Now this is such a long overdue post for the fashion conscious males of second life. I sincerely apologize for neglecting you and your interests in this creative world of fashion and am making up for it with three great outfits that are all under L$100 except for the skin which was L$300 if I’m not mistaken and came with an outfit of it’s own which I’m not displaying just for my personal taste. I have recently been exploring the world of male fashion and how you guys go about finding your great purchases. It felt a bit alien to me if I was to be honest and being in a male oriented store and stuffing all the male gift items made me feel even weirder. But that’s all in the past and it paid off because I came away with some great items. A few of these are hunt items, others are gifts, and others still are bargain finds from my time browsing and perusing the markeplace. Modeling Credits go to Tacitus Cortes. Thank yew for being my inspiration!

Hair: Jaryth’s Barber Shop – Clipper Cuts – Sabastian Black
Skin: Zyra – Donato
Outfit: **GizzA** May Group Gift (Male)
Shoes: HOC Industries – Skoochers 2 (brown)

Hair: MADesigns – Gili – Dark Brown V (Men’s Stuff Hunt)
Skin: Zyra – Donata
Pants: Black Capris DS (marketplace)
Shirt: -Phoenix Rising- Push (Grey)
Shoes: HOC Industries – Skoochers 2 (black)

Hair: MADesigns – Gili – Dark Brown V (Men’s Stuff Hunt)
Skin: Zyra – Donata
Outfit: **GizzA** Avenue Group Gift

I know that I’ve been terribly neglectful of our counterparts out there which I deeply apologize for. It seems that fashion is more geared and aimed toward women consumers rather than males and that’s a shame since I know plenty of men that take a lot of time to look good and keep up with trends and stay in style. Fashion is not exclusive to females and I’m here to help those men that may not really have that mindset for fashion or the time to take lessons but really do want to look good. Here are some tips for the average man to keep in mind when shopping for clothes or when getting dressed to begin their day instead of being lazy and staying in the same outfit for weeks on end (yes I’ve seen it and it was so sad).

1. Fit, fit, fit!

Most men will go to extremes- either too tight or too big. If you find clothes that hug your curves but doesn’t squeeze the life out of you then you’ll see a dramatic improvement. If you wear your clothes too tightly then you’ll give off the image that you’re trying to be some tough guy to show off your body way to hard and that annoys everyone around you. If you have clothes that are way too big then it just makes you look sloppy and unkept- not a good way to present yourself.

2. Keep it simple.

You want to look great but that doesn’t mean you have to overdo it to get that effect. That means don’t wear more than two or three pieces of jewelry at one time. Bling is NOT hot and just looks blinding and is for noobs. Layering is great but too much makes you look heavy and the outfit too busy. You can spice up your outfit wearing a striped button down shirt slightly open and a dark blazer with a hat or messy bed-head. A little can go a long way for males.

3. Change your perception of casual.

Times are changing and men are coming to understand the power of casual fashion and how to truly master it so why can’t you? Casual no longer means dressing down in the conventional sense. So take advantage of layering your outfits- add a jacket, sweater, or vest! Take a chance and mix up your wardrobe. There are no truly set in stone rules to fashion but it’s only judged by your fashion eye! Accents are in now so take it to the next level! You can wear almost all black but throw in a hot new color like red, white, blue, etc.

4. Never go shopping by yourself.

You can never really trust a sales associate because they are paid to make you buy the clothing so it’s always good to have a second opinion although you never want it to go against your gut instinct. Ask them about discounts or what will go on sale and before you go shopping be sure to take a look at what is already in your closet and go from there! And let’s not forget accessories as they can add just as much paunch for a guy as any female!

5. Never underestimate supporting pieces and the power of details.

Don’t ever underestimate the power of a scarf or a great watch and hat! They can bring that outfit to the next level!

6. Invest in some quality shoes.

Now I can tell you from experience and from my own point of view as a woman that one of the very first things I notice about a man are what he’s wearing on his feet. You can tell a lot about a guy when you look at his shoes. If you go cheap and low quality it shows that you aren’t really investing that much in your appearance but if you invest in one or two really great looking shoes it really can impress!

7. Brand names don’t mean jack.

Brand names are great if you want to name drop but in the thick of things all they mean is taking more money out of your wallet. Your clothing should suit you, not the other way around and there are tons of clothing out there that look great that cost way less. Also if you’re just buying the brand for no other reason than because you can then it’ll probably end up showing that you are trying way to hard.

8. And undershirt is just that- and undershirt.

One of the things that always annoys me in second life and in real life is seeing a man wear an undershirt like it was any other button down shirt or something. Undershirts are meant to be worn under your clothes to absorb sweat. Wearing an undershirt might be comfortable but it is not cute to wear along with just some jeans no matter how much it shows off your muscles.

Okay. This is basically a complete and utter first for me but I hope that it’s well received by the masses. Let me just say doing this was a bit tougher than I thought it would be but I persevered and rocked these outfits out! So you may be thinking what in the world I’m talking about so let me just clarify. I created my first male avatar for blogging on male outfits and articles. Now I should have probably created an entirely new and different account with a male name instead of using my main account. This would’ve saved me a lot of time and prevented a ton of questions from random people as I went on the Just for guys hunt. I have to say that it was entertaining to see what others said when they saw my avatar. I’m told by my female friends I’m a lot hotter as a male than a female but I’ll let you all be the judge since I’m really much too fond of my female avatar and self to change to a male. [Laughs]

Now as I was saying before I began to digress on my new part time, semi look, I joined the Just for the guys hunt since it promised to have some really nice and high quality things for the guys. I never realized how difficult it was to shop for a man so I have to say that all the male models out there have my utmost respect for you and what you do. But below you will see a few of the items I managed to snap up during my little foraging and explorations and I really hope that all of you enjoy it. It took some time and effort- especially trying to get all those hints- but I am really happy with my findings. Enjoy! If you would like to join the Just for the Guys Hunt, click the Link for the locations and hints.

Skin: Muism – Xavier Wounded (Group Gift)

Hair: Truth – Jared- Dark Brown

Shoes: So Real - Adidas

Accessories (necklace, earrings, bracelet, lip peircing, & Belt): Twisted & Spoiled

First Outfit

Shirt: Vextra Messing Fashion – JFTG Tee ~Kisses

Pants: Fluid Designs – ..::macho::..Black Jean

Second Outfit

Wilson’s High Waist Stone washed blue jeans & Tan sheer shirt

Third Outfit:

WoE Wearhouse Jeans & Kyle Light Grey Tank

As a female in the modeling and fashion industry, I’m not amazed at the amount of choices and the variety of styles there are to choose from and the number of jobs available for us out there. It comes as no particular surprise to me that there are so many designers that cater to the female customers of second life. It also, sadly enough, comes of no surprise to me that there are not just as many high quality designers for males as well. Now, that doesn’t mean I wish it wouldn’t change, because I do. I’ve shopped with many male friends to update their looks and I’m saddened by the lack of diverse and varying choices there are out there.

Now please do not think I’m detracting from those designers that do cater to men or design clothing for the average male of second life, because I’m certainly not doing that. I have a deep respect for any designer out there because they are able to do something that I have never had the skill or patience to learn and do. Shopping for men out there can be a pain. I can’t tell you the amount of stores I’ve had to walk around just to find ONE decent hairstyle that would fit their avatar or clothes that were something a bit more than just jeans and a T-shirt. And the funny thing is that as much as this frustrates me, I’m not a man! I wonder exactly how actual men out there feel about this. Are they as frustrated and saddened as I am?

Now to continue our discussion about men in the fashion world, let’s move onto something that hits very close to home for many men that may read this article and blog, the male model of second life. Now I’ve talked to plenty of males in the industry and interviewed them for various articles and whatnot and they’ve all said the same thing. They wished there was more. Let me ask you this…as a female you have TONS of jobs rolling in wherever you go. There’s always something out there and someone in need of a female model to showcase their designs but what of the males?? Now we’ve already established that there are not that many high quality designers out there that make clothing for the average male. Maybe designing for women is a lot easier and more fun for them- who knows. But I know that it must be a lot harder for males to find work in the industry than that of their counterparts.

Does this embitter some males? Do they resent us females because of this, maybe just a little?? I’ve constantly wondered about that, and it’s just become more nagging to me as I’ve become more involved in this industry. Do male models receive just as much work as the female? What type of experiences have they had with the industry and designers? Oh a good question I’ve always wondered- do men really like to shop as much as women?? Please feel free to give your feedback and share your experiences! Curious minds want to know- namely mine! [Laughs]