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Second Life fashion is full of moments of synchronicity and this is one. It all started with the dress from Baiastice. It was released in many solid colors and prints, but I was most drawn to this earth-toned batik. I was fidgeting about, trying to choose hair and MiaMai released some gorgeous turbans with an Afro-centric inspiration and this tobacco version is perfect with the dress. Meanwhile, Kunglers released a necklace in a coffee color and of course, coffee and tobacco are the peanut butter and jelly of louche lotus-eaters. And then, if that were not enough, PXL Creations released a Jazz quartet of skins for Rhapsody. All events have no causal bearing on each other, but they are uncannily in synchronicity.

The combination of pieces made me think of Ballaké, a classic of African Jazz by Bembeya Jazz National— after all, Jazz developed in America from African roots and American music traditions. Then it migrated back to Africa and found a new iteration. These pieces draw their inspirations from Indonesia and Africa but are modified and changed in translation just as the music was.

Batik prints can be so very beautiful, but the method of making batik is time-consuming and tedious. At least, that is how it felt to me when my college housemates who were from Malaysia tried to teach it to me. I did end up making a sarong — of pitiful artistry, but mine own.  People tend to thing of batik as unique to Indonesia, Malaysia and the other southeast Asian nations, but batik is done all over the world, in China, Iran, and Nigeria, just to name a few other places where batik is a common textile form, though of course with different names and different styles.  This earthy batik however would be relatively easy as it is only two colors, but I think its color restraint is what makes it so very beautiful. By the way, those gorgeous baskets are the packaging for the turbans from MiaMai.

The jewelry from Kunglers has Kunglers signature organic inspiration and aesthetic and go perfectly with the dress and turban. 

Mia is the long-awaited new skin from PXL Creations – with PXL’s unfailing elegance and restraint.

Store info at Blogging Second Life
****SHOPPING LIST******
Poses: aDorkable
Skin: [PXL] MIA Jazz NAT ~ Makeup 03 REB C2 @ Rhapsody
Eyes: [UMEBOSHI] Eon eyes light Green (med)
Lashes: *MC* “Falsies” Eyelash – Upper+Lower (add)
Mani/Pedi: SLink Mesh Hands & Feet with FLAIR mani applier
Hair: Miamai_Hairbase Style B_Red
Miamai_Beatrice headwrap – luxe – tobacco
Clothing: Baiastice_Bali Maxi dress-earth batik
Jewelry: (Kunglers) TDRF #041 earring – Golden
(Kunglers Extra) Magdalene necklace – Coffee