The Claret Evening suit is a gorgeous example of men’s wear in SL, hearkening back as it does to late Victorian/early Edwardian fashions. The waistcoat is, in my opinion, a criminally underrepresented part of a gentleman’s wardrobe. Vincente’s gone a long way of rectifying that, as you’ll see shortly. Other notable features in this ensemble is the Steel Cane, which for a low price comes in three versions: two with AO (the difference being that one has an irreverent, over-the-shoulder cane stand) and one without, so it’s perfect for all occasions. I actually first purchased it to complete an 18th century nobleman avatar, and as I took third prize in a particularly lucrative costume contest, I think it helped make the difference.

The Gentleman’s Pocketwatch is also quite a lovely piece, more of which (and a much better picture) later.

Here you see Vincente’s latest clothing releases, the Gentleman’s Black Long Coat and one example out of three sets of Brocade Long Waistcoats that are presently on sale to compliment it. To borrow a term from Alan Moore’s oeuvre, wearing this outfit makes me feel a bit like a “science hero”. The cut of the waistcoat, with the diagonal buttons, just strikes me as very dashing. There are a total of nine of these waistcoats divided up among the three sets, and they’re all worth getting whether you plan to wear them with one of the long coats, without a coat at all, or with some other combination of clothes. The waistcoats are all on the shirt layer, so you can certainly get a shirt that’s on an undershirt layer (as Vincente’s are) under them.

Here’s a better look at the Brocade Long Waistcoat, in a rich golden hue. This one is one I’ve had some success with when mixing with some other clothing, such as a brown leather overcoat.

Though best known for her jaw-dropping jewelry for women, Caliah Lyon’s tank watches are a pleasure to behold for any man. They are certainly unisex, and take only a little fiddling with to resize the band to fit a male avatar’s arm properly. The beautiful texturing on the band and watch face speaks volumes when it comes to the time and effort that’s been invested in this watch. It should also be noted that the watch is functional, with the hands keeping track of time after a simple setting process. There are certainly more advanced watches out there in SL, but for elegant, understated beauty, I don’t think I’ve seen anything better.

One of the best things about this watch is that they’re sold in sets, with different band color and metal options. This particular example is the dark faced silver watch with a black band, but you can also have it with gold, with a pale face, and with a number of other band colors (including some colorful pastels for the ladies).

To complete this review, here’s a close-up example of Vincente’s prim work. Besides the watch and the variety of canes, he has some shoes, various pieces of steampunk gadgetry, and a line of steampunk airships and submersibles good enough to make one want to read through Jules Verne (again). Unfortunately, the pocket watch does not keep actual time, but the hands are animated so they do provide the illusion that they’re patiently ticking and tocking their way through the day.