Genre: Burlesque - Over-Run

The new Genre is Burlesque, and all the sexiest outfits and accessories have come out to play. My enormous fans and the poses which make such good use of them are from {NANTRA}, and they're redolent of the 1930s when it became a popular addition to erotic dance. The dance poses hint at the peek-a-boo nature of this burlesque classic, the large fans concealing and revealing in turn. {NANTRA}'s fans themselves are color change via touch and have white, black, and pink options, so they're easy to pair with just about any outfit... or lack thereof. I went with an outfit, selecting this purple and black number from Anachron. The corset with it's tuxedo tail is rigged mesh and comes with standard sizes as well as fitted to Bellezza, Maitreya, and Slink. I love the haltar top with it's bow behind the neck, detailed enough to stand on it's own while simple enough to work with accessories. The panties can be either a texture layer or applied using all of those plus the Omega system. There are five colors for sale, from soft shades for a classy joint to the brightest scarlet. It moves very well; I went the Slink route and no matter how I was animated, there wasn't any clipping and the panty layer was smooth and believable. The fascinator comes with it, a mesh hat with a veil that is editable and adaptable; fitting it was a breeze and I could make minor adjustments to the veil so it didn't clip my hair.

Genre: Polynesia - In the Wilds

I'm all decked out for Polynesia, this month's Genre theme. The US has two named territories here - one is the state of Hawai'i, known for it's laid back nature and rich heritage, and the other is American Samoa, an unincorporated protectorate that is largely unknown to most USAns. Both are island chains grouped in with the rest of Polynesia, enjoying tropical weather. American Samoa, along with a lot of Polynesia, was annexed by other countries during the continuing colonization of the late eighteen hundreds, finally ending up under US. The President of the US remains the Head of State, though American Samoa also has it's own Constitution and elected government separate from that of the US, and they send a non-voting delegate to the US House of Representatives. Culturally, American Samoa and Hawai'i have many similarities through their mutual connection with the US despite having different original cultures. Also, most residents of American Samoa are Samoan, while a lot of Hawai'i is Asian immigrants with the native population greatly diminished and their cultural heritage interrupted by laws denying them their language and practices until very recently. I can't imagine what it would be like to be denied your past only to have people transform it into something for sale - part of me wonders at putting on the colors and dress of a place that is still here but so separate from me, but I can't deny the beauty of the islands and an attraction to cultures of respect and mutuality.

Genre: Drag Queens

Drag Queens get their time in the Genre spotlight this month, and the offerings are glitzy, glimmery, and utterly fabulous.

Genre: Regency

Genre is back this month and it's Regency time - one of the eras of England I'm most familiar with, thanks to an attachment to the fiction of the time. For the wealthy, everything was about restraint and simplicity, sumptuous fabrics and delicate laces being the main markers of class, and this is the Empire that the empire waistline gets its name from. For women's gowns this is the Genre to hit - and there's even an awesome option for the men, entirely historically accurate.

Genre: Dragon General

Genre is on it's last legs, stumbling into camp to rest in just a few days, so make sure you swing by before the troops vanish into the mists. In my last post I went very cute, but this time I approached it with all of the seriousness of a four star general - in this case leader of the Dragon Troops. My poses the full military model, a release from Nantra in the theme of a bugle boy. There is an included bugle prop, but they work well both with and without and are a fun mix of playful and serious. A few are outright pin-up poses, which can be a whole lot of fun in the right hands and with the right outfit. In this case I angled things toward the powerful - a commander in control of her Romanesque world, and Nantra was critical for making my every move polished.

My outfit, from this fetching hat to the tops of a pair of gloriously shiny boots are all from Cog & Fleur, and in addition to this skirted uniform there is also a jacket which can be paired with the high waisted pants for a more masculine edge. I love the pairing of dress and pants, though; it works well for flying, too, since the dark interior of the dress (yay for fully lined clothes!) and the dark pants make for a seamless fit. This is a combination of several templates from several creators, all textured both in inventive ways and so that they work beautifully together. I love the gold accents in particular, and how the black, gold, and red all work together to dramatic effect. By far my favorite piece is the boots, though; materials added to the subtle texturing make for intense gleam and shine that looks impressive up close.

Make sure to swing by Genre and check out all on offer - you won't want to miss it!