Oxford's Tea Party Club Calendar Meet

This year the Oxford group decided to take part in the Tea Party Club calendar again. We got given August as our assigned month again this time, which proved a challenge in a dreary, rainy Oxford in the middle of November. However, I think we did a much better job of hiding the Autumn leaves this time around.

This time our shoot theme was Marie Antoinette. I was torn between wearing Fancy Egg and Cinderella Jewellery for the photo shoot. In the end, I chose Fancy Egg because the lighter colours are a bit more Summery. It gave me the perfect excuse to wear my Stocking Shock tricorn hat. I teamed it with my blouse from The Floral Notebook. The sleeves are definitely too long on me and I had to choose between rolling them up slightly or letting them fall down and covering up my gloves and wrist accessories. Aside from blouse issues, the outfit came together okay. I found the perfect matching jewellery and the print on the dress fitted the theme really well. 

We decided on a couple of different locations for the photos. The problem with Oxford is that a lot of the buildings are small or tourist traps, so it is very difficult to fit our groups in places without causing a lot of havoc. So we stuck to outdoor locations. Lauren's sister very kindly agreed to take the photos. She was very patient with us, even when some of us wanted individual shots. 

When we were doing some of the smaller group photos that wont be used for the calender, I decided to try and coax this pigeon in to getting in the photos! And I was successful! Sammi and Shalisa didn't seem to mind.

We also went in to one of the colleges to take full advantage of the beautiful architecture we have here. I really liked this location and I hope we use one of these photos in the final calendar picture. When you live so close to Oxford and visit so frequently, sometimes it is easy to forget about the beautiful surroundings.

This picture is from the college garden. If we weren't so busy taking photos I would have loved to have taken a stroll around the gardens. All the leaves were such pretty colours. 

A close-up of my accessories. I am really getting in to gloves at the moment. They are a bit awkward when you are trying to use your phone or eat something though, so I have to keep taking them off!

Afterwards we went to Noodle Nation for food. Loads of places were full, but we did bump in to Bethanie and the food is tasty so I am glad we came here. This is the fortune I got in my fortune cookie. I have no idea what it means!

I am very confident we got a good picture this year and I can't wait to see them. I felt absolutely exhausted after the photos and I was recovering from another cold, but I am glad I made the effort to come. I just wish my tricorn didn't keep falling off during the photos!

Magical Night Theatre by Angelic Pretty

Today I shall be taking a look at Magical Night Theatre by Angelic Pretty. This series includes 2 dresses, a salopette, a skirt, 2 hair accessories, a cutsew and socks.

This is the OP. The bodice looks a bit baggy in some stock photos, but the shape is interesting. The sleeves look a good length, although I am not really liking the use of chiffon. This is quite a bold print and the fabric looks too soft and floaty. The cuffs also look a bit strange teamed with the chiffon. The cuff design is quite cute though. I like the gold lace and card suit themed buttons.

Here we have a close up of the bodice. I really like the shape of the heart neckline and collar. A part of me wishes AP had just made this dress a JSK and not bothered with the sleeves at all (a bit like the Bare JSK from the Starry Night Theatre series). The collar is very smart looking and shaped well. The lace lining the collar sits nicely and is well gathered. The material used for the bow on the collar is a bit shiny though. The great thing about the collar is that it is all detachable and there are many different ways you can wear it. You could detach just the bow, or remove the frilly jabot part as well (I personally quite like the jabot though) and just use the collar. Although I like the shape of the dress neckline underneath, I think the lace could have been done better. Part of the reason why I like the jabot is that it disguises this and the jabot helps create an interesting shape anyway. 

I think the waist bow is a bit too big. It has a pretty shape to it though and looks quite firm. I like how it is lined with gold lace, although I'm not too fond of the white lace used as well. The centre of the bodice has a strip with buttons running down it and is lined with a lace ruffle on either side. The buttons are well spaced out and use the same cute card suit themed design. I think the lace is a bit messy looking though. There is a little bow at the top, which is slightly concealed by the jabot. Although the bow is a cute shape, I don't think it is that well positioned and the colour seems slightly off. The stock photos for the brown and black versions of this dress suggest this bow is detachable, and I would definitely remove it or at least position it differently. The bodice also features 2 lines of lace which looks like rik-rak on either side of the bodice which adds unnecessary distraction and doesn't look very appealing either. This dress does not offer any shirring and has limited size flexibility. The stock photos show the skirt has lots of volume. The shape is pretty and there is the potential to create a really lovely full, rounded shape. It will hold more than enough petticoat. The skirt design is kept simple and the print is displayed brilliantly. The bottom hem is then finished off with a tidy line of gold braid and some crown themed lace. I was a bit surprised with their choice of crown themed lace, as AP have used other lace before which would fit the print theme a lot more. The lace itself is quite pretty though.

Here we have the JSK. I think the bodice shape is okay, but it could have been done better. This shape is not going to flatter everybody and it doesn't look very forgiving in the chest area. The straps are a good width and look quite supportive. They are mainly concealed by the lapels that make up the tuxedo design of the bodice. The tux design matches up perfectly with the theatre theme of the print and the shape is interesting. I like the subtle use of gold studs on the lapels as I think it is quite classy looking. I am not so fond of the white lace used to line the tuxedo parts though. I think the lace should have either been the same colour as the main part of the dress or not been there at all. If the lace wasn't there, it would have given the edges a sharp, crisp appearance which could have looked quite smart. The bodice also features random lines of lace which looks like rik-rak. I don't like rik-rak anyway, but on this dress this lace just looks too fussy. The tuxedo part creates an interesting shape at the waist line and I like how it continues down the skirt slightly. However, I dislike it teamed with the waist bow. I am not entirely convinced this dress really needs the waist bow. The bow is quite big in size, although the shape is quite pretty and it sits nicely on the dress. I think it is a shame this bow isn't detachable, as I definitely would prefer the dress without it. The middle part of the bodice is neatly pleated and has a nice texture and look to it. However, it does feature more of that lace that looks like rik-rak trim. It does blend in a bit better with the design here though. The buttons on the bodice are well spaced out. I like the band of colour at the neckline. This is topped with a bow, which again is made from quite shiny material. The shape and size is okay though. The back has a panel of shirring which is well hidden by the massive halter-neck straps and large waist ties. I do feel that both the straps and the ties make the back too bulky but at least the shirring is well concealed. The stock photos show the skirt has a lovely, rounded shape to it. It is very full and plump and flares out well. The skirt is kept quite simple and the print is displayed fantastically. The bottom hem is then finished off in the same way as the OP with braid and lace. 

And here we have part of the print close up. This series is available in wine, navy blue, black and brown. I feel the brown may be the odd one out here, as it looks a bit washed out and out-of-place next to the other colours. I think a circus print needs fairly bright colours. As for the print itself, as much as I want to like it, it is way too cluttered. All the separate components are pretty and drawn well. I especially like the rabbit jumping out the hat. But there is a strange mix of themes going on here. Is this meant to be a circus themed print or Alice in Wonderland? Or perhaps a casino theme or a party theme with the wine bottle? I just can't make sense of it. There is far too much going on here and the busy background only adds to the problem. It is a shame because if the different items in the print had been in other prints they could have worked out quite nicely, but this mixture of items is just confusing and messy.

I really love what AP have done with the socks for this series. The tuxedo top is so cute! I do feel the ribbon bows are a bit too shiny, but it is such a sweet design. It is such a shame I can't justify getting these!

So aside from the socks, I find this series overly complicated and messy. There are too many themes going on and I am not fond of the print. I feel there is a lot that could be done to improve the dress designs too. So it is probably very obvious that I wont be buying this series. If I had to, I would go for the JSK in black or navy. I am really not impressed though, and this is coming from somebody who has loved previous AP circus prints like Starry Night Theatre. Judging by the site, this series looks as though it is a slow-seller, and I can definitely see why.

Vote For Me?

So despite not being the most E-famous lolita out there, I decided to give the Metamorphose Co-ordinate contest a go anyway. I would really appreciate it if you could vote for me.

I was really happy with how this Twinkle Journey outfit came out. In fact, I think it is one of my best ever outfits. It is a shame that most of these Facebook contests are more about how many friends you have, rather than the actual outfit, but I am so grateful to everybody who has voted for me so far. I really appreciate it.

You can vote for my entry by finding the Metamorphose temps de fille page on Facebook, finding the contest entries and then clicking 'like' on my entry. I entered under the name Luna so people would know it was me.

My entry-https://www.facebook.com/metamorphose.temps.de.fille/photos/a.397157150432742.1073741829.156442371170889/397162047098919/?type=3&theater

Thank you so much to everybody who votes for me!

Night Carnival by Metamorphose

Today I shall be taking a look at Night Carnival by Metamorphose. This series includes 3 dresses, a skirt, 4 hair accessories, tights, socks, a necklace and wrist cuffs.

This is the High Waist Pinafore JSK. The bodice is well fitted and the shape is interesting. The straps are a decent width. I am not so keen on the rik-rak used on the straps, but it is kept reasonably subtle. What I really love about the straps is the use of tulle. It is so frothy and cute looking. The tulle is shaped well too. There is a waist bow, which is a bit big but I think it suits the dress. It looks very perky and sits well on the dress. I love the adorable moon and star charm that dangles from the waist bow too. The bodice features gold lace which gives the bodice a panelled look. Then, going across the bodice, there are 2 lines of rik-rak topped with bows. Again, I really dislike rik-rak but it hasn't been used too badly and doesn't grab much attention. The bows are well spaced out and the size is good. The material used for the gold bows feels a bit cheap (I know this because I modelled this dress at Revelry) but looks-wise they are quite cute. I like that the neckline is not straight, although I feel it could do with some of the thin gold lace running along it to liven it up a bit. The back of the bodice features a generous panel of shirring, which is well concealed by a ribbon corset. The skirt is very full and has more than enough volume. It is possible to create a really pretty shape. The skirt also has a decent amount of length to it too. The skirt features a subtle line of rik-rak near the top but it isn't that noticeable. The print is displayed really well. The bottom hem is then finished off with a cute tulle ruffle, which matches the straps well. 

Here we have the Shirring Pinafore JSK. The bodice is fully shirred and it does give the bodice an unfortunate shape. It looks very lumpy. For some reason, this bodice teamed with the straps and the way the shirring has been done, give it a very slouchy appearance. There are actually 2 sets of thin straps on this dress (I thought it was one pair when I first saw the photos) but I think one set of straps would have been better. The double strap doesn't add much to the design and the straps are very plain looking. One thinner set of straps with a bit of decoration would have looked prettier. The waist bow is a bit on the big side, although the shape is cute and it sits well on the dress. The shirring on the front of the bodice is broken up, just for one little line of fabric in the middle. This little line is lined with 2 tulle ruffles and topped with alternating bows and star shaped buttons. The buttons and bows are cute. I like the size of the bows and the placing is good. However, I feel this OTT detail is very in contrast with the shirred bodice. The shirring gives the bodice a casual feel and all this detail in the centre just doesn't match it. The only positive is that these details distract attention away from the shirring a little bit. Just like the front, the back is fully shirred and it looks very exposed and unappealing. The stock photos show the skirt is very full with plenty of volume. It flares out well. The skirt features a tulle ruffle topped with rik-rak, which I don't feel is needed at all. It is kept near the top of the skirt, away from the print though, so it isn't too distracting. The print itself is displayed fairly well. The bottom hem is then finished with a double ruffle, which is cute looking.

This is the Ribbon Pinafore JSK. The bodice shape is pretty and well fitted. The straps are a decent width. The straps also features shoulder ruffles, which are well shaped, although not the best choice if you have wide shoulders, The straps and neckline are topped with a detachable tulle topped collar. This collar is well shaped and matches up with the use of the material elsewhere on the dress. The collar is dotted with pearls, which is a nice added touch. I do dislike the bows that are on the collar though. I think the bows are too big and push the collar's OTT feel too far. Despite not liking how the collar looks from the back, I feel the dress neckline looks far too plain with the collar detached. So I would definitely leave the collar on. The waist bow on this dress is very big, but I think Meta have managed to pull it off. I feel the bow shape compliments the over-skirt and sort of "blends in" with it. The moon/star charm and additional beads add a bit of cute detail to the bow. However, if you dislike the waist bow it is detachable. The bodice features lines of thin gold lace, which help break up the bodice and gives a panelled look. Then in the centre there are 3 bows. I think the bows could do with being a bit smaller in size, but they are a very cute shape and nicely spaced out. The bows have some nice detail to them, with a double layer of gold and the dress colour. The back has a small panel of shirring, which is concealed neatly with a ribbon corset. The stock photos show the skirt has a very cute shape. It is full with the potential to hold a lot of petticoat. The over-skirt is nicely shaped and I like that you can still see the print really clearly. The over-skirt material has a lovely shimmer to it and is also lined neatly with gold lace. I love everything about the over-skirt! As mentioned, the print is still displayed quite well, despite all the detail going on. The bottom hem is finished off with gold rik-rak, topped with small bows, and then a cute ruffle to finish. The rik-rak does blend in quite well with the print, so I am not too bothered by it being there. The bows are a cute shape and a suitable size for where they are placed.

Finally, we have the print close-up. This series is available in pink, lavender and navy. If I am being honest, I only really like the lavender colour from this series. In my opinion, the pink colour looked a bit garish in person and whilst I am usually a navy blue fan, I am really not feeling the navy colour for this series at all. As for the print, I really like the bold use of colour. I lost count of how many colours I spotted in the print. The circus rides are drawn well and I quite like how the carousel horses have taken flight. The print is littered with stars and sparkles, giving it a magical feel. I wasn't a fan of the stripy background at first, but it has since grown on me. I like how the wavy line between the stripes/solid colour mimics a roller coaster and I think this is a clever idea.

So overall I think this is a bold and interesting series. Some dress designs are maybe weaker than others, but there is a lot of variety here. The print is very bold and striking. You can tell this is a Meta series! Would I buy this series? Probably not, but only because it isn't my usual style. If I did I would choose the lavender colour. I would go for either the High Waist JSK or the Ribbon Pinafore JSK. Maybe the High Waist JSK purely for sentimental reasons!

Metamorphose Magical Moonlight JSK Review

I had a request to do a review of my most recent dress purchase- Magical Moonlight by Metamorphose. I was very fortunate because although I missed the JSK I wanted when it first went up (it sold out SUPER fast) I asked Meta to put me on a waiting list in case one became available. What I was expecting was for Meta to get back to me so quickly! So when you are put on Meta's waiting list, they contact you when your items become available and you get sent a special link to purchase your items. They then expect you to pay within a week, or else the dress becomes available to either the next person on the list if there is somebody else, or goes back on their site. The whole ordering process was really straight forward and once the items are available, it is essentially the same process as if you were buying an item available in their online store. Metamorphose, in my opinion, is the easiest brand to order from. The person who dealt with me spoke very good English as well. 

My package also arrived super quick and I got it in time for the Oxford Halloween meet. My order was shipped in a sturdy box. It looks a bit bashed about in the photo, but that was from me ripping my personal information off the box. The box itself well sealed.

Inside was the usual letter that Meta give out with their orders, a spare shopping bag (I love that brands do this!) and my dress. There was a bit of space in the box for my order to move about, but the dress wasn't exactly fragile and I knew my dress would arrive safely.

And here is the dress! I wanted the Asymmetrical JSK in black and I refused to settle for another colour or dress cut. I already had a rough idea of what to expect, as Michaela modelled this dress at Revelry. The fabric has a reasonable amount of thickness to it but feels very light. It is thick enough that you can't see through the material. Although you can't really see it in the photo, the skirt has very neat, defined pleats. It creates a very interesting shape.

The lace and braid at the bottom. I think the lace design is quite pretty, although the lace is a bit stiff and scratchy. However, I find that a lot of gold coloured lace can be a bit like this and I have definitely experienced worse. The important thing is this scratchy lace isn't anywhere where it will be in contact with my body, so it isn't much of an irritant. I did find a few loose threads on the dress, but otherwise there were no issues.

The print is very crisp and clear. The colours are bold. I would say that the circles in the print are more of a yellow than gold. But there are enough gold details, such as the lace and these parts on the bodice, that the gold parts don't look out of place. The print also features a subtle amount of silver glitter which isn't too distracting, but adds a slight hint of shimmer.

The dress is lined on the inside. The material inside feels so soft and is very comfortable. There is no built-in petticoat, but given the shape of the skirt that wouldn't really work with this dress anyway. The asymmetrical design means you do see a bit of the skirt lining when worn, but it has been done very neatly and it was the skirt shape that first attracted me to this dress.

The chiffon ruffles on the chest area have been shaped well. I was convinced that I would need to detach these, but after wearing the dress I really prefer the dress with them attached. They add a bit of interest and extra texture to the dress.

I found the shirring panel on the back very accommodating. I didn't need to loosen the ribbon that much. I do feel the measurements given on the Meta website are accurate. It could possibly go a bit bigger than they say, but I would stick to the measurements given on the site. The ribbon only has a slight sheen to it and the shirring was barely noticeable when worn.

And here we can see how the detachable chest ruffles attach to the dress. The buttons feel quite secure and held the ruffles in place with no issues at all. 

Finally, here is a worn photo. I was just able to fit my Classical Puppets bell shaped petticoat underneath, which created a good shape. I did have to be a bit careful about my petticoat showing from underneath the shorter part at the front on the skirt though. But throughout the Halloween meet I had people reassuring me that they couldn't see it poking out. The only issue I really found when wearing the dress was the straps. I found they kept falling off my shoulders, probably because of where the dress sits. Because of the design Meta had to make the straps quite long and despite my broad shoulders, I did have to keep pulling the straps back up. But apart from this little issue, the dress is perfect and exactly what I was hoping for.

So overall, I am very pleased with my dress and the service I got from Metamorphose. Aside from the straps issue, I cannot find any faults with the dress. This series is one of the many reasons why Meta is one of my favourite brands. I couldn't be happier and this dress is definitely becoming one of my favourites in my wardrobe.

Electric Circus in the Moonlight Night by Alice and the Pirates

Today I shall be taking a look at Electric Circus in the Moonlight Night by Alice and the Pirates. This series includes 3 dresses (2 printed), a skirt, 2 hair accessories, a blouse and socks.

Here is JSK I. The bodice looks well fitted. The shape of the bodice is fairly simple but looks nice. I think the straps are a bit thin looking, but they suit the dress. There is lace lining the outside of the straps which gives them a more interesting appearance. It is not the nicest lace, but still of a good quality. I am not too keen on the matching line of lace along the waistline. I think with military style dresses, you can get away with a bit less lace and more sharper lines. So although the dress is already quite simple in design, I don't feel the lace at the waist is really that necessary. It doesn't look horrible though, so this is more of a minor nitpick. The bodice features a military design using braid and buttons. The braid is very pretty looking and the gold buttons feature a nice design on them. The lines of braid are spaced out well. There is a bit of space left at the top of the bodice to feature more of the print. It is a little unfortunate where the rosettes in this bit of print line up on the chest area though. The neckline is lined with good quality lace, which looks neat and gives a lovely finish. It goes well with the lace on the straps as well. The back has a panel of shirring, which has been concealed very neatly with a ribbon corset. The stock photos show the skirt has lots of volume and flares outwards nicely. It will hold plenty of petticoat. I also think the skirt shape suits the bodice brilliantly. The skirt design is kept free of clutter and the print is displayed beautifully. The bottom hem is then finished off with braid and lace, which matches up with the bodice details and looks very smart.

This is JSK II. The bodice shape is a bit simple but looks a good fit. The straps are a bit thin and flimsy looking but it suits the style of dress. The straps are very basic and plain looking though, with no extra details added to them. There is a waist bow, which I feel is a good size and shape. It looks very perky and doesn't droop at all. The centre of the bow also has a A/P logo charm, which really brings out the same colour in the print (in the case of this ivory colour way, the lovely gold colour). The bodice features 2 really tiny ribbon bows. These are not really that visible and I don't really get the point of them, apart from filling up what is otherwise a very simple bodice. There is also a pearl button between the 2 ribbon bows but again, it blends in to the background. The neckline features a line of gold rik-rak. Whilst rik-rak is not generally liked by a lot of people, it has been used in a very understated way and I don't feel it looks too bad. The neckline is also finished off with a ruffle of pleats, which makes the neckline a lot more interesting looking. The pleats have a great shape to them. The back of the dress is fully shirred, which means the shirring isn't concealed. However, the back of the dress is quite short, so perhaps AatP didn't feel they could fit a ribbon corset on top. It is a shame though, because the waist ties are thin straps, and it doesn't look as though they will offer much help to make the dress smaller. The stock photos show the skirt flares out well and has a lovely shape to it. It has enough volume too. The skirt design is again kept simple and the print is displayed well. The bottom hem is then finished off with a line of rik-rak and a pleated ruffle, which helps continue the neckline details.

And here we have part of the print close up. This print is available in ivory, red, green, brown and black. Whilst the brown looks a bit dreary and difficult to colour co-ordinate, the other colours look very pretty and work well with the print. As for the print itself, I love the shape of the tents and the way the fabric of the curtains drape. The print also uses very bold colours, which are perfect for a circus print. It is clever how the background spaces have been filled up with strings of lights, flying elephants and carnival rides. It is something more to look at, as well as the main circus tent part. I personally am not a fan of the performing animals in this print though. On closer inspection, the animals are wearing muzzles. It may be more accurate, but I feel a little uncomfortable having the muzzles in the print. Whilst I don't wish to put my head in the sand over such a strong issue, it is not something I would really want in a lolita print (I hope that makes sense). That aside though, I do feel this is otherwise a very pretty print which plays to AatP's strengths. 

The head bow from this series caught my attention because of the unusual shape. Whilst I probably wouldn't wear it, I do like the way the bow tails form a spiral shape. I am curious to know how this bow keeps its shape (I assume it is wired). Sometimes bows can get a bit boring, so I am always glad to see new ideas coming out.

This is quite a standard Alice and the Pirates series and I can see it doing well with the AatP fan base out there. I personally am not too fussed by this series though. If I had to go for this series I would choose JSK I in black. I think the print works best on the dark, black background. The print is nice looking enough and the military style of JSK I suits the print. I wont be buying this series myself though.

Ox Loli Halloween Meet 2014!

Over the weekend the Oxfordshire Lolitas had a meet to celebrate Halloween! Technically, we were a bit late because we held our meet on the 1st of November. Not that anybody seemed to mind!

I got to wear Magical Moonlight by Metamorphose! After thinking I had missed it, Meta told me one had become available and thankfully, it arrived in time. It was one of those situations where I wanted to wear the dress straight away. Sadly, my latest Taobao order is still in China, so I didn't have the matching hat I wanted and I had to make do with stuff I already owned. There are more gold accents in the outfit as well as the dress, but they didn't photograph that well. I don't feel the outfit turned out too bad though, and at least I will be fully prepared for next year! 

I made little favours for my guests. They had a choice of a skull or cauldron design. Unsurprisingly, almost everybody wanted the cauldron! I forgot to take a picture of the cauldron favours but this is what the skull one looked like. Inside there were little treats including Halloween themed tea lights and sweets.

After voting on the activity we wanted to do, the group opted for tarot card reading. It just so happens that a few of us in the group already enjoyed tarot cards, so we had plenty of people offering to do readings. I enjoyed looking at all the different decks people brought with them. I am hoping to get a new, more decorative set for Christmas (which is sneaking up way too quickly for my liking). 

Unfortunately, we forgot to take proper solo photos and group shots. All I really have is a few pictures of us standing around in a shopping mall and this photo of us trying to get all our dresses in! There were some very cute outfits at this meet. I enjoyed having a couple of fellow witches wearing both sweet and gothic styles. 

Afterwards a few of the group continued on and did Bill Spectre's Ghost Trail. A few of my older readers may remember that we did this trail back in 2011. A lot of new members have joined the Oxford group since then, so I believe I was the only one who had done the trail before. I didn't mind doing the trail again because it is a lot of fun! You really do get to see a different side to Oxford and the town is so pretty during the night. In fact, I actually prefer Oxford during the night time with all the old buildings eerily lit up. Bill Spectre was amazing once again and as theatrical as ever.

Some of the group even had a knife put through our arm! I wouldn't want to mess with Bill! I had my arm chopped as well, but I am a little embarrassed to put the photo on here! If you are friends with me on Facebook though, you should definitely take a look at the photo because the expression on my face is priceless.

So despite a few of us feeling very tired by the end of the day, I definitely feel this meet was worth it. Halloween is always a great time to have a laugh and be a bit silly. I really hope everybody enjoyed themselves. The previous Oxford meet felt like a lifetime ago and it was good to get back in the spirit of dressing up and meeting up with friends.

Chocolat Quartet by Angelic Pretty

Today I am looking at Chocolat Quartet by Angelic Pretty. This series includes 4 dresses, a skirt, a salopette, a head bow, a parka, a cutsew, shoes, a bag, a sash and 2 pairs of wrist cuffs.

This is the Princess Sleeve OP. The bodice looks well fitted and the shape is lovely. I think the sleeve design is very cute. The flared part of the sleeves has a good shape to them, although the overall sleeve length may not be flattering on everybody. The flared part of the sleeves is built up with different layers of solid material and lace, which has been done fairly well. I am not too keen on the polka dot lace here though. The area where the sleeves start to flare is topped with a looped braid design and a bow. I feel that despite the OTT nature of this dress, the braid and bow are a bit too much. I think the bow needs to be a bit smaller and I wouldn't have bothered with the braid at all. The waist area features a bow which is a bit large, but has a pretty shape to it. It sits nicely on the dress too and even features a little musical note charm. The bow is decorated neatly with braid and gold lace too. The bodice has a triangular design to it with all lines of material and lace running diagonally up the bodice. The lace sits very well and has been done neatly. However, I don't really like the triangular design paired with the military details. Something about it just doesn't appeal to me. The gold buttons and chains used for the military details are very pretty though, and also well spaced out. The neck area has a large jabot. The jabot itself is nicely made and I like the materials used. For some reason, I dislike the way it looks with this dress, so I am glad it is detachable. However, I am not so fond of the way the dress looks with it detached either! The dress underneath has a tulle panel around the neck area and finishes with a simple neck ruffle. This panel is lined with wide lace along the edge, which I think is too wide and I dislike where this lace is on the dress. The panel itself looks too simple in comparison to the rest of the dress. There is also an additional ribbon bow, which is a bit shiny, but has a lovely shape and a cute musical note charm. This bow is also detachable. So it may be a case of experimenting to see what combination looks best. The back of the bodice offers no shirring, so the size flexibility is a bit limited. The stock photos show the skirt looks very full with the potential to hold lots of petticoat. It flares outwards well and has a lovely bell shape. The skirt features 2 bands of musical print ribbon running down the whole length of the skirt. The bands themselves are quite pretty and fit well with the print, but I wish they hadn't used the gold rik-rak because it is very cheap looking. There are also 2 shiny ribbon bows which sit quite awkwardly on top of these bands, where the top of the print starts. I don't like the way they have been positioned and I feel they just get in the way. If there has to be bows on the skirt, I think they should have been placed a lot nearer to the bottom and out of the way of the print. The bottom hem is then finished off with pretty crown themed lace. I was a little surprised AP didn't choose something more musical themed but the crown lace is pretty nice looking.

Here we have the second OP of the series. The bodice looks well fitted and the shape is interesting. The straight sleeve design is quite mature looking and seems a good match for the overall theme. I do feel it is a little boring though. The cuffs of the sleeves are very cute though. The pretty buttons, braid and shape of the cuffs are lovely and look neat. There is a waist bow, which is very big. The shape is pretty though and it doesn't look droopy, despite its size. Again, the waist bow is decorated with braid and gold lace. It is a pretty design and suits the rest of the dress. The bodice features a line of buttons and lace. The buttons are well spaced out and the lace sits very nicely. This dress features a melting chocolate shaped collar. The collar is nicely shaped and the melted chocolate layers sit nicely on top of each other. The bow is a cute way to finish off the collar too. However, I do feel the cute collar clashes a little with the more mature sweet style. If the collar had been detachable, I feel it would be a lot better. The back does not offer any shirring, so again the size flexibility is limited. The melting collar has a nice, neat shape on the back. The stock photos show the skirt is very full and nicely rounded. It flares outwards well with lots of volume. The skirt is kept relatively simple, and the print is displayed really well. The bottom hem is then finished off with crown themed lace.

This is the Collar JSK. The bodice is a really cute shape, although the material looks a bit loose and baggy in some of the stock photos. The straps are a decent width and look quite supportive. The straps are topped with a folded over collar, which looks very smart and neat. The collar is lined with lace and it gives the collar a more interesting look. I love the collar shape and how it is attached to the bodice. The bodice sort of mimics a waistcoat, and I think it looks great. The waist area features a belt, which nips in the waist area very well and looks quite neat. The belt is detachable, but I would personally leave it on, as it really pulls the dress design together. It maybe looks a bit too plain without the belt there. The belt is topped with a bow, which is a suitable size and is well shaped. The bodice features lines of braid and gold lace. These tend to blend in with the print, but gives the bodice a smarter look. The bodice is then finished off with a military theme with buttons and small chains. The buttons and chains are well placed and the button design is pretty. The back has a panel of shirring which is concealed neatly with a ribbon corset. The skirt shape is pretty and very plump looking. It will hold plenty of petticoat. The skirt design is kept simple and so the print is displayed beautifully. The bottom hem is then finished off with the same pretty crown lace.

And here we have the Napoleon JSK. The bodice looks well fitted and is an interesting shape. I like the idea of the bodice being a vest shape, although because this vest style carries on to the skirt, there is a bit of a crease created at the waist area. The straps are a good width for the dress. I think AP could have gotten away with making them just slightly thicker, but they seem okay. The straps, neckline and edges of the 'vest' are all lined neatly with braid. It gives the dress a very smart appearance. The braid is also used further on the bodice to create a military style. The braid is used nicely and the gold buttons are very pretty too. The only part I am not so keen on is the braid tied in to a bow at the neckline. I don't feel this is really needed. Both sides of the bodice also have subtle lines of thin lace, which blend in well with the rest of the design. The back is fully shirred, so the shirring isn't concealed at all. It does look a bit unappealing. The skirt shape is very pretty. There is the potential to create a very pretty silhouette here. The skirt has lots of volume and flares out well. The skirt design is kept simple, although the pleats mean the print is a tiny bit obscured in places. The bottom hem is then finished off with crown lace again.

And here we have part of the print close up (Apologies for the smaller picture. It was difficult to get hold of this picture). This series is available in ivory, mint, pink and brown. These are pretty standard colours for yet another AP chocolate print. As for the print itself, I am trying to keep an open mind, but I am really bored of AP chocolate prints at the moment. I suppose the musical instruments do add a slightly fresher twist though and it is interesting how AP have managed to make them fit the chocolate theme. I especially like the chocolate piano keys at the bottom. The instruments are drawn well. My favourite is the trombone with the flag hanging from it. The chocolate diamond pattern and stripy background are quite bold. It gives the print a less cutesy feel than some previous chocolate prints. It is a nice enough print, but how much you like this series will depend on how much of an AP chocolate print fan you are.

My favourite item from this series is definitely this violin bag. Violin shaped bags are quite common in lolita, especially when it comes to classic lolita brands. But Angelic Pretty have gone for something a little bit different. It is a little bit sweeter but very mature looking. The simple square shape with violin details is very classy looking. Also, it looks like it will hold a lot more than a violin shaped bag! If I had more brown in my wardrobe, I would definitely consider buying this bag.

So overall, I feel this series is nice enough, but it would be nice to have a bit of a break from all the chocolate themed stuff! That being said, I am glad that AP chose musical instruments this time. I am still waiting for the inevitable AP chocolate carnival print, which would combine both of their most frequently used themes. Would I buy this series? No, I wouldn't. I am more interested in the bag than the dresses. If I had to, I would go for the Collar JSK in ivory. I like the more mature look and I am not really sure I like either of the OPs from this series. The Napoleon JSK would be a close second.