This challenge was (heh) a challenge for me until I remembered Absinthe. I'm not a huge fan of dressing up with various alcohols, but somehow absinthe has eclipsed the normal scale of drink into something which inspires the most amazing fashions. I took a small detour for a while before I remembered I was supposed to be in lingerie, and then settled on this amazing set from Dilly Dolls from a twisted Hunt years ago. It was so old it came with those invisible blocks to clear out my feet instead of an invisible layer, but that was something fixed in a moment, and the rest of the set holds up very well despite the years! I stacked one of the two absinth sets from Falln Angel Creations on my head like a hat, tossed on some jewelry from Amorous on my wrists and around my neck, and dragged a very old monocle from Sanu out of the depths of my inventory to give the whole look that historical bent. The final touch was two of about half a million group gifts that Mockie gave us from her brand Mock - I almost wore out my fingers accepting them all! Every couple of months she goes on a gifting spree, and between that and the group clubhouse where you can try on things, there are a lot of advantages to being in her group!
In line with the words I wrote last week on Objectification, the simultaneously subversive and yet not quality of the 50 Shades of Sexy Challenge raised some comment on Shopping Cart Disco's SL Secrets. Using the word "whore," and followed up by a comment saying, "Being a slut/whore/skank/tramp/ect is not fashion style," I have to admit for a long moment I felt ashamed of the pictures I've taken so far. Anyone who has viewed my history of pictures knows I tend to vary my style quite a lot - everything from extremely demure Lolita styles to my new exploration of lingerie through this challenge. Dressing scantily seems to be more common than not, though, for several mostly-female subgroups on Second Life, though, and this fact has sometimes taken me up short.
I remember in particular meeting a woman wearing what amounted to loosely woven mesh who attempted to point me to the store and give me her physics layer so that I could improve my look; in a world where women are valued by our appearance of being available for sex, wearing a lot of clothing can be seriously discomforting. However, I'm more discomforted by being scantily clad - which is part of why I took part in this; being sexually objectified is inevitable when one is female, however Second Life offers and chance and a place to explore the ramifications of that, what it feels like, how we objectify or subjectify ourselves, and the relationship between semi-nudity and personality which subverts the idea of alluring women being blank slates for the sexual desires of others.
( More pictures here. )
Credits:
Skin: De la Soul, Aestali - Cream Rose
Eyes: De La Soul, RooMee Eyes - Rainbow
Eyelashes 1: SLink, Mesh Lashes
Eyelashes 2: Flugeln Brise, 04-A
Glass: Sanu, Scribble Monocle
Eyeshadow: Mock, Party All Night / Indifferent Bitter Lime (Group Gift)
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Lipstick: Mock, Sarah Jane's Bloody Lips (Group Gift)
Hair: Wasabi Pills, Sachiko (promotional item)
Tray: Fallen Angel Creations, Absinthe Set Tray
Wings: Fancy Fairy, Azarelle
Hands: SLink, Mesh Hands
Jewelry: Amorous, Antiquarian Absinthe
Outfit: Dilly Dolls, Absynth Adorea (Past Twisted Hunt prize)
Poses: Glitterati
Location: Green Fairy Cabaret
Light Settings: AnaLutetia - Studio Lights
Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only
