sitting here in limbo waiting for the dice to roll
Well...the upshot is...I have oiran hair.
Sort of.
I made my first hair today, and...it's not pretty, but I'm hoping I can disguise it enough to pass at tonight's formal in Steelhead.
The beginning of the hair.
The hair base from the side...
...and from the back.
Making the flexi strands (attaching them to a small round ball, because I couldn't think of how else to do it--this is making the strands flexi, then taking off the checkmark in the 'Flexible Path' box so that I can attach them to a non-flexi center.
Flexi attached. Along with a small nearly football-shaped front piece adapted from a circle form, and two curved side pieces for the sides of the hair that are tautly pulled back over a form in RL.
Nearly finished hair...
...and from the back....
...and done.
But here's my problem--as simple and uninvolved as this is, it took me five hours to complete. And, from what I've been able to find, there is nothing like this I've seen in world. How annoying.
On the plus side...if I get good at this...I am SO selling geisha and oiran hairpieces.
Current build: Built. Oiran hair. But there may be more styles in my future, and better hair textures when I can afford them.
Sort of.
I made my first hair today, and...it's not pretty, but I'm hoping I can disguise it enough to pass at tonight's formal in Steelhead.
The beginning of the hair.
The hair base from the side...
...and from the back.
Making the flexi strands (attaching them to a small round ball, because I couldn't think of how else to do it--this is making the strands flexi, then taking off the checkmark in the 'Flexible Path' box so that I can attach them to a non-flexi center.
Flexi attached. Along with a small nearly football-shaped front piece adapted from a circle form, and two curved side pieces for the sides of the hair that are tautly pulled back over a form in RL.
Nearly finished hair...
...and from the back....
...and done.
But here's my problem--as simple and uninvolved as this is, it took me five hours to complete. And, from what I've been able to find, there is nothing like this I've seen in world. How annoying.
On the plus side...if I get good at this...I am SO selling geisha and oiran hairpieces.
Current build: Built. Oiran hair. But there may be more styles in my future, and better hair textures when I can afford them.
Comments
Geisha everyone knows, geisha and maiko, or miko, which is the term for geisha in training. Geisha are not prostitutes, but highly paid companions and escorts to social functions, and preservers of traditional culture. Geisha, in fact, translates to "arts person".
Oiran and tayuu, on the other hand, were terms for the highest levels of courtesans--tayuu, as I understand it, being the very best in the red-light district, and oiran being very nearly the best, but known for being showier about it.
In general, they had more ornate hair, more pins and combs and flowers and long trailing strands, and their kimono were glossy and brilliant. Whereas with maiko--traditionally limited to a red undercoat, underneath their kimono--and geisha--traditionally wearing a pure white undercoat, as a sign of distinction--oiran and tayuu wore anything, any color, though not usually pure white on the undercoat.
Though from what I've been able to find, a few have worn patterned undercoats, which apparently is quite scandalous.
There. Now God has knowledge. :)