This is the OP. There isn't really a bodice to this dress as this is another one of what I like to call "AP's Sack Dresses". I am not really impressed by the overall shape of the OP. In the stock photos the silhouette looks a bit lumpy. The A-line shape just doesn't flow that neatly. Hopefully with the waist ties the wearer will be able to get a shape they are happy with, but I am not entirely convinced. The sleeves are very cute. They are a suitable length and look super puffy. It gives the sleeves a very cute appearance. They are elasticated too, which gives a bit of size flexibility. The bodice design is simple, which I think is for the best with this sort of series. I think the neckline is very pretty. There are 2 layers of lace. The lace is of a good quality and looks pretty. The lace is also layered very well and sits perfectly on the dress. The neckline is then finished off with a ribbon bow. The ribbon bow shape is simple, but suits the dress. The long ribbon tails add a bit of interest. The bow is also finished off with a cute star charm. My only complaint is that the ribbon used is very shiny. The back has no shirring, so there isn't much size flexibility. The lace from the neckline continues on beautifully on the back. There is another ribbon bow on the back which is identical to the one on the front of the dress. I don't feel this second ribbon bow is needed and is a little too OTT. The rest of the dress is kept quite plain, so the print is displayed beautifully. The bottom hem is then finished off with some good quality custom lace. I was a little surprised they used AP letter lace instead of something more star themed though.
Here we have the Sailor JSK. Again, there isn't really much of a defined bodice shape. I do feel the overall dress shape flows a lot smoother than the OP though. The back does have waist ties as well, and I can imagine the wearer being able to create a decent shape with this dress. It flares out nicely and there is plenty of volume. I suppose the proof will be in the wearing! Again, the dress details are kept fairly simple, and I feel this is the best option for this dress. As the name suggests, this JSK has a very cute sailor collar. The sailor collar shape is very cute. I think AP could have gotten away with making the collar a little bit bigger, but it is cute enough as it is. The collar has been done very neatly with crisp lines. The ribbon stripe on the collar is a lovely finishing touch, although once again I wish the ribbon used was a bit less shiny. This JSK has a bow very similar to the one on the OP neckline, but it doesn't have the cute star charm and the bow is a bit bigger in size. I think it is a shame that AP didn't use the star charm here as well and I am still not a fan of that very shiny ribbon. The stock photos suggest this bow is detachable, although I feel the dress would be a bit too plain without it. The back again doesn't have any shirring so there is limited size flexibility. The back of the sailor collar has two very shiny buttons to hold it in place, which I think look a bit gaudy. I would have used non-shiny buttons, possibly in white, to blend in a little better. However, the buttons are not in a noticeable place so this is only a minor inconvenience. The bottom part of the dress is kept relatively detail free, so the print is displayed beautifully. The bottom is then finished off with cute, good quality lace. I think the way the bottom has been done here is a lot neater in appearance compared to the OP as well.
This is the Standard JSK. The bodice is baggy and loosely fitted, but it suits this style of chiffon dress well. It has the right amount of bagginess I think. I really can't that that waist line though. There is something about the way the material looks around the waist line which doesn't look right to me. The waist line is also quite a peculiar shape. I also feel the neckline area isn't that appealing. The straps on this dress are very thin. I appreciate this dress suits thinner straps but I feel AP could have made them slightly thicker. They look so flimsy. The neckline shape is defined by a line of piping, which gives it a strange, angular shape. The lace along the straps that continues along the neckline is pretty and sits nicely on the dress. It makes the straps a little less boring too. However, I don't like the additional areas of lace inside the neckline. I feel without these extra bits of lace the dress may have looked a lot better. The neckline is then finished off with a bow made of thin ribbon. The thinner ribbon probably does suit this dress more than the ribbon used on the other two dresses, but I don't find the bow on this JSK very appealing. The star charms attached to it are cute though. The back is fully shirred and isn't covered with anything to conceal it. However, it does mean the size is more flexible and for some wearers, this JSK is probably going to be your best option. The skirt has a slightly more standard lolita shape to it. The stock photos show the skirt is very full with the potential to handle plenty of petticoat. It flares outwards well. It has a lovely subtly rounded shape to it. The simple style of skirt means the print is displayed well too. The bottom of the skirt features a tiered design. The tiers are soft and layered beautifully and they don't affect the overall skirt shape too much. Both tiers are finished off with a line of simple thin lace, which fits in well with the design.
And finally, here we have the print close up. As we can see, this series comes in ivory, pink, lavender, sax blue and navy. These are quite typical colours for a cosmic themed print, although the ivory offers a slightly more unusual option. My favourite has to be the navy, but I find the sax blue colour quite appealing as well. As for the print itself, it is quite simple but it has taken a popular theme and done it well. I knew as soon as I first saw the scans that this would be a popular print. I like the use of moons and it is nice that they are faded and not too solid looking. From afar, the constellations probably look like a lot of random squiggles, but up close it is a nice design. I was a little unsure about the writing on the print at first but now I feel it makes sense to include it.
I think the hair accessory from this series is so cute! It is something a bit different from your standard hair bow or barrette. The moon shape is so cute and I adore the embroidery detail. Even the veil part is different to what we usually see. The chain finishes off the hair piece beautifully. I do feel AP should have offered something more simple like a hair clip or barrette as well, but I am also glad to see AP releasing more unique hair pieces.
So overall, I have the odd little complaint about the dress designs, but I do really like the series. The designs are not exactly lolita, but they were probably not meant to be. I really love the print. Would I buy this series? Whilst I don't love it as much as I initially did, I still have this series on my wishlist. I would definitely love to own the Sailor JSK in navy. Then again, I may be a bit biased as I love anything star or cosmic themed! There is one thing that does concern me though, and that is that AP seem to be getting even shorter in length.
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