3 New Year's Resolutions for Virtual World Fashionistas

Iris Ophelia's ongoing review of gaming and virtual world style

To be perfectly honest, I don't often make resolutions on January 1st, but this year I'm breaking pattern and making a list of things I want to do to improve myself and my life. Second Life has become a part of who I am over the years so naturally I've got a few resolutions on my list made with Second Life and other virtual worlds in mind, and they're resolutions I think a lot of other fashionistas could benefit from. For example:

3. Try Before I Buy (I Mean it!)

I give this advice all the time but I don't always adhere to it myself, especially if I'm in a rush to meet a deadline. This tip applies as much to SL as it does RL. When you're not 100% familiar with a brand and how it fits you, always demo or try it on if possible before opening your real or virtual wallet. I've made a few purchases in 2012 that I never got any use out of because they made my head look too round, or clipped into my cheek and couldn't be edited, or just looked weird, wonky, or downright wrong on me. I could have saved myself from every one of those purchases if only I didn't slack with testing out the demos, even when I'm in a hurry, so I'm putting my foot down in 2013.

2. Steer Clear of Divas and Drama

I don't think I'm what most people would call a drama-monger in the fashion community, and I do try to keep my hands clean-- but I get curious. Doesn't everyone? When something blows up and I miss it (I usually do), I want to know exactly what happened, why, and to whom. But even if I'm only nosing in on the periphery of these big dramas... It's still none of my business. Drama is probably Second Life's biggest spectator sport, and while it's much worse to be one of the "athletes" involved, being a jeering member of the audience isn't exactly a position of honor either.

1. Don't Just Consume, Create

I've dabbled with content creation in SL and I always try my best to stay informed about the latest tools and methods so that I can offer educated and constructive criticism, but I've always had a hard time maintaining interest long enough to feel comfortable calling myself a creator with the same reverence that I would others. I've played around with clothes, skins, tattoos, makeups, poses, AOs, decor over the years and collaborated with some amazingly talented designers in the process, but I always get distracted or discouraged and come back to my comfortable little blogging bubble. Although blogging is another form of content creation, it's not exactly the same... So I want to start creating in-world regularly and not just consuming. If everyone created just one new thing each month, SL would no doubt be an even more exciting and vibrant place.

Those are my virtual world resolutions, but check out Hamlet's and leave your own here!

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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.

Comments

[Wyatt]

I could not have said it better myself. Especially the creating part! Happy 2013!