Ugly Freebies? - Answer: The Free Dove

In my search the other day (for what, I can't remember), I found an interesting freebie store called The Free Dove.


I guess The Free Dove has been in existence for a while; however, I just did not know about it. The store, created by Palomma Casanova, is stocked with free items from SL designers. The designers have put out boxes of free clothes, accessories, skins, shapes, shoes, hair, and jewelry to help dress new residents of SL. Items are available for male and female avies.


I thought it was a novel idea. Help out new residents to quickly create a "look" for free and promote new and established designers. If new residents like your items, they will visit your store when they have lindens. Some of the participating designers that I am familiar with are Awesome Designs, Stellar Designs, Rebel Hope Designs, Image Reflections, Insolence, Digital Knickers, Sirena, and Vindi Vindaloo. Pictures of some of the items I got for free are below.


Whether you are new to SL or a veteran that loves freebies, you'll find something at The Free Dove.

To visit Free Dove, CLICK HERE. (Gallii 113, 55, 33)

BEACH PARTY... You're Invited!

Next Friday, June 27, we are have a huge Beach Party in BelleStar. Everyone is welcome. Here are the details:



To join us at REDS, CLICK HERE. (BelleStar 178, 205, 21)

To join us at Effie's, CLICK HERE. (BelleStar 112, 224, 22)

BEACH PARTY... You

How much lag do you create?

Ever wonder how much lag your avie creates in an environment. If you have the Release Candidate client, you can view your Rendering Cost.

The Rendering Cost includes everything on your avie including the heavy prim hair. It's a number that is calculated based on how much work your computer needs to go through to render your particular avatar. The Rendering Cost is displayed over your avie's head. If the Rendering Cost is okay, it's displayed in green. If it is high, it's displayed in red.

In the picture above, when Effie is in a basic capris outfit with her short hair, her render score is only 773 which is very good. Then I put Effie in long flexi hair with a complicated ball gown including prim upper sleeves, flexi lower sleeves, an under-skirt, and a long flowing flexi-skirt. The new outfit and hair soared the Rendering Score to a whopping 2782! And, of course, it turned red.

To find out the rendering score of your avie (and the avies around you), here are the steps:


- Open the ADVANCED menu. (If it is not available, press CTRL + ALT + D)

- Open the RENDERING sub menu.

- Open the INFO DISPLAYS sub menu.

- Click AVATAR RENDERING COST.

To turn it back off, follow the same steps.

So, what's your Avatar Rendering Cost?

The Sims Are Alive With The Sounds of MUSIC

I love most genres of music... country to jazz, classical to rock. So, it's not surprising that I discovered LIVE MUSIC in Second Life very shortly after becoming a resident.

The talent on SL truly amazes me. People from all over the world with vocal and/or instrument talent all converge on SL to share their amazing talent with other people from all over the world. You can find a live performance being streamed into SL (how the music is delivered into SL for you to hear it) at almost any time of the day. Instructions for finding live music events and how to listen are at the bottom of this posting.

Here are a few of my favorite SL Live Performers:

Kim Seifert

If you are a friend of mine, Kim being the first name is not a surprise to you. I've been attending Kimmee concerts almost my entire second life. Kim and I have also met in real life. She is as dynamic and sweet in real life as her stage presence in SL.

Kim’s musical style and personal sound is well suited for high energy country rock, and this where she shines and has the most fun. Personally, I also love when her powerful voice lends itself to a jazz tune. Her dynamic voice will have your heart singing with joy, and your feet dancing out of control. Polished and clean, with excellent range and emotional power, Kim’s performance will take you away.

Paisley Beebe

Even though I like a lot of music genres, jazz just somehow touches my soul. I remember walking into a Paisley Beebe concert the first time and thinking that I could get used to listing to her a lot. Many call her the Queen of Jazz in SL.

Paisley Beebe is Australia's only Female artist doing Live concerts on Second Life. Her shows are always lively and highly entertaining in every aspect.

Starr Singer

I first heard Starr Singer at Kim's Rezz Day Party. (Rezz Day is the equivalent of a birthday in SL.) I was immediately impressed. Starr is an entertainer/vocalist in real life and well as Secondlife. She loves singing and the songs come from her heart. Her playlist is very diversified, and she performs tunes from many different genres such as blues, jazz, pop, rock/classic rock, ballads, standards, RnB, country, Broadway, oldies and show tunes. The songs span many eras, from 40's to the present.

Joaquin Gustav

Joaquin is one of my newer favorites. He is from Argentina and plays an acoustic guitar. He is a music teacher oriented in smooth jazz, rock, and South American music such as Tango, Milonga, Candombe, etc. He gives a spirited show to awake the passion for music in you. Grab a dance partner and go enjoy one of his shows.

Nad Gough

Oh my, what can I say about Nad. Nad is truly an entertainer! I definitely have a smile on my face when I leave his shows.

Through his multi-instrument arrangements, Nad Gough gives second life to songs you love by The Beatles, Moody Blues, Van Morrison, Elvis, Stones, Pretenders and stuff! His tender and poetic original songwriting will touch your heart and stuff. Nad sings to CD quality backing tracks which he lovingly and painstakingly creates on his computer using hi tech sound and software and stuff. The music is always only half the fun! Nad has a wonderful, quirky sense of humor that fills your soul with warm laughter. Experience Second Life through the unpredictable mind of Nad. And stuff.

Maximillion Kleen

Max is one of my newer favorites. He can make the strings of a guitar make the most awesome music. His music touches my soul. You know how that a song sometimes just sticks with you all day, and you can't get it out of your head? I've had that happen after listing to Max. :-)

He performs almost nightly in-world at various live music venues. He plays a solo acoustic guitar with vocals covering popular and well-loved songs, old and new. He touches on rock, pop, alternative, old country, emo, rock-folk, Canadiana, and hip-hop.

Lyn Carlberg

Lyn Carlberg has been a friend of mine in SL since almost the beginning. He is from Wales (UK), land of song, dragons and rugby. He plays a Martin electro-acoustic guitar, and has been performing live in SL since Sept 2007. Lyn's songs are soft, melodic tunes that touch your romantic soul.

Lyn likes to play a folky-style like Paul Simon, James Taylor, Gordon Lightfoot, Cat Stevens and bluesy-mushy-weepy romantic covers of Clapton, Dylan, Dire Straits, Sting and many others. Lyn also sings traditional Celtic love songs and a few of his originals.

Stella Silvansky

I listened to Stella for the first time at a friend's venue. He told me he had some new SL live talent singing, so I couldn't resist going. To my surprise, I really liked her!

Stella is a girl who has no problem being the center of attention. She sings constantly...in the shower, in her car, while cleaning the kitchen...and now in SL. She listens to everything from alt-rock to country to big band, but she loves to sing Natalie Merchant, Trisha Yearwood, Jewel, Alanis, Gwen Stefani and Indigo Girls to name a few.

Fable Sinatra

Fable is a talented singer and guitarist from the United Kingdom. Fable is a true English Rose with the voice to match. She plays semi acoustic guitar and sings. Fable mainly does British indie covers and her own originals. In SL, it really helps to have a very sweet personality to go with the sweet voice.

Pam & Bill Havercamp

Pam & Bill were the first live SL artists I ever heard. I teleported to Barcelona when I was a newbie, and noticed a crowd at the cafe. I watched for a while before I realized that they were singing live. They perform acoustic classic rock. They perform a mixture of oldies and country from the 50's 60's 70's and beyond, including the Beatles, Eagles, Stevie Nicks, Rolling Stones, Bruce Springstein, Dire Straits and more with a few country songs and originals sprinkled in.

FINDING LIVE EVENTS IN SL

To find live events in SL, following these steps:

1. Click the SEARCH button on the bottom of the SL client.

2. Click the EVENTS tab at the top of the search box.

3. Click the down arrow next to the CATEGORY tag at the top.

4. Select LIVE MUSIC.

5. Click SEARCH at the top right.

All the live events will be listed starting with the soonest to begin at the top.

Once you arrive at the event, you need to turn the music stream on to listen. On the bottom of the client you will see a couple of music notes. Click the button that looks like a triangle to turn the music on. The square that appears will stop the music.

Keep two things in mind. First, sometimes you may have to wait a few seconds to hear the music. And, second, you may have to toggle the music on and off if you have any issues.

If you need any help, IM me in world.

Keep Our Male Avies Looking Sharp! (2008 Version)

UPDATE: (6/9/08)

JEEPERS CREEPERS MEN'S SHOES

I couldn't believe I forgot to add this store. Some of the best looking shoes for men I've seen in SL. The are made with such fine details. When you visit this store, visit the rest of the Best of SL Boulevard, too!

To visit Jeepers, CLICK HERE. (THE BEST OF BOULEVARD 208, 96, 26)

In SL female clothing stores are EVERYWHERE! However, I've heard from a lot of male avies that it is difficult to find male clothing stores with quality clothes. In July of 2007, I did a blog entry on places for men to shop in SL. I felt it was time to revisit the subject since I have pointed a handful of male avies to my blog in the past couple of weeks.

Landmarks have been updated and stores have been added. Here is a list of stores I compiled:

ALPHAMALE BLACKLACE & VENGEANCE

From jeans to hoodies to t-shirts to leather jackets to silk boxers, Alphamale has them all in very sexy designs for the male avie. And, how about treating yourself to the luxury of silk pajamas?

To visit, CLICK HERE. (Ruby 92, 65, 26)

REDGRAVE

Redgrave has men's and women's clothes. Redgrave's is not what I would call a big store; however, what really catches your eye here are the leather selections. Leathers in rich colors such as black and shades of brown adorn the walls for purchase. The details give the jackets the richness in design. You will also find other items here such as jeans, sweaters, t-shirts and a little more dressy options.

To visit Redgrave, CLICK HERE. (Sands Island 1 169, 100, 24)

MADE MEN

Made Men has casual clothes and dressy clothes. I would consider the clothes here to be more "hip." However, what really catches my eye is the skins and suits.

The skins are made for a young, muscular look. Muscles are well defined showing excellent abs with great detailing.

My favorite thing about this store is the suits. Made Men has lots of suits in a large array of colors to fit everyone. The selection includes sport jackets to classic business suits to more modern suits. I especially liked the "Black on Black" line of suits which are very GQ.

To visit Made Men, CLICK HERE. (Made 80, 192, 51)

BRUTAL GEAR

A small men's store in a delapidated building that houses jeans, jackets (bomber, biker, etc.), t-shirts, tank tops, sunglasses, and belt buckles.

To visit Brutal Gear, CLICK HERE. (Varado 104, 158, 31)

Cubic Effect

WOW... Cubic Effect has prim clothes. The jackets look awesome. The mens clothes are mixed in with womens, so take your time and look around. They have pants, jackets, shirts and more!

To visit Cubic Effect, CLICK HERE. (Born East 207, 14, 41)

GEARSHIFT

Hoodies, jeans and jackets are what GearShift offers. Cool looking close in a very cool airship shopping center.

To visit Gear Shift, CLICK HERE (Maggiore 150, 143, 601)

THE DRAWMACHINE

Whether you want the look of speed for looking like a biker or a racer, The Drawmachine has the look for you. Included in their array of products are biker boots, biker gloves, biker pants, jeans, leather racing jackets, and Air Force t-shirts. When you first arrive all you will see is the sexy lady outfits. Turn to the right and the men's clothes will start on the right wall and continue upstairs.

To visit Drawmachine, CLICK HERE. (Sc Design 30, 23, 22)

Civvies

Casual wear and steam punk rolled into one shop. They have some unique things also like wool and leather hats, dirty sneakers and sock elbow warmers.

To visit Civvies, CLICK HERE. (Maggiore 94, 132, 601)

MUSASHI-DO MAIN FASHION SHOP

Musashi-Do advertises themselves as "Italian fashion meets the Far East." I do have to agree I can see both the Italian and Far East influences in their line of clothes. Although it is one of the smaller collections, it does include some everyday clothes from casual to dressy suits and some more exotic wear such as kung fu uniforms, racing outfits and kilts.

To visit Masashi-Do, CLICK HERE. (Anton 96, 243, 108)

NAUGHTY DESIGNS

I smile at the thought that my favorite male skins are found in a place called "Naughty." I've found these skins to be so realistic and detailed that I am truly amazed by them. The skin named Dante happens to be my favorite. I've seen these skins first-hand on a couple of avies who are close friends. They are very impressive.

To visit Naughty Designs, CLICK HERE. (Naughty 80, 167, 24).

STELLAR DESIGNS

Stellar Designs has a whole building dedicated to men's fashions. At the teleport point, click on the teleport hub for the men's store. Stellar designs includes more casual clothes. They have several styles of jeans including low-rise, stonewashed, holey and sculpted cuffs. Also included in the collections are different styles of t-shirts, chino shorts, jean shorts, open shirts, thermal shirts, palm shirts, leather pants, briefs, and avatar shapes.

To visit Stellar Designs, CLICK HERE. (Stellar Isle 105, 128, 24)

DESERT MOON CLOTHIERS (DMC)

This store reminds me of many of the RL jeans stores. Lots of different styles of jeans are on displays in neatly stacked piles. This is definitely a casual clothes store that caters to both the male and female avie population. Of course, just like the RL stores, they also have many t-shirt options to match those jeans. This location of DMC is a concept store introducing the use of a store card. Purchase your card at the vending machines in the store. You can either use them yourself or give them as a gift. When using the card, wear it and then right click on your purchase and choose "card" instead of pay.

To visit Desert Moon Clothiers, CLICK HERE. (Goodelli 213, 83, 47)

FNKY

FNKY is an interesting store that has some things I haven't seen elsewhere. Some of the items include sunglasses, regular eyeglasses, ball caps, bucket hats, earphones, boomboxes, beanies, scarves, cuff bracelets, loafers (some of the best I've seen), and lots of skins that at first glance seem to be pretty good.

To visit FNKY, CLICK HERE. (FNKY Cake 129, 76, 24)

LUXURY BY VINDI VINDALOO

Luxury by Vindi Vindaloo is a nice size men's store specializing in luxury items such as suits and tuxedos. The suits come in a vast array of colors and styles such as pinstripes. You'll even find some unusual items such as brightly colored jackets in prints. The store also stocks some other luxury items such as silk robes and pajamas, fur coats, top hats, dress coats, and vintage suits.

To visit Luxury by Vindi Vindaloo, CLICK HERE. (Plush Kappa 47, 50, 22)

SF DESIGN SKYMALL

I wouldn't normally recommend a whole mall; however, SF Design Skymall is so organized and has a large quantity of men's clothes. When you tp in there is a teleport board to take to to exactly what you are looking for. Suits range from nicely taylored executive suites (some come with flexi ties) to the more ornate historical suits. The store also has scripted bow ties, shirts with a wide-range of color ties, work boots, biker boots, sneakers, dress shoes, casual shirts, chaps, vests, leather pants, costumes, jeans, swimwear, t-shirts, sleeveless t-shirts, and a whole lot more.

To visit SF Design Skymall, CLICK HERE. (Innisfree 192, 54, 537)

DE DESIGNS

DE Designs is one of my favorite clothing stores now. DE Designs does a great job of bringing the richness and detail of clothes to life. The first area of men's clothes you encounter remind me of the gaming clothes of a futuristic rugged man. Some of the clothes are more simplistic and some are very detailed with all the perks such as belts, gloves and chains. The store also boasts a large section on casual, everyday and formal clothes including jeans, cords, leather pants, shirts, sport coats, camo wear, historical suits and tuxes. Don't forget to go to the second floor to see more casual clothes. This store is huge.

To visit DE Designs, CLICK HERE. (DE Designs 115, 132, 39)

ADAM & EVE
At the teleport spot of Adam & Eve, you will find teleports to the different departments including Menswear. It's much smaller than the womens fashions; however, they have a little of everything - casual, suits, shoes, etc.

To visit Adam & Eve, CLICK HERE. (Genesis 37, 163, 23)

MORE IDEAS FOR MEN'S CLOTHES

Finally, I feel that I need to give you a couple of great on-going resource for men's clothes. These are blogs dedicated to men's style and clothing in SL Please visit them and use them as a resource:

http://www.second-man.com/

http://www.slmen.com/