 |
| My Avatar - Kalli Birman in SL |
I think one of the things that attracts people to SL is that they CAN be whatever they want. Be a human, be a robot, a dragon, skinny, fat, tiny or anything else you can imagine.
Working in Second Life is a full time job for me. It is how I make my living and have decided that the best thing I can be is myself. Often people will create an avie that is more an idealized version of themselves or what they wish they could be.
However, just like in real life, the fashion industry leans more towards skinny avatars and as you can see in the pictures here, my avatar is a bit more curvy. Which is 100% my choice. No one forced me to raise those sliders. However, it does make shopping hard sometimes.
I cannot wear 99% of mesh clothing because even the biggest "Standard Size" is too small for me. So, I have to rely on clothes made with system layers and prims or sculpties until the mesh deformer becomes standard in the viewer. I accept that as a limitation of having a more realistic shape.
I have gotten really good at adjusting prims and sculpts, one by one, to fit my avatar and still make the clothing look like the designer intended.
Size Scripts are the big the problem for me. Sizing scripts often only increases or decreases the entire prim or sculpt or each individual prim by a percent. They do not move individual pieces up or down or shift the angle. Just increase or decrease size. That doesn't work for me.
 |
| Photo by Spartin Parx |
Many of the designers in Second Life have gone to only using size scripts and taking away the modify rights. That makes it so I cannot shop in their store and I LOVE to shop in SL. I have found a few designers who are willing to send me things with modify rights but that is the exception not the rule.
I completely understand not wanting your designs messed up or textures changed or other things that can happen when people have mod rights. However, it does leave out some SLers that do want a more curvy shape. I am not suggesting you change the actual design but please give us modify rights.
I like being a curvy avatar and feeling more like the real me. I'm an independent fierce woman and I think my shape is sexy and I receive a lot of compliments from both men and women. Beauty is subjective, each person has their own ideas on what beautiful is to them. So people should feel free to have the avie shape they find most appealing and not concern yourself with what other people may think.
I wouldn't even mind paying a little more to have modify rights. I just want to be able to try to make clothes work for my avatar. So please designers, consider leaving mod rights, even if you keep using size scripts for those who like them. It's like by not allowing me to modify to fit, you are telling me that you don't want my money or that because I choose to have curves that I don't matter. Please take my money!
Thank you for sharing this, and yes I love the way you look too. Not the model thin, tall lanky and I may not be as "curvy" as you are but still have problems with getting the sizes right, and mesh is not working well for me as yet. I have a friend who is designing a few things and helping me learn that portion of the new SL shopping experience. But for now, I shop at limited places, and use what I have found over my 3 years in SL.
ReplyDeletePaying more to be able to modify something would absolutely work, and re sizers that have more ability and less limitations.
There is a market for plus sizes as the fashion industry calls it but this is 14 and up in RL oftentimes. However, I do know of a woman who makes plus sizes in SL. Mesh clothing is a problem for many people, it is like buying the first of many things, bugs and tweeks needs to happen. I compliment you on your curvacious figure, however until they represent the cellulite crowd, I am still thinking it is all an illusion.
ReplyDeleteHere! Here!! You look amazing, and imo more realistic - simply beautiful. I also couldn't agree more about the difficulties and often sadness of not having mod rights to fully adjust purchased goods.
ReplyDeleteI too wanted my av to resemble a more curvy figure, and as I'm no where near 7ft tall in rl, I also didn't want her to be the sl typical "tall". So with a smaller frame, thicker arms, legs, hips and even a small belly... modding new clothes is a job in itself.
I believe do to my height change I'm still able to wear some mesh clothing despite my thickness. But the "standard sizing" is just as in rl and not exactly "standard", so trying demos first is a must. ^_^
I have chosen to be an Asian avatar and I know the problem. If you don't have huge silicone boobs you cannot wear most mesh clothes. But please have in mind that this is an LL problem, because they did not implement the rezising tool.If that works in Cloud Party too, I see a big problem for SL in the future.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you Brandy. I was really happy to be skimming through some blogs and come across this great entry.
ReplyDeleteI think a lot of us come to Second Life searching for who we are. Sometimes it's more idealized and in others it's more fantastic. But it's great to see someone who is proud of their curvaceous body shape. I've not seen many women in second life with bodies like yours. however, when I do it's a great surprise. I really appreciate all forms, whether they are furry, curvy, bbw, even demons and androids.
And I agree that clothing needs to be able to be changed by the purchaser for a better fit. Even with a body as idyllic as mine, i still have to alter stuff, If i can't get frustrated.
This madness of re-sizer scripts has gotten crazy, I have even seen it in furniture. I build and script, and know how to tweak a prim and abhor using a dialog to scale the whole thing. I understand it is loved by a number but I agree we need to have a better system and the old school way with mod rights worked great to tweak to your av's particular body shape. The claims of scripts being added to pull out exact details are old and outdated and a non issue anyways as I can fit a prim inside and do the same if I wanted. I buy it, let me do as I will, if I break it my bad and will live with it.
ReplyDelete