First up is the Shirring Pinafore JSK. Despite being fully shirred, the bodice shape is surprisingly good. I still don't think the overall appearance of the shirring looks very appealing though. There are 2 sets of straps. They look a reasonably good width but I feel only one set of straps is really needed. The straps are also quite basic looking, although with double straps this is probably for the best because they would look too fussy with lots of extra details. The waist area has a large solid coloured bow. The shape of the bow is a bit basic and it looks a bit plain, but it sits quite nicely on the dress. The good thing is, this bow is detachable so there is always the option to remove it or reposition it. The front centre of the bodice features a ruffle topped with many small bows. The ruffle is lined with lace, but it is kept quite subtle and is a good match for the subtle bits of colour in the print. For example, the pink version above uses gold lace which matches up with the gold in the print. The bows and buttons on top of the ruffle have been well spaced out and avoids looking too overcrowded. I think the bows have been shaped quite cutely and the buttons have an interesting design to them. The neckline is topped with 2 bows at the bases of the straps. I think the bows could have done with being a bit smaller in size but otherwise, they are a very cute shape. These 2 bows are detachable. Although the bodice already has a lot of bows, I think I would leave these 2 bows attached, as the straight neckline looks too plain without them there. As the name suggests, the back of the dress is fully shirred as well. I still dislike the look of the shirring but I admit I am surprised at how well fitted the bodice appears to be. The waist ties will help to pull the dress in further for smaller wearers, so there is a good amount of size flexibility. The stock photos show there is a lot of potential to create a very cute shape with the skirt. It has lots of volume and it flares outwards beautifully. The skirt design is kept simple and so the print is displayed excellently as well. The bottom hem is finished off neatly with a chiffon ruffle, which compliments the solid coloured chiffon bows on the dress very well.
This is the A-Line JSK. The bodice is a very peculiar shape and there is no defined waist line. The straps are a good width and look quite supportive. They are lined neatly with lace both on the inside and outside. The bodice features 2 thin lines of lace running vertically which gives the dress a more panelled look and fills in the empty areas with a bit of subtle detail. The chest area features a solid coloured chiffon bow. The bow is quite a cute shape and although a bit large, I don't think it looks too bad. It has a sweet little star charm in the centre as well. This bow is detachable and although I like the bow, I think I would position it differently to how Meta have chosen to place it. The neckline is very straight and lacks any real shape. The double chiffon ruffle helps to soften the straight neckline, but I think the ruffles give the area a very messy appearance. The chiffon sticks up oddly and I don't particularly like the placement either. The bases of the straps feature 2 detachable bows. The bows are a cute shape and size but I really dislike the way they look teamed with the chiffon ruffle and also the detachable chest bow. So I would definitely detach the strap bows. There are not that many pictures of this dress available but the sketches suggest the back has a shirring panel which hasn't been covered with anything, so is quite exposed. I really dislike the skirt shape. I appreciate the dress is meant to be A-Line, but in this case it looks like the skirt flares out too low down. When the skirt eventually does flare outwards, the skirt shape is then too rounded for an A-Line dress. The end result is quite awkward and reminds me a bit of a lampshade. The ruffle halfway down the skirt only emphasises the strange skirt shape and I really dislike it. This ruffle is topped with some detachable bows. I think the bows are a little bit big, but otherwise I think they look okay. Despite a bit of weirdness going on with the skirt, the print is still displayed quite well. The bottom hem is then finished off with lurex lace.
This is the Bustle Pinafore JSK. The bodice looks fairly well fitted and I really love the overall bodice shape. The heart shaped neckline could have been a little bit softer though. The straps are very thick and look very supportive. Meta could have maybe gotten away with making them a little bit thinner. The outside of the straps are finished off with a chiffon ruffle, which has been well shaped and I think looks very cute. It matches the chiffon on the bottom hem. The thin crossed halter neck straps are a nice little finishing touch too. The waist area is topped with a big bow. The bow size isn't too bad for the style of dress. The shape of the bow is simple but well formed and the bow looks so perky. It doesn't appear to droop at all and it holds its shape well. However, despite liking the waist bow, I sort of don't feel it is really needed with the rest of the bodice details. Sadly it doesn't appear as though this bow is detachable so there is no option to try the dress without it. The bodice is split in to panels by some thin lace, which has been used quite neatly. The front middle panel has been topped with a different kind of material. I don't think this change in material looks bad, but I think I would have preferred it if this extra material wasn't here. This middle panel is topped with cute buttons and bows. The bows and buttons are well spaced out, although I still feel it could have looked better without the waist bow. The 2 identical bows are a cute shape. They could have possibly been a little bit smaller, but I think they look quite good. These bows are in a colour which appears a little bit in the print. Although this works with the blue and purple colour ways, I think on the pink version the bow colour looks a bit off. The top bow is a bit bigger and has a more intricate design to it. It is nicely shaped and I love how it has been done. There is even a cute star charm dangling from the centre of it. The neckline is also lined neatly with some thin lace which keeps things very tidy. The back is filly shirred, which means the shirring is quite exposed. It would have been nice to have one option where the shirring panel is a bit smaller and topped with a ribbon corset for smaller wearers. The stock photos show the skirt has a very plump shape to it. It has lots of volume and flares outwards well. I think it could have been slightly longer in length though. The front of the skirt is kept very simple with just a thin line of lace and 2 small bows. The lace blends in and doesn't affect the skirt shape at all. So the print is displayed very well. The back of the skirt has a bustle which has a good shape to it. The tiers are well spaced out and layered on top of each other brilliantly. The material used is lovely and soft too, so it shouldn't add too much bulk at the back. The bottom hem is then finished off neatly with a chiffon ruffle, which blends in nicely with the bustle at the back.
And finally, here is the print. This series comes in purple (which looks dark blue to me), powder blue and pink. I think the pink has a slightly odd colour combination, but the other 2 colours work quite well. As for the print itself, it is very cute. I do feel the animals in the print are a bit simply drawn, but are still very sweet and have a nice bit of shading on them to give them a bit of extra depth. The clouds are suitably fluffy. The pots of candy are cute. It sort of reminds me of a slightly more dreamy version of Candy Star Rabbit. It is good there is a sax blue colour, as it offers a different colour to CSR. The print is split up neatly with smooth lines but overall the layout of the print is quite simple. I do love the stars and moons in the stripy non border part of the print though.
So overall the print is nice enough but I am not sold on the dress designs. To be fair, I feel the Shirred JSK turned out quite well considering it is fully shirred but it isn't my sort of thing. I can't stand the A-Line JSK at all. Would I buy this series? Probably not, although there are some decent options. If I were to go for this series I would pick the Bustle Pinafore JSK in purple. I feel this dress design is the most well thought out and it looks quite pretty. I really like the hair accessories and the socks from this series. It is definitely worth having a look at this series but for me personally, it isn't wishlist worthy.
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