Monday 8 October 2012

Queen of Snow by BABY

Today I will be taking a look at Queen of Snow by Baby. Alice and the Pirates are also releasing a similar series, which will be featured on my blog soon. But today I am focusing on the Baby series which includes 3 dresses, a skirt, a blouse, wrist cuffs, a bonnet, a head bow, a furry headdress, socks and a few pieces of jewellery.


This is the Snow Rose JSK. The bodice looks like it fits nicely, although I am not a fan of the way the bodice has been set out. The top of the bodice has a raised panel, which is covered in dot tulle. Whilst I like the detailing on the panel, I am not a fan of the overall shape of this part. I can't quite pinpoint what I dislike about it, but there is something about the shape and size which I personally feel looks a bit off.


Looking at this picture, I think that maybe it needs more gathering or perhaps it is just the overall shape. But I do like the detailing. The dot tulle used blends in well with the print and gives the dress some added texture. I think it is well suited. The rose themed lace used vertically up the bodice and along the edges of the raised panel is very pretty. I would maybe like it a bit better if the rose lace wasn't going along the edge of the neckline, but that is just my personal preference. I also like the line of pearls on the raised panel but as I said, I would have liked a bit more gathering. As it is, the material near the pearls is quite bunched up, but then the rest of the panel is almost completely flat. Maybe a bit more gathering and a narrower panel would have worked better. The dress also has the waist bow. I do think the bow looks a bit too big and the lace around the bow edges just emphasises the size further. Although it wouldn't be an exact match, I would have preferred thinner lace used around the edges of the bow. I wouldn't get rid of the lace on the bow altogether because the bodice has so much lace on it, that the waist bow may look out of place with no lace on it at all. The bow does look shapely and sturdy, it is just the sizing I don't like.

The straps are a bit thin, but decorated well with even more lace. At this stage, it would probably look a bit odd not to use lace here as well. The back has a panel of shirring, which is concealed very well by a ribbon corset. It blends in very nicely and gives the wearer more size control. The skirt has a pretty subtle bell shape to it and I reckon it will flare out well. it looks like it will hold a decent amount of petticoat. The skirt is thankfully kept clutter free and so the print is displayed very well. The bottom hem is finished off with some pretty lace.


This is the OP for this series, called the Fairy Dress. The bodice looks well fitted. I felt that in some of the photos on Baby's website, the printed part of the sleeves looked a little too flat and long. But when the chiffon part of the sleeves were detached, I thought they looked a bit better, with a more puffy appearance.


I am normally a huge chiffon fan. I like the ruffle and bow at the end of the sleeves. However, I feel the sleeves flare outwards way too much for my personal tastes. The sleeves are almost as wide as the dress in this picture! I think I would feel a little swamped under all that sleeve material. I do like the sleeves, I just think they are a bit too big.

The way the bodice has been laid out makes it look as though the wearer is wearing a short sleeved bolero, especially with the line of lace running along the waist and then going upwards. This lace then connects with a giant ruffle. The ruffle gives the dress a bit of added volume and depth. The ruffle is topped with wide lace and 2 ribbon bows. It ties in together well, but it is a bit too OTT for my personal taste. The shape of the ruffle and the wide lace just don't do it for me. Also, I don't think it really needs more than one ribbon bow. There is also a Baby charm dangling underneath the ruffle, but it doesn't really stand out because the ruffle grabs your attention more. I just feel that if the bodice was toned down a little bit, I would probably like it a lot more.

The back doesn't have any shirring. The ruffle continues on the back, which I suppose stops there being a sudden halt of ruffle and makes it look more natural. The skirt has a beautiful bell shape to it. It flares out really well and it will hold lots of petticoat too. The skirt is free of clutter and so the print is displayed really well. The bottom hem is finished off with lace, and then an additional ruffle of dot tulle. I am unsure that the dot tulle looks right when you detach the chiffon sleeves, as it doesn't blend in as much.


This is the Princess JSK. The bodice looks like it fits fairly well and it is an interesting shape. I think the size of the waist bow suits the dress. It is a bit softer in shape compared to the waist bow on the other JSK. However, it still holds its shape well and it doesn't look floppy. The lace around the edge of the bow is pretty and it doesn't make the bow look too OTT. The bodice has a corset with the edges covered with nice lace and the ribbon used is pretty too. The criss-crossed ribbon is spaced out really well. The lace and ribbon has a very soft appearance to it, which gives it a bit of a dreamy feel. I think it really suits the series. The corset is topped with a ribbon bow. The bow is a nice size, although it looks a bit overshadowed because of the lace along the neckline. The neckline and the inside of the straps are lined with wide lace. The bodice has quite sharp lines, and I do like how the lace softens the edges of the neckline and straps. Although the lace looks like it may tickle a bit if you are wearing a blouse with a low neckline! I think I would prefer it if the dress didn't have the semi-circle of lace on the neckline, just to make it a little less crowded. The rest of the lace could easily work without it. The back has a panel of shirring which is concealed by a ribbon corset. It is maybe not as neat as the other JSK, but it still does what it is supposed to. The skirt has a very full and rounded shape that almost rivals your typical Angelic Pretty dress. I think it does work quite well and it flares out beautifully. The front of the skirt has a bustle. The tiers are spaced out well and the edges are kept neat with nice lace. However, I think the bustle could do with being a tiny bit wider. I don't know if it is just the stock photos, but the bustle panel looks a bit thin and doesn't quite work for me. Even with the bustle, the print is displayed beautifully. The bottom hem is finished with some pretty lace. While I don't think this lace works as well as the other lace used on the dress, it looks nice enough.


This is part of the print close-up.

And another part. The print comes in pink, lavender, sax blue and black. I think sax blue is the real front runner colour-wise as it really matches the cold, snowy print. Although the lavender colour looks beautiful too. I would love to see more photos of the black version as well, as the print details against the black work surprisingly well. I am not interested by the pink version at all. I don't think it works as well as the other colours. The print itself is absolutely stunning. I adore the icy castle shown in this second print picture. The snowflakes are drawn beautifully and are very detailed. The bows with frosty looking edges are a nice finishing touch. This print has a very magical feel to it and is perfect for this time of year. I don't think there is anything in this print that I dislike.


The jewellery for this series continues the Winter theme. All of the jewellery comes in silver and gold. I personally prefer the silver jewellery, as I think it matches the print beautifully. Although I like all of the jewellery, my favourite is this snow flake bracelet. I just find the snowflakes really pretty and so detailed. The roses and the crystal drops are beautiful too. It is a lovely piece of Winter themed jewellery.

So overall, I do think this is a very pretty series. Usually, I avoid seasonal themed prints like the plague, as I hate the thought of only wearing them for a small part of the year. However, the print is absolutely stunning and I wouldn't mind owning it. If I had to pick a dress I would go for the Princess JSK. It is hard to pick a colour. Would I go for the icy sax blue or go for the deeper black? Those 2 colours are definitely my two favourites. I also like the jewellery and snowflake print socks. I hope this series will sell well. How does the AatP print match up? Hopefully I will find that out soon.

4 comments:

  1. My favorite piece in this series has to be the OP, I think. I love the bolero effect and the elaborate lace on the bodice! And I'm very partial to Baby's little dangling charms for some reason, haha! Usually I love huge princess sleeves, but I have to agree with you on those.. Almost as wide as the skirt is a tad too wide! I hadn't even noticed that until you pointed it out! They would be a pain to keep under control (especially since I always get stuck on everything when I'm in lolita.. lol)
    I love the bustle on the princess JSK, but I think that the lace on the bodice would look a little strange with a blouse, and it looks like it kind of... doesn't have room enough, if that makes sense?
    Usually I'm a huge fan of AATP and prefer them over Baby (even though I love Baby as well!), but this time I feel like Baby's designs take the trophy, even though I like AATP's print better! :) Oh, how I'd love to own that OP..

    Love,
    Julie of Queensnorthernstar.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I like the Baby charms too! The sleeves are so huge. I would be worried about getting them caught on something.

      Yes, I agree you would need to choose a blouse very carefully if you had the Princess JSK. I hadn't really thought of that. I think I would probably choose the skirt over any of the dresses anyway.

      I am the same. I normally like AatP more, but this time I think that Baby wins!

      Delete
  2. I think the only one I like from here beside the gorgeous bracelet is the Princess JSK. I like the print but I feel like they could have made better dress designs for the other two....I'm in love with that bracelet.
    Kieli~♥

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I like the Princess JSK too. I know what you mean. I think I would expect something a bit more "special" for such a gorgeous print. The bracelet is so pretty!

      Delete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...