How to set up your first mesh avatar: For Men

Below are just a few pointers that will guide you through the process of setting up your mesh avatar.

Your shopping list:

0. Shape

1. Mesh Body

2. Mesh Head

3. Skin

4. Hair

5. Clothing

♦ First things first... the SHAPE

You can build your own, but if you are only starting now with your mesh avatar I would recommend starting with a base shape that is already fit for a specific mesh head, mesh body, and mesh skin and the whole process will become easier.

Most shape creators have a style card they include in the shape that will tell you how to achieve the look they have created (including which head, body, and skin to purchase).

Here are a few MP stores that I found that have great-looking shapes that include style cards telling you the remaining elements you need to have to complete the look. Hopefully, you will find one you like:

• Druid Designs

• Boscato

• LANZARINI

• MXHADES STORE

• RENOVATIO SHAPES

Please keep in mind that if you choose to buy a shape and then decide on either a different head or a different body, the outcome will be different from the one in the photo.

♦ Then... the MESH BODY

After you have purchased the shape, which will come with a detailed style card, you should get the recommended body.

There are currently four mesh body labels available for men...however, there is not a lot of diversity between the bodies. So if you're looking to make a very slender avatar or want a "dad bod", it will take some time and clever editing to achieve. The big four labels are Signature, Belleza, Legacy, and Inthium.

• Belleza (Jake is the only male body currently offered by this brand, and in this writer's opinion is the most diverse. Buyer beware though, it is incredibly easy to add too much curve to this body, and the rear end is a bit pronounced. If the potential for a bubble butt is not your thing aesthetically, you may want to pass this body up)

• Signature (Gianni and Davis)

• Legacy (Classic Male and Athletic. Buyer beware, there are not a lot of options available for the Athletic body just yet, and not all clothes made for the Classic body will fit the Athletic body)

• Inthium (Kario. Again, buyer beware: this body is very VERY niched. If you are going for a specific type of muscular look, this body may be your best choice. There is not an abundance of items made for it yet)

♦ On top... the MESH HEAD

This is again important you follow the style guide provided by the shape creator. The features they created were made for a very specific head and a very specific skin applier. Any deviations from this will make your face different from the one you picked.

There are currently two major mesh head creators for men. They are Lelutka and Catwa. Of these two, only Lelutka is actively releasing more content and consistent updates to their meshes. These creators have a variety of heads, all identified by names(David, Victor, Jon, Alain, etc). You will find the name of the creator and the name of the head to purchase on the style card from your shape's creator.

• Lelutka

• Catwa

♦ Over... the SKIN

With the mesh body, the system skin will not work, and even though both the mesh body and the mesh head come with built-in skins they do not look good and won't maximize the look you have picked.

For this, it is important to follow the recommendation of the shape creator. There are a lot of skin creators, but this writer will list three popular ones. At all of these stores, you will find the body and head skins, shapes, beards, and various skin enhancers(body shines, scars, bruises, blood, etc).

• Stray Dog

• Not Found

• VELOUR

♦ Over... the HAIR

Long gone are the days of flexi hair. With mesh, creators are developing a wide range of more realistic hair. Below are a couple of suggestions but again...there are a lot of creators.

• Doux

• Stealthic

• Modulus

♦ The finishing details... Clothing

Unfortunately, the number of quality clothing offerings lags behind women's; however, there are a good bit of good content creators out there for men.

• Deadwool (This is the best place(in this writer's opinion) for men's formal wear. They also sell casual wear. If you can afford it, buy the fat packs for the suits. This will give you a lot of options to mix and match extending a single suit into several.)

• Cold Ash (Cold Ash sells more day-to-day clothing and casual attire. They also sell shoes and blazers.)

• RIOT (Sells casual wear and underwear.)

• THIRST (Specializes in underwear, but has a growing collection of casual attire and a couple of relaxed suits.)

• Legal Insanity (Sells casual wear and shoes.)

• Flite (Shoes)