xeriko's attic

Looking the Second Life metaverse through the eyes of reality

Xeriko in CZ Slim and some Gild stuff

Alternative mesh bodies: The good and the other ones

xeriko

When it comes to appearances in SL, it’s always been easier for me to assume something akin to what my RL counterpart is also familiar with. Surely it’s not the same for everyone but, for me, it works just fine. That’s why I’ve stuck to a human-inspired form rather than any other possibility. That’s also why I’ve tended towards slender body frames instead of the predominantly, maybe “sexier” looking, stocky types favored by similar-minded folks in compliance with the male-oriented spectrum. Fortunately, today there are plenty of mesh bodies in SL to conform to any proportions, and this post is sort of a thank-you note to those designers normalizing “slenderism” in SL.

The male market —for mesh bodies, that is— is currently divided between three popular brands. Judging by a quick look at fashion blogs and flickr posts, Meshbody Legacy products, both Athletic and Special Edition, seem to be the preferred choices. They are followed closely by old faithful Belleza Jake, which in my opinion is showing its age and needs some pressing update (apparently, words are circulating —all speculations— of a possible successor with no release date yet). And in third rank is Signature, with its undying Gianni and newcomer Davis, which is, to some extent, a noticeable improvement over the former, but not many people seem to concur.

Over the years I’ve switched between Signature and Belleza to create a slim-looking avie, but I’ve never been satisfied with the outcome: there’s no way to conceal Gianni’s steroidal biceps (or the rest of its massive volume, except its meagre backside, invisible as it is) or Jake’s siliconized butt (whether trapped in a thong or thick jeans it matters not). I had better luck with Signature’s unappreciated Geralt, but that one was discontinued to give way to Davis, for which nobody has released a dedicated skin set yet (and using one for Gianni turns its nipples into a pair of king-size saucers).

Some people suggested that I try Legacy’s revered anonymous duo, hateful as they are for those who despise their abominable complexity (according to experts) or the company’s shady past. In any case, I purchased the SE version last November during the Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales (at half the regular price, the only way I could justify it), but I’m still unsure if it’s the best choice for my intended use. Although it’s possible to achieve better lean results with this one, attempting a thinner figure often sprouts undesirable spur-ious deformities in the elbow area, which makes me suspect an undiagnosed case of bursitis.

Xeriko in CZ Slim and some Gild stuff

In November 2022, a lesser-known content creator introduced a new mesh body catering to skinny fans: the CZ Slim. It joined its other two older siblings: CZ Muscle and CZ Male, of which I knew nothing beforehand. Since it’s intentionally fit for the job, the resulting contours are smoother overall. However, the fingers could benefit from some fine-tuning, as they give a semi-extraterrestrial vibe out of the box. Even knowing it would be difficult to find outfits for this body right away, I decided to purchase it with the hope it would gain some popularity and attract fashion designers to provide a solid wardrobe in the months to come. I’m still waiting for that to happen though.

A few months after CZ launched the Slim body, the Anatomy “miracle” body was born, promising to suit “any male gender shapes,” as per their description. Being distributed by a better-known content creator (MaleDiction), it garnered enough marketing hype before its release but landed on equal ground: lacking fashion support. The one-body-fits-all-shapes policy is not as good as it sounds, as this body has several issues more evident around the elbows and knees. It also features —I suppose— swollen feet when setting lower slider numbers.

So, I decided to go with Cloud Design’s Slim body as the best option for achieving the slender shape I’m familiar with, despite the limited availability of products for it at the moment. In case you feel inclined to try it, here’s a list of stores from where to get some fitting stuff.

Xeriko in CZ Slim and some Gild stuff

Fashion pointers

Mesh body

It’s important to note that this body doesn’t incorporate an auto-hide alpha mask system or an encompassing HUD to control multiple niceties as more popular bodies do. Instead, it uses manual layers that users have to add to their avies when requiring similar results. Though it may seem a rudimentary solution compared to today’s standards, I prefer this workaround for its simplicity and effectiveness: it never fails… unless it’s SL going bonkers and then everybody’s fucked no matter what anyway.

Skins

Since none of the top skin designers are giving this mesh body the attention it deserves, pairing CZ Slim with a nice face from another leading brand may create noticeable skin tone mismatches at the neck area. While the most logical choice is to always buy head and body skins from the same maker, the limited options —as of now— may not help in achieving the desired appearance without resorting to some tricks (read ahead).

For instance, Gloom specializes in unisex skins, so buying a face and body skin from this store may result in looking not-so-masculine. There is some favorable news, however. This store designs its body skins like a diving suit, so they cover up the entire avatar except for the face. That technique minimizes body-neck-head tone differences, but beware: that approach may not always be the best practice when pairing with non-Gloom skins.

Raon Hausen “updated” their original CZ Slim skin set in late 2023 possibly due to rebranding or re-cycling. Because of this, the former Vertigo skin is no longer available (at least right now), even though I think it’s better than the newer LeBlon. If I were RH, I would offer both versions as two distinct products (assigning different names), and let customers choose between a matte look or a glossy finish.

And something else: I’ve noticed skins designed for the Legacy Male body usually fit CZ Slim quite well, even if the maps don’t match exactly. Consequently, there are two areas you must take care of if going this way: first, the skin is usually off around the toes, and second, dark streaks could materialize close to the armpits and upper shoulders.

Dark streaks showing close to the shoulders when using a Legacy skin

Dark streaks show close to the shoulders when using a Legacy skin

How to solve these shortcomings? Well, if wearing shoes or socks, you don’t have to worry about the skin not matching the toes, but if going barefoot or wearing flip-flops, you better switch to a skin created for CZ Slim. To address the armpit problem, just put on a shirt and never take it off, but if going topless or sporting a tank top, I would suggest wearing a tattoo to cover the affected area. In case you’re not a fan of that approach, your only choice is using a skin designed for CZ Slim.

Recently, Vanilla Cloud released the Skinny Legend Masculine Body Skin for Legacy and CZ Slim. It debuted at this year’s Skin Fair, and will surely show up in store after the event. While a new skin is more than welcome, I have to say I’m not in love with the collarbone, at all. Even using their CZ Slim deformer, which enhances the shoulders and chest a little bit, it still looks awkward. I hope they take a “second guess” and make some shadow improvements soon.

Clothing and accessories

Here are some slurls that will take you to in-world stores selling products compatible with CZ Slim. A few more exist with maybe a couple of items, but the following ones stand out for adding this body to their new releases occasionally or even regularly. Don’t forget the sacred mantra: Try before you buy, and make sure the product you want to buy is really fitted for CZ Slim.

Regarding shoes: Shoes, especially boots (with emphasis) for Legacy Male fit CZ Slim, not perfectly, but quite well. Don’t forget to try before buying in any case.

Xeriko in CZ Slim

If I wanted to, I could easily pick up Legacy or Jake, which are the top two mesh bodies among designers (and are good in themselves), and go on changing outfits every other day because there are hundreds and thousands of products available for both of them. Yet, there’s a certain satisfaction in doing things another way, and that’s why I went with CZ Slim. Plus, I have found a new hobby: searching the grid for hidden treasures jumbled together with countless items I can’t put on —exactly as in RL too.

Styling

Slurls are subject to change at the store owners’ behest and without prior notice.

Addendum 26-March-2024: Violetta released a CZ Slim Nails Base set as a gift for March 2024’s Neo Japan event. It’s a must-have to flaunt clean nails, so run and get it asap (the default nails, while nice, are a little bit skewed to the gray). slurl to the event (until April 14th).