Trinity Blakewell

That is a good point about the new UV. I think it was even a challenge for Lelutka EvoX heads, when they started to be released. And Lelutka already had a strong user base. I think that with their existing popularity, it wasn't an insurmountable challenge to get some of the big vendors on board, especially when they started offering free upgrades to their older Evo heads.

Items included on a limited time sale might be worth mentioning in the thread if it's a situation where the designer puts out similar items almost every weekend Example 1: Gupa typically has one or two skins at sale prices each weekend Example 2: KC Couture typically has 2 to 4 styles of shoes in the weekend sales, and they are always fatpacks at that low price.

Even without an ARM port, the viewer runs much better on the Apple chips than the Intel/MacOS combo.

Well, yes, sometimes they intersect, other times they do not An example, in my opinion of cheap (free!) and quality is Coco's group gifts, which is everything you see on those short black marble walls.

Personally, I'd really rather the Trending thread focus on quality and design trends, not economy.

colleen, it doesn't really bother me either - there are two distinct sets of skills needed for making SL clothing today, the mesh and the texturing. I really don't mind if they aren't done by the same person or even the same brand. I would say that the availability of full perm mesh does allow a lower skill threshold for entry as far Second Life clothing designers, but hopefully the market will shake out the folks that really aren't at a skilled level with the textures. I don't want to be discouraging, but there are a lot of folks creating clothing brands in SL now that really aren't at a professional level with their texture skills. We're on such event overload right now that a lot of those folks are getting visibility. Just to be clear, I'm not referring to people who are really trying and making progress on their skills, I'm talking about people who slap a color or fabric texture on a full-perm mesh object, don't add any detail or shading or materials, and then consider themselves a designer. That is one of the reasons why I started the "trending" thread...I want to see good work recognized. There is an educational aspect of that as well.

I have mixed feelings about the idea of Maitreya entering the curvy body market. I wouldn't want them to take focus off improving their current body. I think there is still room in the marke for someone to come up with a more realistic curvy body. I doubt it would appeal to people who are purchasing the current curvy bodies, as they apparently prefer the really exaggerated body type (I'm sure there's some interesting psychology going on there!).

Here are some of the gifts from the Fifty Linden Friday birthday event!

I would tend to believe someone who has been in the SL Community for a long time and has over 3,100 posts over a participant that has only 10 posts and a second one who is posting for the first time...especially when rude comments are involved.

...they could do just that. LL has a stake in improving the new user experience, so partnering with brands to release clothing rigged for that "LL: Basic" mesh body could end up being a win-win for everyone. Ditto with the skins. It would be a win-win because it would boost brand recognition among new users.

Look...if you bought the current version of Photoshop 5 or 6 years ago, you would have had to switch over eventually to Adobe's subscription version. If you bought the Sims 2, you don't get the Sims 4 for free. I look at the "base body assets" (bodies, heads that end up costing $$$$) in SL in a similar fashion. They're going to have a shelf life, and eventually be obsolete as new bodies, or new versions are created. I only expect free "updates" not substantial new features. Lekutka updating all their recent heads to all have the EVOX mapping was more than I expected. I do want to point out that SL is developing a new basic mesh body, and when that is released, the field will get shuffled again.

on another topic: Anyone have a clue as to what we can expect next from LL regarding the homes? Will there be any additional styles this calendar year? How about updates to the Traditionals?

I'm going to highlight some other things from C88... I'm drawn to finding realistic clothing that is not form fitting in SL.To do that in mesh presents its own set of challenges, especially (IMO) in rigging. You don't want oversize clothes to look like they've been molded out of plastic (unless that is the intent!). One brand that I think is doing a pretty good job releasing non-form-fitting clothing in SL is Spectacledchic. The way the designer displays their clothing at events, you may not realize that you are actually getting a fatback of colors when you purchase an item from them. At C88 this round, they've released a nightgown. But I think it would make an excellent maxi dress as well! The HUD allows you to mix and match the lace with the gown fabric. As far as quality, the only negative I noticed (and this is a common issue with mesh) is that in some poses, when my avi's legs are bent in a more unusual position, the "pulling" in the skirt is not natural, likely due to the pleats being a permanent feature in the mesh as well as the texture. I also want to give a shout-out to the. hair and especially the skin here which are also at C88. The hair is from WingsDG and if you're looking for a lower cost alternative to Doux and don't need a full fatback of all colors, Wings is a less expensive choice that still features really great textures and options for materials. Recently they've been featuring some 80's throwback styles and this is the style featured at C88 this round. Last but definitely not least, OMG this skin! I rarely buy skin at full price since there are so may good skins available on the weekend sales for great prices...but...it's so hard to find a really good mature skin that doesn't look like an old dried up hag. This is from DeeTaleZ and it is simply beautiful. They didn't feature my favorite Velour tone, RoseKiss, so I had to settle for Chantilly. There are lots of BOM add-ons included, and an additional add-on pack available as well. I'm wearing Lelutka's Kaya head which is a very soft, youthful head design, and even with that, I've still got a mature look! It's the best skin I've seen in ages, IMO.

Cute look! I got that dress in the faded denim but haven't had time to try it out yet!

I'll have another post soon, I promise. C88 and Cosmopolitan's latest rounds opened today. Although, C88's theme was something along the lines of sleeping because there was a lot of sleepwear and the venue looked like one has dropped in on Planet 29 instead of C88!

I agree!

Yes but...more designers use (at least sometimes) purchased full-perm mesh than most people realize.

Hmmmmm....I went over to the big island yesterday, didn't do much, just took some pictures in front of some plants.

Ricielli is one of the SL brands that I think does a really good job with leather textures. This is the top and pants available in fall tones at Famished which opened yesterday. The hair is from WingsDG and available at Level which also opened yesterday.

What are the homes on these islands...I'm assuming houseboats on the edges of the islands... are they Newbrookes on the interior of the islands?

You could always block that sound!

Ding...ding...ding! 🛎️ Specifically, Interstate 66 west of the Washington DC area, near Front Royal, VA. This is going eastbound, as if you go westbound the exit is marked Linden/Front Royal

Some mostly low LI goodies from this weekend's haul: Possibly the lowest LI kitchen on the market is Wrong's W kitchen, frequently on sale in one color or another during a weekend (hopefully still available). It's only 3 LI, so even if you want to add a refrigerator, you can get the basic kitchen setup under 10 LI. This last weekend the Blush color was featured. Tip: if you feel like things are getting too dark under the cabinets, you can add 1LI each recessed-style lighting (search for "spruce under cabinet lighting" on the Marketplace). Next, at that 50% off sale at Fourth Wall, pick up the Flyta Bed @ only 7LI! Great for that 2nd bedroom when your available LI is getting on the low side. The bedding is all white but easy to color, as shown below. Finally, at Trompe Loeil's SuperFans Special, pick up the following loveseat and chair set for only $L50. There are over 10 different textures for the cushions, and the pieces are each 4LI.

Last time Glitz had a big sale I bought some BOM lingerie from them too. That works well when a top is sheer.

Doggone, that Fourth Wall sale ate into my Fameshed budget. Maybe Famished will still be stuck in ultra-skimpy-summer-clothing mode and I won't feel like I am missing out.