Note: While the images are from 2017 products, the content has been reviewed and is up to date as of July 2020.
Second Life and some of its many avatars may be free, however a large portion of us invest money into the game. Avatar customization can turn into a very expensive hobby if you have the desire and the funds. That said, you don’t have to be rich to look awesome. If you want to spend some money on your avatar but need to stick to a budget you can still look great.
What To Spend On
The important thing to remember is that your avatar is yours and what’s important to others may not be important to you. Maybe you don’t care about cool clothing but you want a high quality mesh body. Perhaps you love the system body and want to invest in quality clothing and hair. It’s entirely up to you. Here are some things worth investing in when funds are limited.
The Basics: Body, Skin, Hair, Etc.
A high quality base is a great starting point. If you have some of the more popular mesh body parts you can find low cost and even free clothing, appliers, and accessories quite easily. What you should purchase is entirely up to your preferences and budget. This section lists some of the most popular brands alongside which genders they support so you have a place to start. This is by no means a complete list, it just includes the most popular brands to consider.
Mesh Body Parts
If you’ll only be purchasing high quality body parts (and looking for deals on skins and appliers) I recommend sticking with the more common mesh body options. Their popularity makes it very easy to find low cost and free products to use with them. I highly encourage you to demo all your parts together before purchasing to ensure they give you the look you want.