Glass Bottle of Tears by Angelic Pretty

Today I will be taking a look at a new series from Angelic Pretty. This series is called Glass Bottle of Tears. It includes 2 dresses, an apron style skirt, a bonnet, a head bow, 2 pairs of socks and some jewellery.

This is the OP. The bodice is a nice shape. The sleeves are suitably puffy and look very cute. The sleeves are decorated with sweet bows, which stop them looking plan. Although, I am unsure I like the unusual lace used on the sleeves. The waist bow is a bit on the large side, but it doesn't strike me as being too big for this style of dress. I think the bow suits it. For a large bow, it is also has a very good shape and looks very perky.

The bodice is interesting. The folds might not look like they are doing much, but I guess they do stop the bodice from looking flat and it gives the area more texture. I am a bit unsure of the lace running up alongside the buttons because it ends up looking a bit spiky. All I can see is zigzags running up it. As for the buttons themselves, they are a bit disappointing. The clear round buttons are surprisingly plain and I would have expected something a bit more lively, especially from AP. I feel that the bodice has very slight hints at sailor or school style. The darker stripes on the waist bow and on the folded collar give it a slight sailor look, although I wouldn't use it for sailor style. The collar is very neat and tidy and it has a pretty shape. The blue line stops it from being plain. The ribbon bow is also very cute and doesn't look that shiny. This bow is detachable, but I personally would leave it on as I think the neckline looks too straight and boring without it there.

The back has a panel of shirring running all the way across the back part. Whilst it gives the sizing more flexibility, I feel it looks very open and exposed. It doesn't look that appealing to me. The skirt has a nice slightly rounded shape. It flares outwards so much, that it almost rivals Meta! I think it is glaringly obvious that this will hold loads of petticoat. The skirt is broken up in to two tiers, but the join where the two tiers meet has been done really well. It doesn't look awkward and the skirt outline flows well. Between the tiers, their is a line of heart and club lace. Strangely, there are no spades or diamonds on this lace, it just alternates between hearts and clubs. It still looks very cute though. The bottom hem is finished with some pretty tea cup lace. I love this lace, but I don't really understand how it fits in with the rest of the dress.

This is the JSK. The bodice looks a good shape and well fitted. The waist bow is a bit big, but again it seems to suit the dress. However, there are quite a few bows elsewhere on the bodice and the dress could have probably gotten away with not having a waist bow at all. But I do still like it, especially when it is so shapely and sturdy looking. There is a ribbon corset on the front which is well spaced out. I like how the ribbon used is thin, which stops it looking bulky and cluttered. The edges of the ribbon corset are concealed with more club and heart lace. It all looks very neat and tidy, which I like. The straps are a bit thin, but are lined with lace. I thought the lace used on the straps had a very spiky harsh shape and perhaps a softer shaped lace would work better. The base of the straps have not one, but 2 sets of bows on them. Written down, this sounds like it would look over-crowded and OTT. But the ribbon bows have been kept small and the higher 2 bows are slightly smaller, so they don't stick out too much. I actually really like having the 4 bows there. This dress also has the large panel of shirring running all the way across the back. Again, it looks a bit exposed. and open. The skirt has a wonderful rounded cupcake shape to it. I prefer this over the skirt on the OP because the silhouette looks prettier and also I think the print is more visible on the JSK. The skirt is wonderfully clutter free as well. The bottom hem uses the same pretty teacup lace as the OP.

And here is the print close-up. As you can see, the print comes in beige, pink, sax blue and black. It is a bit of a close call but I think I would go for the sax colour. All the colours are quite appealing, even the less bright beige has a special feel to it. The glass bottles are so gorgeous. I imagine glass must be difficult to draw and it has come across well in this print. All of the glass bottles are also very decorative. None of the bottles look plain and there are so many new things to discover every time I examine the print. I do believe that the heart shape bottle is a bit more pretty than the rest of the bottles, but each bottle is interesting in its own way. I also like how this print has a very slight hint of Alice in Wonderland to it, but it is not too over-powering. Hopefully, even if you dislike Alice in Wonderland, you will find something to like about this print and wont be put off by the less obvious details. So overall, the bottles are really pretty and I even like the floating playing card suit detail. However, I feel the print is let down by the use of stripes. This is just my personal opinion, but I don't think the stripes look right with this print. I think this is a real shame, because it is enough to put me off wanting it.

For me, this series is all about the jewellery! I have chosen to show my favourite piece. This bottle necklace is absolutely beautiful; so beautiful that it has already sold out! I can understand why. This necklace has already become one of my favourite pieces of Angelic Pretty jewellery. I love the heart shaped bottle and the crown top. The bow on the front is a lovely finishing touch. I just adore every single little detail!

Overall, I think this is a really strong series but I think it is going to divide opinions. Some will love it, some will hate it. I can't help but feel that this series would be even more amazing if the print didn't have stripes. But the bottles are so pretty... I am very divided about whether I like this series or not! One thing that I am certain of is that the jewellery is amazing. I have a horrible feeling that I might have a fight on my hands if I see somebody selling the necklace! If I had to pick a dress, I would definitely go for the JSK as I think it is a strong piece. Colour-wise, for me it has to be blue or the pink. I probably wouldn't buy this print myself, but I reckon this series will develop a bit of a fan base as time goes on.

Under-rated Flowers In Lolita

There are so many floral lolita dresses out there that it would be extremely difficult to count them all. By far the most popular flower for floral prints is the rose. I can understand this. Roses are really beautiful and they are also very versatile. You can use roses in many different types of lolita. Cherry blossoms are another flower that gets used a lot, although this is mainly wa lolita.

But I sometimes think it would be really great if there was a wider range of floral prints out there. I think this is why I find series such as AP's Sugar Pansy so appealing. As much as I adore roses and can't get enough of them, I would love the chance to wear other floral prints too.

Which leads me to my list of flowers I would like to see more of in lolita. I appreciate some of these flowers may have already appeared in prints but they are nowhere near as widely available. So here I am giving these flowers a little bit of love!

Bluebells

I love the idea of walking through an over-grown forest along trails that have long been forgotten. Hidden away are some beautiful bluebells. I think a lot of forest prints focus on the cute animals instead of the flowers. My top woodland flower choice would be the bluebell. I still have this memory of going on a walk with my mum and sister when I was young and stumbling across these beautiful flowers. Bluebells also have an interesting shape to them with a bell shape (a bit like lolita skirts!) that opens out at the bottom.

Snowdrops

I love snowdrops! They are one of my favourite flowers. I love the fragility of them and how they indicate that Spring is here and Summer is just around the corner. They have such a fresh, crisp white colour to them as well. Some would possibly say that a snowdrop was a it too plain looking to make a print for. Maybe you could combine snowdrops with the bluebells. Or you could do a snowdrop and daffodil combination for a really Spring themed print.

Lotus Flowers

I think this one is a bit surprising. I sometimes feel that lotus flowers fall in the same old rut that cherry blossom does and it mainly gets paired up with wa lolita but not a lot else. I guess an issue here would be that people feel that lotus flowers need to be paired with water, and water does not always come out that well in a print.

Wisteria Tunnels

You have no idea how much I want to jump inside this photograph and run down this tunnel! Although I don't think a tunnel would come out well in a print, you could just have it hanging down from an arch. This particular photo was taken at Kawachi Fuji Park. A lot of people have said that this photo is in fact fake, but it really isn't! I think this makes it even more impressive because it has a look which is almost too good to be true. I have seen similar flowers to Wisteria used in prints before but it has never taken centre stage and instead is a bit of a supporting role. But just once I would love to see a Wisteria style print which brings out the true beauty of the flowers.

Sweet Peas

Sweet Peas are very popular for weddings. In fact, I wanted these for my bridesmaid's bouquets at my own wedding (sadly, they were out of season!). I think sweet peas have a floaty whimsical feel to them and they could be used in a similar way to the pansies in Sugar Pansy. They also look very delicate.

Hydrangea

And last, but by no means least, we have the hydrangea. According to the language of flowers, apparently hydrangeas are meant to mean 'vanity' and I guess they do have a very showy appearance to them! I like how you can find massive bushes full of hydrangea flowers and also how they come in extraordinary colours. Surprisingly, I think these flowers could work with gothic and I would really love Moi Meme Moitie to do a print with hydrangeas. I guess this could partially be down to the anime XXXHolic, which has lots of dark imagery to it. In series one there is an episode where the lead is sucked in to a Hydrangea bush and they discover there is a corpse hidden beneath it. And so this is probably where my idea to pair this with gothic lolita comes from!

There are so many more flowers I could mention. Whilst I was writing this post, I remembered a story in one of the English Gothic Lolita bibles where the models are each playing the roles of different flowers in the hope of attracting the attention of the prince. I believe it is in the 2nd English Bible (the Flower issue). I am not in any way bashing roses, but there is a whole world of flowers out there waiting for their time to shine. I feel like there is a whole new variety of ideas waiting to be used and combined. They just need a bit of love and attention!

Sunglasses and Lolita?

Hooray! The sun has finally made a re-appearance here in the UK! After a dismal April, the temperatures are rising and the sky is cloud free. Of course, there are some downsides to the sun when you are as pale skinned as me and I have my parasol and sun cream at the ready. However, there is something else which I am really lacking at the moment- sunglasses. I have been making do with one pair of red Ray Ban style sunglasses for everyday wear, but with lolita? Well, I am a bit clueless.

Let's be honest, when you mention the words 'lolita' and 'sunglasses' together, chances are that most people will think of the heart shaped sunglasses. They are so cutesy and come in a variety of colours.

But heart shaped sunglasses are also associated with the 'other' kind of lolita. I am always reminded of this poster from the movie Lolita. Now quite frankly, I couldn't care less about the movie using these sunglasses. But what is really annoying is that whenever I try to search for lolita sunglasses, I am bombarded with the same heart shaped sunglasses over and over again! I actually do like the heart shaped sunglasses and I wouldn't mind owning a pair, but there has to be more styles out there that you could wear with lolita... surely? Most lolitas would probably wear the heart sunglasses with sweet lolita, but what if you were wearing a different style or just simply wanted something a little different?

I did think of going down the deco route. Kawaii lovers seem to decorate just about anything nowadays and it could easily liven up what could otherwise be a pair of very dull shades. Character shades have the potential to be cute too. The ones above are Hello Kitty inspired, which seem fairly popular. It would be interesting to see people make sunglasses for lots of different characters. 

Sweet seems fairly simple, but what about gothic? Well, this was a bit of a pit-fall! Beyond wearing dark shades, I couldn't think of very much! I did find these lace covered sunglasses. I think that actually, the lace ones would irritate me a bit. Seeing the lace pattern in front of my eyes would be annoying and so I think I will leave these ones to the Lady Gagas of the world.

And what about classic? I guess there are some cute floral frames out there. But there is so much more to classic than just florals. I would probably go for more gentle brown tinted shades in this situation.

Of course, not all sunglasses are equal...

So classy and elegant! People stare at me enough in the street already without me wearing a pair of boobs on my face! I wonder if anybody has ever ordered these?

So my adventure in to sunglasses has not gone very far and I don't feel like I have made a massive amount of progress. I will be trying to wear sunglasses regardless of whether they match or not, because I think my eyesight is more important than fashion. I just felt it would be lovely to have something matching (but at the same time, not majorly expensive). Maybe I will give in and get the heart glasses for sweet lolita, but as somebody who dabbles in more than one lolita style, I feel like there is a lack of variety. If anybody has any suggestions, then please let me know.

Twinkle Constellation and the Stars by BABY

Today I will be having a look at the new series from Baby. This series is called Twinkle Constellation and the Stars. Some of you may know that this is not the only upcoming star themed print. There will be more on that in the future, when more pictures of the other series (by Angelic Pretty) become available. Back to the Baby series- this series contains 2 dresses, a skirt, 2 blouses, socks, a head bow, combs, a necklace and a bracelet.

This is the JSK. The bodice looks a good shape and fairly well-fitted, although the material looked a teeny tiny little bit baggy in a few photos. The waist bow is a bit too large for my personal tastes. I think the bow was big enough already, without adding lace to the edges. The lace just seems to emphasise the size. However, the bow is a pretty shape and it doesn't appear too floppy. The waist bow is detachable, and I think the dress looks better with it removed.

 The yoke part has a lot of lace running along the edge. Whilst there is nothing wrong with the lace, I feel it is a little too dull in appearance for this dress. From a distance, the lace looks fluffy and frothy, and it looks like it suits the print. But when I look at it closer up, I am unsure about it. I am not expecting very decorative lace, but maybe something a little more cuter and maybe even a different lace colour? The photo also shows that the yoke material is very ruffled. I think this makes it look less flat and gives it more texture, so that is a positive.

There is a bow on the neckline. The material is very shiny, but it also has a soft and silky appearance. It stops the neckline looking too straight and boring. The straps are a bit thin and I would prefer them to be a tiny bit thicker. The back has a panel of shirring, which is concealed very well by a ribbon corset. The skirt has a wonderful bell shape to it, and I really like it. I think the shape is spot-on. It also looks like it will hold a lot of petticoat as well, if you wanted a more OTT look. I am also pleased that the skirt is free from clutter, so the print is displayed beautifully. The bottom hem is finished off with a ruffle and some flower shaped lace. Whilst the lace is cute, I don't think it compares to the OP lace (see below). But whilst I am unsure on the lace, I still think this is a really beautiful dress.

This is the OP. Whilst the bodice appears to have a nice shape and outline, I noticed that the material on the bodice seems to have creases on it. It is most noticeable underneath the bow on the neckline. However, I am hoping that this is just the stock photos and it doesn't look like that in real life. The waist bow is a bit big, but it doesn't seem to stick outwards as much as it does on the JSK and it looks less domineering. Only the bottom bits of this bow are lined with lace. The bow is a good shape, but it looks a little softer. The bodice does have a wide area which is plain, although the bows do counteract that a bit. I prefer the neck bow to the waist bow as the shape is more defined and it has angled edges. It compliments the neckline well. The sleeves are cute, but I would have liked them to be a bit puffier so they look more rounded. The sleeves have some sweet little ribbon bows, which makes them look more interesting. The back does not have any shirring. The skirt shape is a subtle bell, although I think the JSK skirt shape looks better. The OP looks a bit deflated in comparison. However, it still looks like it will flare out nicely and hold a fair amount of petticoat. The skirt has again been left clutter free, which is great.

And this is the lace along the bottom hem of the OP. I think it looks awesome! It suits the print well and also looks interesting. Dare I say, that it almost rivals AP? Now, why couldn't the JSK have some of this lace instead? 

And this is the print close-up. The print is available in off-white/off-white, pink/off-white, lemon yellow/off-white, sax blue/off-white and navy/ivory. That is a lot of off-white lace! Whilst I am a navy fan, I would be happy with any of the 5 colours on offer. But at the same time, I worry that the print will look a bit washed-out on the paler colours. The print is simply adorable. I am a huge star print fan anyway, so I am probably a bit biased! But I love all the flurries of stars at the bottom and running up the dress. In the background, you can even see some subtle constellations. As for inside the big stars, the constellations featured are mainly the cuter ones (but did anybody really expect them to do anything else?). I absolutely love the unicorn one, which represents Monoceros. The big stars are also decorated with cute bows. Quite honestly, there is not a single thing in the print which I dislike!

OH MY GOD- the jewellery! I really want it! The stars are so cutesy and almost look like candy. Even if I don't obtain this series for a while, I wouldn't mind getting this to go with my Dream Sky skirt. My only slight complaint is that I wish the pearls on the necklace went further up, so there was less of the chain. I still love it though!

So overall, I think this series is amazing. Despite not liking the lace as much, I think I would go for the JSK over the OP. I would probably choose the skirt over both dresses though! I really like the navy colour, but both the off-white and sax colours are nice too. So are the pink and lemon, but I like the other 3 a little more. The jewellery is also a must-have for me. Would I buy it? YES! I have already added several of the items from this series to my wishlist!

IW and the Over-priced Corsage

I know brand is indulgent anyway, but am I the only one who thinks that this is steep? Innocent World are doing a collaboration with Takarano Akira and whilst I appreciate that collaborations cost more...

... I wonder who would buy this rose corsage for 10,290yen? It can't cost that much to make and I would prefer to make it myself than buy this at that price. I think there are some really beautiful brand items that use roses like these but despite being used to brand prices, I felt there was just something a bit 'off' about the price of this particular corsage.

It also looks incredibly fragile and flimsy. All that there is to attach this at the back are these small pins. This corsage was actually designed to be paired with the bonnet from the same series, which probably explains the small pins on the back. But it would mean that if I wanted to wear it by itself or without a bonnet, I would have to mess around with bobby pins to keep it in place.

I am not attacking Innocent World- I am just curious to know if anybody out there would buy it, or has in fact, ordered it? Do you think it is worth it? I think it looks beautiful and I wouldn't mind owning it, but I wouldn't pay that price (It is over £80). Would you ever buy any collaboration items?

More V&A Meet Photos!

As promised, I am posting more photos from the V&A Tea Party Club meet which was held earlier this month! This is mainly for the benefit of those of you who I am not friends with on Facebook.

WARNING!- If you intend to visit the V&A exhibit and don't want to see everything, then I advise you don't look at this album. This album has photos of all of the exhibit outfits and words, and I would hate to spoil anybody's fun!

The album is public here-

http://s979.photobucket.com/albums/ae277/Luna_Rain_photos/TPC%20Lolita%20Meet%20at%20the%20VandA%20May%205th%202012/

The photos might be in a strange order because I had to re-upload some. I hope you enjoy the photos!

Sweets Parade by Crown Label (Meta)

Today I will be looking at Sweets Parade by Crown Label. This series has 3 dresses, a skirt, socks, a blouse, a head bow and a frilly headband thing. I know I have skipped over Meta's Typewriting Squirrels series, but it was so hilariously awful (well, in my opinion anyway) that I couldn't bring myself to write a serious discussion about it.

This is the Apron Pinafore JSK. The bodice looks really well fitted. I worry that the scoop neck is a little low on this dress and may be prone to sitting a bit funny on the wearer, but I guess it gives the opportunity to wear a blouse with a very frilly neck piece. The 2 bows on the front are a nice size, very firm, and well shaped. However, I do wonder if they blend in a bit too much. They don't really stand out that much. The lace on the edges is thin. It doesn't add much to the design, but at least it wont be itchy. The straps are a good width and look very supportive. The apron size looks a bit small for this dress, and I am not a fan of it. I appreciate that the print has a sweets theme and the headdress would help make a cute little maid outfit, but I don't think the execution has been done that well. However, I do like the big heart detail on the apron because it helps to liven up what is otherwise, a very dull and plain apron.

Something that confused me about this dress is the random little strip of material which is visible in this photo. I am talking about the little strip to the right of the bows in the picture. At first I thought this was just a stock photo thing, but it also appears in the draft picture, so it is there for a reason. Is it a pocket? If it is a pocket, then it can't be very big at all and would be sitting on the chest area, which would be a bit awkward. I think it is really odd! We can also see here that if you remove the apron, there is a strip of material with Crown Label written across it. I think that this looks strange as well and I dislike it.

The back has a very wide panel of shirring, which gives a wider range of size options, but also looks very exposed because there is nothing in place to conceal it. The skirt has that typical fully-flared shape that Meta is famous for. You could stuff a massive amount of petticoat under this dress. The skirt is divided in to 2 tiers, with more of the thin lace separating the top of the skirt and the border part of the the print. Luckily, the tiers do not make the skirt outline look lumpy or bumpy, and it all flows quite nicely. The lace line is topped with 2 thin ribbon bows. Whilst these are cute, I don't like how they are a darker brown than that used elsewhere as there is very little of this brown shade used elsewhere on the design. In fact, it is only used on these bows and the apron buttons. Obviously, this could just apply to this particular colour-way shown in the pictures. The bottom hem is finished with more of the thin lace. I think my issue with this dress design is that it is very plain and dull, and this conflicts with the cuter maid style of the apron. Maybe I am being too picky, but something about this dress just doesn't look right to me.

This is the Cross-back Pinafore JSK. The bodice has a very interesting shape, but there is not a lot of it. It is almost a bit like an apron-style skirt, but with a tiny bit of bodice thrown in. I admire how different this is, but I am undecided about whether I like it or not. I think I would need to see some worn photos. The bodice has some cute candy shaped buttons running up it, which I really like the sound of. Shame you can't see them that well in these photos! However, the folded over collar on this dress looks awful! It has an interesting scalloped shape but I hate how they have made the under-side of the material the visible part. It looks dull and faded compared to the material on the rest of the dress, and it looks as though it has been accidentally put on the wrong way. I don't understand what Meta were thinking. I would have made the collar part solid coloured, or at least used the proper side of the printed material. The cross-straps look cute, but I don't think they are really needed. I am certain that this dress doesn't have shirring, but that is probably because there is absolutely no room for shirring anyway. The back is almost non-existing. Again, the skirt shape is very flared. It looks a little bumpy in comparison to the first JSK. However, it will hold a lot of petticoat underneath. The skirt is quite plain, but the print is displayed well. The bottom hem is finished off with some thin lace.

This is the High-waist Pinafore JSK. The bodice is well fitted and has a nice shape. It is probably my favourite bodice of the 3 dresses. The waist bow is a bit large but it is very shapely and not at all droopy. The colour on the waist bow is very slightly different to the main colour of the dress, which means it doesn't blend in as much. I think this is a good idea, as some of the details in this series blend in too much. But it is worth noting that the waist bow is not detachable. There are 2 cute vertical frills running up the bodice which stops the area looking too plain, but at the same time is not too over-powering. There is a small panel at the top of the bodice which is the same colour as the waist bow, so helps tie that together. The lines of ribbon are also a good complimenting colour. I think that the bow on the base of on of the straps is a bit too big, but it is still quite cute. The straps are a decent width and very decorative. The back has a very wide panel of shirring and it is very exposed. The skirt shape is not as OTT as the other 2 dresses, but it does have a nice bell shape to it. It will still hold a decent amount of petticoat. The border part of the print is displayed beautifully and I think it works because there are no fussy tiers on this dress. The bottom hem is finished with a ruffle and then topped with a tulle ruffle, which I think looks very cute.

And this is what the print looks like. The print comes in black/lavender, cream/mint and pink/brown. Whilst I think the black works well with the print and the cream is okay, I really dislike the pink/brown colour-way. I think this colour choice is very odd. The brown is not a nice chocolate brown, but more of a caramel shade, which I don't think looks sweet enough. The items in the print have been drawn in a typical Meta way, which may not appeal to some. I personally think the ice creams look really cute. It is not remotely original, but it still works. I think the thing I like most about the print is the diagonal lines alternated with cute stars and teddies. But it does seem to be a subtle nod to Angelic Pretty's Jewelry Jelly print.

I think my opinions on this set are very divided and it is not a series I would like to own. The only dress I like is the high-waist pinafore one and I only like the black colour. I think this series is un-original and to be honest, I would rather go for another series instead of choosing this one. I think the problem is that at the moment, Meta are pumping a lot of prints out (sometimes 2 at a time) in such small time periods. Instead of doing this, Meta should concentrate on releasing fewer prints and putting more time in to making these prints better and more desirable. I don't think this series will do that well and it will just end up being a forgettable series. I am disappointed!

Milk's 5 Strap Sandals and My New Pastel Inspiration

You know, during the entire time I have written this blog I don't think I have ever mentioned Milk. I guess I always assumed that this brand was not my style. I think I have also resigned myself to the fact that Milk's prices are so steep that my chances of ever buying something from them is slim. But... I have gone and fallen in love with a pair of shoes by them!

This situation came about because I was looking up alternatives to the usual footwear you see with lolita. I am not saying that I dislike lolita shoes (in fact, I still find them as adorable as ever) but I just wanted to see what else was out there and possibly work these shoes in to an outfit. I did find some lovely shoes but then during a random search, I stumbled across these beauties-

With their wedge heels and open toes, they are very different to the shoes I am used to wearing, but I was drawn in by the pastel bows! Suddenly, I found myself googling Angelic Pretty dresses to wear with these and I did think of a couple that have the potential to work really well in an outfit. But sadly, it wasn't meant to be. These shoes cost 30,240yen! So I quickly had to give up on this dream. Then I wondered, could I possibly re-create this look? If I could just find a pair of suitable shoes, I could easily attach some pastel bows on to the front. And so, I am now on the lookout for some suitable shoes to give a Milk makeover!

Whilst I was visiting the Milk online store ( http://shop.milk-inc.com/ ) I had a bit of a look around and I also saw this cardigan-

This is their Honey Puffs cardigan. I would really like to make an outfit using this cardigan and Angelic Pretty's Sugar Hearts series. But again, I believe this cardigan could be replicated. Admittedly this may not look as good as the original, but it is worth a try.

So despite feeling a little miserable that I am not earning massive amounts of money, it is not all bad news. If nothing else, I think looking at the Milk website has at least given me some inspiration. There are some really cute pastel items on there. It has made me think 'outside the box' a little because I am looking at items I would have previously dismissed. I might not be getting those Milk shoes any time soon, but I have gained some new ideas.

Valentine thank yous

I didn't get any individual valentines this week, but I am involved in a couple of group ones from the V&A meet and also for the Oxfordshire Lolitas.

http://loli-valentines.livejournal.com/121813.html#cutid1

So a massive thank you to whoever made 19, 21, 22 and 24! I am in the 2 V&A group shots and also in 2 for the Ox Lolis. I especially smiled at number 24 because I love that photo! So thank you valentine makers!

Treasure Hunt in the Mystic Island by AatP

Today I will be taking a look at the latest offering from Alice and the Pirates. This series is called Treasure Hunt in the Mystic Island. It has 2 dresses, a skirt, a shirt, a head bow, socks, a bag and a necklace.

 This is the Arubida JSK. The bodice is really well fitted and has a good shape to it. The front has a ribbon corset, which is spaced out well and has a very tidy appearance. I like how the edges of the ribbon corset are disguised by rose lace, but the ribbon is threaded through the lace and I worry that the lace is not strong enough to support the ribbon. It is worth being cautious if you are close to the maximum measurements, because it would be horrible if the lace broke. The bow on the neckline is a bit floppy but I actually think it works better as a floppy bow. I don't think a more stiff, more shapely bow would suit the dress. I also really like the stripy material. It is a nice little extra hint at the nautical theme, but it is not too overpowering.

 However, I do think that the straps look a bit over-crowded. Personally, I would have just had the halter-neck straps and not bothered with a second set of outer straps. I also wonder if the straps look too over-crowded because you have two lots of the stripy material together. Maybe if the outer straps were solid coloured, it could have worked better?

 The neckline bow is detachable but I do feel that the dress looks strange with it detached. It looks a bit too plain and it feels as though something is missing.

The back has a panel of shirring, which has been concealed well by a ribbon corset. The waist ties are made from the stripy material, which helps to balance it out a bit more. The skirt has a pretty bell shape to it and it looks like it will hold a decent amount of petticoat. The skirt has a lot of gathering, which stops the material looking too flat, but it also conceals the print a little bit. But despite this, the skirt looks clutter-free because it doesn't have much detail. The bottom hem has more of the stripy material, which helps to balance it out.

This is the Mary JSK. I think that the bodice is laid out nicely and looks well fitted. The yoke part is made up with the stripy material which is used on the other JSK. I actually think that this looks better than just filling the yoke area with loads of lace, which is something I have seen done in the past. It makes it look tidier and not as fussy. There is a bit of lace used, mainly along the frill that runs along the edge of the yoke and continues upwards to become the strap. The lace here is very subtle though, and has an interesting shape to it. The bow on the neckline has a good shape to it and I think it is also a nice size. I think that because the bow is solid coloured, it gives a more mature and elegant feel. There is some good quality lace used along the neckline, which is mainly concealed by the bow, but it does help to make the edge look softer. I really love the crossing neck straps. The main set of straps are a good width too. I think the waist looks a bit plain and maybe a nice belt would work well. The back has a panel of shirring which is concealed by a ribbon corset. The skirt has a nice bell shape to it, although I think the shape is nicer on the other JSK. The skirt has been kept plain and the print is displayed really well.

However, I really hate the bottom hem! I think the tassle style trim looks a bit silly. They are also very flat, which I think gives them a strange appearance.

Sadly, I have been having trouble locating a print close-up, so I had to use the skirt photo because it shows the print the best! This print is available in ivory, navy and black. Quite a small selection of colours there, but they all work well with the print. The print is absolutely gorgeous. I think my favourite part of the print is the map background because it is an interesting take on the pirate theme. I like the pictures of the pirates, decorated with ornate twirls and bows. The treasure chests look lovely too. I feel like every part of the print works well together. As for my favourite colour, I am having a hard time choosing between navy and ivory. Whilst I would normally go for navy, I feel the ivory fits the map theme in the print better. I also think that the details are clearer on the ivory colour.

I am a little surprised that there was only this one piece of jewellery on offer. Maybe more will come later. I think with this series, AatP could have had a lot of fun making interesting pieces of jewellery. However, the treasure box necklace is very beautiful. It even opens up, which I think is pretty neat. I wonder how good the clasp is? You could use it as a small container when you wear it!

When I saw the bag, it didn't come as a surprise! I knew they would release a treasure chest bag. But predictable is not always a bad thing. AatP have released some stunning bags in the past and this bag is beautiful. I predict that this bag will be a big seller.

So overall, I feel this is a very strong series with a lot of potential. I think it will be very appealing to Alice and the Pirates fans. I am debating whether to add this to my wishlist or not. It is very beautiful. I think the Arubida JSK is my favourite of the two dresses, and I would probably go outside of my usual comfort zone and get the ivory! I will be really shocked if the bag doesn't sell out quickly. The necklace is also pretty, but I wish there was more jewellery. I really hope this series is a success!

MFashion review May 2012- Positive

Today I will be reviewing my new bag! I ordered it from MFashion. I have ordered and reviewed MFashion in the past here- http://luna-rain.blogspot.co.uk/2011/02/m-fashion-review-feb-2011.html

So has much changed since my last order? Well, the shop layout is the same and the ordering process is the same as well. There is probably not much point repeating all that! The shop staff were a lot more responsive than they were last time and they got back to me very quickly. I have always felt that MFashion's prices were a bit on the high side, even if the products are new. I actually got this bag in the sale, so it worked out quite reasonable. It was originally 180 Euros, but it was on sale for 100. With the shipping on top, I paid about £97. Not bad for a new brand bag!

The shipping was very fast. I ordered the bag late on Friday (after store hours). The bag was shipped out on  Tuesday and I got the parcel today (Wednesday). This time I had to sign for my parcel and after looking at my old blog entry, apparently I didn't sign last time. Because the bag arrived so quickly, I didn't even get a chance to look up any tracking options. But I guess I am very grateful that my package arrived so promptly, even if it was a surprise!

However, I have to say that I was a bit worried when I saw the state the outer box was in. It was very crumpled and had torn open in places. You can see the box is damaged in this photo, especially on the right hand side of the photo.

 Thankfully my new bag was safe. It was wrapped in a plastic bag, although I noticed it was not taped up. I think it is lucky that we didn't have any heavy rain because this bag could have easily gotten damaged.

As you can see I finally got the Innocent World Crown bag! This has always been a favourite item on my wishlist. It is quite spacious and I will be able to fit most of my daily stuff in there. I like stroking the soft red bits too!

The bag appears to be constructed really well and it also comes with another strap so you can make it a shoulder bag. Very useful!

The Innocent World logo. The jewels are a nice finishing touch. All the details are so neat and tidy. I would definitely buy an Innocent World bag again.

This is actually my very first piece of Innocent World! I finally got the bag because I want to use it with my latest Meta dress, Nostalgic Chess. I have gradually been gathering matching bits for that. There are 2 crown prints by IW that I really like- Felicia Crown and Grazia Crown. I would like to get one of these prints sometime but I don't know which one I like more! Grazia Crown would match the bag better, but I really like Felicia and I like an outfit challenge! I think it will take a bit of time before I make a decision.

So this has been a positive experience, although maybe MFashion needs to be a little more careful with their packaging in the future. But I would definitely order from Mfashion again. I think that if you see items in their sale, then it actually does work out a decent price.

V&A Kitty and the Bulldog Exhibit Meet!

Something of absolutely EPIC proportions happened on Saturday! For those of you who have not already heard, from now until the 27th of January 2013, the Victoria and Albert museum in London is holding an exhibition called Kitty and the Bulldog: Lolita Fashion and the Influence of Britain. You can find out a bit more on the exhibit here- http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/k/kitty-and-the-bulldog/

Now, this in itself is quite an exciting development. A museum holding an exhibit on lolita? I was really surprised when I first found out! But then the Tea Party Club (with the wonderful Kyra being our host) decided to hold a meet... and 113 lolitas turned up!

There were so many lolitas that my poor husband struggled to fit us all in one shot! So here are a couple of photos of us outside the grand entrance. Hopefully I have managed to include at least one photo of everybody.

So attendees, have you spotted yourself yet? Imagine having to tag all these people on Facebook!

We reckon that outside of a convention, this might have been the biggest ever lolita meet. If you know of any larger meets, then let me know! We intend to get an even bigger crowd at an August meet.

Here is a picture of me at the start of the day where hopefully, I look a little less tired and flustered! I was wearing Meta's Fairy Tale print skirt and bonnet. As you can see, I left out the ivy wrapped around my legs. I felt it was a little too high maintenance when I knew we would be walking about a lot and it can get a bit itchy! When they were calling out groups to be photographed, I had no idea whether to pose for the sweet or classic! In the end, I joined the classic group. It is a bit of a hybrid outfit!

And I am also including a few photos of the exhibit itself. For the moment, I have only selected a few photos, otherwise it kind of spoils the fun for people who are yet to visit! I might do a Photobucket album at some point and I will be putting my photos on Facebook later, so keep an eye out for that. Those will have a lot more photos!

So what did I make of the exhibit? Well, there are 9 outfits in total to view and it doesn't take that long to view them. Although there are a few little questionable details here and there, I think that overall the outfits have been put together well. I can see a lot of research has gone in to the exhibit. From time to time the wording on some parts of the exhibit seem a bit 'off' as well. I also felt that the Innocent World outfit should have been filed under classic lolita instead of sweet. Okay, so the outfit did have a few hints of sweet styling to it, but it felt more like a classic outfit to me. There was no information on the classic style as far as I remember, and I think that is a real shame! But despite these few minor points, this exhibit was a lot of fun. When I first saw the dresses on display, my heart skipped a beat! I hope that loads of people will enjoy the exhibit and at least understand the fashion a bit better.

The gothic outfit.

Two sweet outfits, both with an Alice in Wonderland influence. The point that the exhibit is trying to get across is that the lolita fashion has some British influences to it and that is probably why they chose outfits with an Alice look to them. Nice to see the lolita's best friend, Usakumya, made an appearance!

Sorry about the camera flash in this picture! I think the most obvious British influence in lolita is apparent in punk lolita. This is probably why punk lolita got featured in the exhibit more than classic.

For the entire day, we got asked by visitors about what we were wearing. Some people thought we were actually part of the exhibit! I would like to think that we brightened up a rainy day!

The exhibit gives a very interesting take on lolita. If you have some basic knowledge on lolita then you wont learn anything new from visiting, but it is still fun to come and see the outfits on display. And I do believe that this exhibit is a big deal. Imagine all of the visitors who are going to stumble across this exhibit, whether they are aware of the fashion or not. Simply amazing.

As I said, there will be more photos at some point. I need to upload them all first!