We need more clothing designed for larger avi bodies (think BBW/SSBBW)

[Jennifer Roundfield]

I never thought I’d say this, not in the 5 years I’ve been active in SL, but the time has come: Do a search in SLX for BBW. It’s clear we have enough BBW shapes. We don’t have enough stylish BBW clothing!

Now is the time for better BBW wearable clothing and BBW oriented skins.

Why clothing specifically for BBWs? Because very, very little clothing out there actually fits. The problems:

Prim Skirts: a BBW’s body, hips, & bottom have a different size and shape than a skinny girl’s Even if the skirt is mod or has a script, the size increase is applied evenly and because the target body type is different, the skirt usually ends up looking like an upside-down garden planter before it even begins to fit. A “sort-of fitting skirt” coupled with no mod glitch pants (grrrrr!) makes for a lot of pale skin exposed in unusual places. I am all for showing off my creamy pale skin, but not in the middle of my skirt!

Clothing details: Pants should be easy, right? They’ll fit anybody after all! Not so if they have any detail like a belt or buttons or a specific texture. As the pants stretch or get bigger to fit a larger avi, all that detail gets fuzzy, out of focus and fades away…not good! Same is true for blouses, jackets, Etc.

Few designers taking advantage of prim breasts for the BBW/SSBBW avi. Prim Implants were the greatest thing for avi’s of every size and shape when they came out a couple years ago. But in all that time very very few BBW clothing designers (a very small number of a very tiny number is a really small number!) have tried to combine their sense of the BBW shape with the voluptuousness available with prim boobies. Why is that? Combining the two makes for an awesome set of possibilities for larger avi’s, where we can look like the curvey babes all the skill with the sliders and our RL mirrors at home will allow us. I buy a lot of “implant friendly” outfits just for the tops and then combine them with the small list of skirts and capris and jeans that I think look good on me. So much style wasted I could cry sometimes!

Why Skins for BBWs?

Simple.  Our tummies are round. We mostly don’t have muscles. Our butts are round too, same as our boobs. We have rounder faces and may even have a hint or more of a double chin. Nothing on us is sculpted or sharp. Shading and coloring is a totally different as a result….. Facial details like beauty marks or moles end up just like clothing details…lost, out of focus and faded. The same is true for moles and freckles…and I like freckles!

So, Designers of SL! Looking for a niche market to excel in? Want to make clothes or skins for a group who are underserved but VERY appreciative? Think about the big girls….

(Want more? One word: Gestures (and poses and animations…))

Thanks for reading

Jenni Roundfield

[MuffinUnsane1488303563]

Why I only buy mod skirts unless they are free. Really, there is little chance that merchants will do things such as you're suggesting. The main market is the average body shape. Lean and tall. Why go outside the shape that makes money?

For prim skirts, it is annoying to get them to fit. Hence, only buying mod. Resizer scripts only do so much. Even a novice builder can easily refit a skirt without them.

However, if you find your tush is sticking out may I suggest an alpha layer in that area? It works wonders! I wear mine often and there might be some on the marketplace. If not, they aren't the hardest things to make.

Texturing wise, it would mean the creator has to put in extra work redoing the textures. Then uploading a couple of times to get them to fit right. Its extra work for a much smaller niche. Which, to make up for it, they may raise the prices.

As for prim breasts? Many don't buy it for the 'BBW' look. They buy it just too have FF breasts. Because of this, many dislike the prim breasts so they aren't too popular. Though, I do like the well made ones that aren't the size of a house.

Animation wise, its the same as clothing. Extra work for a smaller market.

[Melita Magic]

Some of this will be taken care of once mesh is the norm. People who make BBW/BBM mesh avatars will probably make clothing to fit them also. And the skins will be painted onto the mesh.

[Jennifer Roundfield]

Muffin,

 

I can tell you understand, and I agree with you-it is a small market. I also "get" your reasoning...I have been through the same thing and have come to similar conclusions. I must admit I have not used an alpha on my tush, so I will look into that. I'm not skilled enough to make one, so any suggestions?

The goal of my post was to suggest is that we have enough BBW avi's available..how about some of that creative energy getting directed towards clothing?

 

Finally, I, for one, would pay more for nicely made, detailed clothing designed for a bbw shape. Maybe if more designers took a look at the way "Fluffy Girl" does shapes and clothing, competition could be a good thing for everyone!

 

[Jennifer Roundfield]

Melita,

 

I certainly hope so!

So far, I have not found a mesh BBW shape and I bug all the BBW-designers I know every time I see them!

[MuffinUnsane1488303563]

Most of my alphas are from already purchased skirts.

I tried googling for a tutorial of some kind but didn't get the right results. I know my skirt alpaha is from an outfit at Blue Blood. I wish I could be more help to you though. If I find one that's transferable I will send it to you.

[Eve Greymoon]

While this won't help with the texture stretching and losing the detail, I have had great success dropping a notecard on a designer for a product I've purchased and requesting a mod version instead of a scripted fit version.  I just explain the issue and never once have I been told no. 

Good luck.

[Jennifer Roundfield]

Eve,

That's a great suggestion and one I have used several times. My experience has been the same as yours and it means I can mod a skirt or something to fit me and be sucessful in wearing the clothing.

Bottom line: Don't be afraid to ask (nicely!)

 

~Jenni~

[olva1488311743]

At BBWorld theres a store called Camichoo Fashions.  She has a Butterfly dress , babydoll style, that fits the BBW shape really well. 

[Melissa Yeuxdoux]

That's the problem with Second Life clothing. It's not really one size fits all, it's one size fits the shape the designer used when creating it. Textures stretch or squish to match one's shape, but in RL, patterned cloth for a larger size would have more replications of the pattern instead.

To do it right, clothing should be able to read your shape parameters and adapt when you put it on. I submitted a JIRA entry, VWR-10839, for this, but nothing's come of it yet.

[bbwbabe]

I have found some great outfits on MP just by putting bbw in the search tab... and also so great little shops that have awesome outfits... pst is a lovely boutique with very reasonable prices and on MP Rozza Wirefly has fantastic current outfits. Hope that helps

[Lucrezia Proctor]

I totally agree that we need more clothing for larger avi bodies.  I am currently trying to learn how to make clothing.  Now I see all these mesh clothes, but I think it's like mesh is for standard sizes, and I don't want to "lose weight" in order to fit into mesh clothing. Does anybody know more about this, or if mesh will be made for larger avi bodies?

[Lucrezia Proctor]

Does anyone know where I can get a good AO for my plus-size avatar?

 

Thanks,

Lucrezia Proctor