“Water is fluid, soft and yielding. But water will wear away rock, which is rigid and cannot yield. As a rule, whatever is fluid, soft and yielding will overcome whatever is rigid and hard. This is another paradox: what is soft is strong.” —Lao-Tzu
Yula Finesmith’s latest design, Fluid, is indeed soft and yielding. It sways as you move and mesmerizes the observer. There is a sexual overtone to the jewelry much as there is a sexual overtone in the quote. I love the jewelry and the way it moves when you move. I’m betting that you will like it as much as I do.
When I thought about what I wanted to wear with this new jewelry set, I decided that what I really wanted was one of the new mesh gowns. I wanted a gown that would complement the fluidity of the jewelry.I didn’t have a mesh gown, so I set out to find something that would work well with the jewelry. I realized, once again, that I can’t always find what I want easily—I admit that I’m not the best shopper. I will often look around for someone who works at the shop, and I really like it when I find someone I know.
I began looking at stores whose designers had donated to the Think Pink event organized by blackLiquid Tokyoska. I remembered that at least one of the gowns at the event, which raised more than $500 U.S. currency for the American Cancer Society, had been mesh. I was at Angel Dessous and found Leandra Breen, a friend who works there and who was in the area. I was pretty sure that Leandra knew the inventory well, so I IM’d her and asked her whether there were any simple mesh gowns. She immediately IM’d back with the names of two styles—one long and one short. (I sure wish I knew the names of Yula’s creations that well.)
Using the area search feature I was able to locate the gowns easily once I knew what I was looking for. The were both great examples of what I wanted, but I decided the short one, Federica, was probably shorter than the corset, so I chose the long gown, Jenie. Nando Korobase, Angel Dessous owner and designer, generously provided me with the gowns. Thank you, Nando. The Jenie gown includes a brooch in black or silver and long black gloves that I am not wearing in the photos.
Getting used to the mesh gowns will be an interesting experience. The description “fluid” fits the gown well. “Mesh” refers to the base of the gown, not the full skirt. In my inventory it looks like a prim, but it doesn’t act like a typical prim. I have no idea how it works, but it is a one piece garment that fits a bit like a real-life glove, but you may need to make some modifications to your body. There was a body included with the gown, but I didn’t want to take the time to determine the measurements and modify my own to fit, so I just made some modifications. I obviously need to make a few more.
One thing that was especially interesting was that the gown comes with an alpha layer that hides the body or most of the body. I took the photo below with a bit of breast showing through so you would see what I mean. I still need to do a bit of editing to keep it from peaking through in some poses. But look at how it forms to my bent knee. I like the Jenie and Federica gowns so well that I have put them in my “favorites” folder.
The gown includes more than one size and I choose the medium. This must be a nightmare for designers who have to provide more than one size with each dress. Having a shape included with the gown helps in fitting, but since every designer probably uses a different shape, I could end up with a lot of different modifications of my own body. It’s an interesting dilemma. I’m curious to see how things will change in the next year or two in mesh clothing designs.
In the meantime, I’m a little hesitant to wear a mesh gown around SL where not everyone is using a viewer that can see the gown. Yula and Roland saw my shoulders and head, the corset in midair, and my feet and shoes. That’s pretty funny, but it may prompt them to down load a mesh-friendly viewer. Second Life is interesting that way, much like first life.
What Xenobia Is Wearing and Other Credits
Jewelry: Finesmith—Liquid Corset, Earrings, and Necklace
Gown: Angel Dessous—Jenie (White Swirls) (The LM I attached takes you directly to where the mesh dresses were when I posted this. You may land at a central location, but an arrow should point the way.)
Shoes: G Field—Ribbon Slingback Shoes (White)
Skin: Belleza— Erika (SK 3 with Erika SK lips 5)
Hair: MINA—Doortje with hairbase(DBR01)
Eyes: Amacci—Gaze Eyes (Blue Green)
Eyelashes: Miamai—No Alpha Lashes No. 6
Fingernails: Finesmith—Metallic Nails (Color Change)
Poses: Avante Poses
Photographer and Model: Xenobia Foxclaw
