Second Life and Shopping ...

... Is this a perfect match?

In a lot of ways the answer to this is 'Yes - It is!'. There are few of the complications of Real Life with system level clothing being a perfect fit every time just as the designer intended.

All is not completely rosie of course once we move into the arena of sculpted and prim attachments/clothes and shoes. Once you move away from system level clothes/accessories then much of what you actually get for your Lindens is down to the skill of the designer/maker of the particular items. Without wishing to draw particular examples into comparison I think most people will be able to easily see that some prim shoes for instance are of a much superior quality to others and hence they attract a premium price.

So then back to the original question ... is Second Life a perfect match for the Shopping Experience. I think it can be, but, rather as in Real Life, you still need to either get some good recommendations or do some serious searching and wandering to find the best quality your money can buy. Designer shops/labels/sims abound in Second Life and there is a slew of fashion magazines published in Second Life to attest to the continuing popularity of 'Looking Good!'. Personally I enjoy the challenge of finding a special outfit or particular piece of clothing or some really nice shoes without having to negotiate with my bank to fund my shopping experience .... I can however see that for some it is a bewildering and un rewarding experience with some of the search results promising so much and in reality delivering some very mediocre offerings when you actually TP to them.

One way in which we can all make our shopping experience more productive, interestingly, is to invest a few lindens in one of the Fashion Magazines I alluded to earlier. The point about the articles (some sponsored) and advertsing they carry is that these represent high value in world businesses that not only believe they have a good product but are confident enough to put their money where their corporate bragging sits; they have a reputation to uphold so you can expect to get good quality items and good customer service.

There is one note of caution I would sound to all potential shopping addicts .... sometimes you might be well advised to think hard about what you are buying, because sometimes you really could make it for free!! I know we aren't all accomplished scripters or builders but occasionally it is easy to get mesmerised by all that is out there and spend your money on something which is actually very simple to construct.

One last comment before I rush off to get my latest pair of killer heels ... LoLoLoL ... take a friend with you. You won't need them to help carry anything but you may need them to help you remember where you saw that perfect bargain you wanted to go back for later!!! *S*

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