“Nobody puts baby in a corner.” ~ Johnny Castle (aka Patrick Swayze) in Dirty Dancing, via Eleanor Bergstein

Hal*Hina isn’t a store that should be news to anyone who keeps an eye on the SL fashion feeds. However, being as I completely ignore fashion feeds, it was news to me — and happy news at that, because Summer is closing in on us and there is a dire need for fun and flirty shopping crack.

The first thing I have to say about the store is that there is an overall attention to detail which is refreshing to find in a low-profile, low-price establishment. This store is a perfect example of why many of us started scouring non-US Sims — low price + high quality = happy happy joy joy.

Hal*Hina - Mix and Match

Okay, so I know I said Summer, but let me sneak us back into sweater weather for just a moment. These great turtlenecks are a great combo of nice system-based textures working in tandem with sculpties done right. Yes, we’ve all got oodles of sweaters, but if you’re short some staples these are excellent sources of mix & match fodder — plus they come with coordinating thigh-high socks. They’re excellent to pair up with your favorite jeans or a grab-bag miniskirt.

Hal*Hina Moss Green Knit Dress

Okay, back to the fun and flirty part. For my money, the must-have item in the store was this little knit dress. I have a love affair with well done purple and green pieces — you don’t see them often and when you do they’re generally overly tacky. This moss green and aubergine shortie manages to be both sophisticated and charming. Again, we see attention to detail in the prim back bow and little pantaloon cuffs on the glitch pants. It’s entirely possible no one will see the bottom of your glitch pants, but it’s just one of those cute touches that you just *like* knowing is there.

Hal*Hina Indigo Front Zipper Dress

Moving on — you can take the girl out of the 80′s but you can’t take the 80′s out of the girl. This zipper-front dress does come in colors that aren’t denim, but the tacky little Gen Xer in me had to have this one. It comes with both mini- and knee-length skirts as well as the flared capri glitch pant bottoms. I like it when prim skirts use multiple layers — in my book that’s a watermark of quality. I re-tinted the mini’s underskirting to black instead of white and I tossed a third party belt on it when I teamed it up with the turtlenecks above. Do we like versatility? Yes, we do.

Hal*Hina Bolero Pair & Tunic Dress

The Bolero Mini set and FUWA Tunic Dress were not my favorite selections. The Bolero set seems to be an earlier offering, but even still it had quality textures and really well done prim work. The same has to be said for the Tunic dress. And, honestly, these items are cute, taken for what they are, but given the sophistication demonstrated in some of the other selections, these left me a little – meh. Again, however, you can see the the layering on the skirts and recognize the quality, even if these aren’t quite your cuppa.

Hal*Hina FUWA Tunic Top

However – it must be noted – that when you buy the FUWA tunic you get a delish little layered halter that’s worth having all by it’s cute little self. The prim ruffles sway all the way around your torso and are almost too cute. There is also a tied-in-a-bow-behind-the-neck prim for this halter. I have to admit, it’s hard not to flashback to cheesy movies at 70′s drive-ins when I see a halter like this. Rent Grindhouse…you’ll get me.

Hal*Hina Cream Doll Tunic Dress

I’m going to end on the Doll Tunic Dress because, well, there’s no way of explaining why I bought this dress. You either get it or you don’t. There’s a fine, fine line between playing virtual paper dolls and dipping into couture by Betsy Wetsy. Still, there’s a part of me (likely the same part that once blogged about being a tiny rabbit in a victorian tea dress with little-girl squees) that just can’t help enjoying having stuff like this in my inventory. I could lie and say it’s there in case I need it for a costume party, but it’s not. I bought it only because it’s cute, it’s darling, and although I know it’s utterly indefensible, I don’t care. It makes me want to have pillow fights and sleepovers and even if that feeling only lasts fifteen seconds, it’s fifteen seconds worth feeling.

There’s a lot more at Hal*Hina to look over — not just clothing, but also skins and hair, although the majority of the store is doll-themed in that oh-so-kawaii way. The hair I’m wearing in the last shot is one of theirs, and I wasn’t all that crazy about it. It had that transparency issue that triggers my inner ick. Sure, those styles take nice photos, but — definitely try the demos before you buy. The hair I purchased was mod and came with pre-sized large or small wigs in a single shade.

The hair I’m wearing in all the other shots is Octavia by Zero Style. It may actually snatch Patootie off my skull as the go-to-default, but I’m not quite sure yet. It’s a wicked contender, though it’s not flexi. I suspect a flexi piggy braids/buns style would do my squee in.

Where, What, How Much:

Turtleneck Sweater & Socks Set – L$100
(Or L$550 for a pack of
Knit Dress – L$130
Front Zipper Dress – L$170
FUWA Tunic Dress – L$170
Doll Tunic Dress – L$130
Bolero Mini – L$130
Josephine Hair – L$100 (per shade)
Hal*Hina

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Nagoya%20South%20Nippon/99/168/22

Octavia Hair – L$300 (three-color pack)
Zero Style

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Zero%20Style/123/135/38