Fashion Advice for the Penniless Girl

by Lavinia Carver

Noobs. Everyone’s been there at least once in their second life. And we all know that when we start, you have NOTHING. Unless you are extremely happy with the noob look, then you’re both broke and ugly. Fashion in SL can be such a delicate thing, what may look good in a picture, may not on you.

This skin is superb and is in a seven deadly sins set with makeup, freckles (if you want them), the whole shebang. (Gossip Girl, Calla)

For everyone who wants to look their best and not have to spend a penny, you’ve got a lot of work to do. This freebie fashion hunting requires long hours of going to what seems every single freebie place on the map. You also have to keep your patience. A good place to start is on Money Island. Past the bank that is set into a mountain there lies a massive market place is nothing but freebies. They actually have some pretty good things there. Another good place to go is Alady Island, if you’re a girl that is. They have everything from accessories to formal clothes to decent shoes. Now some places will charge you $1L to buy their “free stuff.” So if you really want it, go camp.

Another good idea, and I mean really good idea, is to go to the “main store” of places you like, like VictoriaV or Calla. They’ll usually have a pretty good freebie section with one or two really good outfits. Another approach is to go to specialized places that have markets like the Bellagio or Gossip Girl. They will usually have freebies that are special to that area. I know that Gossip Girl has some of the best freebies. I got my skin from Calla there. Finally, there’s the web. Shop.Onrez.com is one of the best places to find really good clothes. Just sign up for an account and start shopping! They will deliver everything that you order straight to your avatar within seconds. So if you’re at a party and you discover that someone has the same exact dress as you (extremely frustrating, I must tell you) and you need something quick, Onrez is the place for you.

This dress is called ‘Wine Seduction’ and was completely free on Gossip Girl

Some of the hardest things to find for free are good shoes. That’s why I carry my Prom Braid shoes everywhere I go. They are these awesome shoes that you can find for free at Alady Island that can change to what ever color you want.

One of the key points to being fashionable while free is to mix and match. You can take things off or switch that skirt with that longer dress. It’s just the best way to make sure your outfit is as unique as possible.

a dress named ‘La Ploma’ that I found on Money Island. I’ve just gotten rid of the prim skirt

The last thing you need to know is that if someone recognizes your outfit as a freebie, don’t be ashamed of it. It’s nothing to be extremely proud of, but it’s definitely not something to hang your head for. You also need to know that no matter how much you feel like everyone around you is wearing clothes that they bought and that your clothes are of lesser value because they were free, there will always be that person near you with a free outfit.

---

People ask how can a Jewish kid from the Bronx do preppy clothes? Does it have to do with class and money? It has to do with dreams. ~Ralph Lauren

---

Comments

[Melissa Yeuxdoux]

The Penniless Girl should make a point of reading the "Fabulously Free in SL" blog at http://fabfree.wordpress.com/, which features many lovely free items.

[great article]

The Penniless Girl should also join the update groups of the designers she really likes. Many of them distribute very nice free items.

[Prokofy Neva]

And now...to camp some more...and spring for that freebie facelight.

[Tabatha Dagger]

Thanks for the tips Girl Friend! I'm a broke freebee girl too and proud of it. shop.onrez.com is my best friend. Giggle

[Brace]

Penniless Girl should also check out the massive selection of amazing free designs in the New Citizens Inc (NCI) Freebie vendors.
And check out Free Dove too.
And The Shelter

And ask Popfuzz Bamboo for her excellent guide on getting clear, bright lighting settings for taking pics ;)

You have to show off your finds to their best advantage, yah?
Happy Hunting!

[Rip]

Pennyless girl could always be a skanky freebie dressed pixel-sex pushing escort.

[Nidol Slazar]

I hate when people can't differentiate the terms 'noob' and 'newb'.

[Aya Pelous]

Best things that are free are from group updates. Sometimes they catch events where they get ALOT of great things for free. Like Easter Egg Hunts, Apple Hunts, and Red Stick Hunts. Its always endless! The penniless girl needs to look into these untapped sources.

[Aya Pelous]

Oh and go to Popfuzz to do lucky chair hopping. Its a seriously great find for some penniless girls

[Sherpa Davies]

You can also go to the Fashion World of SL RSS feed and check out the quadrillions of freebies that are listed there everyday. I have a freebie blog (sherpadavies.blogspot.com) and there is also Free*Style and Fabulously Free. It doesn't take very long or very much money to look good if you want to.

[Tenshi Vielle]

Pro tip: Make sphere. Size .3 .3 .3. Give it an alpha texture; check "light". Attach to eye, or some other never-used attach point. KTHX.

[Istar]

Gee I got all excited when I glanced the headline. At first I thought it said p-a-n-t-y-less girl. :-(

[2 cents]

Facelights might be great for taking photographs, everyone knows proper lighting is key in any sort of film or photography, and that is no different in Second Life.

However, use facelights with care and courtesy: it seems to me that the SL client only shows a litmited number of lightsources, and having six or seven avatars with facelights nearby, possibly destroys the look of the surroundings if lighting is applied for a location's atmosphere. (I dont know for sure if it's the number of lightsources or their distance from the vieuwer's avatar that matters tho, I'm not too much of a techie, but I have noticed some lights 'turning' off or on if I walk around)

Also, dont just check the light box as Tenshi suggest, make sure you change the settings to not make yourself appear like a lighthouse, brightly shining and lighting up your surroundings in a range of several meters: it's supposed to be a facelight for your own avatars looks, not a floodlight challenging a police chopper searchlight.

So yeah, use em but with care :)

On another note: as hard as it is to find good quality, free clothes for the penniless girl, it's a lot harder for the peniless guy. Even for the guy with tons of pennies, it's not really easy. Idea for a next article in this series perhaps? I still have to do with the jeans and white shirt I got when joining, I at least was lucky to have been given a free hairdo and skin by a very generous passer by.

[Penniless Guy]

What about a Penniless Guy like me ? Is there any hope? Can I be helped? Must I walk like a noob forever? Can I be stylish and handsome? Inquiring minds want to know.

[Rip]

Well Pennyless Guy.....you can change ur ave from male to female at the touch of a button......So why not join Pennyless Girl pressing that pixelated flesh as an escort? 40% of the ave women in sl are guys anyway!.....The best part is if you swing both ways (SL BI-Sexual)you double your chances of being paid and having a date on Saturday nightas well :))).........hahaha...Nice solution huh?

[Valiant Strangelove]

There definately can be found quality free fashion in Second Life. Fabulous and free mayan outfits, jewelry and accessiories for men and women are located at both Visit Mexico Chichen Itza and Visit Mexico - Ruta Maya. You can also find an amazing group of 80's colorable outfits including jewelry and belts at the great new role playing sim Steady Rock Island. All of the outfits and jewelry from both sims have been designed by the exceptional fashion designer Aries Bricklin. Get dressed in your unique free outfits and enjoy visiting these great sims.

[Pennyless Guy]

My first rule of SL .. never cyber with "her" until you've talked in Voice ! I prefer wearing a noob look to your solution, Rip ! :)

[Lavinia Carver]

I do have to admit, that I look at these pictures and they looked better when I took them. I guess I just didn't have enough lighting. I know and understand that the pictures suck! More than one person has reminded me of this and yes, next time they will not be so dark. And as for other comments, I don't write articles on sex, cybersex, or any of that stuff. It's not my thing, never has been, never will. So don't expect anything! Otherwise, thank the rest of you for putting down these comments. this is exactly the kind of response I was hoping to get. Not critisism, but more tips for people! :)