creator:Teaa Demina

Shoppe: M’Lady

Comments:

This will be the first in a series of several entries regarding Wintry Ware. It’s a favourite time of year in SL; when landscapes become chilly, foliage is frosty and we are compelled to adorn ourselves in appropriately warmer attire (except for those adventurous among you who are driven to romantic encounters atop the ice — for you, I suggest at least a blanket).

And speaking of sex on an icy beach, these next few entries will take me out of the Photosphere and onto my own lands. This is also the reason that I have not blogged of late — I’ve been a tad occupied transforming four sims in a winter wonderland with my Lady and neighbours. As most of the lands are open to the public, please do come visit any time. Our winterization, while still a work in progress in areas, will be active until March 1, 2010.

Pardon the enormous image sizes, but I confess to showing off not only the ensembles, but my lands as well.

Candy Man was released one year ago, and it is most definitely very near the top, if not at the top, of my winter festive favourites. Fanciful, playful and yet oh so debonair.

The hat is perhaps one of my favourite aspects of this ensemble. Richly detailed and cresting roguishly atop my head — very nice indeed!

I find while wearing this ensemble, the song as covered by Bow Wow Wow, I Want Candy, runs through my mind, at times.

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The delightful detail on the hat, again, truly deserves mentioning again. If nothing else, buy Candy Man for the hat!

While I’m not a massive fan of the cuffs (I truly think the design and fabric could be improved upon) it does “work” and I’m not extremely bothered by them. They do tie in quite nicely with the neckerchief.

The high coat collar truly adds to the roguish appearance.

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The neckerchief with candy cane is outstanding. The fabric matches well with the cuffs, and I am very impressed with the overall choices in fabrics and colours of this ensemble.

ETA: I cannot believe I initially neglected to mention my thorough enjoyment of the waist coat. The minty green buttons accent this dandy candy ensemble perfectly.

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The trousers are perfectly elegant, and the walking stick/cane accessory truly sets off the entire ensemble and lends to its playful imagery. I’ve added XCENTRICITY’s white gloves for that extra wintry effect.

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These coat tails are nicely fashioned, even by my fanatical standards.

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All in all, a fantastic find. Gentlemen, you will definitely receive long, lingering looks in this ensemble. Have some candy canes at the ready for distribution.

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Other Details:

Shoes: Sebastian – Coal by Eponymous Trenchmouth of Jeepers Creepers
Monocle: GC-Monokel (Dark-Knight clock) by Grazioso Alekseev of Crie Style
Gloves: XNT~ FORTISSIMO Gloves, White by Nix Sands of XCENTRICITY

Photos taken at Alchemical Romance: Winter Beach & Grotto (which is open for all to enjoy — watch for lovers)

Human avatar

• Hair – Elliot (LightBlond) by Six Kennedy of GuRL 6
• Skin – Scorpio Revelation (3A Smooth) by Khai Sinister of The Abyss
• Eyes – Blue Opal by Miriel Enfield of Miriel (very sadly retired)

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First, I would like to make a public apology to Calamity’s creator, Ariel Zuhal, for inferring severe malcontent with one of her creations in one of my recent blog posts. My intent is never to malign – if it were, I would write day and night about creators and creations that are not sympathetic to consumers, but that is seriously not my desire. I would sooner spend money on amazing outfits and share my findings with my fellow fashion-lovers.

Returning to Ms. Zuhal’s concern that my commentary would adversely affect her image or sales, I do not believe that is the case for I am not widely-read and hopefully my readers know to take much of what I say with a serious grain of salt (I point people to my Disclaimer). However, I did make an error in not being specific enough regarding my review. I took exception with the erratic permissions and script resizers used in the one ensemble of hers that I reviewed. All but two attachments were listed as no mod, and I failed to mention this fact along with my diatribe of anguish regarding no mod attachments. The other two items both bore different script resizers. While my points, in my opinion, were valid, they would lead the casual reader to believe that Ms. Zuhal had misrepresented her clothing which she did NOT. Items were exactly as she described and it was my personal problem and issue with one item in particular that did not allow for modification. I therefore apologize for unknowingly misrepresenting this fact.

I would also like to reiterate that Calamity’s ensemble reviewed by myself was also very much enjoyed (and even sparked some kind words from others as I roamed the Grid), even though I took exception to the no mod aspects and the resizer scripts employed throughout. It is always my hope that a creator will release items with permissions that make the ensembles more flexible, and that is my hope here. I will also add that Ms. Zuhal very kindly offered me a mod version of the suit, which I am quite grateful for. She is correct in that people should simply write a creator and ask for mod permissions before ranting and raving. This is true. Although after being repeatedly and firmly told “no” by most creators, I grow weary of asking. Again, I should have inquired rather than assumed. You can teach an old fox old tricks.

I will state, at this time, that I do not use this blog as a platform to portray perfection and “OMG this is so great, and this is why”. I will be honest in my reviews. I do like everything I review for some reason or another, but I will not remain silent about those aspects I find bothersome, whether it’s the construct of coat tails, texturing laziness, death by script resizers etc. If I only blogged perfection, my blog would mirror Silent Sparrow’s blog and then there would be no point for me to blog. While most other reviewers focus solely on the positives, I feel that omitting negatives is being a little less than honest. But that’s me. I am critical. But I am also passionate about fashion.

And so… speaking of things that get me hot under the collar – clothing permissions!

I’m coming up on three years in Second Life and I still waffle on my stance as to what is best with respect to apparel permissions. I respect that creators cannot make two sets (one with copy/mod/no trans and one with no copy/no mod/trans) for each ensemble – that’s ridiculous. I’ve seen this discussion come up time and time again in the forums as well and there are pros and cons to both sets of permissions. The only con to copy/mod/no trans that I have been able to understand is that the ensemble cannot be sold if it’s no transfer. I don’t know who sells or gives away their clothes, but I presume they number in a high percentage as this seems to be a sticking point. I never intend on “selling my stuff”, so I do not care about transferability – but that’s just my personal preference.

Along came script resizers to cure the need for modify (so it was thought), but we know how well that has worked and my thoughts on that subject. This is a horse that I really need to leave be as it’s in danger of rising from the dead a third time.

However, there are those who do not understand the need for copy and/or modify in clothing. For them I offer the following reasons off the top of my head:

• You have an ensemble’s attachments that do not fit your avatar properly (usually belts, collars, cuffs, hats, etc.).
• You have several different avatars of varying sizes and it’s a right royal pain in the backside to constantly modify attachments for each avatar.
• Your avatar already utilizes numerous attachment points and you need to attach one item to another in order to wear both – both items will need to be modify for this to work.
• Your avatar is a non human that needs to shorten trousers or shirts in order to portray a proper image.
• You need to match something to another something and it would be great to add a little bit of colour tint to make the entire outfit perfect. This, I understand, is most creators’ reason for not allowing modify – they do not wish their creative image to be tampered with in any way. However, I maintain that most people would never modify the colour tint of an ensemble and for those few who do, wouldn’t a creator want a consumer advertising billboard who has that much attention to detail and who enjoys showing off their latest look?

Modify is really essential in a virtual world, for constructing your image. Copy is very helpful for those such as myself that body/avatar swap. Again, I do respect those who need transfer permissions but I will always desire modify permissions at the very least.

Unfortunately, some creators opt for no mod and the use of script resizers because they fear infringement (aka the copybot). This does not stop copying (is that horse dead for the fourth time yet?). The latest in anti-theft prevention is to render an item unusable if it is rezzed (as opposed to worn). This alerts the creator that there has been a “violation”. This has also spawned a whole new griefing activity called “spam the creator by rezzing dozens of their demos in short succession”. It is my hope that this madness will end in the near future. Why does an item need to be rezzed rather than worn? See my point above regarding linking two items together to wear both simultaneously.

Alright, enough whingeing from me. I will hopefully have some reviews forthcoming this week.

On a final note, I have learned the following: be more clear and despite the agony of “no”, and contact the creator first.

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Name of Ensemble:Gentlemen Take Polaroids

Creator: Ariel Zuhal

Shoppe: Calamity

Comments:

Do I ever feel like Mr. Negativity these days! Apologies in advance for another slightly malcontented review.  I’m determined to find something light and positive for my next post.

I have been keeping tabs of Calamity’s creations on XStreet for some time now and this week decided to purchase one of their ensembles. The spread of style on their offerings are reasonably varied although heavily “Gothic”, leading to my hopefulness that I’d found a new creator I could count on to supply me with fanciful elegant gothic attire every now and then. Sadly, that will not be the case (unless they modify their creations drastically), which is unfortunate as the general styles and textures are quite nice.

My love of fanciful collars attracted me to the Gentlemen Take Polaroids ensemble. The concept is appealing to me; particularly given my closet ankh fetish which I blame entirely on David Bowie and Catherine Deneuve. But as you can see, Don Cherry is not my fashion plate, and the oversized collar is too much for me. Granted, I have a slight avatar, but not that slight.

And here is where the problems began. All pieces in this ensemble are no copy/no mod. One piece contains resizer scripts that cannot be removed, another piece contains resizer scripts that can be removed and all other pieces (the two collars and the coat bottoms) contain no resizer scripts whatsoever. This is the first time I’ve encountered a schizophrenic ensemble in SL.

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There is a subtlety and even subdued nature to this ensemble that I do enjoy. While I have a penchant for extravagance, sometimes it’s nice to slip into something a little less overt yet still quite elegant.

The velveteen and heavy sheer fabrics and silvery-ebony accoutrements are quite perfect. The real crime is the inability to modify all the prim pieces to satisfaction. The coat bottoms flow reasonably and as expected for a heavier coat.

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While the cuffs may seem massive, I do like the size for my own personal taste. The belt is nicely styled as well. And yes, for once, I opted for no gloves (although it may be the shock of how poorly the ensemble was scripted and assigned permissions).

Again, vest and trouser styling not overly detailed, but still quite attractive.

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This was about the time I discovered the disparate resizer scripts and lack thereof in various prim pieces.

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I felt the coat collar was too large for the coat itself, and most certainly for me. Naturally this was one of the pieces in which there is no resizer script whatsoever.

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Stripping away the layers, we are left with an ensemble that still carries weight.

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Resizing the belt to my waist minimized the beautiful buckle to the point that it was far too tiny. This is the inherent problem with resizer scripts that do not allow resizing of one prim and even if they do, one often has to resize a couple of the prims and then realign the various components manually to look acceptable — if the item is no modify, then this is impossible.  When will creators learn?

Still… the shading/lighting on the lapels of the jacket is quite nice.

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While the shirt is not bad, and would look excellent beneath a brocade waistcoat, the texture clashing where the shirt meets trousers is a little hard on the eyes.

However, please note that the trousers display a simple belt if you find the prim belt not to your liking. This can be seen as being both helpful and not — depending on personal preferences.

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My fox self experienced momentary trauma as his tail vanished, consumed by the coat tails. However, attaching a backup tail returned fox to normalcy, although I had to give up the belt in order to do so. Thankfully the system trousers were modify so I was able to shorten them for my digitigrade legs.

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As fox is even smaller than my human self, I really do wish I could edit the prim pieces. But I must say, for all my whingeing, it’s nothing I cannot live with and for larger avatars, it’s doubtful they’ll encounter the same difficulties. I just do not wish to carry around a sign exclaiming “Sorry for lagging your sim, I can’t remove the resizer scripts because the creator is under the misguided notion that this actually protects their creations from being stolen and resold or given away by disrespectful thieves“.

On a final note, I would like to thank Eponymous Trenchmouth, divine creator of the spectacular Jeepers Creepers shoes, for being so kind as to remove the resizer script from the Sebastian shoes (worn in this post).  I really need to write a spotlight on shoes in SL.  But not for my next post.

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For the most part this ensemble is wonderful and I’m glad to have it in my inventory. But will I buy future ensembles from Calamity? Not unless the creation is truly outstanding in appearance and there is a sane way to modify prim components without compounding script resources.

ETA: Ariel Zuhal has responded to a notecard where I pointed out the lack of modify ability and the resizer script discrepancy. She was very prompt and kind enough to deliver to me a modify/no transfer version of this lovely ensemble. Unfortunately she took offense to my post (see below) and my whinge-fest regarding no mod and resizer scripts.  No serious slight was intended, and as I think can be seen in my post, I do believe the outfit has considerable merit.  As always, my views are my own and unlikely to reflect any majority.

Other Details:

Shoes: Sebastian – Coal by Eponymous Trenchmouth of Jeepers Creepers
Monocle: GC-Monokel (Dark-Knight clock) by Grazioso Alekseev of Crie Style
Socks: (ashes) nemu suit socks by hyasynth Tiramisu of Silent Sparrow

Photos taken in My Photosphere (which is open for all to use)

Human avatar

• Hair – Elliot (LightBlond) by Six Kennedy of GuRL 6
• Skin – Scorpio Revelation (3A Smooth) by Khai Sinister of The Abyss
• Eyes – Blue Opal by Miriel Enfield of Miriel (very sadly retired)

Fox avatar

• Avatar – Male White Fox by Mephitis Jezebel of Aventity
• Hair – The Dauphin (Powdered) by Siyu Suen of Illusions

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Name of Ensemble:Viscount Black Seas

Creator: Raven Pennyfeather

Shoppe: Rfyre

Comments:

I enjoy spotting an ensemble that I am fairly convinced will perfectly suit either my human or fox self. I took one look at Rfyre’s new Viscount and knew that fox had to have it.

Admittedly, I have not bought any Rfyre ensembles for some time, not really finding most of their offerings in the past year to my taste, but I thought — why not? Fox gets what he wants. Do you want to tell him “No”?

Since the inception of prim sizing scripts, I’ve been in the doldrums a little regarding fashion. Rfyre quickly disappointed on this account.

Not only do the prim pieces contain script resizers (the standard “this prim”/”all prims” script), but the prim pieces are no copy. What does this mean exactly apart from a slightly snarly fox? If my human self wished to wear this ensemble, I would need to leave the lag inducing scripts inside the prim in order to modify them for different avatar sizes.

I was somewhat amused by Miss Pennyfeather’s notecard which indicated that one should ensure that one copies the prim piece (if possible) before removing the resize script. Except… most of her items are no copy!

Before my readers believe that I have gone off completed cocked on this issue, once upon a time prim pieces were often made copy/modify and without resizing scripts. This is absolutely ideal. Now with the resize script, creators erroneously believe that no copy pieces are quite acceptable and have now become the norm. In a world of excessive lag, contributing to this by way of resize scripts in half a dozen pieces per avatar really compounds an already epidemic problem.

These resize scripts will be the death of me, I know it.

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However, back to the real subject at hand… fashion! I do like this ensemble quite a bit. The brass accoutrements set off this style exceptionally well, and of course the rich brocade fabric is sumptuous.

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The coat bottoms with the sash is beautifully styled, although even after using the prim resizer, I still had to tweak the individual pieces in places. And this is my other nit about prim resizers in coat tails — I enjoy a long coat and if I resize to my narrow waist, the coat length shortens to an unappealing length for me. However, these pieces are modify (thankfully), so I am able to resize the manual way.

The trousers are also stunning and are offered in two lengths (knee high and full length). At least this takes care of those of us with digitigrade legs.

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The overall styling really is superb and certainly infused with Eastern European tones. The suit is very aptly named, and one can easily imagine a decadent journey on the Black Seas.

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The collar and jabot are wonderfully styled, featuring excesses that appeal to me greatly. This, in addition to the sash, is perhaps one of the most defining and alluring attractions of this ensemble.

The fingerless gloves are well made and patterned. And the coat cuffs a very nice accent.

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The rear view reveals a continuance of an elegantly styled suit. For myself, however, I think I will return the coat tails to their original size, remove the resize script and manually narrow the waist as I do prefer longer coat tails.

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At first I thought that stripping down revealed pieces that could be worked with or stand alone, however…

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…the trouser tops are a continuance of the coat piece. I would need to wear a belt to cover this up. It is instances such as this that I wish creators would also include another pair of trousers without the continued waistcoat, shirt or jacket fabric. However, I’m cognizant that my wish list of a perfect outfit is obscene and far too demanding.

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Despite my discontent regarding a few aspects of the Viscount Black Seas, it’s a wonderful creation. While not as versatile as I was hoping, it is prêt-à-porter.

Other Details:

Monocle: GC-Monokel (Dark-Knight clock) by Grazioso Alekseev of Crie Style

Photos taken in My Photosphere

Fox avatar

• Avatar – Male White Fox by Mephitis Jezebel of Aventity
• Hair – The Dauphin (Powdered) by Siyu Suen of Illusions

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Name of Ensemble:Valeries Suit Black

Creator: Azriel Demain

Shoppe: Falln

Comments:

Almost three years ago the first suit I bought was Lord Lace by sf Designs. The second suit I bought was Falln’s Arachnid. I thought at that time, naively, that I couldn’t possibly afford clothes in Second Life and how many suits do I need any way? Mind, if my RL coat closet alone is any indication, I should have known better. Fast forward nearly 3 years later and I have more than 100 ensembles and Falln still remains one of my favourite creators.

Azriel Demain is incredibly prolific and quite unstoppable in his creation endeavours. For this, I am most grateful.

The Valeries suit is one of my favourites, and perhaps the reasons are obvious. The flowing lace jabot, silver buttons and sumptuous sleeves, along with the sensuously stylish coat tails, all endear themselves to me.

Not modelled here, but worth mentioning, this ensemble does come with a skirt for the ladies (or gents who are so inclined) who may also enjoy the Valeries.

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The coat tails sway naturally, beautifully and dare I say it again, sensuously. Falln is one of few creators who has truly mastered the flexi settings and design of prim coat tails.

The rich velveteen patterned fabric is the icing on this luxurious cake.

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I do not believe Falln has created such an extravagant jabot before, and naturally this appeals to me greatly. The design is most excellent and feels very natural.

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The manner in which the beautifully designed coat tails spills over the exquisitely patterned trousers is quite enchanting. Most of Falln’s trousers are shiny, form fitting leather, so I was particularly overjoyed upon finding this treasure in Valeries.

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I have only a couple of nits with this ensemble, and one of them are the gloves. I do know that gloves (and socks) are some of the most difficult pieces to make, but I always hope for something a little more extravagant, particularly with an ensemble of this nature.

Hatpins’ Lord Stuart Walking Stick really completes this ensemble.

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I am suddenly reminded of the Japanese school uniforms at this juncture. Perhaps a school for future EGA J-Pop stars, mind.

With the accessories and excess removed, what remains are trousers, shirt and jacket. Toss on a belt, and one could easily have a stylish, more casual ensemble.

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While I do like the buttons on the shirt, I’m not overly keen on the style, but that’s a personal preference. I feel it could still stand on its own, or with an exquisite vest.

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And one more issue ahead…

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The trousers. As furry friendly as Falln’s ensembles often are, the trousers are no mod. This is a bit of a killer for me. However, I will give Azriel Demain top marks for his customer service (in fact, I would say that he is one of the few and one of the best at exceeding my customer service expectations).

A quick, kind IM to Azriel Demain and he sends me a modify version of the trousers for my digitigrade fox legs. Not only is he talented, but he is also very personable.

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I really need to pick up a blue variation of Valeries for my fox self.

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The potential for mixing and matching with Valeries is high. One could easily swap out trousers, shirts, jackets, and jabot. I had considered adding more accessories such as a pocket watch, but it really wasn’t needed. Add a walking stick and I do believe that is all that is required.

Other Details:

Shoes: Evocative Boots – “Cuban Black” Ankle Boot by Paul Lapointe of BastChild Lotus
Monocle: GC-Monokel (Dark-Knight clock) by Grazioso Alekseev of Crie Style
Socks: (ashes) nemu suit socks by hyasynth Tiramisu of Silent Sparrow
Walking Stick: Lord Stuart Walking Stick – Silver by Reghan Straaf of Hatpins

Photos taken in My Photosphere

Human avatar

• Hair – Elliot (LightBlond) by Six Kennedy of GuRL 6
• Skin – Scorpio Revelation (3A Smooth) by Khai Sinister of The Abyss
• Eyes – Blue Opal by Miriel Enfield of Miriel (very sadly retired)

Fox avatar

• Avatar – Male White Fox by Mephitis Jezebel of Aventity
• Hair – The Dauphin (Powdered) by Siyu Suen of Illusions