Modernist Fashion in SL

White Light White Heat

This look has Britpop overtones rather than classic retro mod style, the high collared leather jacket and cap are very reminscent of the early nineties style of Britpop behemoth Oasis, the white jeans are classic mod in any decade.

The cap is scripted, for size and colour, and comes from Argrace is a great accessory and comes with blonde hair so requires no fiddly adjustments to wear it without your hair poking through the hat. An excellent addition, but not strictly mod more a generic sixties [check Lennon] or NeoMod item.

The white leather jacket is fronm Armidi, and is also stylistically NeoMod rather than a classic modernist fashion piece; but, worn with the white jeans from Unknown Boutique it creats the all white look of the ace face as seen in many retro photographs of the period, just tweaked to match a NeoMod look, yet still retaining its essential modernist foundations. No crime in experimenting with the modernist look to create your virtual mod image.

ciao

I keep coming back for more

Sometimes I wonder to myself why do I idle away my time listening to tunes in Second Life when I could listen to superior beats on my I-Tunes? Then a night like Tuesday at the AAi arrives which reminds me why its such a joy to seek out virtual clubs, listen to awesome tunes in the company of like minded people. What such nights have that my wonderful I-Tunes lacks is conversation, something new being brought to the deck and fundamentally laughs. And, there were so many on Tuesday its hard to know where to start.

It started slowly, Kim took to the decks at nine which I think caught a few people unaware and immediately started thumping out some storming tracks. Sean was pensively pacing whilst listening to the football in ye olde Jock land, but best not to go there, he was grumbly enough when it was a draw, so I doubt he took the loss well I pity anyone who crossed his picket line. But, the laughter didnt really start until the unfortunate Graz arrived.

Small, naked but for his prim coat tail and trouser flares he arrived looking like the teen disco kid wearing his dads old suit. Obviously he was overwhelmed by shuddering waves of sympathy; well he would have been if we were'nt all such cheeky gits. So a succession of plum jokes, and naked ruth jokes plummeted his way while he rerezzed to no avail and we mercilessly continued to mock him. He logged out came back in we laughed he logged out. Yes, it was cruel; yes, it was not how friends should react to anothers suffering; but it was so funny we were victims of our own comedy lifeline and if I blame anyone I blame Graz and his plumless dwary clone. However, all good things finally come to an end and Graz eventually got to grips with his rezzing issues and returned to us as a slightly effeminate Cliff Richard, it just wasnt his night. Beware of the new viewer it reeks havoc with your virtual style credibilty.

Throughout all this Kim continued to blast out some terrific music and the dancing and enjoyment went on, poor Eden eating tofu sausages missed a great set; after about ninety minutes we lost Sean - coincidental? But a few others arrived and the club began to groove. Lupo made an appearance relagating me to second coolest geezer in the club, third if you count Dugi but I rarely do, oops ... only joking ... no, seriously I dont. Shauna was caught snapping people, aha another fashion blog or just overcome by my pixelated gorgeousity. A blinder of a night, most of my virtual friends on the scene were present and Kim entertained us royally. Is it really any wonder I keep coming back for more?

Shauna [just about], Albion and Goski

AAI;))) Alternative Indie Club

Tunes at the Twisted Wheel

I have been dragged into a virtual clubbing slowdown of late. Two causes of this, firstly my inability to spend as much time inworld as I once did and there's a myriad of readons for this; and secondly, the demise of good mod nights out. The 5.15, undoubtedly one pf the best looking clubs on the grid appears to have entered hibernation, the soul clubs are still functioning but often clash with each other, the AAi seems to be suffering low turn out of late, although I am culpable as I've missed a few myself. Soul Mods continues to fly the flag, but real life affairs have put a stumble on Friday Northern Soul, but I believe a remedy is at hand. Despite this shift I have been to a few cool night on the grid and strutted my funky stuff.

I headed to the Twisted Wheel on a couple of occassions and heard some great sets from DJ Dragon, Boone and Evenstar who played their regular slots. A wide range of tunes on the various nights I was there: generic sixties, classic mod, authentic Northern Soul and some chilled soul tunes too, providing a wide appeal for the range of clubbers who wandered into the club. So, although I was pretty quiet I had a couple of fun nights listening to some sharp grooves during my time ion the grid, just wish there was a touch more variations in venues sometimes and am pinning my hopes on a fantastic 5.15 relaunch, you never know it might happen, fingers crossed it does. Until then I'll enjoy myself at the cool clubs that are providing smart sixties beats on the grid.

Mods on the Grid. Episode nine

It often seems that the virtual mod scene is an utterly British affair, but there are several non-UK based virtual mods, and some of them are not even European but, shhhhush American. Now our colonial cousins with their korfeee and pancakes for breakfast as opposed to tea and toast, might seem a little strange, indeed when I first encountered them I was a little afraid, so loud so different, not unlike your first girlfriends younger brother. But now I quite like them, and am delighted to see that some have rejected spandexian Bon Jovi and joined the virtual mod camp.

Milev is one such individual, I have only met him very briefly at clubs due to the time differences that plague a global community. But brief as those encounters were I could see he had a sharp dress sense, firmly grounded in modernist style, a cool hair cut and was groovin to somwe chilling tunes. An ideal candidate for my mods on the grid. So i hit him with a note card which he kindly completed and sent back to me. So mods and modettes I present out first US Mod on the Grid, Mister Milev Milev.

Name:  

• Milev Milev

Top Mod Clubs:

• 5:15
• The Twisted Wheel
• Any empty mansion in SL

My Top Five Tracks Would Be:

• Work Song by Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames
• Tears of a Clown by Smokey Robinson &; The Miracles
• Senor Blues by Horace Silver
• Return of Django by The Upsetters
• Almost Grown by Small Faces
  
  

My Top Three Stores Are:

• Arai
• Ordinary Design
• Whippet & Buck

What is great about being a Virtual Mod:

• It doesn't cost half a fortune to cover myself in nice clothes, and its a good way to meet with mods from all around the world.

What would make Virtual Mod life better

• 1) More music events that are convenient for those of us across the Atlantic!
  2) More vintage style suits
  3) A never-ending flow of linden dollars

Best Mod Band:

• My favourite mod band was or is :Mose Allison

Now those essential Smash Hitsian type questions, giving an insight into the inner pschye

My Favourite Colour is:

• Red...............................

My Favourite Cup Of Tea is:

• No tea, only espressos!..............................

Hob Nob or Digestive? Which one are you?

I'm American and I've only ever had Digestive, so I guess that takes my vote by default?................

Modernist Fashion in SL

Mod Dandyism

The move into what I shall term Mod Dandyism, occured in the mid sixties as the mod fashion shifted on its axis and the faces moved to a far more flamboyant dress code. Frills, startling bright colours and a shift away from conservative browns and greys signalled the move towards psychedelia culminating in the abandonment of mod and the creation of introspective hippydom. Interesting the mod Dandyism style is easier to achieve in Second Life than the earlier retro dark suited style of the early sixties, as exemplified in this purple crushed velvet suit modelled on the Hollywood folly Austrin Powers. Its possible many will scream this isnt real mod fashion, and I guess they are correct, even borders on 1980s New Romanticism, but as virtual mods following the music into the midsixties period, I thought feck it lets extend the fashion horizons too. No need to follow, plenty of casuals or NeoMod options listed but if your coming on my fashion odessy grab your ruff and climb aboard the Vespa.

To achieve this mod dandy look I took a classy suit from Sartoria

and added a ruff to the shirt collar. The high chinese collar of the grey suit jacket easily lends itself to this brand of restyling. I grabbed the ruff from a random shirt in my inventory, and with more forethought I would probably have attached ruffled shirt cuffs too, in keeping with the Austin Powers inspired shagadelic vibe that eminates from the mod dandysism retroism. Some sharp shoes, and a rather severe hair cut from KMADD's freebie locker [remiscent of Sting in his Quadrophenia ace-face pomp] and a cool pair of coloured lensed shades and the image is complete. Mods on the road. Posing at the Twisted Wheel sim up against the graffitied alley walls always imbues snaps with a griity mod vibe, and that acts to tone down the frilliness of the danyism in this snap. See its all artsy fartsy today, ha haha.

In this ensemble, dandyism is taken to extremes of modernism. The trousers are from Hoorenbeek, as blogged earlier. The waistcoat, shirt and cravat/collar are from the steampunk store To-a-T and were picked up at the RFL Clothes Fair, but they have several stores across the grid. The texturing on the union flag waistcoat is wonderful and the fabric design is ideal for a popart inspired modernist dandy looking to accentuate the flamboyance of his style. Again its the severe KMADD cut and also a cigarette and pose the divas of male virtual fashion. The cuffs were FREE from SF Design, a neat addition thats gives the rather plain shirt a touch more life. The waistcoat and shirt come in varaiable layes, and also in female options too, affording the versatility I yearn for in my virtual tailoring. The cravat is also scripted to change colour, with charts and codes provided in the folder. The epitome of mod dandyism its unlikely this rather Edwardian look is for all but for mods with a mid sixties psyche yearning and a fashion boldness, grab what you can and stride out onto the floor babeee.

In essence this style is about bold bright coloured suits and shirts with ruffles, accessorize with other items of bling if thats your thing, think Austin Powers, only cool rather than a plonker and all will fall into place. 

Modette Fashion in SL

Obviously I'm a geezer, and I like to waffle about geezer things but I have decided to shelve my predjudices and flag up the ideal store for the aspirant virtual modette. I dont think there's many modette's who has not bought at least one item from this store, and I'd urge any geezers to check it out too .. our stuffs in the cupboard on the right. Classic retro items, popart inspired prints, two-tone sharpness its all here so if your heading out for a night of retro soul or sixties beat check in grab some stuff and look the business, far superior to a leather clad biker chick ... honest, would a geezer lie to you?

ModSquad Design

You can check out the stores nearby too, get a great scooter, or other items from Slates Scooters; whilst Lady Chelsea also stocks sixties inspired gurly outfits.

Time for Tunes