by Jin Lovelace, HSM team writer & filmmaker

As much as I love Dani’s clothing designs in PlayStation Home, her “Summer Breeze” collection does give me pause — ironically, not because of anything wrong with it per se, but rather how people will likely use it.

The celebrated fashion designer receives a lot of praise from me for innovative virtual couture; clean lines and sensual appeal are hallmarks of Dani’s designs. Over time, comfort wear came into the fray, when boy shorts and cami-bras were introduced into our wardrobes — and has contributed to many of the latest sexy wear seen on Home, be it worn off the rack or combined with other revealing clothing.

This new line of clothing caught me by surprise. At first, I honestly thought we were receiving more jumper dresses, until I went into Home to try on these designs.

After trying this new content out and comparing notes with a small group of trusted friends — as well as observing the latest fashion trends in Home — I feel I need to share a bit on what I love about Dani’s designs…and why the Summer Breeze collection is hit and miss.

First off, Dani’s theme of simple, clean lines still holds true with this catalog. The dress is outstanding, as the gown hugs the body for that sensuous appeal. Simply put, it fits like a dream. I was quite surprised to see no matching shoes or accessories with this set, but that’s fine; I’d rather use my own shoes for this. (However, her Magic Sparkles accessories works very well with the clothing.)

You also have the floral motif that rests on the bodice of the dress. The cool colors and the pattern itself blend nicely to present a crisp appeal.

The classy gown comes in two style options and in four colors: orange, pink, purple, and blue. While I favor the longer dress (and it’s a very enticing garment, I might add), the shorter variant is very risque for my taste. Granted, this isn’t a pair of boy shorts comfort wear that you find over in the U Love Green section; this is a classy dress that you can wear at almost anytime. I’ve no qualms with a shorter variant of the Summer Breeze dress, except it’s too short. To some, this would make them feel sexy, but this comes close to being borderline provocative.

This is where the dilemma comes in. You see, the flirtatious nature of the shorter dress is intriguing. The design of it is understood, coming from an artist and lover of fashion. The problem lies not with the design, but with the target audience.

Is this even necessary in Home? It’s bad enough that skimpy wear is socially acceptable in Home’s public spaces, and over the years there’s been no shortage of users parading outlandish, offensive designs that make me wonder just how far gone that person is.

Granted, it’s virtual reality. So if someone (who usually hides their real-world appearance) wants to win internet fame by parading their pixels in a bikini, I suppose that validation fills some deep-seated need. Personally, I just don’t feel that a dress this short can be worn by a mature person at a public function. Never mind the “pervs” in Home — we’re talking about the very real problem of pandering to lowest common denominator.

To be clear: developers have no moral requirement to adhere to admittedly subjective standards of what is virtually acceptable. I suppose I just wasn’t expecting Dani to flirt with that line quite so blatantly; there’s a subtlety to her work which I admire, an understanding that what you don’t see is always more alluring than what you do see.

Ask yourself: do you think it’s worth it right now to even have this in Home? Do you think, personally, you can spend money on this gown just to wear it privately? Remind you now, this isn’t lingerie; it’s supposed to be a classy dress.

To be fair, this is a long, long way from the atrocities of Mass Media’s “Weird Wear” raiments. It’s just a bit jarring, in the same way that it would be jarring if St. John came out with something akin to Bebe. But if you wish to be risque, then check out the shorter version. It is a Summer dress, after all, so it’s safe on the beach.

Personally, I’m a bit disconnected this time around, but hopefully something stronger will come and take my mind off of it. Your mileage will of course vary.

As always, I hope you enjoy the video.

Dani’s website: www.danimtldesigner.com

Codeglue: www.codeglue.com

Share