Baiastice: For the Fashion Elite
These are the things that make me so glad to be a member of the Second Life fashion blogosphere.After reading about the excellent awareness post over at MichaMi (one of my absolute favorite blogs on the SL fashion feed, I might add), I was very pleased to discover the elegance of Baiastice (SLURL), a FANTASTICALLY chic, beautiful, detailed, runway-worthy fashion stop. While I’m not a big fan of the Seagull jacket that Milla posted, I decided that a shop being described as “as couture as pixels get” was simply worth the trip.
My. God. I can’t tell you how happy I am that I went.
Now, my wallet’s been taking a strain these days (planning a wedding, holiday bills to recover from, etc) but I picked out three outfits from this incredible collection and I simply can’t WAIT for the opportunity to go back for more. However, until then — let me share with you the fabulousness that is Baiastice in what little quantity I can. And I will just get out ahead of this right now: go. Seriously. Just go. You won’t regret it.
The first outfit I saw and nabbed for $850L was the Opera dress (pictured above). It is a beautiful, BEAUTIFUL (and did I say *BeAuTiFuL*???) long, flowing gown in an almost golden copper color. The detail on this dress is MAGNIFICENT, especially on the chest where patterns tend to blur and distort. The flexi skirt is the perfect length and it’s elegant train makes me feel like the Belle of the Ball, as I’m sure it will you. It’s straight out of an Italian fairy tale, and you’ll feel like a princess wearing it! I want to just skip right off to the Oscars, sip some Cristal, and brush elbows with the movie stars.
This next outfit, which I paired with onyx Liah boots from Vamp, Suite 17 Jet Dark Black sunglasses, and Lynne II hair from ETD, is the utterly gorgeous ensemble which I will lovingly refer to as “The Manhattanite” (though its actual name is Madama T — picture right). It’s a sexy yet sophisticated dress with matching long black gloves and a look that kills. Can you say, “Look out, Prada!”
And we’ll wrap up with the dress I hope to make my bridesmaid gowns if I can ever muck up the cash to do it between now and the wedding date (I’m getting married, by the way… did you know??? LOL!). The dress is called Histoire (pictured left)… an elegant golden camel dress, perfect for your next cocktail party or art gallery opening. Whether you’re dancing the night away or attending a very… planned… out… wedding… (woot!)… you’ll look stunning in this gown.
I am so happy that Milla pointed this place out, and so incredibly excited to see what other releases may come from this diamond in the rough. Baiastice (SLURL) is the name folks, and bring your checkbooks! You’ll need them!
Damn, I wish SL had layaway… *feels her inner trailer park showing* Meep!
Digit Darkes Clothing: Mash It Up!
Boy, have I got one for you guys today!
Digit Darkes (SLURL, OnRez) recently released a whole slew of new goodies and I am delighted to have the opportunity to tell you about just a few of them. Are you ready for some shopping, Rykerized style? Cuz I am!
I recently had the pleasure of meeting Digit Darkes at the ASpiRE! Magazine Radio launch, where I got to see her new line in action. A fashion show didn’t do it justice… it only made me want more! Sultry, sexy, fabulous designs that are sure to please and are delightfully girlie. Wonderful store manager, Sasy Scarborough, quickly asked me if I would like the opportunity to do a review for Digit, and obviously… I jumped right on it! What an honor!
Among Digit’s many creations are some seriously fabulous dresses, gorgeous latex tops, and mock chaps that are just to die for. However, my most favorited item has quickly become the Diversity Pants in Pewter, a shiny number with some fantastic detailing. As you can see, by the picture to your right… those pants are well integrated into my current wardrobe! My only complaint (and believe me, this isn’t enough to stop me wearing them!) is a seam issue… the designs on the pants don’t really meet up seamlessly from the front to the back. However… the lovely design itself more than makes up for that. God, I love these PANTS! *drool*
One thing I especially like about all of Digit’s stuff is how diverse it is… and for those of us that love “mash ups”, you know how important it is for a piece to integrate well with other pieces from your inventory. Well everything I’ve seen of DD’s can accomodate even the most finicky of mashers, and this is a BIG plus in my book. Full outfits, tops, accessories, shoes, hair… there is no end to the magnificence you can create with Digit’s products.
I have to say, that after trying on the shopping bag full of goodies, that I am rather impressed by the detail on the chaps I received. It’s hard to get a good “leather” texture in SL, and this one is actually very nicely done. The shading is quite lovely, and I can almost HEAR the squeal of the leather as I walk. Paired with the chaps is an awesome black mesh crop (I’m telling you… diversity!) and a cute liquid black latex top. The belt, spike bracers, and gloves (from the Addicted Gloves pack) only take this outfit to the maximum badass level. What a treat! Look out Midian!
Now, I have this really bad habit of wearing some dresses the way I’m actually not supposed to… with the skirts too low. Because I’m such a petite little thing (it’s fucking tragic, I tell ya), 99% of the time, skirts don’t usually fit me properly. So I tend to give them my little Ryker touch and adjust them, as you’ll notice with the “Dia Dress” in Electric Punk. This fantastic purple and yellow get-up looks splendid with or without a little tweaking.
Speaking of dresses, I received two more to try on, one of which I could just DIE for… the Kasbah in Silver. If I ever wore a dress that made me want to go Salsa dancing, this would be it. With its perfectly detailed, flowing skirt and cute little coin belt… it’s just something you don’t always see. And I love it. Originality is no stranger to Digit Darkes! The other dress I received is the cutest little thing, Petals in Powder Pink. While I think this dress needs a little more shading around the boobage area, I think the skirt ruffles are fantastic. Kick those floppy prim skirts to the curb girls… ruffles are in!
Speaking of ruffles, have you worn yourself a shrug lately? Well, now’s your chance to pick one up! Shoulder ruffles galore and several different colors, you can wear this jacket layer with any shirt you like!
And finally, for those girls out there that like their lingerie, I am happy to announce that DD is very, very good at the lace. Femme in Black is a sexy embodiment of black satin and lace, which I really enjoyed trying on. You can be sure that this outfit will be staying with me for a long while to come… a girl can never have too much sexy lingerie!
Overall, I am very pleased with the products that Digit Darkes has provided, and this tiny review doesn’t even begin to scratch surface of the breadth to this woman’s talent. Hair, shoes, accessories… anything you can think of! Check out Digit Darkes in world or on OnRez and see for yourself! And get those damn pants… because omg. *drools again*
Coming Soon from Fuse!
The lovely Jonathan Hugo, owner and designer of Fuse (whose store I wrote a review on just yesterday!), sent me a wonderful surprise this morning as I logged in to check my IMs. Five FANTASTIC dresses — a sneak peak to his future female clothing releases and undoubtedly the beginning of a massive flood of, “More! We need MORE!” outcries from the female population. Mr. Hugo, I hope you’re prepared!
And girls,… you’re in for a treat.
The dresses, Audrey, were sent to me in the following colors: Aqua, Caffe (shown), Nero, Rouge (shown), and Verde, and are all simply WONDERFUL. The colors, especially the Rouge, are all exquisite and deep, and the detail on the skirt and boobs (why do I always look at the boobs? LOL) are fantastic. I simply cannot wait for a big release from this store.
I’m telling you girls, don’t lose track of this one! Pop over for a visit, landmark the place, and check back often!
Fuse Clothing: Mr. Hugo, You Are Da Bomb
I heard through the blogosphere (grapevine, locker room, whatever) that there’s a new designer in town by the name of Jonathan Hugo. His new shop, Fuse (SLURL), I felt was definitely worth a mention here, as it shows some SERIOUS promise in the fashion world.
While his shop (housed in one of Barnesworth Anubis’s newer builds, the BelAir) is small and very sparse at the moment, the few items he DOES have are VERY noteworthy. SO noteworthy, in fact, that I’ve commissioned my very good friend, Mr. Stephen Venkman, to model a few of his outfits for me.
Yes, ladies, this shop mostly has male clothing at the moment… there are a couple of female choices, though not many. However, I have high hopes for his future female fashion endeavors! If they are anything like his male clothing, I am sure the future is bright indeed.
Now, let’s get down to bidness!
A couple of things to note right off the bat about the jeans that Stephen is wearing… they ARE MODIFIABLE. When you initially put them on, they are, as Steph would say… “nut hugging”. However, you can modify them to be as baggy as you like, so DO NOT FRET if you put these pants on and realize that the tops of your rock star boots are no longer tucked away neatly below the fold. That can be changed. These jeans can be taught!
Each piece of clothing shown here is sold individually. I am especially fond of the polo shirts… they are beautifully made, fantastically textured, and I’m just such a sucker for realistic wrinkles.
The seams on these shirts match perfectly, right down to the triangular side seam traditional of polos. The texture has a good bit of depth to it, and as I mentioned, the wrinkles are fantastically done. The pectoral muscle shading is beautiful, giving off just enough “hint” of muscle tone beneath the fabric (I know how you boys just LOVE your muscle tone!). The only real problem I have with the polo shirts is I kind of feel that the shoulder cloth is a tiny bit… “over-wrinkled”? Is that even a word? But other than that, brava. These are beautifully done. The polos come in six different colors (Clay, Salmon, Olive, Lilac, Stone, and Earth), and are available for $110L per shirt.
The next item of business, Mr. Hugo’s wool jersey for men, is also incredibly well done. Like the polo, it is very well textured and superbly shaded right down to the subtle highlights on the long sleeves; not to mention that the perfection of the seams is almost scary. I have to admit, I am a huge pain in the ass when it comes to seams on clothing… and these definitely pass my test. Not even a MILLIMETER off center. Incredible. These fantastic jerseys are available in four colors (Earth, Mist, Sunset, and Thunder) and, like the polo shirts, are available for purchase at $110L per shirt.
I’d also like to mention here that all shirts are modify/copy/no transfer.
Finally, the jeans (playfully known as the “nut huggers” from this point on) lack very little in the way of denim texturing. Honestly, this particular denim texture has to be one of the better ones that I’ve seen on the grid. Thanks to the fact that these jeans ARE intially tight on your legs (but they ARE MODIFIABLE!), they DO actually look great on female avatars. I know. I tried them on myself, and I’m rather pleased with the results. If I could change one, tiny thing about them though, I would have to say that I’m not crazy about the fact that the zipper button is kind of a rusty orange color. I, personally, would lean more towards a silver or tin colored button. That might be me just being nit picky, but you never know. But, zipper buttons aside, these jeans are fantastic. I do declare, Mr. Beauregard… I believe I’m in love with the manly jeans! There are six pairs of jeans available at the price of $110L per pair, and they come in colors City (a grey-ish color), Factory (a black color) and Subway (a dark blue color) with your choice of regular texturing or gritty texturing. Everyone (ladies included) should definitely run out and snatch these up. I am sure they would make a welcome addition to any wardrobe, ESPECIALLY considering that they’re modifiable.
Yes, I do believe I am rather impressed by this little gem of a shop. Mr. Hugo, I cannot wait to see your future releases! And please don’t forget us ladies… we have plenty enough clothes, I know, but, but, bububu… we will love you for it. I promise!
The name is Fuse. Drop it a visit! You won’t regret it. Also, feel free to bookmark his blog. While pretty underdeveloped right now, I imagine it will soon be teaming with life like a koi pond in a Japanese garden.
PS: Ladies, there ARE female items available in the store (approximately 9 items). It is well worth the visit! Kimberly, if you’re reading this, I think you would look *STUNNING* in the Secretary outfit in red!
