Give Your Closet a Moon Prism Makeover with Second Life Fashion Inspired by Sailor Moon

Janine "Iris Ophelia" Hawkins' ongoing review of gaming and virtual world style

No one should be surprised that Cutie Moon Fair [SLURL], a fashion event celebrating anime heroine Sailor Moon and running in Second Life until April 15th, is heaven for virtual cosplayers. What's more surprising, however, is just how much of what's available can be worked into your wardrobe even if you have no desire to fight evil by (digital) moonlight.

It was tempting to devote this post to recreating the famous looks of my favorite crew of magical girls, but I decided to go with a much more wearable look, which is just as stylish in the midst of Cutie Moon fair as it will be in a few months when I'm wearing it just to show my geeky stripes. Keep reading for the details!

• There are several Sailor Moon-inspired hairstyles at Cutie Moon, but the flowiness and movement in Olive's The Rosie Moon make it look like it's straight from the pages of the manga. The buns on either side of the head have a more realistically wrapped look than their source which might be a turn-off for some, but I think they just make it that much more wearable even when you're not in costume.
  
  
• You'll be able to find a good amount of makeup and tattoos at the fair as well, but the glowing planetary prim glyphs from NOX will definitely appeal to shoppers with cosplay on the mind.
  
  
• The Sugar Garden's wands and compacts might be my favorite items from the fair. They look perfectly plasticky, vivid and glossy, and they come with open, closed, and necklace variations. They're a bit bigger and bulkier-looking than what you might find affixed to Sailor Moon's uniform, but they're quite accurate to the real-life versions that have been made, meaning that they could even be a cute decor item to leave out if you want to flaunt your fandom in your virtual home.

• The versatility of B.C.C.'s Baby Moon dress makes it an excellent addition to a Second Life moony's wardrobe. The changeable bow colors and skirt patterns make it easy to go from inconspicuously casual to imitating your favorite Sailor Scout's signature look in seconds.
  
  
• The Cutie Moon Fair star locket is a freebie, and well worth the trip to pick up. It plays a tune when clicked, but it otherwise low-key enough to make its way into endless different outfits.
  
  
• u.f.o's Moonlight Bag isn't as overtly "Sailor Moonish" as many of the other adorable bags available at Cutie Moon, and that's not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, it seems like it would be quite at home on a Sweet Lolita-styled avatar. Pastel moon and star purses are currently pretty popular among RL Lolitas, so fans in SL should definitely snap this up for themselves.
  
  
• And, of course, what's a crime fighter without her dramatic poses? Flowey has poses inspired by each of the inner scouts, perfect for taking pictures of any universally (or at least galactically) fashionable outfits you come up with.

Now if you're rolling your eyes at all these fashionistas in spaghetti-and-meatball wigs, waving their compacts and wands around, here's something for your to bear in mind: Sailor Moon (and its ongoing 20th anniversay celebrations) means a lot of different things to different people. For some it's pure nostalgia, or a fun and girly aesthetic due for a revival (like a Japanese Lisa Frank), and sometimes it's a bit more than that. In my case, Sailor Moon was one of the first shows I watched that had more than one or two female main characters, and it presented each one of them as distinct and relatable individuals. It was probably the first time I felt like I had a choice in terms of who to relate to... Or at least a choice beyond "the blonde girl or the brunette girl". For others, Sailor Moon was the first show they watched with queer characters who were treated on equal terms with everyone else, and that's nothing to scoff at either.

Whether Sailor Moon is your cup of tea or not, hopefully everyone can appreciate the work that went into this fan-driven event. If you want more ideas on how to give your avatar a dose of Moon Prism style, check out the Cutie Moon Flickr group where designers and shoppers alike are sharing loads of pictures of the many items on offer. Finally, don't forget to visit Cutie Moon for yourself [SLURL] before it closes on April 15th!

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Iris Ophelia (@bleatingheart, 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

[Hitomi Tiponi]

Thanks for the tip-off. Went there today and picked up a lovely Sailor Moon dress that looks great.