Iris Ophelia's ongoing review of virtual world and MMO fashion
I recently returned from a family vacation to Amsterdam, and since I'm from Canada, where any building over 150 years old is a big deal, I'm always inspired to see the gorgeously aged structures that are integrated into modern European life. It's a beautiful aesthetic, and with so many places in SL recreating it, why shouldn't that inspiration carry over into the virtual world too? I've picked three photogenic sims influence by European cities and sites, and styled three outfits to match, starting with...
Mikrokosmos [Teleport to Mikrokosmos in HAKE]
I wanted something neutral but fun to match this beautiful old country villa. This polka dotted Ribbon Tank and Flared Pants in cream are both from The Secret Store [Teleport to The Secret Store in CHEESECAKE], Maylee Oh's shop that is far from secret these days. Her attention to detail as a designer is really noticeable in these pants, where she's taken the time to include realistic side-seams and inseams. I've matched this outfit with the adorable bonnetted hair, Masha, that Irischka Hotshot of IREN released at Hair Fair, as well as Atelier AM's Pearl and Chain Necklace, Gos's versatile Pimp Your Pumps Mary Janes, and Curio's fresh looking May skin.
The bicycle, a posing prop from { what next }, is a freebie hidden on their sim in a little shark for The Season's Hunt, which ends in a few short days on July 30th. [Teleport to { what next } at HODGEPODGE]
Before you run off to hunt for it, keep reading for two more cute sims and even cuter outfits!
La Perla [Teleport to La Perla in FURIZONA]
I've had the pleasure of seeing beautiful pastel-painted hillside towns in person, so when I found La Perla I was absolutely thrilled that someone had recreated them in SL. I chose an outfit that mirrored the soft colors and refined elements of these towns-- d. Select's Summer Dirndl Dress and Mini Jacket by Steffi Villota [Teleport to d. Select at DEETALEZ]-- and added a pair of Floral Leggings from Atomic, Exile's Bailey hairstyle, the new Hummingbird Necklace from KOSH, Lara Hurley's Ava skin, with an extra touch of realism with SLink's parted-lip prim teeth.
The final touch is a rather accurate camera reproduction from Catboy Qunhua, available in his Marketplace store. The downside of this product is that, while it's well made, it is very openly based on a real-life product. These kinds of virtual replicas are a very controversial issue and one I admit I have mixed feelings about, so if you're understandably opposed to them this camera isn't for you.
Cupcake [Teleport to CUPCAKE]
I took all but one of my Lolita post pictures in the Montmatresque Cupcake shopping sim, since it's many nooks and crannies present a wide variety of quaint backdrops. It's a visually busy place, so I picked a simple lacy dress named Enna by Neferia Abel of L'Abel [Teleport to L'Abel in IVALDE]. Part of her recent country-inspired line, this dress is very sweet and clean-cut, but I found the shoulder straps too plain. The untextured, unshaded straps don't do this dress justice, so I thickened them up and added a little dimension by layering Pink Outfitters' Ember Tank Top underneath the dress. I've finished the outfit with NALA's Daniel glasses, Yummy's Fashion Design Creator Charms necklace, Elikatira's cute bob hairstyle named Again, Dutch Touch's LuuS skin, and finally a color-changing suitcase available for free at The Kid Company.
Unfortunately, you might have noticed that these sims all resemble areas near the Mediterranean. As much as I loved Amsterdam. its reputation has made it almost impossible to find an SL analogue that isn't full of tacky levels of SL sex, dated-looking builds, or both. If you've found a cute canal-side corner of the grid, please share it in the comments below!
Iris Ophelia (Janine Hawkins IRL) has been featured in the New York Times and has spoken about SL-based design at the Fashion Institute of Technology in Manhattan and with pop culture/fashion maven Johanna Blakley.
As someone from Amsterdam I am disappointing and upset that only the adult and drug side of this city has found its way into SL.
If I had the funds I'd love to build a nice old canal with a few houses without all the prostitution and drugs.
Just a nice place to sit and enjoy the rich history and atmosphere of the area.
Living in that city I am rarely confronted with that side of life here.
A saying among the people of Amsterdam is; "Prostitution? Drugs? Never heard of it. Isn't that something for the tourists?".
Mind you, if you want to see a much nicer side of the Netherlands, visit Delft.
Posted by: Jo yardley | Thursday, July 28, 2011 at 12:03 AM
A sim called !Amsterdam also has a less adult area and you may want to visit a place called !New Zaandijk.
You probably found them both already, but just in case.
Posted by: Jo yardley | Thursday, July 28, 2011 at 12:38 AM