Billy Beaverhausen
What's this? What's happening? What's going on?
Taking David to TMD August 2018
Time for another shopping trip dedicated to the NX-Nardcotix David mesh body to show that just because there aren’t many things being made specifically for this body, it doesn’t mean you have nothing to wear. Before we dive into the little stash from this month’s The Mens Dept. event, we should take a closer look at my current “Birth”-day suit.
I’m using the ‘Wood’ applier from Birth on the Catwa Stanley head and the matching body applier in skin tone #3. This applier is a good fit for David, with nipples and shadows where they’re supposed to be. I particularly like the generous body hair choices that come with this applier. That same generosity can also be found in Birth’s appliers for Catwa heads. They always include blond, red, brown and black eyebrows or you can leave the brows off altogether so you can apply other ones if that’s what you need. The same goes for the hair base and beard. I particularly like the dimple in the chin of Wood, but for some of the shots I applied one of the beard options, because it looks so damn rugged!
As usual I put on my trusty Mandala mesh ears and if you’re after that deliciously tussled hair you should head over to Vango.
Now let’s put on some clothing. I often make fun of Etham’s lack of diversity in their range, but I also end up using one of their “new” creations in most of my Nardcotix blog posts, because those jackets usually fit the David body quite well. This is the case again with the Kit bomber jacket they have at TMD. It’s perfect to go with any pair of jeans or for example the NX-Nardcotix Finlay cargo pants.
With a severely reduced butt I can squeeze into the Enzo size of the Long Island shorts from Tori Torricelli. Or to put it more correctly, with a full sized butt the shorts stand away from the body but when you shrink your cheeks, they become a better fit and still leave you with enough padding so your derrière won’t look too flat. There is a t-shirt to go with these shorts, but sadly I couldn’t make it work at all.
This simple layered shirt combo from Sleepy Eddy won’t be winning any prizes for originality, but it’s always good to have some basic casual pieces like this in your wardrobe and the Gianni size was easy to put on.
There are too many sweatpants in SL! At least that’s my opinion. Sometimes I feel like screaming when I see the umpteenth pair of joggers pop up at an event. If you can’t beat them, join them! That’s what I thought here and I got a new pair of Lenox sweats in a cheerful tribal pattern. It’s perfect for those lazy days with comfort food and Netflix-binges. The Aesthetic-size seems the best option, with some squeezing and pulling of course.
The Not So Bad open shirt works best in the Gianni size and if you’re struggling to find a pair of jeans to wear with it, I suggest you take a look at the Keanu jeans at the Not So Bad main store. There is a small clipping issue with the shirt in the collar bone area, but this depends on the moves in your AO and doesn’t take away from how seductively unbuttoned it looks.
Cold Ash have a great new pair of ripped jeans at TMD and the Gianni size fitted after a nip here and a tuck there, here a squeeze, there a squeeze everywhere a pull… In other words, some shape editing was definitely required, but they’re looking pretty fine, like your great great great grand daughter in the year 3000.
MGmen‘s outfit works best in standard size. You can’t wear the jacket without the hoodie, but you can wear the sweatpants by themselves, I just really didn’t want another sweatpants-only look. The shoes I’m wearing with this are the Two-Plat sneakers from Semller.
As always TMD lasts till the end of the month, so you still have time to go get all this good stuff from that one handy venue. If you’re reading this blog post some time in the future, you can of course zip around on the grid and get it from the various stores. Such fun!
New Port House IV
Here’s the last episode in my New Port House series. This spacious two-bedroom house from Roost kept me busy for a while with its very large main room which functions as an open plan kitchen-diner and living room. Having shown the living room side before, it’s now time to take a closer look at the kitchen-diner.
I really didn’t want to tie myself down with a particular style for this home. The outside can best be described as a New England house, but for the interior I went with something that’s cozy, stylish and suitably masculine for the bachelor who’s living here.
The Loft & Aria: Alderan table, chairs, pendant lights and white candle sticks; Harmon credenza; stone bowl. Fancy Decor: grandfather clock and serpentine candle sticks.
Lisp Bazaar: faded summer rug. Dust Bunny: Woodland dreams head planter.
Consignment: Catia kitchen (includes microwave oven and bread box).
Apple Fall: gourds in vintage bowl, Charlotte’s Pears, Natural Apples, enamel teapot.
Lisp Bazaar: newspaper and cup of coffee. 22769 Bauwerk: Coffee maker (gacha).
The Outlet: stool (tinted). The Loft & Aria: Holden radiator and decorated shelf.
Dutchie: pot with utensils.
Between the doorway to the sun room and the French doors leading to the deck there is a short stretch of wall perfect for a standing piano.
Lisp Bazaar: Into the Light piano and stool. 220ml: flask, cups and funnel (prize in Men Only Hunt 2018). What Next: Pothos plant.
The hallway and corridor in this house have plenty of open space with decorating opportunities.
Fancy Decor: storage bench, vintage handled vases, baroque winter landscape.
Chez Moi: coat/hat stand. Theory: Tansu chest.
Fancy Decor: cuckoo clock (gacha), wale tale books (gacha), table.
The Loft & Aria: table lamp, group of vases (gacha). Dust Bunny: plant.
I decided that the small space next to the downstairs bedroom was best suited as a dressing room.
~Bazar~: Glam wardrobe (with retextured clothing). N4RS: chaise. Thistle: table lamp.
Digs: Bryson tall boy. 22769 Bauwerk: Little Glowing Boyfriend floor lamp.
The downstairs bedroom in the New Port House is spacious enough to accommodate several chests of drawers and a sofa as well as slightly more crucial furniture, such as a bed for example.
Jester Designs: bed (retextured). Fancy Decor: chest (gacha), wooden box, catch-all, slippers, travel clock, chandelier. Digs: Dempsey dresser. Apple Fall: vintage camera (gacha). Thistle: table lamps. Lisp Bazaar: night stands. MadPea: bonsai (gacha).
Trompe Loeil: Xeni couch. Thistle: table lamp. Apple Fall: vintage radio (gacha).
Fancy Decor: books with glasses, copper magazine holder (group gift), radiator (gacha).
Lisp Bazaar: cup of coffee. Loft & Aria: side table.
N4RS: bombe chest. Loft & Aria: orchid. Apple Fall: Travel drawers (gacha), frame with light (original artwork replaced). Dust Bunny: French horn planter (gacha).
The bathroom is also quite sizable with ample room for both a bath and shower.
Loft & Aria: bath tub, sink, mirror, sconces, cupboard. David Heather: bathroom shelf (gacha). What Next: snake plant. Soy: long hanging hedera. Consignment: hanging lamp.
Loft & Aria: shower and toilet. David Heather: toilet paper holder.
That’s all folks! Hopefully most of the links will take you where they’re supposed to be taking you, but as you know, the SL landscape is ever changing. Good luck.
What’s Eating TMP 9
On 18th July 2018 I dropped a lengthy note card on the LiveHelp resident to ask them for clear and honest information on what would happen with all the lovely TMP bodies and heads that are out there, in case they ever see the need to pull the plug on their servers. This has always been a worry, because TMP insists on running most of their operation on their own servers rather than being part of the Linden Labs server farm. Or at least, that is what I’ve been told. About ten days later they finally saw fit to send me a very short answer…
There you have it folks, the body will function as is. That’s it? This is supposed to put us all at ease? Isn’t this like a parent explaining something to their children by saying it just is the way it is because that’s how it is? I don’t know about you, but that answer never satisfied me as a child and it certainly doesn’t now.
Meanwhile TMP have their pre-launch pop-up store, but nothing is known about what they are going to launch. At the moment they’re only selling long (female) “bento” hair at that pop-up store and you can click through to another level to get to the old mesh bodies and heads. One thing is clear, whatever it is they will be launching, if you are the kind of user that expects a lot of support and communication, it’s probably not going to be for you.
On a more positive note, let’s take a look at the current round of the TMD event and see which brands still carry a TMP size.
MGMen’s has a set consisting of a jacket, a sweater and a pair of sweatpants all available in the TMP size. Keep in mind that you’re meant to wear the sweater without your hands, so pop them off before you start muttering “well this doesn’t work…” It would have been nice if the jacket worked without the sweater, but its cuffs clearly cut into the body’s wrists. Also good to know is that you need to purchase the sweater separately and it’s only represented by a coloured square on the vendor. Apart from these little niggles, I do like this outfit. I’m rather tired of the plethora of sweatpants being shown at the monthly events, but throw in a jacket and a sweater and it becomes an easy peasy no-brainer urban outfit. As much as I like putting things together, sometimes a complete outfit is just what the lazy doctor ordered. For the sneakers in this shot you will have to go off the reservation (i.e. leave the TMD event) and head over to Semller to try your luck at one of their Gacha machines.
The ripped jeans and Chelsea boots from Cold Ash are divine. The perfect fit of the TMP size reminds me off that old joke: What do you get when you cross an onion and a donkey? In most cases you just get an odd looking onion with long ears, but on a magical night when the stars are aligned and the moon is in just the right position, you get an ass that’s so beautiful it makes you wanna cry.
It’s a shame that this shirt from Not So Bad doesn’t work with the Cold Ash jeans, but if you go take a look at the Not So Bad main store after your visit to the TMD event, you should be able to find jeans there that will work with TMP and this shirt. F.Y.I, I’m wearing their Keanu jeans in this shot.
You can always count on Etham to push out yet another one of their typical jackets and in most cases, these still include a TMP size and their fatpack price tends to be reasonable.
The list of other credits is short. Evidently I’m using the TMP Deluxe mesh body and head with a TMP skin. The eyebrows are freebies from Aeros and the hairbase also comes from Aeros but you can only get it if you buy their Chae hairstyles. Personally I’ve outgrown that one, so I’m wearing the Hysterical hair (yes, that is its name) from Stealthic.
Yet again I had a nice time with this photoshoot at MadPea’s Mad World. Of course this is not traditionally meant as photography sim, but among all the fun and games there are just so many interesting corners that serve as a great backdrop and the 1940’s music stream is just so calming that I’ll have no trouble getting to sleep as soon as I’ve posted this, so till next ZzzzzzzzzzzZzzzzzZzzzz…
Men Only Hunt August 2018
Another Men Only Hunt started and it will only be up and running till 18th August. I may have stated before that this easily is the best hunt for male avis on the grid and I’m hopeful that it will live up to that reputation again. After a day of wandering around in Stockholm, getting my daily average of steps on the good old counter and enjoying the sites, I’m now diving into this hunt with gusto and hope. For previous editions of this hunt I bravely showed as much items as I could. This time around I just can’t be bothered. How’s that for a dose of refreshing honesty? While I’m at it, I’m also quasi doing an episode of my Dabbling With Geralt series, as I will be using the Geralt body as much as possible.
Let’s see what we got here. There’s the Roland skin from 7 Deadly S(k)ins, worn here on the Signature Geralt body and Akeruka Aron head. Then there’s this simple gray t-shirt from Justice and you will find the pose which includes the bottle of whiskey at Renovatio Shapes (I guess they didn’t want to give away a shape).
I love the graffiti style t-shirt from Legal Insanity and the simple walking pose from The Owls is one of those typical bog standard poses that can come in handy for everybody.
The 7DS Roland skin has its own soul patch and stubble, but you can combine this with the Raphael facial hair of Mister Razzor and then push your street cred to an even higher level with the Ancient Soul tattoo by Identity.
For those days at the (nude) beach there’s the beach towel from ::K:: and the espadrilles from Gild. Nope, I didn’t feel like this outfit need anything else.
I think I counted three pairs of sunglasses in this hunt and none of them were able to completely convince me. This pair from LouLou & Co is just about acceptable, though I wish it could be a bit smaller, but it has to be this size to fit my big old head. You’ll find the simple white t-shirt at Native Urban and if you like keeping things monochromatic, it’s your lucky day with the hoodie from Etham.
As I’ve cut plenty of items from the mix, this blog post wasn’t much of an ordeal. Even if it would have been, I’m not really the kind of person who needs a drink after an eventful day, but this this just happens to be the last prize I want to show. 220 ml did a great job with this whiskey flask, cup and funnel. There are rezzable and wearable versions of the flask and cup, so you can be lush wherever you go.
That’s it for this hunt for me. I still think it is one of the better hunts for male avis in SL, but it’s not like the competition is fierce. On the other hand, there are plenty of hunts that make you pay 1L$ for each item while the Men Only Hunt is entirely free!
Dabbling with Geralt VII
Someone spontaneously asked me for advise on which mesh head to use with the Signature Geralt body. So far I have only been dabbling with Geralt’s “own” head, but I could easily imagine the body working well with other heads, so I went up to my attic, stitched a new man together and waited for lightning to strike so I could finally manically shout out: “It’s alive!”
To stay with the Frankenstein reference, I’m going to say that for the first look I’ve stitched the Catwa Stanley head on the Geralt body and grafted the Stray Dog Erwin skin on it. The body appliers from Stray Dog have been tailored to the Gianni body, but they don’t look too shabby on Geralt, if you ask me.
For this next look we have to keep our fingers crossed that the dispute between Catwa and Akeruka gets resolved quickly and that the male Akeruka Deluxe heads will be back at the store soon. I don’t want to descent into the smutty SL rumor underground, but as far as I can tell, Catwa most probably filed a DCMA complaint against Akeruka and untill this gets sorted out, the Deluxe heads are off the shelves. It seems to me that in these cases, one is automatically assumed guilty until proven innocent. I got hold of the Leon head before the shit hit the fan and I really appreciate its original skin. The new and improved body applier you get with this head, works very well with Geralt, even though it was made for Gianni.
I also tried an Akeruka head of the previous generation on Geralt and found it a bit of a struggle. The Aron head for example comes with an omega body applier that doesn’t look good on Geralt and the choices for skins that can be used on this head are limited.
7 Deadly S(k)ins can be somewhat of a savior in this case. Their Brent skin works on both the Geralt head and Akeruka Anton head. I dare say the end result is charming, though the neck joint seems to be bulging a bit, especially if you have a strong neck.
That’s it for this round of head juggling. I used Stealthic hair, NSS mesh eyes and Mandala mesh ears throughout this exercise (except for Leon, those are his own ears). As usual when I’m showing off bodies and heads, I kept the use of fabrics to a bare minimum. To suit this purpose, I found some new things to wear with Geralt at the current round of the Signature event, which is on from the 1st till the 20th of August. From Flow I got myself a nice pair of swimming trunks with a tropical print. Then there is a simple pair of boxer briefs from Exalted and a comfy pair of joggers from Wazzer Works.
It’s Kinky Time 4
The current round of the Kinky Event started on 28th July with a latex-gloved smack on the ass and will keep on ssssmoking till August 19th. I don’t visit this event every month or more to the point, I don’t blog about it every month, because most month there’s little or no menswear to speak off. A quick glance at just a part of what’s on offer this month confirms this statement. There’s a male skin from Stray Dog, a handful of couples poses, some tattoos and furniture that works for both genders of course. Then there is a lot (a lot!) of lingerie for the ladies… Or their boyfriends… Or their girlfriends… Or just because it’s what they want, what they really really want (zigazig-ha! girl power!)
This month there is one hot daring little number for the gents as well…
Noche’s Erin Latex Briefs work with the Belleza Jake and Signature Gianni mesh bodies. They come with a functional back to front zipper, which means you can leave yourself fully exposed or keep it a bit more polite by remembering to zip up before you go go. The material looks so latexy you can almost hear those kinky squeaks. If you splash out and treat yourself to the 1399 L$ fatpack, you get 14 colours which can be individually applied to the front, back and waistband. So go on, do your country proud and put one together in your national colours!
I did the photoshoot in the private comfort of my platform, but there are some interesting corners at the Kinky Event that are perfect for this kind of photography, although it is a “Moderate” area, so perhaps you may want to keep the beast safely behind bars… eeehm, zippers.
Shown on Belleza Jake mesh body with Catwa Stanley head, Stray Dog Erwin skin and Stealthic Reach hair.
New Port House III
People that have more rooms than they know what to do with might have something they call their sun room. Others may feel they don’t have enough space, which is a feeling that might drive them to sticking something at the end of their house and calling it a conservatory. The New Port House by Roost is rather spacious, even if you go for the smaller of the two versions. The very large main reception room is more than big enough to accommodate a generous kitchen-diner and comfortable living room. Then you are still left with a smaller room on the side, perfect for potting plants, arranging flowers, lounging in a typical sun room sofa, leafing through your favourite magazine whilst enjoying the daylight streaming in from all sides and of course having afternoon tea in style.
Manhattan Sofa: It’s a gacha item from Concept and I can’t find it anywhere at their store. Possibly it was an exclusive item for some gacha event. There are a few of these sofas on Marketplace, just search for Manhattan and then narrow down to furniture.
Glamping Rug: a gacha items from Artisan Fantasy. Delia Wicker Table: This is from Di’cor but it was in a Deco(c)rate a while ago and it probably is not available for sale. Luxe Stand: This elegant brass and glass stand is from Fancy Decor, but I think it was a limited edition. Various plants: Dust Bunny, What Next, Plastik, Loft & Aria, Artisan Fantasy, Soy, Keke, Fancy Decor). Botanical Prints: These classic botanical prints that appear to be suspended on wires stretched across empty frames are a gacha item from Apple Fall. Handblown Glass Table Lamp: You will find this lamp at Thistle and get a large floor lamp in the same style along with it.
Oakly Dining Set & Pendant Light: Loft & Aria. Bonsai tree: Theory. Easy Rider side table: this little chest of drawers / side table is from Cheeky Pea, but I couldn’t find it at their store right away. I must have bought it at an event. Tea Set, Butterfly Collection: Fancy Decor. Plants: see list with previous image.
Simple Console Table: Keke. Flowers: Ariskea, Apple Fall, Loft & Aria. Cacti: Soy, Blue Sky. Berlin cabinet with books, baskets, plants and pots: Bazar. Botanical Study: Apple Fall. Plants: see list with first image.
That’s another room done and dusted. I also put together a kitchen-diner, hallway, bedroom and bathroom in this house, so this particular series within my blog hasn’t quite come to an end yet.
Kauna is giving it all away
Maybe you heard already that Kauna is closing its doors soon. The store has been open for 7 years and for much of that time they were using the e2v vendor system. As you may know, this system ceased its operations at the end May. Unfortunately only one year of sales records were available for download from the e2v website, which made setting up a new vendor system for the sake of having a redelivery terminal rather pointless from Kauna’s point of view. Instead of moving the entire range to a new vendor system, they made the decision to retire the majority of the items. At the moment the store is still open and everything can be grabbed for FREE! I checked with the charming owner / designer Ross Myhre and he assured me that the store would be open for another couple of weeks, so counting from the day I received his answer, that gives you until 10 th August to go check it out.
Keep in mind that while some items include Slink and TMP versions, much of the Kauna range was created using standard sizing. I have been testing their clothes with several bodies, starting with Belleza Jake.
- As you can see the knee shorts with a wrap-around shirt work nicely. The standard size seems to be the preferred option and the shirt is the saving grace here, as it allows you to cover up the difficult area (yup, that ass) and make good use of the alpha cuts.
Worn with Belleza Andrei sandals. - The 2BN casual suit isn’t perfectly rigged for mesh bodies and if you like your Belleza body to look very buff, than this suit possibly won’t be for you. Then again, I don’t feel it makes me look like a stick figure and it’s amazing what undoing a couple of buttons on a shirt will do to turn up the heat.
Worn with Deadwool Dandy shoes and socks. - The 4Mat boots, socks and jeans can be worn with the shawl cardigan, all from Kauna
- The UCLR suit and jumper are another win for the Belleza body. If you don’t like the look of this outfit when you first put it on, I suggest you try playing with your shape, as plenty of the sliders have a big impact on the cut of this suit.
Worn with Deadwool Dandy shoes and socks.
All shown with Catwa Stanley head with Stray Dog Erwin skin and Stealthic Reach hair.
Next we’re going to take a look at how the Signature Gianni body does with Kauna.
- What I said about the 2BN casual suit with Belleza Jake, goes for the Signature Gianni body as well.
- Kauna’s bomber jacket is an old favourite of mine. The main fabric, cuffs, piping, buttons and zippers can all be tinted individually with a hud, which makes it a delightfully versatile item to mix and match with any pair of trousers, like the ones from Kauna’s Novus suit. You can also wear this jacket with a t-shirt if you’re in a less showy mood.
Worn with Deadwool chase sneakers. - For those of you with a swanky dress sense and a mansion, Kauna’s luxurious smoking jacket might be just the thing to while away a Sunday afternoon in SL, pretending to be the lord of the manor. I’m wearing the jacket with the XIV trousers and monk shoes, both from Kauna as well. Even the pipe is something you’ll find at Kauna, though you will have to try your luck at a gacha for that.
- The shorts and wrap around shirt work very well with Gianni. I’m not sure which size is the most suitable one, but I’m using the Slink version in this picture.
Worn with Vale Koer V-3 trainers (group gift).
All shown with Signature Gianni mesh head, Birth Asher skin and Stealthic Like Lust hair.
Now we are moving on to the NX-Nardcotix David body, which at 1750 L$ is a steal.
- For David I wanted to start off with something a little bit quirky and classic, so out came the breeches and knee-high socks. This tweed suit covers up most of the body and will probably work with most bodies, though you may have to make your neck a bit less thick if you’re a gym bunny. The brown Oxford shoes are also from Kauna and combine nicely with this suit.
- For those of you who like that classic mature “catalogue” look, this quilted jacket will be right up your ally. I tried to make it a bit more sporty by combining it with boots and jeans, but that didn’t work out, so I settled for the XIV trousers and monk shoes.
- David feels happy in the standard size for the shorts with wrap around shirt.
Worn with NX-Nardcotix Mecatl sandals. - David seems equally at ease in the standard size for the UPCLR jacket, jumper and trousers. Like so many Kauna items, this suit comes with a hud that easily lets you tint it. As a bonus, there are also some Christmas patterns for the sweaters and Christmas lights you wear around your shoulders. Such fun!
Worn with NX-Nardcotix Jude ankle boots.
All shown with Catwa Stanley head with Clef de Peau Ivo skin and Vango Matt and Billy hair.
I’m sure that you’ll find plenty in the Kauna range for the TMP mesh body and if you own any other body, just try it all on. You’ve got nothing to lose but a bit of time and isn’t that why we’re in SL anyway?
Ross Myhre is currently focused on other projects and hasn’t been making menswear for quite some time now, but says that Kauna may well be back in the future! Personally I would welcome it.
What’s Eating TMP 8
Something’s happening! There’s movement! I’ve been making occasional visits to The Shops just to make sure that it’s still there and today the landing point looked very different.
The poster speaks of a “Pre-Launch pop-up shop”. So does this mean there is a future for TMP after all? At the moment they seem to be selling women’s hair, which is a new thing for them in any case. I’m not sure I like the choice of words here. Pre-launch sounds ominous. When I bought the Deluxe body at full price in 2016, it was supposed to include one free update, which by the way is very stingy compared to the perpetuate updates I’ve been receiving from Signature, NX-Nardcotix and ExMachina. Something tells me that if TMP will finally come along with a new body, they will launch it as something new altogether. Maybe they will rename it or use some other clever marketing trick to wriggle out of those previous promises. It feels like the update that should be rightfully mine will be blowing in the wind… And when I say wind, I do mean fart.
From their new booth you can click through to another refurbished space where you can still get the Deluxe body, head and skins all for 500 L$ each. Interestingly the poster in the new space refers to this as a “starter avatar”.
For several moths the entire clothing line from their boutique was available for free, but now you have to start coughing up the Linden dough for it again. All Boutique items are now 100 L$ or less. Perhaps they need a wee bit of cash flow for the new project?
Meanwhile, far away from The Shops, it’s also worth mentioning that Kauna is retiring most of their range. At the moment you can pick up almost everything for free. Much of the Kauna range has been made in the standard sizes and is not ideal for TMP, but there are some pieces that are certainly worth a second look. I especially like the bomber jacket, the trousers of the Novus suit and the wingtip brogues. This free for all has been going on since May and I have no idea for how much longer it will last, so what are you doing sitting here, reading this blog?! You should be there already!
Lastly I want to mention that I dropped a note card on the Live Help person at TMP about a week ago, asking for an honest explanation for what would happen to TMP bodies and heads in case they ever need to permanently pull the plug on their servers. So far I have received no answer to this. So, what is eating TMP? That is a question only very few people have the answer to and they’re keeping the lid firmly on those beans.
Taking David to Man Cave July / August 2018
It has been a while since I last hit the Man Cave event in earnest, so it was a logical choice for another shopping trip dedicated to the NX-Nardcotix David mesh body. The event lasts till 9th of August, so we’re about halfway through and there is hardly any lag. Truth be told, Man Cave usually doesn’t turn out great for this particular body, but I forced myself to see the glass half full and will now get on with showing you the handful of items I bought, cleverly combined with some trusty pieces from David’s wardrobe.
Aitui are becoming rather predictable with this kind of jacket and t-shirt. This time around though, there are some interesting versions with a slightly stronger pop of colour and I particularly like the one with the yellow cab. It’s not a bad fit, providing you use your alpha cuts of course and it works perfectly with the Finley cargo pants and Jude ankle boots, both from the NX-Nardcotix main store.
Fashionatic has a pair of bermuda shorts at Man Cave with a crazy number of texture choices if you go for the fatpack. Instead of a belt, the shorts have one of those fancy ropes to stop them from falling down to your ankles. This is one of those rare occasions where the Aesthetic size works best. It’s almost as if it has a built-in booty, so you can afford to lower your butt size a lot till eventually the shorts fit without ending up with a flat ass. Your leg muscles should be max. 65 and it can be helpful to increase saddle bags and belly size. Sandals are always a suitable choice to go with this kind of shirtless look and the Nardcotix Mecatl sandals are my go-to option.
Even when it seems like perfect t-shirt and shorts weather, it can be a good thing to have the Etham hoodie with you for those cooler evenings. It only comes as a fatpack, but the price is very reasonable and this is the kind of basic item for which it makes good sense to have it in several colours. I’m using the TMP size and the shorts I’m wearing with it this time are from the Nardcotix collection.
Yet again I killed two proverbial birds with one pretend stone (no actual birds were harmed in the making of this blog post) and spent some time exploring MadPea’s Mad World and enjoying the 1940’s music stream while I was modelling these clothes. This was also a good opportunity to try another skin from Birth on my Catwa Stanley head, whistle and say “helloooo gorgeous.”
Credits
- NX-Nardcotix David mesh body
- Catwa Stanley mesh head
- Birth Miller applier for Catwa heads and omega body applier
- Stealthic Like Lust hair
- Mandala Season 5 Steking mesh ears
- Newclan applier on Catwa eyes
Exmachina 3.01
The Exmachina Davide Avatar has been updated yet again, albeit with a hiccup. First the 3.0 version was dropped in my inventory and I soon found out that there were problems with applying skins to it. Pretty soon version 3.01 landed safely at my feet and I could start unpacking again.
The avatar now comes with a free pair of shorts and a tank top, both with a 10-colour hud so you’re bound to find your favorite combination and look the part when you go for a workout at the gym… even if you are the only one there at 6 am. Finish off the look with a pair of sporty sneakers, like the ones from Semler I’m wearing.
Another great addition is the Alpha Wardrobe hud. With this you can safe alpha settings for specific clothing. You start this process by clicking the small Alpha Wardrobe hud BEFORE you put on the clothing and with no body parts hidden. Next you’ll be clicking the ADD button and go look for whatever you want to wear in your inventory, just like you would whenever you get dressed. I chose the George sweatpants by Etham and then gave the system a couple of seconds to figure out what on earth I was wearing and next I used the alpha tab in the body’s main hud to hide the bits of skin that were sticking through the fabric and once that was done I clicked the Confirm button. Now every time I put on these sweatpants, the Alpha Wardrobe hud will automatically hide the body parts as I defined them. Make sure you are still wearing the Alpha Wardrobe hud when you are saving your outfit. You can always remove it once you’ve changed from one outfit to another and it has done its job. I rather like this new gizmo. Clothing with auto alpha function such as you find for the Signature and Belleza bodies is of course even better, but while clothing support for the Exmachina body is still low, this is a great solution.
While I was at the recently changed Exmachina sim, I had a good look around and discovered that Gild have a small booth with a stylish pair of bikini briefs made for the Exmachina body. Finally! Some decent swimwear for this body!
Oh wait, but then I remembered that Legal Insanity updated their very bulgy Thor briefs to fit the Exmachina avatar… Is that a hammer or are you just happy to see me?
For the slightly less frisky among us, Legal Insanity also has a timid pair of shorts (a.k.a swim trunks) in some pretty flashy patterns. So with these three items to add to your wardrobe, things will be going swimmingly.
Credits
- Exmachina Davide full avatar
- 7 Deadly S(k)ins Kaye in caramel tone, one applier for body and head.
- Mandala Season 5 Steking mesh ears (In a couple of shots I accidentally am wearing these ears and the standard ears for this avatar, but from a distance they kinda merged.)
- Stealthic Like Lust hair
- NSS Vermeer mesh eyes (The avatar does come with eyes and they are better now than with the first version, but I’m still not satisfied with them.)
Dabbling with Geralt VI
The Signature Event event has been gone for a while, but is up and running again. The current round started on 1st July and will run till 20th. It will be interesting to see if it will be followed by a new round on 1st August, but I was mostly curious about the level of support for the Geralt body at this event. There are vendors for both the Signature Gianni and Geralt body at the landing point, but I couldn’t find the heads anywhere. I guess you’ll have to “head” over to the Signature main store if you want to buy one.
First let’s take a look at skins. There are two appliers that work with the Geralt head at the Signature Event. There’s ‘Asher’ from Birth, which I already showed very recently on the Gianni head and there is ‘Aron’ by Not Found, which you can see in the picture above. Not Found don’t have their own body appliers, but they’re compatible with Clef De Peau skins, which have been recently updated with options like freckles and tan lines. The nipples are where they’re supposed to be and there are no nasty toe shadows, but the clavicles and shoulder blades aren’t in an optimal position for Geralt. The ‘Aron’ head applier makes up for this with a bucket load of fresh-faced cuteness and I sure do appreciate the tan lines (wiggle wiggle wiggle).
Next let’s go through my shopping haul from this event. I didn’t spend any time on trying to make something fit, instead I demoed everything and retained only those items I liked and which included a hassle free Geralt size.
It makes me happy to see some new swimwear for Geralt, even if the bulge on these swim trunks from LV Designs is not for the faint of heart. This boy has been eating his veggies, that’s for sure.
Coming out of the water, it’s nice to have a big soft towel from Flow to wrap around your wet body. I went for a sporty striped version, but there are some really colourful ones on offer too. Your arms are blanked out, so if someone should wish to cam under your towel, they might ask you where your arms went. People should mind their own business! The same issue rises when one is wearing a kilt. When you say that you’ve got nothing on underneath it, you do mean that quite literally. Awkwaaaaard!
Hoorenbeek is known for putting together complete outfits and they have two of these at the Signature event. I went for the summer outfit, consisting off a t-shirt with a bold tropical pattern, a simple pair of shorts with a very well made belt, a pair of sandals, three necklaces, two bracelets and a pair of sunglasses. As you can see I chose not to wear everything, because sometimes less is more.
For my next outfit I kept the Hoorenbeek shorts and combined them with a sweatshirt from Invictus and sneakers from Dossier. The crossed arms are not an animation but part of the sweater design. Naturally it comes with a hud so you can adjust the skin tone of the hands.
Millo Copperfield has a pair of jeans with open fly and visible boxers for seductively hanging out at home, or wherever you choose to pass your time half dresses. I hadn’t heard of this designer before, but I’ll be looking out for this name at future events, cause they made a good first impression on me with this item. Obviously you might not make a good first impression if this is how you go open the door when a stranger comes a’knocking… or maybe you would.
The single sleeve top from Clef de Peau doesn’t make much sense, but that doesn’t stop it from looking gorgeous and if it’s normality you are after, you can always leave the top for what it is and just get the shorts. Then again, if you are truly looking for normality, perhaps you shouldn’t be in SL… Oh wait! NO! This is the NEW normal.
Next I’m going smart casual with a summer suit from Ascend. Technically this outfit would be just smart, but it’s the way I’m wearing it that makes it casual, with a suavely loosened tie and nonchalantly rolled up sleeves. If you’re wondering which shoes to wear with this suit, I would suggest the “Triple Monk shoes” from Ascend, available at their main store.
I really like the faded palm tree pattern on this t-shirt from Native Urban and it works quite happily with the Clef de Peau shorts and the sandals from the Hoorenbeek outfit. As always I get excited when I can mix and match items I bought at the same event. It makes that Linden buck go just a little bit further. The colour scheme of this outfit also happens to go particularly well with my platinum blond fresh faced sun kissed look.
Chuck Size has a really tight fitting baseball shirt at the Signature Event, which makes it difficult to find suitable jeans or shorts for it. I ended up getting a pair of jeans shorts at their main store, but looking on the bright side at least I can report that they do indeed have these shorts in Geralt size. Chuck’s done a great job on the camouflage pattern for the sleeves, but a bunch of other versions are available of course.
This ‘work shirt’ from Blankline looks great in a bold red and goes well with the Hoorenbeek shorts.
I chose red again for a T-shirt from Complex with an pair of suspenders / belts worn in an unconventional way. The single colour version has a hud with some options for the belts.
We’re seeing red once more and I’m finishing like I started, with swimwear and a bulge. If you can’t beat them, join them, right? This complete lifeguard set from Cheerno is just so damn cute! I can see a lot of fake drowning victims in my future.
That’s it for now folks! There’s not much time left to go visit the event but I don’t think any of the items shown in this blog post are exclusives, so you’ll be able to track them down at the main stores of the various creators. I hope this will have inspired people to dabble with their Geralt, so to speak. All that’s left to mention now is that my platinum blond locks are from Stealthic and that you can get those soulful eyes from Newclan.
