What you won't see much of is fuller-figured avatars - at least, fuller-figured avatars that aren't doing it for the lulz or trying to be grotesque. When people get to choose how they're going to look, I guess it's natural enough that the majority of them are going to go for 'slender' or 'muscular' rather than 'pleasantly plump.' That's what our society tells us again and again is attractive and desirable. People are frequently judged on their character (lazy! stupid!) if their bodies are overweight, and that really stinks. Of course obesity is dangerous, but it's possible to be both heavier than the ideal and healthy, and many intelligent and conscientious people are carrying extra weight for one reason or another and shouldn't be shamed for it.
IRL I am a bit overweight. I'm generally healthy and can usually find clothes in mainstream stores that fit and look good on me (although some fashionable styles will always be out of bounds - skinny jeans should only be worn on skinny legs). I'm definitely not stupid, and have the MA diploma to prove it. Physically, sure - I AM a bit lazy, I just don't enjoy sports or exercise for their own sake, but mentally I'm far from it. I'm okay with how I am, and I am a nice-looking woman with style.
But my SL shapes have always been skinny - I guess it's just wish-fulfilment? They're also more facially beautiful than I am, with very dainty and symmetrical features, and never have dark shadows under their eyes. I give Jane more manageable, glamorous hair, too! Not to mention the power of flight...
However, the other day, I was browsing round a little mall in FS City when I spotted a shape that immediately made me go 'Oh, cute!' This was in Rosy Mood - I'd link you to their main shop, but when I went there I couldn't find this shape, and the whole point is to send you where you can find it, right? The stall is easy to find, just walk to your right from the landing point and then look to your left.
The shape is called Momo and she is an adorable, plump girl, very like the 'peach' that the name means. She's L90, which I find very reasonable (especially as, if I'm honest, I could probably generate her myself with a little sliderplay - L90 seems like a fair price to pay for that work being done for me). She's fully modifiable too, which is great - I thought she was a bit too knock-kneed to begin with so I straightened her legs out a little.
Up above you can purchase a choice of three skins to compliment her features - only L120 each, or L250 for a fatpack. That is very cheap for skins, and they do have certain limitations - as the sign says, they don't have genital details. I can deal with that, though - and she also looks good in a variety of other skins. Be careful with the vendor - I got Momo Blue when I actually wanted Red, because I didn't read the instructions carefully enough.
One problem with using a full-figured avatar is that most AO creators assume you'll be skinny (fair enough, most avs are), and you'll be stuck with a lot of animations that make your hands pass through your hips. However, there's a solution and it's absolutely free. Imperial Elegance offers two excellent, natural, casual female AOs, one for a slim figure and one for 'chubby.' You can get them for L0 either in-world or from XStSL (link goes to the chubby one, for the other click 'View all by this merchant' and look for 'Casual Girl AO'). Isn't that awesome? I highly recommend them to any girl getting started in SL. Unless you want an AO for something really specialised, like wearing a kimono, being a fairy or a mermaid, or constantly smoking, you may never need to buy another. Full marks for generosity and practicality!
Here is Momo Jane, then. She's wearing a Pleiades Another Skin mod from the current Newbie Assistance pack from Peppermint Blue. Peppermint Blue is another LM and subscribo group absolutely everyone should have. Although the packs are called 'Newbie' there is no 'avatars under 30 days old' restriction on them - anyone of any age can grab them, and they contain wonderful goodies.
Her hair is the June group gift from Tekuteku (another group, although not subscribo, that's well worth joining) and her teeshirt's from Reek (you do have to buy the fatpack but it's cheap for a fatpack), her jeans and socks from Untone Quilt and her sneakers from the fabulous HoC Industries. Their shoes are SO good, and SO cheap, that again, apart from very specialised needs like thigh-high pirate boots or ballet slippers or whatever, you hardly need buy anything else. Oh - if you like cheap, cute ballet flats, definitely go to 50 Flats. The '50' means Lindens per pair, and there are always freebies too.
One thing to keep in mind - system skirts are extremely unkind to a figure like this. Momo is copy/mod, so you could make a skirt shape, but it could be tricky to do that without losing her intended curves. I would recommend only wearing dresses that use a prim skirt and glitch pants. Actually, I think glitch pants would be a good thing in real life too!
