Monday 20 October 2014

Angelic Pretty Print Double

Today I am looking at 2 recent Angelic Pretty series. So scroll down to see what I think about Victorian Letter.

First up though, is Cream Cookie Collection. This series includes 3 dresses, a skirt, a parka, tights, a barrette, wrist cuffs and several pieces of jewellery.



Here we have the OP. The bodice seems a decent fit and is a lovely shape. The sleeves are adorable with just the right amount of puff. I love the contrast between the puffy bottom and the gathered cuffs. It creates a great shape. The sleeves are finished neatly with lace and the cutest cookie shaped button. The waist area is topped with a ribbon bow. The ribbon used is a bit shiny but otherwise, the bow looks good. The size suits the dress and the shape is pretty. It sits quite well on the dress too. The bodice features some discreet pleats and thin lace, which although are not that noticeable, add a bit of added texture and subtle detail. It stops the front looking too plain as well. The centre front of the bodice features slightly wider lace and a line of the adorable cookie buttons. The lace sits fairly nicely on the dress and the cookie buttons are well spaced out. The collar is a really pretty shape and the size suits the dress. It doesn't look too big or bulky. The collar is simply lined with lace around the edge. The lace sits neatly and flatly against the dress. The lace used is pretty too and is a suitable width. The collar is topped with a simple bow. Despite its simplicity, the bow really suits the dress. The back does not have any shirring and is quite plain. It also means the only way to adjust the sizing is with the waist ties. The stock photos show the skirt is very full with plenty of volume. It flares outwards beautifully and creates a really cute shape. The skirt design is kept quite simple and so the print is really displayed well. The bottom hem is then finished off with cute bow themed lace. I was a little surprised by the lace choice though. I would have gone for crown themed lace, seeing as they feature slightly in the print. But the lace used is very pretty in its own right and doesn't look too out of place.



This is the Standard JSK. The bodice shape is a bit dull and the fabric looks a bit loose in some places. I don't know if that is down to the material used though. I am really not a fan of the solid coloured bodice because the material is super shiny and having it solid coloured draws more attention to it. There isn't even that much detail on the main part of the bodice, with just 2 very thin lines up vertical lace, and it looks strangely plain. The straps are a decent width and suit the dress. They are lined neatly with thin lace as well to stop them looking too simple. The waist area has a bow, which again is made up of the solid coloured material, so it is very shiny. But ignoring how shiny it is, the bow is a good size and shape. It looks very perky and sit brilliantly on the dress. The neckline features 2 lines of wide lace, with ribbon threaded through them. The lace is cute and I like the polka dot design. In the centre, the lines of ribbon are topped with 2 small bows. The bows are cute and a good size. But I feel the more detailed neckline is a harsh contrast to the rest of the bodice, which is plain and quite honestly, boring. The back has a panel of shirring which is topped neatly by a ribbon corset. The waist ties help to conceal the shirring too, as they are quite puffy and bulky. The stock photos show there is the potential to create a really pretty shape with the skirt. There is lots of volume and the rounded shape is lovely. The skirt is again kept simple and the print is displayed really well. The bottom hem is then finished off with a ruffle of chiffon and a layer of the bow themed lace underneath. It looks very dramatic in comparison to the rest of the dress. It is a shame the bodice design seems to let down the skirt.



And this is the High Waist JSK. The short bodice is a cute shape and looks well fitted. The thin straps look a bit flimsy, but wider straps wouldn't work so well with the dress design. The straps are lined very with thin lace, which helps to liven them up a bit. The waist area features a grosgrain ribbon belt. It gives the dress a neater appearance and helps to nip in the waist area. It is strange, because in some photos the grosgrain ribbon looks a bit shiny but in others it looks fairly matte. The ribbon belt is a good idea, although I think if I was going to a fancier event I would want a more interesting belt. The ribbon belt is quite simple. The bodice features some very neat pleats an subtle lines of thin lace. It doesn't distract from the print on the bodice too much and is a nice bit of added texture and depth. In the centre, AP have again chosen a line of cookie buttons. The 3 buttons are neatly placed and well spaced out. The neckline is topped with pretty polka dot lace. The polka dot lace is nicely shaped and it sits well on the neckline. In the centre, the neckline is topped with a small bow, which looks very cute. The back is fully shirred, so will fit a wider range of sizes. However, as it is fully shirred it does mean it isn't covered by anything and is quite exposed. It is not exactly attractive, but the back is quite short anyway so it isn't too obvious. The skirt is again very full and will hold more than enough petticoat. The high waist flares out nicely and there is the potential to create a very cute shape. The skirt design is kept simple and the print is displayed very well. The bottom hem is then finished off with the bow themed lace again.


Finally, here is the print close up. As the picture shows, this series is available in ivory, pink, sax blue and brown. All 4 colours suit the print really well and are pretty standard AP colour options. The sax blue offers something a little bit different to other similar AP prints though. As for the print itself, I think it is very cute. I like how the squares are made up of ribbon borders. The ribbon gives AP the chance to include their brand name in the print in a subtle way, without ramming it down our throats. The cookies in the print are so cute and look quite realistic. I always think that if you look at a food print and it makes you feel hungry, then it is definitely a success! However, I do feel the square with the mini bear cookies in it stands out a bit and doesn't fit in with the print as well as the other cookies. Apart from that, I think this is a very cute and consistent print. It has a lovely Emily Temple Cute feel to it as well.

So overall, I think this series has potential. It is not exactly new ground for Angelic Pretty but it will certainly please their fans. AP knows what sells well for them and I do think they were playing it safe here. The print is a more mature take on sweet lolita and the dress designs are generally quite pretty too. I do feel the Standard JSK lets the series down a bit though. Would I buy this series? Probably not, but only because it isn't my usual style. If I did, I would choose the High Waist JSK in ivory.

Next up, is another series called Victorian Letter. This series includes 3 dresses, a skirt, a head bow, socks, a bag, a necklace and a brooch.



This is the OP. The bodice seems reasonably well fitted. The bodice shape is interesting too, although it does make the shoulder area look wider. The sleeves are in 2 parts with the top part being attached to the bodice and the lower parts being detachable. I think the top part could do with being just a tiny bit shorter and the part where the detachable sleeves attach could have been a bit frillier. It just looks slightly plain to me. The detachable sleeves are really pretty though, and feature a pleated design and a neat ruffle at the cuffs. I am very unsure I like this style of double sleeves which makes it look like you are wearing a blouse underneath. It has just never been to my personal taste I guess. The solid coloured bodice helps break up the dress, as I think an all-over print wouldn't have worked on this specific dress. The waist area has been done very neatly with a slightly scalloped edge. I think the lace along the waist line is a bit too much, but at least it sits quite nicely on the dress. I guess the lace here does also match up with the lace on the rest of the bodice as well, so the design is quite consistent. The bodice features many neat pleats which stops the solid colour from looking too flat and dull. There are also 2 lines of bright thin lace running vertically up the bodice but I don't think they are that necessary. The collar area continues with the neat pleats and gives it a smart appearance. The lace lining the collar and decorating it is pretty and sits really neatly on the dress as well. Even the neck ruffle is nicely shaped. The bodice also has pearly buttons running the whole way down it, which have been spaced out well. The button design is very simple, although I think anything too elaborate would risk being too OTT anyway. There is also a detachable bow on the neck area which offers a nice pop of colour to the large off-white area. The bow is a bit big, but the shape suits the style of dress. The ribbon used has a peculiar but interesting pattern on it too. I quite like it though, and would leave it attached. The back has no shirring and so is quite plain and doesn't offer that much size flexibility. The collar and lace look just as tidy from the back. The stock photos show the skirt has the potential to create a very beautiful plump bell shape. It has plenty of volume and flares outwards lovely. The skirt details have been kept simple and so the print is displayed beautifully. The bottom hem is finished off with a pretty line of braid, crown themed lace and a chiffon ruffle. It is a shame the lace is a bit over-shadowed, but the bottom hem has been done in a tidy way and the materials sit well on top of each other.



Here is the Long JSK. The bodice shape is interesting. The fit seems okay, although it looks like the waist area may have wrinkled and bunched up a bit in some of the photos. The straps are a good width and they suit the dress. They are lined with lace on the outside as well, which makes them a bit more interesting, and the lace is a good width and shape as well. The bodice features 4 lines of wide lace running vertically up it. The lace used is nice, but is maybe a bit too wide and it looks a bit messy. Narrower lace would have looked a bit neater. The neckline features a large bow, with a lace jabot underneath. I think the bow is a bit big but what really puts me off is the shape. I can't quite put my finger on it, but there is something about the shape and how it droops that puts me off the bow. It is a shame it isn't detachable or anything, because if it wasn't for the bow this would be my favourite dress in the series. The lace lining the bow helps to liven it up a bit, but I am still not impressed. The lace underneath the bow seems pretty, although it is a shame we can't see more of it. Maybe if AP had made more of a feature of the lace and did a smaller, thinner bow on top it could have looked better? As it is, the bow is quite dominating. The back has a panel of shirring which is concealed neatly by a ribbon corset. The skirt shape is beautiful. I love the longer length with the dramatic bottom hem. The skirt has loads of volume and with the right petticoat this skirt has a lot of potential. The main part of the skirt is kept simple and the print is displayed brilliantly. As for the bottom hem, it features a line of crown lace and then 2 wide chiffon ruffles. This is then topped with 2 colourful bows which add a wonderful pop of colour. The layers have been layered neatly and sit well on top of each other. This bottom hem reminds me a lot of the dramatic bottom hems that Baby the Stars Shine Bright seem to favour. To be honest, I think I prefer the way Angelic Pretty does it! The bottom hem on this dress looks amazing and although I want AP to stick to their mature sweet looks, I don't mind the occasional classic series if this is what they are going to come out with.



And this is the Tiered JSK. The bodice is well fitted and the shape is simple, but nicely done. The straps are a suitable width and look quite sturdy. The straps are lined with gold lace which is kept very thin. It lines the straps neatly, but without giving the straps a fluffy look. This dress has some very sharp lines and the thinner lace definitely works better. The waist area has this bold overlay with very defined pleats. The pleats are shaped so neatly and are very defined. This pleated overlay is also lined with the thinner gold lace as well. I really love the overlay as it is very bold and has been executed well. The bodice features a line of buttons with a line of gold lace on either side. The buttons are pretty, but kept simple in design again, which works well. The buttons are evenly spaced out too. On either side of the buttons there are a couple of pleats which gives the solid coloured bodice a bit of extra depth and texture. The only part of the bodice I dislike is the 2 lines of white coloured lace running up the bodice on both the sides. I think the white lace stands out when the rest of the bodice lace is gold coloured. The neckline has a folded over design, which is an interesting shape and I think goes well with the skirt overlay. The neckline is then finished off with a bow. The bow is such a cute and interesting shape. The size is good as well and it is very perky looking. The back is fully shirred, although the shirring does blend in quite a bit and is not too noticeable. The skirt has lots of volume and flares outwards well. Despite the tiered design, the shape looks quite smooth and not too bumpy. So the tier join has been done really well. I wish there was a bit less of the top tier and more of the bottom tier though. The thing I dislike about the tier join is that it has been lined with wide lace. The crown lace is pretty and sits nicely, but I think it looks really out of place. It is also quite a harsh white colour and stands out because there isn't a lot of white elsewhere on the dress. It isn't so bad on the ivory colour way but that is only one colour out of the 4 on offer. Despite the gathering, the print is still displayed reasonably well. The bottom hem is then finished off neatly with more gold lace.



Finally, here is the print close up. This series is available in ivory, pink, green and brown. For a more classic AP offering, I think the colour choices are quite good. I wish the green was a bit deeper and bolder though. As for the print itself, I couldn't believe this was Angelic Pretty when I first saw it! It makes a nice change though. Book prints are seen quite frequently in classic lolita now but I like that AP have broken it up with other objects in the print. I especially love the glass ink bottles and the feather plumb. They have been drawn so beautifully and look so interesting. I love the letters and stamps too. The background is also full of detail but it is the border print that really stands out. I don't think there is a single part of this print that I dislike.



I am really loving the necklace from this series. I love it when AP release more classic-friendly jewellery. The feather is so detailed and I love the use of colour as well. In fact, I prefer this to a lot of the jewellery that classic brands release. I hope Angelic pretty release more stuff like this in the future.

So I think this series is a very strong offering. It is a real shock to see Angelic Pretty put out a series like this, but it makes a nice break from all the pastel cutesy prints. The print is gorgeous and I like the richer colours. AP have done a good job with the dress designs too. There are a few things I would change here and there, but overall I think they are quite appealing. Would I buy this series? I wont be putting it on my wishlist just yet, but I do really like this series. Despite not liking the bow, I would go for the Long JSK in ivory. I can't resist that beautiful bottom hem!


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