Puzzling SL fashion trends

[Romana]

Some things I've been musing about lately looking at the shopping catalogs for events:
1) A lot of the shapes I'm seeing advertised lately are all hip. Not as in "groovy, man", but as in the hips absolutely dominate the shape. There's practically no torso between the boobs and the hips, and the hips are huge, I'd say like a fertility idol, but they were shaped more like real people. I think one of the newer bodies is this way, but it seems to be on all the shapes.
2) what Sean termed in her shirt cut meme post as "underboob". I get that part off the fun in SL is doing and wearing things you can't in RL, but I still don't get it. "Boob window" I get, but wouldn't want to wear in an uncontrolled environment, especially after the genie incident.
3) platform heels so high if it was RL the shoes would weigh about 5 lbs each.
I probably have more, but it's getting a wee bit late at the mo.

 

[Sid]

First the guys where mostly totally caricatures of males: too broad chest, too muscled arms and legs, too short arms, gorilla faces. At least 70% of them just plain ugly compared to the beautiful RL human men.
Now it starts to happen among the females.
First the ones with mesh bodies looked prettier than the ones without, but now everyone has a mesh body. Then the story repeated with mesh heads.
The cool girls used to stand out, but not anymore. Everybody could be the beauty queen now.

But how to stand out now? Cool kids need to stand out from the crowd right?
The answer sadlly was exaggerate.
Bigger mouth, bigger eyes, bigger boobs, wasp waist, broad hips, with elephant butts and too long legs.

I know I don't make myself very popular by telling things like they are, when talking about women, but in an effort to become more and more beautiful and impressive, more and more female avatars are at a caricature level of plain ugliness compared to the beautiful RL human women.
Most males act like in the fairy tale of the emperors clothes, they see what is really happening, but they act as if it is all total natural.
You think it is more beautiful? I tell you it is more beautiful babe. You look gorgeous hun. Very cool.

Now shoot me: The emperor has no clothes on!

 

[Ashiri]

I'd seen the all-tits-and-arse bodies very soon after mesh launched. I hope the mainstream makers aren't all making that shape.

 

[Sid]

I'd seen the all-tits-and-arse bodies very soon after mesh launched. I hope the mainstream makers aren't all making that shape.

It was a sub sub culture in the beginning. Mostly to simply shock the masses.
Now it is getting more and more mainstream as the new cool.
Things shift from seeing beautiful female avatars in SL to pretending to see beautiful female avatars in SL.

 

[Chin Rey]

1) A lot of the shapes I'm seeing advertised lately are all hip. Not as in "groovy, man", but as in the hips absolutely dominate the shape. There's practically no torso between the boobs and the hips, and the hips are huge, I'd say like a fertility idol, but they were shaped more like real people. I think one of the newer bodies is this way, but it seems to be on all the shapes.

It's sometimes called "Brazilian". We had a discussion about it at the SL forums a while ago and somebody claimed in all seriousness that Brazilian women actually look that way!

Photoshop is probably much to blame for this. Try a Google search for "Instagram Photoshop fails" and see how RL people are supposed to look according to some of them.

Important edit: To be fair, many people in SL use ridculously looking avatars for fun and/or as a reaction against the pressure towards Bland Beauty. That's not only ok, it's great! SL is supposed to be a fun place where we can do and be what we can't in RL. (Ummmm... btw, speaking of that, I have a confession to make: My avatar pic on this forum isn't exactly how I look in RL.)

 

[Luisa Land]

The trend in avatars described here only affects a (probably) smaller proportion of sl avatars. But you don't know for sure, at least I don't.
The design of an avatar is also partly dependent on what one wants in sl, what interests the owner of the avatar has. And certainly there are a number of people who use different avatars, so-called alts, depending on their current interests.
And it depends on the prevailing mood in the respective social group. So the question is whether the avatars designed in this way reflect a social trend or whether it is just the fad of a small social group.
My impression is that the described trend in appearance only applies to a part of the residents. In RL, such trends are called fashions. In RL, such fashions must be limited to clothing, hairstyle and possibly make-up. In SL, one can also design the body.

In RL, many adolescents get into stress with their parents because of their clothes, hairstyle (I personally find that the parents are not always "wrong").

I think it's something similar here with the appearance of the avatars. Some find it "cool" when they style themselves as a sex object. The others find it silly

 

[Shiloh Lyric]

There are always trends in Sl when it comes to shapes, I think. First, when I originally joined, there seemed to be a plethora of glamazons trotting all over the grid. Super tall, all legs and broader shoulders. Then it seemed to calm down a bit. I left for a couple of years, but after I came back, and mesh bodies started, or maybe right before, it was the 'invisible pony-rider' look, with the wide hips, HUGE thigh gap, skinny legs. It started with female avatars and then male avatars joined in. That wide hipped look seemed to segue into a curvier, but huge hipped and ass look based on, loosely, on the body-type of the Kardashians (or that's how it seems to me), but now THAT has become a bit over-exaggerated, into almost a caricature, which the Kupra, and Kupra Kups, bodies play into. The new Kalhene Erika mesh body CAN shape that way, but also shapes into a more realistic plus sized shape, although slightly pear-shaped plus sized.

Eventually, someone will start a new trend and this will fade out. Not sure why people like the 'caricature' looks at all, but it's their SL. *shrugs*

 

[Luisa Land]

Things shift from seeing beautiful female avatars in SL to pretending to see beautiful female avatars in SL.

a form of a more conscious role play???

 

[Sean Gorham]

Over the years I've been of different minds about these issues. Too often I've had negative off-the-cuff responses to someone's shape or look because it didn't fit my own notions of what a "good" look is. I then have to remind myself that I can't read that person's mind and don't know why they look the way they do. Did they deliberately choose their look? Could they simply not be bothered and bought things - including shapes - "off-the-shelf"? Did they just not know any better? (Let's not dig into the new-user experience here. ) Style and fashion, especially in SL, are incredibly subjective. What looks good to me will look ugly or boring to someone else.

I get that part off the fun in SL is doing and wearing things you can't in RL, but I still don't get it [underboob].

For me, it's definitely a "for fun" thing. I suspect that like a lot of people in SL, we enjoy showing off our avatars. Sometimes that means baring some extra skin or wearing things we wouldn't wear anyplace else. I know for sure that some of the outfits I wear in SL would require a lot of double-sided tape in RL! As for platform heels... ugh. 'Nuff said. I'm not moving on that one.

Body shapes and why people wear what they do can be complicated, too. Related to that are camera settings and the mesh body market, which are whole topics of debate by themselves.

 

[Beebo Brink]

Body aesthetics are so incredibly subjective. Admittedly, SL avatars exaggerate body shapes well beyond reality, but those extremes are still extensions of an underlying aesthetic which is rooted in culture, gender and generation. What I may find repulsive could be really attractive to someone else, and vice versa.

I have a lot of personal opinions about avatar appearance, but I repeatedly remind myself that I'm not the person wearing that shape, so it's really none of my business. I try to stay focused on expressing my own aesthetic, well aware that it's also well outside the norm, in its own quirky butch way.

 

[Adeon Writer]

Body aesthetics are so incredibly subjective. Admittedly, SL avatars exaggerate body shapes well beyond reality, but those extremes are still extensions of an underlying aesthetic which is rooted in culture, gender and generation. What I may find repulsive could be really attractive to someone else, and vice versa.

I have a lot of personal opinions about avatar appearance, but I repeatedly remind myself that I'm not the person wearing that shape, so it's really none of my business. I try to stay focused on expressing my own aesthetic, well aware that it's also well outside the norm, in its own quirky butch way.

Your avatar is beautiful. But that's besides the point.

What your avatar has, that the topic in question doesn't, is self-awareness. Taking a step back and looking at what you made, as if from the eyes of an outsider. A reality check, basically. Attempting to answer the question "Does this even look remotely to others how I intend to be perceived?"

Many people in SL simply don't do that at all, but some, including me, try to but have a great amount of trouble seeing their avatar outside of their own intentions.

And that answers many cases of "but WHY" for the majority of proportions in Second Life. At least, that's how I have rationalized it.

 

[Romana]

This I could understand. As some of my gamer friends put it, "large tracts of land". It's the ones that are small from the boobs up and skip the waist to go right to the hips that I don't understand.
I didn't say it was repulsive, just puzzlinG.

 

[Adeon Writer]

It's the ones that are small from the boobs up and skip the waist to go right to the hips that I don't understand.

I really don't understand what you mean. For better or worse, visual examples are needed.

 

[Romana]

I really don't understand what you mean. For better or worse, visual examples are needed.

Not sure how to do that without bringing shape makers' names into it.

 

[Clara D.]

Like this?

Not my personal cup of tea most times, but was trying to make a horned lizard, so thicc was called for.

 

[Romana]

Like this?

Not my personal cup of tea most times, but was trying to make a horned lizard, so thicc was called for.

Your lizard actually has a torso. The shapes I'm scratching my head over,the hips start right under the boobs.There's usually one on offer in the SoKawaiiSundays event.

 

[Noodles]

Maybe the exaggeration trend will continue until people just wear avatars of penises and vaginas only. Just giant and floating.

 

[CronoCloud Creeggan]

I then have to remind myself that I can't read that person's mind and don't know why they look the way they do. Did they deliberately choose their look? ) Style and fashion, especially in SL, are incredibly subjective. What looks good to me will look ugly or boring to someone else.

Yeah, that. I have often said that my "traditionally femme, catalog model inspired, some neo-vintage influence avatar aesthetic" is not for everyone.

For me, it's definitely a "for fun" thing. I suspect that like a lot of people in SL, we enjoy showing off our avatars. Sometimes that means baring some extra skin or wearing things we wouldn't wear anyplace else.

Yes, I show a LOT more skin and cleavage than I ever would in RL, and a lot more cocktail dresses with cleavage.

I know for sure that some of the outfits I wear in SL would require a lot of double-sided tape in RL!

So much double sided fashion tape.....did I mention the cleavage?

Admittedly, SL avatars exaggerate body shapes well beyond reality, but those extremes are still extensions of an underlying aesthetic which is rooted in culture, gender and generation.

Indeed.

I have a lot of personal opinions about avatar appearance, but I repeatedly remind myself that I'm not the person wearing that shape, so it's really none of my business. I try to stay focused on expressing my own aesthetic, well aware that it's also well outside the norm, in its own quirky butch way.

Outside the SL norm maybe, but your aesthetic is closer to RL norm and fit The Duchess aesthetic better than most. I just realized you haven't seen my avatar in a while, I ought to get your input on my current look. If you think my avatar is pretty, that's a high complement.

Maybe the exaggeration trend will continue until people just wear avatars of penises and vaginas only. Just giant and floating.

No! If you say that, it might happen!

 

[Adeon Writer]

Maybe the exaggeration trend will continue until people just wear avatars of penises and vaginas only. Just giant and floating.

Hm, let's consult Snowcrash, the novel that inspired Philip to create Second Life:

Your avatar can look any way you want it to, up to the limitations of your
equipment. If you're ugly, you can make your avatar beautiful. If you've just
gotten out of bed, your avatar can still be wearing beautiful clothes and
professionally applied makeup. You can look like a gorilla or a dragon or a
giant talking penis in the Metaverse. Spend five minutes walking down the
Street and you will see all of these.

Most hacker types don't go in for garish avatars, because they know that it takes a
lot more sophistication to render a realistic human face than a talking penis.

In The Black Sun, avatars are not allowed to
collide. Only so many people can be here at once, and they can't walk through
each other. Everything is solid and opaque and realistic. And the clientele
has a lot more class -- no talking penises in here. The avatars look like real
people. For the most part, so do the daemons.

 

[Sean Gorham]

No! If you say that, it might happen!

Who says it hasn't already? There's a sim for everything in this madhouse!