Polyvore and Mafia Wars

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<p style="text-align: center;"><img src="file:///C:/DOCUME~1/ADMINI~1.SRV/LOCALS~1/Temp/moz-screenshot-7.jpg" alt="" /><a href="http://www.shoeblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/gamebig_mafiawars.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-6985" title="gamebig_mafiawars" src="http://www.shoeblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/gamebig_mafiawars-300x229.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="229" /></a></p>

Welcome to my two newest obsessions: <a href="http://www.zynga.com/games/index.php?game=mafiawars" target="_blank">Mafia Wars</a> and<a href="http://www.polyvore.com" target="_blank"> Polyvore</a>.Â* If you are interested in visual shopping sites or are involved in any social networking sites such as Facebook or Myspace, you are likely to have encountered at least one, if not both of these entities.

The first, <a href="http://www.zynga.com/games/index.php?game=mafiawars" target="_blank">Mafia Wars, is an online computer-based</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Role-playing_game" target="_blank">RPG</a> that encourages social networking.Â* More than mildly addictive, there are entire communities (families) of chick-mafias that are as addicted to their game play family as we here on Shoeblog are addicted to fabulous shoes; oh well, just one more obsession in my life.

The second, Polyvore, is a visual-shopping website that has been around for about a year or so.Â* I don't normally go in for the whole visual-shopping thing. But, while Polyvore is definitely in the family of 'Visual Shopping' websites, it has a fun and creative twist.Â* While you can use the Polyvore engine to shop a fair number of online retailers, the real fun is in creating 'sets'.Â* Essentially this is a <a href="http://www.crowncombo.com/articles/2006/046_plates/plates.html" target="_blank">'Fashion Plates' playset</a> for grown-ups. With a few clicks and drags, you can create anything from a simple dream-outfit to a magazine-quality fashion layout with accessories, to some rather stunning and individual pieces of stand-alone art. In addition to this is a layer of social networking and competitive set-creation that has it's own unique energy.

Anyway, to give you a quick example, I went over to Polyvore and threw together this quick 'Mafiosa' dream-set as a fun way to bring my two newest interests together in one place.

<img src="file:///C:/DOCUME~1/ADMINI~1.SRV/LOCALS~1/Temp/moz-screenshot-6.jpg" alt="" />

<a href="Mafia Polyvore"><img class="aligncenter" title="Mafiosa" src="http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/img-set/BQcDAAAAAwoDanBnAAAABC5vdXQKFnRrZE03LVE4M2hHYmx5ME w4Z1ZXUGcAAAACaWQKAXgAAAAEc2l6ZQ.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="500" /></a>

I think I've managed to come up with a fun, tongue-in-cheek, gamer's outfit to do any lady-mafiosa proud.Â* And, I have to admit,Â* these <a href="http://www.funkypair.com/search.aspx?find=knuckle%2c" target="_blank">brass-knuckle, heeled shoes by Ellie Shoes</a> run a close, and significantly more affordable, second to <a href="http://style.popcrunch.com/rihannas-killer-brass-knuckle-boots/" target="_blank">similar styles by D-squared</a> (<a href="http://www.shoeblog.com/blog/chanel-gun-shoe/" target="_blank">or the infamous Chanel gun shoe)</a>.

The biggest downside I see is this.Â* If I were actually to geek out and wear something like this while I logged in to play Mafia Wars, my dearest hubby would likely find himself with thoughts other than my playing a computer game on his mind .... which, I suppose, is not necessarily a bad thing.

So, if you love playing with fashion as well as obsessing over shoes: Go. Play. Share your sets <a href="http://www.shoeblog.com/forums/general-discussion/9539-show-us-your-polyvore-creations.html#post13729" target="_blank">here in our forums</a>. Come on, who said only kids get to have fun?