The Evolution of a Second Life Avatar

June 2011

I decided it would be interesting to document the evolution of my main avatar.

I've kept the same main ever since I entered second life in May of 2011, but the avatar itself has evolved slowly over the years, adding new hairstyles and outfits and skins, though I noticed as a guy I tended to wear the same outfits and hair for very very long periods of time (which must have bored the hell out of my friends, but that's another story).

I can't remember now which noobie default avi I chose when creating the account, but the same day that I entered I bought the avatar that would stick with me for the duration. Avatar Alfonso by Lilunai Laurasia, which I got for 115 L (yes yes I know I'm cheap) and which unfortunately has been retired and is not available from the Marketplace today.

June 2011

I run around SL in the default outfit of this avatar for probably the first month or so, which incredibly enough did not embarrass me at the time. Perhaps being a tattooed red-jacketed macho guy in torn red pants was far enough removed from my RL that the novelty took some time to wear off.

Nevertheless, by mid-2011 MK was starting to go around in less tattered outfits.

August 2011

I discovered in myself, alarmingly enough, a love for mixing and matching pants and jackets and vests and other paraphernalia from separately bought outfits in order to create a unique ensemble.

November 2011

MK's daily outfits became progressively darker and more flamboyant as 2012 progressed, and the normal glasses were permanently replaced by dark lenses which MK almost never removes, whether night or day (yes, I am a child of the 1980s). I also darkened MK's skin further to match my coloring in RL.

April 2012

In December 2012, after a hiatus of a couple months, MK changed again, with a new hair and shape, though the outfits tended to remain similar to the earlier part of the year

December 2013

This new hair and shape continued throughout the rest of 2013, though the avatar added a larger wardrobe as the months passed.

March 2013

This included new mesh jackets and pants, though the pace of change as always was almost glacial compared to the rapid staccato changes made by many females here in SL.

May 2013

In the end, I'm sure MK will continue to slowly evolve over time as I experiment with newer fashions or discover new skins and shapes that I like. He is definitely a work in progress, one which I've grown to love over the years.