Well, I’m sad to say that due to ongoing connectivity problems with Second Life, Nicolas and I will be parting ways with both the grid and the blog.

When we first started Bonnie & Clyde I’m not sure we knew quite what we were getting ourselves in to.  Initially we looked at this as a way to journal our own personal and collective style(s) and see the evolution of our avatars over time.  Beyond that it became an amazing creative outlet and remained something we enjoyed doing right up until the last post and I’m sure we will come to miss it.

Little did we know the true scope of what having a voice in the fashion community could offer.  Some of our greatest and truest SL friends were met through blogging and it has afforded us some great in-world business opportunities along the way.  For both of these things we are so very grateful.

On the flipside, we know from first hand experience how drama laden blogging can be (we edited out the ‘fuck you’ dedications after some careful thought), but I would hope that doesn’t discourage any current or future bloggers. This fashion community that so many of us call home is made up by not 1 or 2 people, but by the hard work and creativity of each and every blog – love them or hate them.

So, in case it wasn’t obvious, we will no longer be accepting review copies and would like to thank the designers that have shared their creativity and hard work with us so that we might share it with others.  Also, a sincere apology to those who have sent us copies recently as we will not be able to post them as we normally would.

This is goodbye for now, but there’s no telling if we may be back in the future.  Again, thank you to everyone who has made this experience so much richer than we ever imagined it could be.

You stay classy, fashionistas (and fashionistos!).

xoxo Bonnie & Clyde (aka Dahlia Eilde and Nicolas Sinatra)

P.S. We haven’t disappeared completely.  If you would like to contact us we can be reached at dahlia.eilde@gmail.com and nicolas.sinatra@gmail.com and of course we’re on plurk if you’re curious about what we ate for breakfast or how we feel about the weather. 

Thanks for the memories!

Keiko Morigi first found acclaim for her photography and editing skills, a testament of which is her highly popular flick stream.  No surprise really that her artistry translates in to the world of fashion with ease and her store &Bean has been quickly building an inventory of unique outfits and must have separates.  Her creations are also very en pointe where trends are concerned, making it easy to meld fashion with your own personal sense of style.

Both the jacket and pants are from &Bean, and while they’re sold as separates, I couldn’t resist matching them up. I tried a few shirts with this outfit, but found that a simple black bra completed the look and really allowed the detail on the high waisted pants to shine (love those zippers!).

The bra might be a bit much for day-to-day gridlife, but I love it from an editorial viewpoint.  For a toned down alternative, MichaMi’s glam tanks look great with these pants (and just about everything else!).

I could go on, but I think the thing I love most about this outfit, and &Bean’s pieces in general, is that it’s seemed to find a fashion loophole by being retro and modern at the same time. Gotta love those fashion cycles, and Keiko, and &Bean. <3

P.S. Keiko names most of her products after song titles and her entire store makes for a killer playlist.

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Hair: Vintagewear – Pushed and Shoved (Golden Blonde)
Skin: Redgrave – Leona Pale (Smoky)
Eyes: MMS – Dark Brown Eyes
Lashes: Redgrave – MoulinRouge
Jacket: &Bean – Maps! \o/
Bra: Armidi Intimizzio – Classic Vita Set (Black)
Pants: &Bean – We own the sky (Dark)
Shoes: Armidi Gisaci – Viniani Heel (Black)
Necklace: Armidi Gisaci – Valencia Pearl Necklace (Black)
Poses: Maitreya – CCBirdGirlStand04.4 | [snook] Sweetheart

This outfit is definitely French inspired.  I have a soft spot for most things French, from movies (Amélie) to music (Cara Bruni – idk what you think of her hooking up with the President, but she has a pretty voice) and for whatever reason, I throw stripes in to that category as well.  They just have that ‘je ne sais quoi’.

We recently did a ton of shopping and re-visited an old favourite, Emery, where I found this great striped sweater and pair of skinny, black, zippered pants/leggings bundled up in one outfit, Dora.  The legging bottoms extend on to the foot a little bit, a look I love with ballet slippers or flats. Something I’ve always loved about Emery is they are one of the few places that I wear the outfit as-is out of the folder.  I’m constantly mixing and matching, but sometimes it’s nice to just right click and add to outfit.

Moving on, all I needed were a few accessories, and luckily this sweet little hairstyle from !lamb doubled as an accessory with its beret, though I (and just about everyone on Plurk) are eagerly awaiting hatless versions.  Gloves, specs, flats, and a French designer bag by Polina Kaestner and I am ready to tuck myself in to a café for the rest of the day.

Now that I feel Paris bound, I will leave you with a little ditty by the First Lady of France. À la prochaine!

PHOTOSHOOT MUSIC: Carla Bruni – Quelqu’un M’a Dit

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Hair: !lamb – Bonjour Operator (Twix)
Skin: Redgrave – Paulina 05 Fair
Eyes: MMS – Dark Brown Eyes
Glasses: VINTAGEwear – Essential Frames (Metal)
Outfit: Emery – Dora
Shoes: Shiny Things – Criss cross ballet flats (black)
Gloves: Fleur – Long Leather Gloves (Black)
Bag: Polina Kaestner – French Bag (Noir)
Baguette: HANAUTA – Baguette (re-attached to left hand)
Cigarette Holder: Foxy’s Smoke Shop – Cig 4.2 Aly Silver Bitchstick Switch (S) -Hand
Poses from Vain Inc’s *V*Xen and *V*Elle sets.

The fashion buzz of the week in our household was definitely all about AOHARU and their 50% off anniversary sale.   It’s funny to think back when the mainstore, let alone only store, was a small building at Creator’s Pavillion when you land on their uber packed sim, but the pushing and the lag is sooooo worth it.

Taking advantage of the season, Nic and I put together an outdoor and an indoor look.  We played around with the theme idea ‘From Pages to Pavement’, so my outfits will be a quirkier, fiction based style compared to Nic’s practical, realistic ones. Keh? Keh!

One thing I think machang Pichot is especially good at is bridging the gap between the mainstream and kawaii style, so I’ve tried to straddle both with each look.  I was able to go head-to-toe AOHARU, save for a couple of accessories, and their skin and hair proved to be great inspiration in putting together the final outfits.  I won’t gush about how great all of their stuff is as I’ve done that before, but it really is.  XD

As promised, Nic kept his look more prêt-à-porter with versatile pieces and scene appeal.  AOHARU has grown from not having a menswear line at all, to having one of the best men’s outerwear selections on the grid and Nic was quick to take advantage of this Rider Jacket to complete a classic, city slick style.  Blurring the lines of outdoor and indoor fashion, he used the Afghan Stole to top off a scene inspired look that is totes worthy of a myspace shoutout.

Speaking of which, we have landed on Plurk!  Find us and friend us if you’re so inclined @ dahliepop and nicolassinatra respectively.  We do it for the nanner dance.

PHOTOSHOOT MUSIC: The Kills – U R A Fever

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BONNIE
OUTDOOR

Hair: AOHARU – Momo06b(Ginger)
Skin: AOHARU – Lisa10(Japanese Red)
Eyes: MMS – Dark Brown Eyes
Lashes: Redgrave – MoulinRouge
Coat: AOHAR – SweetDressCoat_Blue
Skirt: AOHARU – SimpleBallomDress(Red)
Boots: AOHARU – KnitShortBoots_White
Ring: TOSL – *Fruitylicious* Ring v1.4 Cerises
Pose: {Beautiful Girls by Abra Exonar} <333

INDOOR

Hair: AOHARU – Ann06b(Ginger)
Skin: AOHARU – Lisa09(Little Mermaid)
Eyes: MMS – Dark Brown Eyes
Lashes: Redgrave – MoulinRouge
Shirt: AOHARU – SpringTurtle_Gray
Dress: AOHARU – MermaidDress_White
Socks: AOHARU – ArgyleSocks006
Shoes: AOHARU – RibbonPlatform_Black
Scarf: AOHARU – SimpleScarf_Blue(Female)
Necklace: Milk Motion – my huuuge necklace black
Pose: [snOok] – Sweet Dreams (Check out the new cupcake sim!)

CLYDE
OUTDOOR

Hair: Uncle Web – Nick Hair (Brown)
Skin: Millage Valenti – SKA-004 (Nude – Beard)
Eyes: Armidi – True Enhance Eyes (Emerald)
Jacket: AOHARU – Riders Jacket (Brown)
Shirt: AOHARU – Stripe Shirt (White)
Pants: Armidi Limited – Lowrise Jeans Original (Jet)
Shoes: AOHARU – Leather Sneakers (White)
Tattoo: Addixion – Love Gun Tattoo
Glasses: Vintage – Retro Shades (Metal)
Pose: [snOok] – Sup Nicolas

INDOOR

Hair: Uncle Web – Nick Hair (Brown)
Skin: Millage Valenti – SKA-004 (Nude – Beard)
Eyes: Armidi – True Enhance Eyes (Emerald)
Shirt: AOHARU – Spyder T-Shirt (Beige)
Pants: Armidi Limited – Lowrise Jeans Original (Classic Dark)
Shoes: AOHARU – Leather Sneakers (Black)
Tattoo: Addixion – Love Gun Tattoo
Scarf: AOHARU – Afghan Stole (Brown)
Pose: [snOok] – Mr Schwarz

Tonight LionSkins will be releasing their third line of skins, SU, and living up to its brand name you’ll feel like queen of the proverbial jungle – at least I did. /me roars.

This particular line has been several months in the making, which is remarkably fast when you take in to account the hand painted detail on each of the 4 skintones and 40 makeup options.  Yes, 40 at just 500L each.

I’ve chosen 2 different skintones and 2 very different makeup options to showcase below, and I’m focusing on what I believe to be the high points of this skin, and any skin really, which is the face.  Please don’t confuse this with the notion that the body is sub-par, it isn’t. The body itself is fairly average as far as skins go, and I don’t go traipsing about the grid naked (much), so naturally it’s the facial details which make this a star skin for me.

Ok, so first off to the left we’ve got #28 in pale.   I typically prefer to focus on one facial feature to attract the eye (i.e. dark eyes, muted pout), but against the alabaster skintone this overload of drama really works.  The winged inner and outer tips of the eye provide great shape and definition, and the small details like the smudged plum shadow/liner on the lower lid makes me think the love of the game is in the makeup for creator Lion Jonesford too.

Second on the roster is #30 in sun.  While the skintone is darker, a lighter, more whimsical approach was taken here and the pairing of soft grays and blues with gold is a personal fave.  In this instance, the lips are kept natural and pretty to allow the eyes to really steal the show, and that they do.  Much like its counterpart, this skin is perfect for the catwalk and creative flickr types adding an element of haute couture (yeah, I went there) to your cosmetic repertoire.

I should add, they have a lot of natural, day-to-day appropriate makeups included in their selection, but as a RL makeup artist wannabe I couldn’t resist the artistry of the outrageous.

P.S. Quick Nic update.  He’s been super busy building, and now opening, a new 1930s based RP sim, Bishop Valley.  Needless to say you can expect a vintage themed post in the near future

PHOTOSHOOT MUSIC: Malajube – Montréal -40°C (en francais)

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(L|R)
Hair: House of Heart – Shelby (Natural Blonde) | Aveda Institute (ETD) – Short Bob (Champagne)
Skin: LionSkins – #28 Pale | #30 Sun
Eyes: MMS – Dark Brown Eyes
Lashes: Redgrave – MoulinRouge
Hat: Picnic – head dress – G
Muffler: **DP**yumyum – muffler (Purple)
Tops: Ibizarre – knit tank (champagne) and black tank of the Audrey set | MichaMi – GlamTank (Dark Gray)
Bag: +plus – Absolut Essential HandBag (red)
Necklace: Mijn Boa – Le Masque (chat blanc)
Poses: *V* – Vogue2 | {Flowey} – turning into dusk

A relatively brief post today announcing the comeback (though I don’t think they ever really left) of designers Tenshi Vielle of [CRAP]/[BOUTIQUE] and Marni Grut of Royal Blue. Starlust ftw!

First up, we’ve got [CRAP]’s Big Knit, Big Collar. Sure it’s not brand spankin’ new, but it’s a classic piece.  This chunky knit sweater, or in my case – dress, just hits that in-between spot of the thigh so I took the plunge and opted out of pants to create a sassy knit mini.  As with most things, it looks great when paired with jeans and hem length aside this outfit is all about the collar anyway.  Should you decide to go the dress route just be sure to find some cute underwear or glitch pants – commando is only good for still shots!  I added matching patent black boots, shades and belt to give the comfy cozy wool a bit of edge.  Which brings me to my new big, blue, bag.

Bags are a bit of a weakness for me both in-world and out, but add a richly coloured oversize bag with a trademark tiara on it and I *die*.  Royal Blue’s Slouch Pouchy certainly has enough room for all of the stuff we seem to hoard – yes I’ve been looking into all of your blogger challenge bags! In addition to this, Marni has also released a whimsical ruffled collar and is now a bonafide shoe maker as you can see here and here.

All of my Ws and Bs.

PHOTOSHOOT MUSIC: Lenka – Trouble is a Friend

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Hair: *0 Style – Milca (Swedish Blond)
Skin: Redgrave – Jennifer Pale (Deep Red)
Glasses: Fashionably Dead – Bugeye Glasses (Black)
Dress: [CRAP] – Big Knit, Big Collar
Belt: M*A*ii*K*i – High Waisted Belt (Patent Black)
Boots: The Abyss – F_Boots The Catalyst (Black)
Bag: Royal Blue – Slouchy Pouchy (Ink)
Poses by LOTTA

Sonya Anthony of No Face has been busy with a new name, a new brand, and a new line of fashion.  Now known as Polina Kaestner, her brand Polina-Kaestner creations is slated for opening tomorrow and I have a few of my favourite pieces to share before the main event.

P-K’s sequin tank dress was the first piece in her growing collection and still remains one of my favourite little black dresses.   Sometimes sequins run the risk of being too flashy, but the dress’s monochramtic pallette keeps the overall effect glamourously understated.

The dress also comes with two different prim attachments, and while I’m wearing both for a more voluminous effect, the top one looks great solo with a pair of your favourite jeans for a casual (but not too casual) look.

The great thing about Polina-Kaestner creations is that even though the selection is small, it’s diverse.  Bags, shoes, jackets, dresses, and tops all contribute to her collective brand leaving me wanting more of everything!

The cable knit texture of the wool sweater is perfect for winter, especially when paired with P-K’s open-front trench.  For a layering junkie like myself, open-front jackets are a must!  And accessorizing was made simple with a classic black handbag and lace-up leather heels.  One stop shopping indeed.

Now, even though the store opens officially tomorrow..
/me whispers: you can get a sneak peak for yourself by clicking here.

Oh, and be sure to join the group (Polina Kaestner creations.) for a special gift to be delivered upon store opening.

PHOTOSHOOT MUSIC: Lily Allen – Womanizer (I <333 the original, but she does a really great, mellow, stripped down cover.)

MUSIC UPDATE: Sliimy – Womanizer (Hipsters, this one’s for you all the way from France.)

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(Top | Bottom)
Hair: * 0 Style – CSR2008 Gift (Swedish Blond) | * 0 Style – Maya (Swedish Blond)
Skin: Laqroki – Paulina 05 Fair
Eyes: MMS – Dark Brown Eyes
Lashes: Redgrave – MoulinRouge
Dress: (P-K) – Sequin Tank Dress
Shirt: (P-K) – Wool Sweater (Rouge)
Jacket: (P-K) – Opened Trench (Gris)
Jeans: shoparmidi.com – Grace Jeans (Chic)
Shoes: Maitreya – Grace (Black) | (P-K) – Richelieux Leather (White)
Bag: (P-K) – French Bag (Noir)
Glasses: Paper Couture – Lolita Lorgenette | Paper Couture – Sylvia Frames
Ring:  Paper Couture – Times Square Ring Black and White Diamond
Poses by TorridWear, Vain Inc., and Maitreya

I’d Millad Said oua Sana Saida | Boas Festas e Feliz Ano Novo | Kung His Hsin Nien bing Chu Shen Tan | Sretan Bozic | Hyvaa joulua | Joyeux Noel | Froehliche Weihnachten | Kala Christouyenna | Mo’adim Lesimkha Chena tova | Buone Feste Natalizie | Shinnen omedeto. Kurisumasu Omedeto | Sung Tan Chuk Ha | God Jul | Wesolych Swiat Bozego Narodzenia | Boas Festas | Pozdrevlyayu s prazdnikom Rozhdestva is Novim Godom | Feliz Navidad | Maligayamg Pasko. Masaganang Bagong Taon | Srozhdestvom Kristovym

A recent conversation surrounding one of this week’s SLsecrets regarding diversity, or lack thereof, in Second Life had me thinking about the diversity within my own inventory.

I typically don’t stray too far from the avatar or character of Dahlia that I’ve created, at least where hair colour, eye colour, and skin tone are concerned.  The main reason for that simply being continuity, though it’s not unheard of for me to wear variations of any of the aforementioned once in a while.

That being said, while the quantity of choice may not be there for ethnic skins, there is quality to be found.  And what better way to hit the fringe than with GiGi Couture’s soon to be released open front sweaters! Look for them hopefully by the weekend.

My left look isn’t much of a departure from my usual, but the skin itself is made by Aoharu.  While the skin is not noticeably Asian and even lends itself easily to a more European style, the body detailing is so hyperprocessed that it almost resembles high quality manga.  It may be a stretch to call that a cultural feature of the skin, but paired with a wide range of makeups including geisha specific styles, this is a skinline which I feel deserves its place in the quality diversity category.

Beauty Avatar’s latest skin release revealed even more choice and their Diana skin in particular caught my eye as a beautifully diverse option, though the highlighting on the face may not be to everyone’s preference.   I should mention that each of the various skins at Beauty Avatar have a face designed and drawn specifically for that particular tone, no simple re-tinting and re-selling here.  I used the exact same shape for both of the above skins, so the difference in the facial design based on skin alone is remarkable.

I guess my outlook on the whole diversity thing is a bit of a catch22 – because there is less public demand and options for ethnic skins it becomes the minority, but if the opposite were true they would no longer be considered diverse.  I’m the kind of girl who often likes things to be under the radar.  If you’ve ever been pissed off to hear your favourite song on a cd announced as the artist’s new single then you know what I mean.  Embrace your diversity and be happy it is exactly that – diverse!

Oh, and speaking of embracing.. Giana Paine has struck boho gold with these upcoming sweaters.  They will be available in 4 textures, each with a fringe/no fringe option (who says no to fringe?) so they are sure to add a bit of diversity to your winter wardrobe.  Definitely my favourite piece of her expanding line thus far.

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L-R

Hair: Kin – Enid (Blonde) | ETD – Naoko (Elika’s Brown)
Skin: AOHARU – Lisa17 (Fairy Fantasy)2 | Beauty Avatar – Diana Black Skin 02
Eyes: MMS – Dark Brown Eyes
Lashes: Redgrave – MoulinRouge
Sweater: GiGi Couture – Plaid Winter Sweater | Winter Christmas Sweater
Panties: Intimizzio – Kawaii Flower Mesh Lace Panties (White)
Hat: Cachet – FURhat (Tan)
Glasses: Decollage – Geeky Agelay
Necklace: luc fashion jewelry (formerly Earthtones) – Heartwood Necklace
Poses: *TorridWear* – Vain 02 | Vain 04

From the slopes of Canada to the pubs of Boston, the shoparmidi.com Classic Pinstripe Blazer proves to be a versatile fashion staple for fashionistas and fashionistos alike.

In general, Nic and I have a similar approach to fashion though our individual tastes can vary from one outfit to the next.  Keeping that in mind, we’ve created two completely different themes with our respective blazers, and with a vast array of colours available they are sure to add a finishing touch to many future outfits.

They say you can take the girl out Canada..

Well, I wish I could be taken out of Canada (at least my neck of the woods) for tomorrow anyway.  We have a forecasted high of -41 Celsius with the windchill, ugh.   Luckily in SL® we get to enjoy the visual beauty of winter without the frostbite, so while this outfit certainly wouldn’t cut it RL, it can take me year-round on the grid.

Silver, whites, and greys have really set the tone for the season imo, and it’s so easy to blend them from one creator to the next.  New designs from Cachet help to round this outfit out, in particular the Marianne Tartan skirt.  Being that Dahlia is a shorter av (though she’s grown), I rarely wear long skirts, but the texture, volume, and hemline of this suits me just fine and it’s season appropriate.  Win win!

It’s no secret that Nic lives in Florida, but having spent a good amount of time in Boston I think that’s where he hangs his proverbial hat.  With pubs a plenty, he decided upon a self-professed “Irish Hooligan” ensemble.  I don’t know much about the hooligan part, but that outfit is sure to garner him some Irish luck.

Green is one of my favourite colours on Nic and this blazer is no exception.
Especially when paired with classic denim, earthy brown accents, and a sternum baring tee – yum!  This look is great because it can effortlessly take you from night to day, but judging by his photo background of choice I doubt he’ll remember much of either.  Cheers!

PHOTOSHOOT MUSIC: Albert Hammond – *GfC*

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BONNIE:
Hair: ETD – Tiana
Skin: LAQ – Paulina 02 Fair
Eyes: Valiant – SnowFlake Eye (with really pretty snowflake reflection!)
Jacket: shoparmidi.com – Classic Pinstripe Blazer (White)
Shirt: Cachet – Wrap Shirt (Gray)
Skirt: Cachet – Marianne Skirt (Tartan Gray)
Boots: Maitreya – SoHo Boots (Cocktail Grunge)
Flower: Artilleri – Hair Rose (White)
Pose: Cachet – built-in skirt AO

CLYDE:
Hair: Uncleweb Studio – Hibiki Hair (Brown)
Skin: Aitui – The Redeemer (Tone 3 / Scruff)
Eyes: Armidi – True Enhance Eyes (Emerald)
Jacket: shoparmidi.com – Classic Pinstripe Blazer (Olive)
Shirt: shoparmidi.com – Basic Deep V-Neck (Sand Metal)
Pants: shoparmidi.com – Lowrise Jeans Original (Classic Fade)
Belt: Kari – Plain Belt (Brown)
Shoes: Hoorenbeek – Combat Boots (Old Brown)
Necklace: Lucas Lameth – St. Nicolas Men’s Charm Necklace (One of a Kind / Luc <3)
Necklace 2: Lucas Lameth – His Prayer Rosary (Darkwood/Silver)
Piercings: RC – iExcesos! Steel Flesh Tunnels
Tattoo: Aitui – Aggression (Full Upper Body)
Hat: Kari – Rude Boy Hat
Glasses: artilleri – Buddy Glasses
Pose: LAP – Back Step