Flowers of Camelot

For the most part, I focus on hippy/countercultural clothing for men.  There seemed to be a lack of authentic looking clothing from the 60s and 70s for men, so I'm doing my best to fulfill that need. 

Yet, I've always been fascinated with women's clothing from the late 50s and 60s.  Jacqueline Kennedy popularized this simple, yet elegant style from her most casual, to her most formal attire.

The above ensemble replicates a dress designed by Joan Morse of A La Carte for the First Lady in 1962.  King Saud gave her the flowery silk brocade fabric, which she had made into a dress with a matching pink top.  A suitably royal garment for the Queen of Camelot, am I right?

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Siren of the 70s

I thought I was through with the 70s.  True, I loved 70s music as a kid - I went through my Soft Rock, Funk and Disco phases followed by an extended love-affair with Journey.  As time wore on, the 70s grip loosened as I switched to bands like U2, REM and the Smiths.   Looking back at the 70s during the 80s, I was amazed that I could ever switch decade allegiances.

I prayed that the 70s would never end and that I would be trapped forever inside its smoky time capsule.  The only thing I wouldn't have kept inside that capsule was the clothing.  Most of the people didn't seem to notice how ridiculous the clothing was back then - I did.   The polyester, the clashing plaids and the awkward designs kicked me in the face.  True, I did beg my mom to buy me some oversized purple bell-bottom jeans, but it was mainly because a more popular girl had them and I thought if I had her pants, I'd have her popularity.  Yet, I knew that fashion would improve and when the 80s hit, I cheered when the 50s-on-crack stuff hit the racks.  You can laugh, but I was a teenager, so please forgive me.

And yet, after finishing up the brilliant US version of the British show "Life on Mars" (You can catch it on Amazon or rent it on DVD).  I was inspired to virtually recreate all the fashion trends that I loathed.  Continuing with the 70s trend, I've been inspired by the ridiculous clothing on the TV show "Kojak," a show I missed as a child.

So with this, I bring the menfolk (real or unreal) of Second Life two new offerings - a floral 70s silk shirt floral paired with mustard pants.  Yes, this shirt is a replica of a silk, rather than a polyester shirt, but it does exude a 70s appeal despite the higher quality fabric.   If you want to get down with the ladies at the disco, this will bring you up to speed. 

The above outfit can be purchased as separates at my store on Marketplace.  More 70s menswear are in the works that can be paired with the above look or even the 60s wear I created.  Remember, years ago, people didn't switch out clothing like they do today, so combining fashion decades was not a fashion fail.  I have fashions for women in the works, but I don't expect to put them out until Fall.

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Come See the Virtual Threads

When I first logged into Second Life, I was completely clueless & looking for a free vacation.  Strange but true, I figured it was a way to get a vacation without spending money that I didn't have.  I visited all sorts of enchanting places - Bliss Gardens, Kreswick where I kept getting ejected and of course, Moritz. Typical or not, my experience led me from TP'ing to socializing, to building, to being a virtual property owner for a short time, to renting, to creating machinima and to creating clothing for my machinima.

Creating clothing for my YouTube videos is what led me to making virtual clothing.  I was unable to find suitable Beatnik and Hippy clothing for my videos at a reasonable price, so I started making my own.  I never intended to sell them, but when I saw the old site XStreetSL, I thought I'd upload a few items and see if there was interest.  It's been slow going, but I've found that the male avatars seem to appreciate my hippy and vintage attire the most, although females avatars are catching on.  I note "avatars" because who knows the actual gender behind an avatar.  I switch avatars constantly & even acquired a female (I presume) stalker who dug white guys with dreads.  Go figure.  In really life, I'm white, but I'm definitely not a guy.  Yet, through this crazy virtual adventure, I've discovered a love of creating virtual clothes.

Over time, I plan to post retrospectives on the clothing I've created and explain how I decided to create the items I did.  I hope you enjoy my love of fashion history and my puzzlement at how men's fashion has remained so consistent over the decades, except for the 60s and 70s, where most of my focus lies.

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