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.
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