Friday, January 11, 2008

Trench: Epilogue

I had to show you a pic of myself in that trench without the skirt prim. It looks great both with and without.

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Tuesday, January 1, 2008

Trench

Generally, when men think about trench coats, they think about one thing: Neo from the Matrix. Fashion-wise, that's not so bad; the dark, fitted outfits with designer sunglasses is a great look, even ten or so years later. That having been said, there are a lot of trench coats and variations thereupon which make an outfit look really good, and I want to point you at a favorite of mine: The leather trench coat by Cubic Effect.

A good trench is a huge step in the right direction towards wearing "big boy" clothes, and this one is a great example. Available in a brown (which isn't that great), white (which isn't that great), and grey (which is terrific), the workmanship is positively awesome. Through various prim-additions (six in total) and a jacket-layer, the look is subtle in all the right ways; from the padded shoulders to the loose belt buckle... from the understated leather stitching in the skirt prim to the roguishly-popped collar, this is the one trench you really should have in your arsenal for all occasions. As you can see, it lends itself nicely to a businesslike collar-and-trouser look, complete with dress shoes and so-on, but you can also put it together with a grungier, dirtier look and it still fits in just fine. One thing I've enjoyed doing is trying it with and without the skirt prim, as the jacket layer and other prim attachments make for a nice waistcoat. In particular, I like the open belt with buckle (rather than a tie). This is one of those miniscule details upon which excellent personal style is built.



Be warned, however, that this trench is not a one-size-fits-all kind of deal. Be prepared to adjust prims until you're blue in the face and prepare to accept some small design-level problems that would be nearly impossible to fix. For instance, if you adjust the collar properly to get the maximum amount of the prim displayed as you can, you'll probably notice some separation between the prim and the jacket, leaving some gaps. Don't blame designer Mirai Jun, however; it would be impossible to invent a prim that's going to sit right on every man's shape. You will, therefore, need to do some adjusting on your own to get it just so. This is one of those big-league outfit items, so don't be put off by a the adjusting work; it'll pay off.



The only other thing you're gonna want to keep in mind is that the prim skirt can sometimes move "into" the leg if your AO poses you in particular ways. I didn't find this to be a big problem at all (and neither you nor anyone else will notice after the first few seconds, if at all), but the ongoing plague of prim skirts falling through the body (a problem women in SL are very familiar with) shows its face once again in this item.

The thing about big boy clothes is that they are understated. They command attention rather than demanding it. Where some attempt to communicate their personal image through bigger, bolder, louder statements, this trench coat invites a more discerning eye. Trust me; you will get asked about it... in the good way.

Check out this leather trench at Cubic Effect.

Other stuff:
Vizion glasses from Prim-optic
Jeans & boxers from Canimal
Shirt, tie & trousers from Armidi
Tattoos from Etch'd
Shoes from Shiny Things
Boots from Drawmachine
Hair from Naughty