Sometimes it gets to be too much

Like most folks that I know in SL I tend to get too busy to the point where I can't keep up or get so overwhelmed with IM's and tasks that SL ceases to be fun.  SL, at least if you are a fashionista, has become so fast paced.  I cannot keep up anymore with events, which like it or not, is SL's current business model...and I like events, and even, work on some.  It has introduced me to so many designers I would have never known.  Almost every thing I am wearing or am standing on or next to is from a recent event and include some items that I will continue to wear or use over and over again.

I love to death Baiastice's new Tori dress which is available right now at The Liaison Collaborative. It is the definitive sexy slip dress and great care has been taken on the placement of lace and texture shading to show off a woman's curves, even a no-mesh-body, tiny avatar like me.  Some of you may remember the slip dress that Digit Darkes made about a billion years ago in SL.  I used to wear that thing to death and this will be an often used favorite in my ghastly inventory.  I decided to go with Soonsiki's newer Rat hair, which has that gamine look I adore and does not cover up this pretty dress. The Peyton shoes from Baby Monkey are a newer release and are available with a multi-texture hud for a very reasonable price.

Credits
Build: Trompe Loeil: Attic Skybox for October Collabor88 (love the texture treatment on the windows!)
Tables: Circa: Traveler's Desk for Mystic Realms (closing soon!)
Hair: Soonsiki: Rat
Skin: Glam Affair: Aria - Arctic 01 G
Dress: Baiastice: Tori - Bittersweet for The Liaison Collaborative - October
Jewelry: Mandala: Billionaire Watch Set & Sagarmatha Necklace -Silver
Shoes: Baby Monkey: Peyton for Slink High Feet
Poses: oOo Studio: both from new sets that were introduced for the recent FLF: Avenger & Henrietta

Girl Friday

One of my all time favorite looks is the ingenue look from around the 1950s.  That was before my time but I used to love those old romance movies where the new to the big city girl is "seduced" by some more sophisticated man.  Now I sneer at the sexism of those films but I recall daydreaming about moving to a large city and living at the Barbizon Hotel. It's still one of my favorite looks to put together in SL though mesh layers aren't always cooperative with that (thank god for those times when a larger size coat works!).  Tomorrow I might be wearing a phatazz, but today you can call me Miss Priss.

Credits:
Coat: ISON: Oversized Wool Coat: currently at Collabor88
Dress: Baby Monkey: Pilar: HUD driven color change: New group gift
Shoes: GOS: Peeptoe Pumps - Black Satin
Purse: The Secret Store: Girly Briefcase - Cherry (not mesh but still ridiculously cute)
Necklace: HANDverk: Mucha Necklace - Silver
Hair: LeLutka: Dulcina - Praline
Skin: Glam Affair: Katya - Europa 03
Lips: Pink Fuel: Elly Glam Lipstick - Vamp

Vintage Fair: Faster, Pussycat

I have a teenage son; a pimply, awkward, lately frustrating child that is really pushing the limits of my patience lately.  To say he is distracting is to be gentle and by late evening, when I'm usually on SL and blogging I have been a complete zombie.  Vintage Fair has become my favorite event of the year and provides me with a very pleasant distraction from teenage angst.  Styling ala retro is a treat.  I've always been fascinated by Varga girls and high fashion models like Suzy Parker and her sister, Dorian Leigh as well as Dovima for their haughty glamour.

I am head-to-toe Vintage Fair for these photos and the fair is 3 sims of awesome.  Faster Pussycat always puts a very sexy spin on their clothing and their offerings for the fair do not fail in that regard.  Honey Bender, head designer for the brand, loves burlesque and the lingerie I am wearing reflects that. The top is sculpted (and modifiable) and the highwaisted panties are adorned with sweet little bows.  I'm not one to be accessory heavy and the shiny Bettie pumps from :{MV}: and Addiction's delicate Beloved set were all I needed to complete the look.  The Sol ring is one of many gorgeous jewelry offerings from [HANDverk] and I will be showing more in another post.

It amazes me how a skin can completely change your look.  Anges Finney's Muse skin for the fair is so glamorous, with rich bee-sting lips, strong brows and extreme cat-eye liner that is perfect for retro looks.  It's a different look for me and I like it!  Wasabi Pills has 3 new hairs at Vintage Fair, including one for the guys.  My hair, Veronica, is reminiscent of the 1940's film icon, Veronica Lake's, peek-a-boo hairstyle.  It is mesh and comes complete with hair bases and a version for those of you that are well endowed.

Vintage Fair runs through most of August.  The Chic Management website has a complete list of stores and their slurls at the fair and you can tp to them directly once you've landed at a landing point.

Credits:  Everything I am wearing is available at Vintage Fair 2012
Lingerie: Faster Pussycat: Burlesque
Necklace/Earrings: Addiction: Beloved Set - Amethyst
Ring: [HANDverk]: Sol ring
Shoes: :{MV}: Bettie Heels - Candy Apple
Hair: Wasabi Pills: Veronica - Pancake
Poses: oOo Studio: Rouge

Ivalde: Weekend in Paris

I've not been shy to discuss how much I have adored Vintage Fair.  I've been very meh about blogging, spending more time avoiding then actually taking photos but this event has renewed my interest in SL fashion.  There has been much drama around the grid about legitimacy: whose work is original, what has value, etc.  While my ear has certainly been bent I've also felt over it.  Some of this is about trust, but the hating just brings more of the same.  I respect people's learning curve, understand there are some folks in SL that purely want to profit, others for which SL is mostly for fun/want a few L's to blow, and others that rely on SL for a living.  Within that are all kinds of levels and I'm cool with it, am happy to contribute to the SL economy, but I've also been around long enough to have a pretty good understanding of the industry and don't get ripped off too often.  Having that off my chest, Nefaria Abel from Ivalde is a truly talented woman and has had a strong SL presence for years and years.  Nef's deal is Vintage, always has been and hopefully will remain (though I adored L'Abel).  I have an enormous collection of her works and doubt I will ever eliminate them from my inventory. They are like the archives of fashion history and if I want something classic, that folder is one of the ones I hit first.  I adore the new Jamica gown that she has debuted at Vintage Fair.  The dress is what the system skirt was made for in my humble opinion.  A diaphanous prim skirt wraps around a column skirt bringing attention to a narrow waist and hiding the bubble butt that I so dislike in system skirts.   I envisioned myself as a young woman, embarking on an overseas voyage to Europe, possibly a new bride or socialite in a pre-feminist era where a lady's beauty was her most essential asset.  Thank goodness those times are past but I definitely appreciate the clothes!  This dress can stand on its own with just a touch of accessories.  The floral necklace and earrings from WTG and little bowed slingbacks from Baby Monkey complete the look.

I adored the Billie Dress for similar reasons.  Nef has taken a straight system skirt and layered it this time with tulle-like cocktail length skirt for an elegant day to evening look.  I modernized the 1920's style dress with accessories more in line with a 1950's couture look but you can go all kinds of ways with it.  The textures on this dress are almost touchable.  I am probably going back to get it in more colors.   The fantastic Audrey Necklace from Caroline's Jewelry just begged to be worn with the dress.  Caroline was inspired by the necklace worn by Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's and comes in either white or black pearls.  This is a simply stunning piece.  The hair is a gift from Plume for fairgoers.  It's a bit funky and whimsical and the roses change color.

Lots of nice skins with a retro flair have been released for Vintage Fair.  Today I featured a new skin from Boho Beauty.  Redsoledrea Gossipgirl is back with new stuff including the Sloan Skin.  She says it is perfect for redheads but I am wearing it without red hair and was very pleased with it. It comes in 4 tones.  Each pack contains 2 makeups, a cleavage option and 2 mole tattoos.  You can pick up this version at a limited release price at the fair.  Her new store, Boho & Boho Beauty, will be opening on the Chic sim over Thanksgiving weekend.  Until then, her inworld group is free to join and she will be sending out free gifts.  I look forward to more.

Credits: (Most of the items are available at the Vintage Fair.  I will note those that are not. Slurls will be to main stores.  A map and slurls to all shops at Vintage Fair can be found at the Chic Management blog.)
P1:
Gown: Ivalde: Jamica
Jewelry: WTG: Floral-w
Skin (all photos) Boho Beauty: Sloan - Vintage (main store opening next week!)
Hair: [e]: Soft: available exclusively at Collabor88
Shoes: Baby Monkey: Mia Pumps (not at fair)
P2:
Dress: Ivalde: Billie
Necklace: Caroline's Jewelry: Audrey Pearl Necklace: White
Hair: Plume: A Kiss from a Rose: Freebie!
Glasses: Artilleri: Gabriella (not sure if this set is at the fair)
Stockings: Vextra Messing: Sheer Pantyhose - Blue (not at fair)
Shoes: Armidi: Barcelona Slingbacks - Prussian Blue (note: the website is still up but I've not purchased anything from it in about a year so buy at your own risk.) (not at fair)

All poses are from oOo Studio from retro sets available at the Vintage Fair.  They are fantastic!