It’s that time again! What time is it, you ask? Shop & Hop, Trick or Treat on Bellisseria, and a whole lot of spooky goodies popping up all over Second Life! As a Second Life resident, I feel like I have to wear wings every now and then, so I decided to bring out my favorite Mini Wings from 2AM and pair them with the new Celestine Dress from Dhoma, available at FaMESHed. I love the rich emerald green satin, the corset-inspired bodice with lace-up details, and those gorgeous puff sleeves with delicate lace accents. The short, flouncy skirt gives it a romantic fairy-tale look, but it’s also a little cheeky in the back! Paired with my wings, it’s giving me major Tinker Bell vibes, only a little more grown-up.
I’m also really impressed with the updated Shop & Hop build this year! The new layout feels more like a shopping mall, and the outdoor spaces are especially cute with all of the autumn landscaping and twinkling lights. I’ve always had a soft spot for Shop & Hop because it’s one of those events that welcomes such a wide range of Second Life creators, from established favorites to smaller brands you might not have discovered otherwise. And of course, the gifts are always a big part of the fun! If you don’t feel like hunting through every store to find them all, you can grab FabFree’s Halloween Shop & Hop shopping guide and plan your shopping trip!
There was an attempt to give George, my male alt, a wardrobe refresh because I realized I haven’t shown him on the blog since… probably last year. I logged in with the simple goal of changing his outfit and taking a few photos, but instead I was greeted with an update for the Signature Gianni body. George was happily wearing Gianni v6.1, and the new release is called Gianni X v7.5. I really should have known that the “X” meant “none of your old clothes are going to fit anymore.”
After trying on a few things and realizing that most of his wardrobe barely worked with the new body, I did what any reasonable person would do and switched him right back to Gianni v6.1. I don’t have time to rebuild an entire closet from scratch, so I’ll either wait for brands like Deadwool to add Gianni X sizes or George will just be living his best life on v6.1 forever. A friend suggested that I switch him over to Belleza Jake because it has better clothing support, but I honestly can’t remember why I picked Signature Gianni when I made him last year. I’m sure I had a good reason at the time. Legacy isn’t even a consideration because… reasons.
So instead of writing the blog post I had planned, I spent the evening wandering from store to store trying to figure out male fashion. I even stopped by Man Cave to grab the latest freebies and didn’t see much for Gianni X there either, which left me wondering how men in Second Life deal with all of this. Women’s bodies are already complicated, but I’ve been shopping for them for years and know exactly which creators I like, which bodies they support, and where to find things. Male clothing feels like learning a completely different game, and I am absolutely a noob who has no idea what she’s doing.
The whole experience reminded me of a funny story from last year when I first made George. I was teleporting around men’s stores and IMing well-dressed avatars to ask where they shopped, and one guy replied, “I don’t have time for this,” before brushing me off. At the time I thought it was unfriendly, but after spending an evening trying to dress a male avatar, I completely understand. I’m not even mad because, honestly, I don’t have time for this either.
Today’s photo brought me to another realization that somehow escaped me until now: couple poses don’t seem to fit anybody. Why can’t we edit multiple avatars with the built-in Second Life poser and actually see those adjustments in-world? Every pose edits fixes only my avatar while my alt just had to make do the pose he was in. By the time finished editing the photo, I realized George’s hands were still locked to the hand pose selected on his body HUD instead of the animation I was using. Oops.
If you have any shopping recommendations for male avatars or some secret trick that makes couple photography less of a headache, please share, because I feel like I’m starting from zero and could use all the help I can get.
This Catherine Cardi and Skirt set from Orphic looks stunning in a darker color, so I chose to wear this instead of my usual bright and pastel shades. I paired it with a strapless bra from AlaskaMetro to maintain a sense of modesty; however, you can wear it without a BoM bra if you prefer, as it will still cover the necessary areas.
In my search for the perfect backdrop to showcase this outfit, I discovered a region called CLAW on the Destination Guide. This area is filled with vibrant colors and dazzling lights, making it ideal for nighttime photography. The hues seemed to enhance the whole scene, prompting me to adjust my Heart Sunset EEP settings to create an effect reminiscent of a comic book.
As you know, I have been immersed in inZOI for the past few days, and I think my Zoi bears a striking resemblance to my avatar. However, dressing up in Second Life proves to be quite challenging, particularly because poses are not inherently integrated into the environment. It requires considerable effort to find the right pose to effectively communicate my style. There is much that Second Life could learn from inZOI; I sincerely hope they’re taking note.
