Dressing My Avatar
In Second Life, what you wear matters — it's your identity, your story, and your first impression
Clothing, Accessories, and Beyond
Second Life has one of the most elaborate fashion ecosystems of any virtual world. Thousands of independent creators design and sell clothing, shoes, jewelry, accessories, and full avatar overhauls every day. This chapter explains how the clothing system works and how to start building a wardrobe that reflects your style.
How the Clothing System Works
Second Life uses a layered clothing system for Classic Avatars, where different garment types stack on top of each other in a fixed order. Understanding this helps you avoid common issues like clothes appearing underneath each other or items not showing correctly.
Note: The icons shown here are for illustrative purposes only; their visual appearance may differ significantly depending on the viewer or the specific skin applied.
The Classic Avatar Layer Order
From innermost to outermost:
Skin 
Base body texture
Tattoo 
Body art, makeup overlays
Undershirt 
Bras, undershirts, basic underlayers
Underwear 
Panties, boxers, basic underlayers
Socks 
Foot coverings
Shoes 
Foot coverings and shapers
Pants 
Trousers, skirts, shorts
Shirt 
Tops, blouses
Clothing 
T-shirts
Gloves 
Hand coverings
Jacket 
Outer layers, coats, blazers
Skirt 
Wrap-style skirts (a separate prim layer)
Alpha 
Makes parts of the body invisible (explained below)
Each layer can hold one item at a time. If you wear a second shirt, it replaces the first. However, you can wear multiple items using the Add command (rather than Wear) when the items are on different layers.
System Clothing vs. Mesh Clothing
Just like with hair and bodies, Second Life clothing comes in two main types:
System (Classic) Clothing
Flat textures that wrap directly onto the Classic Avatar body.
Edited through the Appearance Editor (color tinting, texture adjustments).
Always available, no extra setup needed.
Looks dated compared to modern alternatives but is a solid starting point.
However: System (Classic) Clothing layers become revitalized, very useful, and integrated to mesh avatars since the launching of Bakes on Mesh (BoM) in September 2019.
Bakes on Mesh (BoM) is a Second Life feature that allows system clothing layers—such as skins, tattoos, and clothing—to be directly applied ("baked") onto mesh bodies and heads. It eliminates the need for complex, lag-inducing "applier" scripts and "onion skin" layers to show tattoos or clothing on mesh.
Key Aspects of Bakes on Mesh:
How it Works: It uses the same UV maps as the classic, underlying system avatar, allowing textures to fit onto mesh attachments seamlessly.
Flexibility: Users can wear up to 68 different wearables in any combination of layers, such as tattoos, makeup, and underwear.
Convenience: It allows for asymmetrical tattoos on one arm or leg.
Requirements: Requires a BoM-enabled mesh body/head (or an Omega relay) and an updated viewer.
Performance: It typically reduces lag compared to older, scripted applier systems.
Usage & Features:
System Layers: You can use old-school "system" skins and clothing directly on your high-quality mesh body.
Channels: There are 11 "bake channels" (e.g., Head, Upper, Lower) that determine which areas of the avatar are affected.
Compatibility: While designed for system layers, you can still use traditional appliers alongside BoM.
Toggle: Most modern mesh bodies/heads have a button in their HUD to activate or deactivate BoM.
Mesh Clothing
Three-dimensional garments created by designers using external 3D software.
Looks significantly more realistic, with proper folds, volume, and detail.
Rigged mesh moves with your avatar's body as you walk and animate.
Unrigged mesh stays static and may need manual repositioning.
The vast majority of modern Second Life fashion is mesh.
Important: Mesh clothing is designed to fit specific body sizes and shapes. An item made for a Maitreya LaraX mesh body will not fit another bodies like Maitreya Lara nor a Classic Avatar properly, and vice versa. Always check product listings for compatibility information before purchasing.
The Alpha Layer
The Alpha layer is one of the most important tools in Second Life dressing. It makes selected parts of your avatar's body invisible, which prevents your classic body from clipping through mesh clothing.
For example: if you wear a pair of mesh boots, your system feet will poke through them unless you use an alpha to hide your feet.
Wearing an Alpha
Most well-made clothing items include a matching alpha layer in the folder. To use it:
Open your Inventory and find the alpha (it looks like a checkerboard icon).
Right-click and select Add (not Wear — you may need multiple alphas at once).
The relevant body part becomes invisible, letting the mesh clothing sit cleanly.
Tip: If you're wearing a Mesh Body instead of a Classic one, alphas work differently — Mesh Bodies have their own built-in alpha HUD systems that let you hide sections with a click. This is one of the advantages of upgrading to a Mesh Body.
Accessories
Accessories in Second Life are attachable objects — items that attach to specific points on your avatar's body called attachment points.
Common accessories include:
Jewelry — rings, necklaces, earrings, bracelets
Bags and purses
Hats and headwear
Glasses and eyewear
Wings, tails, and fantasy elements
Weapons and props
Watches and wrist accessories
Wearing Accessories
Find the accessory in your Inventory.
Right-click and select Add (important: use Add, not Wear, to avoid accidentally replacing another item).
The item attaches to a predefined point on your body (e.g., a ring attaches to the finger, a necklace to the chest).
Adjusting Accessory Position
Unless they are rigged mesh, accessories don't always attach in exactly the right spot. To reposition:
Right-click the worn accessory on your avatar.
Select Edit.
Use the Move (red/green/blue arrows) and Rotate (colored arcs) handles to adjust position.
When satisfied, click elsewhere to deselect — the position is saved automatically.
HUDs (Attachable Control Panels)
Many clothing items and accessories come with a HUD — a small control panel that attaches to your screen (not your avatar) and lets you customize the item. Consequently HUDs have become essential in Second Life.
HUD stands for Heads-Up Display, in a vehicle, a special screen or an area of the windscreen where information such as speedometer readings and GPS directions. in a computer game, the part of the screen that shows information such as the player's score, how much time they have left, etc., which the player can easily see while playing the game. —Cambridge Dictionary
Common HUD functions include:
Changing color or texture
Switching between style variants
Resizing or adjusting fit
Toggling parts of an outfit on or off
Using a HUD
Find the HUD in your item's inventory folder (usually labeled clearly as "HUD").
Right-click and select Add — it will appear on your screen, usually in a corner.
Click the buttons or swatches on the HUD to make changes.
When finished, right-click the HUD on your screen and Detach it to clear your view.
Tip: It's normal to have several HUDs attached while getting dressed, then detach them all once your look is finalized. Leaving too many HUDs attached can clutter your screen and slightly affect performance.
Building and Managing Your Wardrobe
As your collection grows, staying organized becomes essential. A few good habits:
Use the Outfits System
As introduced in the previous chapter, Outfits let you save and switch between complete looks instantly.
Assemble your full outfit (body, skin, hair, clothes, accessories).
Go to Avatar > Outfits > Save As.
Name it something descriptive (e.g., "Casual Summer", "Formal Event", "Fantasy RP").
Switch between outfits from the Outfits panel with a single click.
Organize Your Inventory
Your Inventory (Ctrl + I) can get overwhelming quickly. Use the built-in folder system to keep things tidy:
Create subfolders inside Clothing, Objects, and Body Parts by category or creator.
Use the search bar at the top of the Inventory panel to find items fast.
Delete items you'll never use — inventory bloat can slightly affect viewer performance.
A Note on Mesh Bodies and Fashion
As mentioned in the previous chapter, Mesh Bodies (like Maitreya LaraX, Legacy, eBody Reborn, Signature, or Aesthetic) are third-party replacement bodies that look far more polished than the Classic Avatar. The majority of modern Second Life fashion is designed specifically for these bodies.
If you find that most clothing you like says "Maitreya" or "BoM only" in its description, that's a sign you may eventually want to explore upgrading to a Mesh Body. This is a bigger step with its own learning curve, and it's covered in a dedicated chapter later in this handbook.
Quick Reference
Wear clothing
Inventory > Right-click > Wear or Add
Remove clothing
Inventory > Right-click > Detach / Take Off
Add an alpha layer
Inventory > Right-click alpha > Add
Reposition an accessory
Right-click worn item > Edit > Move/Rotate
Attach a HUD
Inventory > Right-click HUD > Add
Detach a HUD
Right-click HUD on screen > Detach
Save an outfit
Avatar > Outfits > Save As
Browse the Marketplace
marketplace.secondlife.com
What's next? Now that you've mastered editing your avatar's appearance and dressing, in the next chapter we'll delve deeper into the Outfits Library and how to manage it.
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