When I first started SL, there were women (and men) running around in formal wear all the time. I haven’t seen that in a long time, and even on blogs, more SL bloggers favor the playful/younger look with *ahem* things in mouth (I’m totally guilty of this), and cutesy accessories.
Do you think SL’ers are dressing their avatars younger than before? Do you dress your age?
[poll id=”36″]
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I couldn’t answer the poll because I don’t dress older than my age, and I don’t dress any younger. I dress my age, and usually dress like I would in rl, maybe more fun though xd
same thing here
Same. I’m 26 and I could wear everything I like to wear in SL. But sometimes sexier than RL.
I actually like to dress my avatar in clothes that I would wear in real life or clothes that I would LIKE to wear in real life, but I’m almost 26 years old so yes, sometimes my looks are a little young ;D
I’m not sure what you mean by “my age” — my avatar doesn’t look the same age as I am in real life — but I do try to dress much like I do RL. You don’t have an option for “The same.”
Long time reader first time comment-er? Haha – I usually dress my age, so I feel there should be a poll option for that. All in all I do feel I dress older than my RL age so that’s what I answered given the two choices.
Love your blog, Gogo and thank you for all your hard work.
I also couldn’t answer the question, because I’m 22, and the way I dress in SL reflects what I would wear in RL. Though, I think because the vast majority of SL users are of the older set, SL is kind of like a “fountain of youth” for them, and some dress super sexy and young, because they want to feel that way again, or they think that’s what younger people are into (maybe).
I was going to vote for my own age (25) but that wasn’t an option 😛
welllllllllll, my skin makes me look young, and it hardly matters what i wear, i look young 🙂
Of course i could pull out Baistace granny closet, then i would be way to old 🙂
I actually dont even think about it, i wear what i would want to wear in RL, maybe not in the places i go in SL, but still i let the same judgement guide me regardless.
I’m 62 (yes, and there are lots of us around this age, believe it or not). So I definitely dress younger in SL! haha. If it’s fun or funny or just makes me smile, that’s what I go for.
Oh wow ! You said “there are lots of us around this age, believe it or not”, are those people hiding their age ? I met some and they were not willing to say their real age. I think it is fabulous that SL attracts all kinds of people, young and old too, it is a shame that those old people I met were hidding behind their avatar. I think they should be proud to be technology-friendly, I know many old people using a computer like that ! (no one actually!)
error : I know many = I don’t know many (shall you correct that in my previous comment Gogo ? 😡 )
If they wouldn’t tell you their age, how do you know they were old??? I haven’t told anyone my age since I was 30, especially online. Besides, any older than 30 and it’s rude to ask someone their age.
Oh wow ! (…) it is a shame that those old people I met were hidding behind their avatar. I think they should be proud to be technology-friendly.
Yes! Let’s go pet them in a zoo!
And now you know why people don’t tell their age… 62 isn’t old, by the way and lots of folks in their 50’s and 60’s are computer programmers and graphic artists. I wear very similar clothes in sl that I have or would wear in rl… i do wear higher heels and lower necklines in sl, cause that’s nearly all they make. I don’t have any ballgowns in rl, though… that’s one of the fun things to have lots of ballgowns and cocktail dresses to wear to listen to live music in sl.
I agree with Ohna and Ashley!
What about “I dress my age, yes” ?
Many women get to a ‘mushy’ point in life where a 25 yr old and a 45 yr old can wear the same outfit and look equally good in it.
I don’t dress like a 12 yr old, or an 18 yr old, nor a 50 yr old, nor an 80 yr old…
I dress like a mid-20’s woman
I’m sorry you guys! I fail so much as a poll maker 😀 I didn’t pu the “I dress my age” option cos well, I am forcing you to choose younger or older, muahahha.
Ppppbbbblllttt! Well, then, I dress like someone about three days older than I am! So there.
I try to do a fair mix of things I would wear normally. But i do see how it can come off as younger with all the accessories. I’m sooo guilty of doing that too.
Lol seeing a I’m in my very early 20’s it’s kinda hard to do the poll. I dress young in general in SL. I try to keep a scene/punk rock/hip hop chic vibe. I dress that way in RL so it’s fun to figure it out in SL hehe. I do style scene lolita in RL, but unfortunately not enough of that in SL, but I can hope haha. On the other hand I very much like old world clothes. Like I know maybe steampunk has an old school feel but it’s still new. I also very much LOVE old victorian wear so I mix that up with my new younger stuff. So, it can always be a mix-n-match thing, vintage, or young thing lol.
Err if any of that makes sense.
I did vote young though because I dress more modern in SL. I think when it comes to old or young it’s only really “old” if it’s not modern. Like unless ur in your late…ahem…age in RL…and wearing these short clothes that show the nips or a hinky pink thong in SL…then you are dressing younger lol.
I don’t dress older or younger than my age but on occasion, I do like to dress younger when I wear the little cute doll dresses.
Well, I tend to dress fairly burlesque and racey and at times bordering on the obscene which I’d have to hope comes across as mature so yeah, I picked older. Something I’ve always noticed too is alot of avatars have a very young look to them.. I refer to it as cherub face syndrome or sometimes simply ‘curio face’ since they were the first skin designer to fully embrace it. And that may well lead to the younger dress style also.. and theres nothing wrong with that at all.. me personally went for a more vixen like appearance with my digital self. What I wish I could pull off in real life .. without getting arrested. >.>
Grrraaawr, not younger/older – the same as my RL age 🙂
BUT when I started on SL a couple of years ago I always dressed waaaaay older (Ok, I’ll admit I sneeked into the *real grid* at 16.. well, anyway!)
With time I’m dressing more like the RL me and less middle-age and formal. Sadly I look young in RL so I tend to sometimes wanna look “mature enough” in SL on purpose – since I can identify with my avatar most of the time and it’s nice to have a change 🙂
When I started SL I didn’t realize what looked good/bad.
I could wear shirts with horrible seams and not notice, but today we do also have alot more to choose from and also more cutesy stuff, plus I guess I’m more confident in looking “me” now. No need to hide behind my av 🙂
Oh, I should say, a BIG reason to why I now DARE to “dress young” and dress my age is because it’s more widely accepted in SL in general.
Only a year ago when I ran around in SL in my RL height and clothes and hair-do’s close to my RL others used to complain I was a CHILD AVIE all the ffff time, or (horror!) an ageplay-sex-child-avie-pedo-perv 🙁
I did always get alot of crap just because I looked too young, and in SL I can’t even get a cheaper bus ticket, so I dressed a bit older to get rid of the complainers..
I dress how I feel in this moment. I guess its a circle around 10 years +/-
I dress younger, usually. but most of my avies are actually younger then me besides anya, who’s actually twenty-five, and..uh, that’s my age lol but she mostly dresses goreanny (Woot! I made up a new word :D)
Although I voted “older” I would say that I dress “regular”. I’m 40 and my SL attire depends on my mood, usually.
what is jeans, flowy tops, long hair and flats. im so boring in SL and real life. not sure what makes ‘younger’ or ‘older’ besides dressing like a child or an elderly. my rl age is in the middle and i guess i dress just as middle of the road. like someone up above me said there isn’t a huge difference between 25 and 45. so i guess i’m totally in the middle of it all. i can’t dress more racy in sl than i would in real. gahh. i have no imagination or fantasy gene. i do love fashion though and definitely dress in SL waaay higher than my RL budget would be.
Wow, there are still a lot of old people here who know how to use a pc! You go!!!
i’m sure they love that your are calling them old and amazed that they know how to use a pc lol.
i’d use ‘mature’. its more respectful. 😉
What’s old?
My grandmother (86 this year) can use google better than anyone I know (RL), my mother (56) can use excel better than anyone I know (RL), my dad (57) can use photoshop better than anyone I know, and he makes and updates and checks everyone in our extended families computers.
Considering that Larry Page, Co-founder and CEO of Google is 38, is he old?
I’m 34 IRL (AYAYAYAYAYE) and I dress Lisanna following my mood. I never stopped myself from wearing plenty of pandas, bows, and silly stuff and AOs because it reflected my mood at that time. I’m currently in a more ~mature~ (read : my age LOL) mood but it tends to fade away. Can’t wait to see what will come next!
I think that we dress in how we feel..Its not so much you are going for a younger girl look. but after pilling on skin and accessories that pigtail you had to have.. You end up looking younger. But I think in Secondlife no one looks over 30 unless they really work hard at that. I love this poll because its nice to see someone else wondering about it. I tend to go from Pigtails and braces to Vintage long dresses and flats and minimal make up on a day to day basis.
I am dressing my avatar most time in Roleplayclothes, since i am a rolplayer. 😀
But if i am in mainstreamclothes i am wearing really casualstyle, like jeans flats , tanktop and cardigan. so i guess i am dressing her my age.a young casual look for women in the age of 20 – 25
same, i’m in my 20’s but could pass for late teens in rl. on sl i dress my age – young- but sometimes a little more fun and sexy. although! sl actually inspires me to dress more fun in rl and i like to play around on sl and see how i could maybe pull of certain looks in rl 😀 i wear what i would wear in rl or would like to wear mostly.
when i first started sl in 08 i ran around in formal dresses, my av looked older than me, and i was what i’d call today freakishly tall. i’m so glad it’s become acceptable to be shorter on sl these days, like some ppl are in rl! (me :] )
ooh, i wanted to add, now my av jumps around from age 15 to 18 to her 20’s. but her clothing doesn’t change as there isn’t much of a difference in what you can pull off between 18 and 24 (my rl age), or at least for me i havent aged noticeably since then. i can be more cutesy on sl, in rl if i’m too cutesy i look way too young and i have to be a little careful about that because i already look younger than my age ( i know how awful right?).
I just make my avatar wear what looks comfortable, which is pretty much what a 42 year old does irl anyway, so I guess I dress my age. Sometimes I get her into a bikini (which would never happen irl) or a tight dress, but mostly she’s a jeans or swirly skirt and casual top girl. She’s lately worn a lot of cardigans, which is what I do in real life too (or what my kids call “the teacher sweater”).
I dress my age as well, I started playing SL when I turned nineteen and my outfits definitely reflect that; including the little mouth props, I’ve always got a lollipop or cupcake in real life xD
As for my grandmother, she plays SL and dresses like a hussy.
Shame on her.
xo.
You caught me off guard with the grandmother critique and I laughed out loud in a study group. Shame on YOU.
There wasn’t the option of * no dress at all * so i will hop for * My age * formal dressing when there is a special event or ballroom dancing , all the time would be quite weird for people around me i guess :s
Not sure whether “age appropriate” is still a relevant term in these over-eclectic days. It should more be “do you dress appropriate”.
“Age appropriate” is very much connected to strong social hierarchies “Oh, she doesn’t dress like a mother should”. And as today “youth” has become the dogma of our time, everyone tries to look a bit younger the way they dress. “She looks like a slut” (considering that the average slut is in her 20s …lol) refers more to this “appropriate-ness” than to the age.
Of course then the question arises to the reference system we set for “appropriate”. Does Vivian Westwood dress “age appropriate”? Hell no. Does she dress “appropriate”? Hell yes. I guess it’s in relation to what we (our RL or SL avatar) represent (or want to represent) and whether we succeed in making this credible. But even this doesn’t hit the point.
So …. yay to all the sluts in SL no matter what their age is, no matter whether they are Lelutka- or freebie-sluts, sluts who show too much skin or too little covered by latex … and as Jubilant Quackenbush once said (and i think she hits the nail on the head): “Oddly enough, I’ve found that choosing to be plush (chubby) in SL has turned out to be more radical than beings Trans.”
I’ve never thought of my avi as me or an extension of me in anyway – unless you consider a sophisticated game of dress up merged with a highly interactive chat session is an extension or an “expression” of my taste then yes.
I experiment. Sometimes I go overboard as a fun way to see how people react.
I’m the total opposite of Eden who mentioned she role-plays heavily. Would be very interesting to compare thoughts or notes on that issue 😛
I dress my age (25). In fact, I pretty much dress in clothes I would happily wear irl.