Chandra’s Page

While testing the limits of Second Life physics and my own patience on a motorcycle ride, I ran across an eye-catching store in the sim of Bishop. Had geometry not been rezzing in at its usual slow pace, a common problem when speeding down the roads of SL, I’d have easily spotted this place from a long distance.

Simtropia (SLurl link) has an iconic and attractive design, making good use of vertical space both to attract the eye and to provide surface area for product display. The architecture is clean, simple, and functional.

Inside, Simtropia sells avatar shapes (with skins by CryoGen), eyes, and clothing for both men and women. The avatar shapes are impressive, with artfully sculpted facial features that are a welcome departure from the cookie-cutter newbie face that’s all too common in SL. Each shape comes with three variations, so you can express a bit of individual preference within a theme.

The eyes are gorgeous and realistic, among the best I’ve seen in Second Life. If I weren’t so attached to my silly whiteless alien eyes, I’d strongly consider the violet pair.

Clothing at the boutique tends toward casual, comfortable fashions in bright colors. There are blouses, t-shirts, sweaters, and jeans, all with plenty of details. The menswear is particularly good, with some sweater designs that are flattering and unique.

With the exception of some typos in the wall displays, the store oozes professionalism. Its owners have a flair for graphic design and marketing. Their website, Simtropia.com, doesn’t have much content yet, but it has the same consistent branding as the store. I look forward to seeing more from Simtropia in the future.

This entry was posted on Friday, September 29th, 2006 at 1:25 am and is filed under Couture, Travelogue. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.