The Contessa and the Avatar as a Whole

 It all started with LaDonna, as it often does.   She was talking about skin demos at a certain store, so I popped in to see her, wearing what I was wearing at the time.  Which happened to be a poofy ball gown...and yes a tiara.  LaDonna saw me and said something akin to:

"A little early for ball gowns isn't it Contessa."

The word, "Contessa" got me thinking, since my avatar has been described as "aristocratic", "elegant", "intimidatingly perfect".  I don't consider myself to be perfect, I just shop...a lot. So eventually with some suggestions from my friend Alastair Whybrow,  I came up with a backstory and some looks for a "Contessa" persona, just for fun, not for actual role-play or anything.

The Contessa! She is aristocratic perfection, charming, elegant, beautiful, and she's not even an actual Contessa, that's just a nickname she picked up at boarding school. Her home country has been a republic for a couple of centuries. She has wealth, intelligence and drive. She even went to finishing school where she was caught necking with a celebutante heiress of some renown. there wasn't even a hint of scandal, because she was even then "The Contessa" She came out as lesbian at university and ended up in the Fashion business... She is feared and loved, like a High Queen in a fantasy story. But she herself doesn't look down on anyone, that would be rude and unbecoming

the Contessa's professionalism, and singlemindedness in what she knows to be right and wrong, can make her appear a blunt instrument if someone transgresses The Laws of Fashion.  But although she can still a transgressor with a raise of a perfectly arched eyebrow, she is always cool and in control. Panic and Drama may sometimes surround her, but the Contessa herself remains an island of aristocratic calm

She dresses VERY well, whether she's just come back from doing autocross in her Aston Martin convertible, with jeans, tunic and wild sexy hair,

or when she's at the office being interrupted by a phone call while deciding to make her new shoe release in Black velvet, black satin, black suede AND black patent and black kid leather, in 4 different heel heights.

Or when she's at a charity ball, alone again... because some think she's an Ice Queen,

But she iis not an Ice Queen, she has a heart of fire for the lady who loves her for who she is... The Contessa, maybe a bit too vain for her own good, maybe too picky and cranky at times... but at her core...good hearted.

I was planning on doing this post alone, but after doing some fashion watching at the ETD sale....Don't look at me that way, it's ETD!  I'm going to hold on calling it ETD till she changes the branding back to it's right and proper form. :-)

So I was fashion watching at ETD  (glares) and noticing that there were avatars who were obviously trying to have a coherent look but failing in some way.

One example I saw was of an avatar whose "orange-y tan" skin let her look down because the pink lipstick shade it  had was all WRONG, notwithstanding the sucky orange part.  A higher quality skin and her overall look would have turned from what some might call "fug" to "California Beach Babe"

Another was of a girl who seemed to do Hogwarts RP, she had age appropriate hair, the uniform, the AO was age appropriate for a Hogwarts student....but the look was failed by the "lemon sucking fish face with too tiny eyes, and hints of IPR" shape, sheer hosiery (she needed opaque tights), and shoes no Hogwarts student of the age she was trying to RP as would wear.  (cute little high heeled oxfords, great if she was RPing a college girl, but not for Hogwarts)

Another was someone trying to do a "Jersey shore sexpot" look but was failed by her cutesy skipping anime-ish AO.

Personally, I see the Avatar as a whole, and everything should work together in a coherent way:  shape, skin, hair, AO, clothing, Accessories...EVERYTHING"  One little thing off, and the coherence isn't there.   So don't ruin your sexy adult look with that Gaeline little girl AO.   Don't dress your avatar with a face that looks like a 12 year old japanese girl in clothes a 23 year old would wear or use a cigarette.  And if your avatar is an adult, don't do knock knee or pigeon toe poses.  It just doesn't work.

Start thinking of your avatar as a "whole" and your avatars appearance should improve, IMHO.  If you see pictures of SL Fashionistas like LaDonna or Gogo, you will notice that they ALWAYS have a coherent look.  The last time I saw LaDonna she had a "Hottest Mom on the Cul de Sac" look going.  Everything she was wearing contributed to that "whole".   Fabulous.

Picture notes:

Zaara Ashima Blouse, Tres Blah JuJu Jeans, Truth Bebe hair, Belleza Pale BEtty skin, G Field Cuff Boots

Donna Flora Helena ensemble, Truth Isla hair, Belleza Betty Pale skin, G Field Eve pumps.

Passion4Fashion formal gown, Truth Jocelyn hair, Belleza Betty Pale skin, Donna Flora Willa jewellery set.