I went more to the red than the purple of Wine Cellar, but it's a gorgeous combination and I really embraced the Twenties in Europe and the US - the shapeless sheaths that were early reflections of women's desires to be equals to men, along with the widespread embrace of smoking as a symbol of empowerment. Short hair served the same purpose, as well as being easier to take care of; World War One had given women a taste of the public life, and they wanted more. In retrospect, there is a headlessness to the time between the two World Wars; although we know no one could have known what was coming, the combat which would shatter an empire and set the ground for another to take root seems to be reflected in the metal and glass, in the delicate roughness that exemplifies Art Deco and the Twenties. I have always loved Art Deco and the detached, stylish, ironic air which surrounded it. It seems like a desperate, beautiful time, when everyone knew things were profoundly disordered, no one knew what to do, so we might as well drink. The class war was still reasonably well hidden, colonialism loomed largely, and people would non-ironically name a largely European War a worldwide affair. I found an exquisitely rendered Twenties haven in Mad City, the sim built for MadPea's latest two hunts. This set is centered mostly around the Hotel, which is gorgeous, but there is also several other areas as well as an enormous park and a multitude of cars. I really encourage you to go check this sim out before it vanishes in the maw of MadPea's next game.
My hat is a very old release from Eclectica that I gleefully ripped the hair out of and resized to fit new hair. I love the style of it, and the slightly uneven brim, and her gorgeous textures. I tucked into it this bob from Alice Project and tinted it blond with rainbow streaks using her amazing HUD system. I love how versatile that makes her hairs - I can really shift them to fit a lot of different looks. My cosmetics are from Mock - I layered two shades for a dull, brownish red to match the reds of the rest of my look, and it worked beautifully. One wonderful thing about Mock's lips is that most of them are at least a little translucent, which makes customization a matter of layers. My pearls are these lovely knotted ones from Deco, the colors delicate and the arrangement just a lot of fun. It looks like I've been out dancing all night and not noticed what happened below my chin. I'm semi-saturated on jewelry these days, but something unique and quirky like this always seems to steal the Linden out of my pockets. My wings are free - f r e e - and do not look it; they are the Apsara wings from Illusions in rainbow, and part of the Taste the Rainbow Hunt. I simply adore them, and the curls and colors fit the Art Deco aesthetic beautifully. My dress is an astonishing release from Volstead which is a lot more scandalous than it looks - the mesh dress is actually semi-translucent, and it's only the texturing layers on my skin which make it look like clothing one could wear in public. It also moves beautifully, and wasn't quite as square as some of the other dresses I've seen. My cigarette, and my poses, are all from Flowey; I have Whiskey Monday to blame for turning me on to her, and I've never regretted it; one wonderful thing about her poses is how natural they often seem - not posed or false but rather how one stands when no one is looking. Finally, I've shown off these shoes before but they deserve a second look - released by Schadenfreude, the heels have a gorgeous Art Deco style heel and are tintable in five different places, which means they can be adapted to an awful lot of looks.
( More pictures here. )
Credits:
Skin: De La Soul, Candace Creamer
Hair: Alice Project, Mary
Hat: Eclectica, Cloche Hat
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Eyes: De La Soul, Mesh Eye Rainbow
Eyelashes 1: SLink, Mesh Lashes
Eyelashes 2: Flugeln Brise, 05-A
Lipstick 1: Mock, Sahne Bitter Chocolate
Lipstick 2: Mock, Lucir LipColor Vin Rouge
Jewelry: Deco, Marilyn Pearls
Wings: Illusions, Apsara Wings (Taste the Rainbow Hunt)
Hands: SLink, Rigged Mesh Hands
Nails: Nine Inch Nails, Deco
Cigarette: Flowey, Heirloom Cigarette Holder
Dress: Volstead, Scandal Dress
Shoes: Schadenfreude, Casinelle Shoes
Pose: Flowey
Location: Mad City - The Silent Peacock Hotel
Light Settings: TOR, MIDDAY Herr Gracken
Water Settings: NB, Sparkling Depths
Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only
