Frilly Ninja Custom Bolero Review

I was casually browsing Storenvy when I came across the Frilly Ninja and spotted their Belle bolero. I have been searching for a navy blue bolero for a while, but I wanted a long sleeve design. So I decided to drop the owner a message to ask if they would mind making me a Belle bolero, but with full length sleeves. Luckily, my wish was granted!

The store owner's communication was good and she responded to my emails very quickly. I felt like my needs were met and I was offered 3 different designs for the full length sleeves. Once I had given my arm measurement and picked my design, I was told the bolero would take 2 weeks to make. It actually took less time than that and my bolero was shipped out super quickly as well. My bolero cost £30 and that included tracked shipping. The bolero was shipped in a plastic mail bag and was well sealed.

Inside, my bolero was wrapped up in tissue paper and I had a nice little note from the store owner as well. The bolero was well packaged and I don't think there was much more that could have been done to improve this.

And here is the finished bolero! The colour is perfect and exactly what I was after. I knew from the listing that the material would be light and this bolero is definitely more for adding a light layer than keeping warm. The material is similar to what you may see used for a blouse. The only potential issue I can see here is the material looks like it might wrinkle a little bit when stored away.

The stitching was generally quite neat. The ruffles were nicely gathered and created a lovely shape when worn. The sizing was also perfect for wearing over a dress for me.

The stitching on the inside was also neatly done. I was surprised to see the thread used here was black, but you can't see the black at all from the outside.

The ribbon was cut very neatly, although I am a little worried the ends will start fraying eventually. The ribbon is a bit shiny and I am sure I recognise it from Hobbycraft. The ribbon choice could have been better but it is not awful either.

I was very pleased with the fit. The arm length was spot on and finished perfectly at my wrist area. As you can probably see from the photo, the material at the cuffs is not 100% opaque an you can see some light coming through. The main part of the bolero is not like this though.

So overall, I would say that the customer service I received was perfect and the seller was very friendly and easy to talk to. As for the bolero, the materials could have been better in places but the design is very pretty. The bolero fitted my arms perfectly. For some reason, boleros for lolita can be quite difficult to find, so I was quite grateful that the Frilly Ninja went to the effort of altering her Belle design for me. The bolero is not brand quality, but for the price I paid I think what I got was quite good value for money. I will still be keeping an eye out for my dream bolero (AP's Romantic Ribbon bolero in navy blue, in case anybody was wondering!) but I am glad I now own a navy blue bolero.