A Note About the Difference between Real Life and Second Life fashion.

I know, for a fashion blogger I should be ashamed for the rant I'm about to post. The truth is, I'm not. Not for one second. I think what I have to say needs to be said...not just thought about...so bear with me.

I was struck by a photo yesterday that really upset me. It was a Second Life Modeling pic there the model was clearly "TOO SKINNY." It was really disturbing to think that in Second Life of all places, where we can be whomever and whatever we can dream up only limited to our imaginations and resources that this is what we've come to in Second Life.
So there she was, skinny as a rail, looking as anorexic as so many Real Life runway models do and I couldn't help but think:  Um, did I miss something along the way? Isn't Second Life supposed to do better than that? Aren't we supposed to use our imaginations in a more creative way than to default to our RL ways?
Ok, here’s the deal: Designers in Second Life don’t always pay their models. Some models don’t make a dime doing what they do but their avi’s are abused and manipulated just as much as human, real life models’ bodies. BUT designers do spend REAL CURRENCY to create, upload and advertise their designs.

The easiest and quickest way for Designers to get a hint is for models to simply refuse to model their clothing until the designers change how they design. Start designing for the “every” avi.

 So, let’s make a change. Let’s stop the matchstick model trend and start demanding a more “natural” or at the very least a wider variety of body-types!

Start using a wider variety of shapes & sculpts. Force sculptors and sculpt makers to create a wider variety of shapes that are more like the average Second Life Resident. Yes, I know saying “average Second life resident” is a bit of an oxymoron simply because there really isn’t any one “average” resident. We all bring in our unique perspectives, dreams, fantasies, experiences and expectations. And yes, sadly there are those who come into Second Life expecting more of a Role Playing Game environment – I believe Linden Labs has done their best to provide areas within SL for just such residents, but for the most part there are those of us who do not use SL as a giant MMORP. We come in, we design our avi’s as we like, as we want to be seen, our own fantasies – but the personality, wit, humor and emotions are all our own. They are as real as if the avi’s themselves were simply an extension of our own inner voice.