It has been a while since I updated my list of Gentlemen’s Clothiers (Acquiring Gentleman’s Victorian, Elegant Gothic & Inspired Attire), and I thought it was time to do so.

Very surprising to myself were the number of creators that I had to remove due to:  (1) no longer in Second Life, (2) retired, or (3) having eliminated the very items from their shops that placed them on this list (this I’m still scratching my powdered wig head over).

A few people kindly sent me suggestions for additions, plus I had a couple of my own — but nowhere near equal to the number I deleted.  I turned to SL’s SEARCH and Marketplace listings.  And… I am disappointed.  I truly was hoping that in the past six months there would be more than a few new or developing creators of men’s Elegant Gothic Aristocratic fashions.

And so… I am protesting… naked… with only my cane and top hat.

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I will return to this list later this weekend and week, hopeful that further searching will yield some new to me creators.

Version 2.10 of my list will be out shortly thereafter.

Help dress this fox and prevent him from frightening his fellow avatars on the Grid.

If you’ve any suggestions, please IM in world or comment below.  Thank you.

Details:

Monocle: GC-Monokel (Dark-Knight clock) by Grazioso Alekseev of Crie Style
Cane: Steel Cane by Vincente Shepherd (retired)
Top Hat: Strigoi Viu Tophat by Allegory Malaprop of Schadenfreude

Photos taken at Syzygy PhotoSphere (open to public)

Fox avatar

Male White Fox by Mephitis Jezebel of Aventity

Yes, I’ve been absent from my blog for a while. Between RL and some serious SL focus, I had to make some decisions over what I could reasonably spend time on.

In any event, the first suit in six months from Silent Sparrow has lured me to the blog once again. Pardon the brevity of this review, but it in no way diminishes my passionate feelings towards this spectacular suit.

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Name of Ensemble: Corbie (Limited Edition Sea and Blood)

Creator: hyasynth Tiramisu

Shoppe: Silent Sparrow

Comments:

Featured first, with my fox avatar, is the limited edition Sea. I also picked up the limited edition ghost and the regular ash and blood. Thank goodness I only wear black, red and blue!

To quote the lovely Miss Hya, “It’s a true work of love as it features my favorite corvids ravens amongst spiralling brocade jacket with long belted prim tails, a cozy velvety sweater and velvety jeans in the same motif. matching gloves, and a locket style brooch. (currently with my photo *laughs* please please do change that!) oh yes and some black socks (yes Elric those are in there for you!)”

Hya’s are the only jeans I’ll ever wear, because they really aren’t jeans! They are STYLISH.

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The ravens are brilliant and blend so well with Hya’s signature swirls. As always, her clothes appear as though you are wearing them without too many folds.

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Some of the pieces (belt with coat tails and cuffs) have a removeable scripted resizer, but are also modify! Win win!

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The sweater portion of the suit (allowing for a dressing down if you so desire) was quite inspiring for poncing around my latest favourite sim, RWB

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The belt is perfect, casual and elegant at once. Jeepers’ Toltec Black/Red shoes demanded to be worn with the blood Corbie.

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Two of my favourite aspects of Silent Sparrow’s creations are superlative in Corbie: the cuffs and the coat tails. I don’t know how Hya does it, but each are always unique in their own way with every new suit.

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The jacket’s back is delightfully patterned, and of course, many additional layers are included for mashing up, dressing up, and dressing down.

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So fly to Silent Sparrow, pick up a Limited Edition (while you can), plus either ash or blood Corbie, and explore the amazing RWB sim with a friend or partner. I spent all last night exploring RWB with my Lady, Pipsqueak Fiddlesticks, and a fabulous time was had by both of us.

Until next time…

Other Details:

Monocle: GC-Monokel (Dark-Knight clock) by Grazioso Alekseev of Crie Style
Shoes on Human: Toletck Black/Red by Eponymous Trenchmouth of Jeepers

Photos taken at RWB

Human avatar

• Hair – Jardar (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)

Fox avatar

Male White Fox by Mephitis Jezebel of Aventity

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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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Introduction

I am by no means a serious photographer in SL, but I do enjoy taking photos and every so often a miracle occurs and I manage to snap a decent shot. I will provide below some very simple advice on improvements that can be made over default settings and information. And finally, I will provide you with some resources to those who know far more than I; and I strongly urge you to learn the finer points of SL photography from them.

Viewer & Camera Controls

The Quick Setting Adjustments that follows is for SL Viewer 1.2x or Emerald 1.2x. If you have SL Viewer 2.x, please use various help resources to locate the same settings. I use a Logitech gamepad for my controls instead of keyboard and standard mouse — please view the help resources regarding camera controls for your viewer. Thank you for understanding.

Quick Setting Adjustments

Advanced Menu

Turn on Advanced Menu:  < Ctrl  +  Alt  +  D >.

X High-res Snapshot (this option ONLY works when saving your snapshots to disk).

X Quiet Snapshots to Disk.

X Disable Camera Restraints

[Advanced Menu Settings]

Edit Menu

The extent to which you can modify your settings will depend on your graphics card(s) and the speed of your computer, as well as your Internet connection. Be aware that you should test these settings after making updates — you may crash… this is relatively normal and indicates that you need to move some sliders to the left. If you do not crash, congratulations, you are good to go!

Edit> Preferences> Graphics.

Check off Custom.

Quality and Performance: slide to Ultra.

Draw Distance: this will depend on what you are shooting and how much you want in view. Start at 256 m.

Shaders, Reflection Detail, Avatar Rendering, etc.: Turn it all on and max it all out, then see what happens.

Lighting Detail: Either Sun and moon only or Nearby local lights, depending on the effect you want. Experiment for your shot.

[Edit Menu Settings (click image for larger view)]

Hardware Options: Anisotropic Filtering should be checked, and Antialiasing a minimum of 4X.

Click Apply then OK and hope you don’t crash.  It may take several minutes for your monitor to “settle”.

[Hardware Options (click image for larger view)]

Snapshot Basics

Menu

File> Take Snapshot

Click More >> for the full menu

Snapshot Destination

Send via email: great for friends and family or reference.

Save to inventory: this will reduce your L$ balance by L$10 for each photo taken, AND the quality will NOT be as high as if you had saved to your hard drive.

Save to your hard drive: this is the setting you wish so that you can further tweak in Photoshop if you like or choose and upload your favourites among many.

[Snapshot Settings]

Size

The bigger the better but your graphics card may produce some rendering quirks with higher resolutions — experiment, experiment.

Format

PNG for best quality

Other

Check Keep open after saving if you like to use the Snapshot Preview.

< Ctrl  +  ` > will snap a photo when the Snapshot Preview window is closed.

Refresh Snapshot (from the Snapshot Preview window) is very useful for trying take that perfect shot (i.e. clouds are moving, sun is setting, a dance is ongoing, eyes are blinking etc.)

Do not be surprised if your computer crashes after taking a series of snapshots — this is, sadly, normal, although becoming less frequent.

Windlight

Windlight are atmosphere settings (like filters), modifying water, sky and the environs. If you do not have Photoshop or simply wish to take advantage of these filters, exploring the infinite Windlight settings can prove to be a most enjoyable distraction.

If you are an Emerald user, you will quickly discover that you have dozens upon dozens of Windlight presets which will provide numerous engaging effects.

Your subject matter and your desired “look” will determine which Windlight settings are the most useful to you at any given time. This really comes down to experimentation. Do it often.

You can begin with no Windlight presets or one of the many available to you. Then, begin tweaking the settings and see how this affects your image.

[Windlight Settings]

Access your Windlight settings via the menu: World> Environment Settings. Access the Sky and Water settings for their advanced options.

[Advanced Sky Editor's Lighting Tab (click image for larger view)]

Under Advanced Sky and Water Editor, drop down the Sky Presets list and enjoy the numerous presets within. The sky settings provide more obvious changes to the environment.

[Advanced Sky Editor's Cloud Tab (click image for larger view)]

You can easily spend an entire evening or afternoon exploring the numerous presets under the Emerald viewer.

[Advanced Sky Editor's Atmosphere Tab with Emerald Presets (click image for larger view)]

You can also fashion your own presets based on any available. Make sure you Save your custom preset. NOTE: If you need to reinstall your SL viewer, your custom presets will likely vanish — make sure you know where your viewer and computer’s operating system stores the presets so that you can back them up and copy them over after reinstalling your viewer.

Experiment with the sliders on the Advanced Editors — particularly Sky. There are three tabs of settings to explore — atmosphere, lighting and clouds. Find a quiet place to experiment with how modifying each aspect affects your view.

Don’t forget the Sun/Moon Position settings on the Advanced Sky Editor’s Lighting tab for even more tweaking.

And of course, take photos of anything interesting along the way.

Posing

Using a posing stand is very convenient for portraits or posing — whether in a studio setting or out and about. There are also very creative posing balls specifically for photography use.

[Syzygy Pyxis' Photo Planetoid (click image for larger view)]

However, sometimes taking a photo of yourself can be difficult when your eyes seem to be roaming everywhere (they do follow your mouse cursor). To alleviate this issue, rez a cube (resize if you desire), drag it out of the image shot, but in the general direction of where you wish your avatar to be looking.

[Focus cube rezzed & moving into position with camera controls on standby (click image for larger view)]

< Alt > + Click the cube until your eyes are focused in the direction you desire.

[Focus cube clicked, time to move the camera (click image for larger view)]

Then use the camera controls ONLY to line up the shot. Take your photo.

[Resulting photo (click image for larger view)]

Furries generally do not need to concern themselves with eye focus. I’ve found the experience of taking photos as my fox self to be much easier than human. But sometimes even as human, the eyes, the pose and camera position are perfect without having to resort to a focus cube.

[What luck -- no focus cube required (click image for larger view)]

Size is Everything

Take your photos as large as possible. Experiment a few times as your graphics card and computer may not be able to handle the size you set in the Snapshot Preview. If your computer cannot handle the size you set, you will notice things like black lines appearing in the resulting image, rendering issues especially where water is involved etc. Find the sweet spot and make a note of it.

[Some serious rendering issues involving submerged items (click image for larger view)]

Resize and/or crop photos in any capable graphics program. If you enjoy playing in applications such as Photoshop, you may enjoy embellishing the photos further with various filter effects.

Once you have created your masterpiece, publish your photo on the web or upload into SL. If you upload your photo into SL, be mindful of the photo size and ratio. The larger the photo (i.e. 2048 x 1024 vs 512 x 256), the longer the image will take to load when placed on a prim or in a book. However, quality also increases with larger photo sizes — again, find the optimum size for your purpose. When applying your photo to a prim, be mindful of the ratio so that the image doesn’t appear distorted. Placing a 512 x 256 image on a 1 x 1 prim surface will distort the image as the image’s original ratio is 2:1. Ensure that the prim surface bears the same ratio (i.e. is 2 x 1).

[NOT a 1:1 Ratio image, and therefore in need of prim resizing (click image for larger view)]

Stretch your prim with the white corner resizer handles as desired and then stretch the depth ONLY to make your canvas prim thinner.

[Stretching with the white corner resizer handles (click image for larger view)]

If you have a graphic that is oddly sized (i.e. 1052 x 746), create a base prim that is sized as a fraction of that (i.e. 1.052 x .1 x .746). The ratio will be perfect when you apply the photo to side 1 or 3 of a standard cube prim. Again, stretch via the white corner handles to size and then thin out the Y depth.

[A very oddly, 997 x 801 pixel, sized image (in fact, NEVER upload an image with an odd numbered pixel resolution) (click image for larger view)]

But wait, there’s more!

If you are taking photos for your profile or an advertisement, you will need to size the photo according to the ratio of the target display. For example, under SL Viewer 1.x and Emerald 1.x, the Profile tab’s picture has a ratio of 4:3. You will need to crop your image in a graphics program accordingly. Thusly, if you took a 1600 x 1200 photo in SL, that ratio is already 4:3, and you’re in luck. If, however, your photo was taken at 1680 x 997, you will need to crop this image to 1328 x 996 to comply with the 4:3 aspect ratio the profile picture demands. Mind your purpose before you begin taking photos. If you know you will need to crop your photo, account for this when lining up your shot.

[Cropping a full screen saved image in a graphics application (click image for larger view)]

Most photos are more visually appealing when the prim face upon which you’ve placed the image is set to Full Bright under the Texture tab of the object editor.

Experiment and have fun!

Resources

Torley’s Taking snapshots wiki page
Snapshot resources wiki page
Rezzable’s Tutorial: Optimizing Windlight for Second Life Photography
Ana Lutetia’s Tutorial: Windlight Presets and the new SL Viewer
Soigne’s Optimizing Windlight for Avatars 2.0
Gogo’s Updated Windlight Tutorial
The Chicken Diaries’ SL Photography Resources
Vint Falken’s Tutorials
SL Wiki on Windlight
Windlight Settings Galore
Torley’s aspect ratios
Aspect Ratios of Profile, Places, Classifieds etc.
Camera Controls
Elric Anatine’s Photosphere & Poses Information

If you are aware of any other wondrous SL photography related articles or blogs, please do let me know so that I might add their resource above. Thank you kindly.

Windlight Samples

Syzygy Selene: Grotto & Beach of Romance

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[Alchemy Immortalis - Fog Lifting (click image for larger view)]

[Canimod (click image for larger view)]

[Euphoria Monochrome (click image for larger view)]

[Nam's Robots of Dawn (click image for larger view)]

[Rouge 5 (click image for larger view)]

[Starley Settings2 (click image for larger view)]

[TOR Deep Blue Sky2 (click image for larger view)]

[TOR Oriental Delight 2 (click image for larger view)]

[TOR Special Blacklight (click image for larger view)]

[Torrie Senne WL Settings (click image for larger view)]

Visit in world: Grotto & Beach of Romance

Syzygy Pyxis: Neko no Jinja

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[TOR Anime Ciel (click image for larger view)]

[TOR Arrakissed Variation (click image for larger view)]

[TOR Chouchou Rockets (click image for larger view)]

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[TOR Lilack (click image for larger view)]

[TOR Slips Through Walls2 (click image for larger view)]

[TOR Sunset Warmer (click image for larger view)]

[An Experiment (click image for larger view)]

[Another Experiment (click image for larger view)]

Visit in world: Neko no Jinja

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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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Alkahest presents… Rich velvet, cool marble and deep wood furnishings. Luxurious and decadent for a Victorian parlour, vintage salon, reading room or absinthe den. Vampires and gothic children of the night may also find this an alluring addition to their domiciles.

The original Absinthe series was created for an Absinthe installation I was involved in. I thought it appropriate to add two other schemes: Serpis (red absinthe) and Bleue (blanche or blue absinthe).

Visit the main shoppe of Alkahest to view these and more.

OR, view some sets from XStreet.

Sets are discounted by 25% over purchasing each item individually.

• Low prim
• Low lag scripts
• Menu driven
• Quality animations
• Feature rich

Set images below…

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Visit the Alkahest’s Main Sky Shoppe

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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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Alkahest presents… Tentacles!

Visit the waterfront of Alkahest to view these and more.

Part of the Whimsical Candy Series for home & garden… and now sea…

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• 11 colour schemes
• 3 types of tentacles — each with a unique set of 6-7 animations

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And if tentacles aren’t your thing — how about a nice whimsical candy tree stump?

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Visit the land of candy experiments

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Alkahest presents… Experiments in Candy! Yes, Dr. Anatine has lost his collective mind and blames other medicinal experiments for this lapse.

New items will be created through Spring and possibly Summer 2010, so visit the inworld Shoppe and receive updates via the subscribe-o-matic.

These shiny whimsical creations may be perfect for those who love all things cute and edible. Fae and fairies may find some items to enhance their homes and gardens. Those who wish something a little more fantasy oriented, may find this confectionary whimsy appealing.

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This series of items are quite low prim, which should appeal to those with limited prims to spare.

Some items belong to the darker variant of the Whimsical Candy line of creations. These are perhaps perfect for you vampires with a sweet fang or Goth types who enjoy darker aesthetics.

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If you find these colours far too dark, I would suggest the more colourful side of the Whimsical Candy line, which is perhaps perfect for the colour-blind and lover of all things bright & cheery.

Visit the land of candy experiments

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Xstreet Listing for Whimsical Candy: Foliage Lamp Black Cherry — within the listing you will find links to other items on Xstreet in the Whimsical Candy product line (although everything currently available can be found at Alkahest in world).

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• Gazebos
• Trees
• Shrubs
• Lamps
• And much more coming…

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Special thank you to Lady Pipsqueak Fiddlesticks, my lovely partner, for beautifully vanquishing a griefer prior to my photoshoot on her photo-appropriate sim, Cake, which neighbours my sim of Alkahest.

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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