by Jin Lovelace, HSM filmmaker

Over the past two weeks I’ve been in pure fashion bliss with VEEMEE’s offerings from their new Billabong release.

As most of you already know, Billabong International is a real-world clothing company based in Australia. The company has nearly 700 stores worldwide, as well as their virtual offerings in Home. And, like their real-world version, Home’s Billabong specializes in casual and beachwear in tune with their Australian origins.

While many are complaining over how the brand’s pricetag is rather expensive for their taste — and some of these do scale rather pricey for Home items — let’s take a look instead over value for dollar, and where your money is spent.

Bikinis

For this update, the daring string-sided Allison bikini is printed with a cheetah pattern, while the more modest Kellie receives the ivory color hat has an Aztec motif. For lack of a better word, I find the cheetah print to be pretty cheesy on the eyes. Granted, it’s a monotony breaker from the ubiquitous leopard-printed tops and bottoms. But it didn’t entice me enough to warrant a second wear, though the top would be a decent optional item with pants, if you desire something that would be more traditional on the beach.

The Kellie wins in my book for this design. The last release of this model, in the periwinkle color, really demolished the average standard hues in Home, and inveigles your perspective with something off -the-wall. The ivory color is also distinctive, and really sets off the simple native theme laced around the swimwear. The Aztec pattern is somewhat of a Billabong trademark, but it definitely works here on the bikini, which grabbed my attention.

Both bikini models can be purchased as a bundle for $1.49.

Pants

Want variety in your wardrobe? Then check out the Laying Low pants, which are available in black. Though Billabong has a generous number of fantastic skinny jeans, many have complained on their “clipping” problems — how they bleed through with heels — which is something that I will expound upon in a later article. The Laying Low bottoms, with their looser fit, don’t have this issue. They are a great look for a relaxing time, whether it’s on the beach, your own comfortable personal space, or in a public area.

There are so many diverse tops you can put with this (yes, even the Kellie ivory bikini top works well with these pants), as shown in the image with the Undercover — Floral top, which is underappreciated, in my opinion.

You too can have the comfortable appeal of these pans for only $0.99.

Shoes

More sandals in Home? Well, why not? The different arrangement of straps gives these simple footwear items nearly infinite variety.

The Too Good sandals have a nice visual appeal for those who are seeking casual foot wear. Though I would love to see some nice heels from the Billabong catalog, I favor these over the Miramax items due to the design aesthetics. They go wonderfully with the Laying Low pants.

They also are pretty cheap too: only $0.99 a pair. Go ahead — there’s plenty of room in your virtual closet.

And finally…

Dresses

In the last Billabong release, we got two color variations of the Away We Go dress and one Prohibition strap gown. This time, we have the Dreaming On model available in black. Though it closely resembles the previous designs, I really like the pattern motif laced here, and it has a form-fitting appeal that doesn’t distract from the overall presentation. I used Drey’s Strappy Heel sandals for color and to add a sensual element, namely to reveal the legs a bit.

What I do love about this dress is that accessories are only optional. Meaning, while pairing the dress with a nice clutch bag or a purse would normally be expected, with the highly-patterned dress it would come off as over-worked, and I don’t recommend it. Instead, just allow the gown to work its natural essence and bare your hands, or don some of the less-attention seeking bracelets found in Threads.

Dreaming On is only available in black for $1.99.

Overall, this is a pretty solid release from the real-world brand, all thanks to VEEMEE. My fashion video shows some of the designs in motion with a relaxing theme. For more on some of these fashions, just head over to http://twilighttouchinc.com if you’d like.

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2 Responses to “Billabong 2013, Volume Three”

1. Terra_Cide says:

   March 24, 2013 at 5:50 pm

   Billabong clothing -- in the real world -- is not cheap, not even by a long shot. I own a Billabong dress, and while I love it, it did take some time to find the right size, as it seems as if their idea of what “normal” or average sized in a woman is someone who is 5′ 2″ and weighs 95lbs.

   Paying a couple of dollars for a virtual Billabong clothing item that will fit, no matter what your avatar size is a remarkable deal, and kudos need to be extended to VEEMEE for capturing the very intricate fabric pattern Billabong clothing is known for, without making it look like a chaotic mess of pixels.

   Reply
   • Jin Lovelace says:

     March 25, 2013 at 2:09 am

     It’s my reason as to why I love Billabong. I don’t view their items as “pricey” and the designs are highly lauded. Every detail, stitching, fabric pattern is accurate.

     Just sad that where I’m from not only Billabong isn’t commonly known but just doesn’t exist.

     Reply