First up today is the Sistina JSK. The bodice seems fairly well fitted, although the shape is a bit dull. I suppose the v-shaped waist line livens it up a little bit, but I don't feel the gold lace lining the waist line looks that neat. The neckline is a bit too straight and I dislike the look of how the straps attach to the bodice. The straps are an okay width and are probably reasonably supportive but they are kept plain and look a bit too basic. The bodice has been broken up in to panels, which has been done fairly well. The edges of the panels have been lined with pretty lace but unfortunately it doesn't look as though the lace sits that well on the dress. Something else I am not fond of is the wide lace running right down the middle of the bodice. There is just something about it that looks a bit 'off' to me and I don't feel the choice of lace is the prettiest either. There is another line of the same white and gold lace running horizontally across the bodice at the chest area, so the lace forms a cross shape. As far as religious imagery goes, I suppose this lace cross is a bit more subtle, especially with the additional lace along the neckline. I can't say I am a fan though. I do like the lace running along the neckline. It is wide, but it has a lovely design to it and the gathering gives the area a soft, frilly appearance. The bases of the straps and the centre of the lace cross are topped with ribbon bows. The choice of ribbon with the gold printed design is gorgeous and the bows are a cute shape too. The bows could have perhaps been a little bit smaller in size though. Whilst I like the bows, I don't feel all 3 bows are needed and it makes the chest area look a bit too crowded. So I wouldn't have bothered with the ribbon bow on the lace cross and would have just had the 2 strap bows. The back has a panel of shirring which is topped neatly with a ribbon corset. The stock photos show the skirt doesn't seem to flare outwards that much, although you can tell this dress hasn't been designed to be worn with lots of puffy petticoat. For the model photos, Baby have chosen to use an underskirt to get that shape that is quite popular with classic at the moment. This proves to work out quite nicely. I am a little puff off by the gathering at the bottom of the skirt because it obscures the print a bit too much for my liking. I think if you are going to do this sort of gathered bottom, you need the border print to be a little higher up so the gathering doesn't affect how the print is displayed. I think the gathered bits and the bows on top need to be positioned a little further apart from each other. I like how soft and delicate these bows at the bottom of the dress are. The bottom of the printed fabric is finished with some really beautiful lace, which I think is a great choice for this dress. The bottom is then finished off with 2 soft tulle ruffles underneath. The tulle is well layered and really helps to balance out the bottom hem, creating a lovely finish.
Here we have the Croce JSK. The bodice looks well fitted and although the bodice shape is a little simple, it looks quite nice. The straps are a bit thin, but these thinner straps suit the style of dress better. The straps are lined with some really pretty lace on the outsides. I like how the lace has been gathered and how soft the lace looks. There is a large waist bow made of lace, which I feel looks a bit droopy. It definitely could have been shaped better, although a lot of the drooping will be down to the material choice. The lace fabric does look pretty though. Perhaps Baby could have layered this lace over some more sturdy fabric. I like that the edges of the bow have been lined with gold braid and the mini tassels dangling from the centre are just the right size. This waist bow is detachable and I do feel the dress looks better with it detached. The chest area of the bodice is gathered, with the edges of this panel being lined with a bold, pleated trim. The trim is lovely, but I feel the pleats line running along the chest area could have been placed a bit lower down. This detail may sit strangely on the chest area of some wearers. I also feel that the other pleat line running along the neckline and continuing to the arm pit area looks a bit messily done. I would have just had some gold braid and subtle lace running along the neckline instead as I feel this would have sat better on the dress. There are 3 bows positioned in a similar way to they way they are on the other JSK. However, the bows look a bit sloppily shaped on this JSK (hopefully it is just how it looks in the stock photos and more care will be put in to the actual customer's dresses). Like the other JSK, I think the ribbon used for the bodice bows is beautiful and I feel that only the 2 strap bows are needed. The back of the dress has a panel of shirring which has again been topped very neatly with a ribbon corset. The stock photos show the skirt has plenty of volume and it flares out very well. There is the potential to create a really pretty, full shape here. The skirt design is kept simple, so the print is displayed beautifully. The bottom hem is then finished off with gold braid and 3 layers of lace. The lace layers sit well on top of each other and I love the design of the top layer of lace. I am a little undecided if I like the appearance of the diamond lace here though.
Next up is the Palatina OP. The whole of the bodice has gathered material which could of looked okay, but teamed with the style of straps looks a bit slouchy. The lacy shoulders are pretty and I adore the lace used along the neckline. The lace sits really well along the neckline and has been well gathered to create an interesting appearance. However, the off-the-shoulder style of the printed fabric looks terrible to me. It looks cheap and adds to the slouchy appearance of the bodice. It looks frumpy. I really dislike the style of sleeves too and feel they look lumpy. The bows topping the sleeves add unnecessary bulk. The line of lace running along the edge of the printed fabric sticks out at an awkward angle as well and I think it looks terrible. I really wish Baby hadn't bothered using lace along this line at all. The waist area features a belted design, which helps to add some shape and define the waist area. I love the materials used for the belt too, with the lace overlaid the solid fabric. It gives the belt an interesting texture without being too attention-grabbing. The belt is long enough to tie a decent bow too. This belt is obviously detachable, but I feel the belt helps to smarten the dress up. The bodice features a lace cross like the one on the Sistina JSK, and I still feel it looks a bit weird. The top of the lace cross is topped with a ribbon bow, using that same really pretty gold printed ribbon. The bow is a cute shape and size, and is one of the few things I actually like about the bodice. The back of the dress offers no shirring, so size flexibility is a bit limited. The back looks strangely plain, compared to the gathered front. The stock photos show the skirt has a good amount of length to it. I still feel this style of long dress looks a lot like an elaborate nightgown, but I know other lolitas are in to this sort of style and I am sure this will appeal. The skirt has a good amount of volume for the style of skirt. The skirt design is kept simple and so the print is displayed very well. The bottom hem is then finished off with a subtle line of gold braid and then alternating layers of lace and tulle. The layers sit well on top of each other. However, I really hate the lace used here and would have preferred 3 layers of tulle instead.
And finally, here is one part of the print close up...
... and here is another part (Baby haven't exactly provided the best stock photos for this print...). This series comes in ecru, sepia, bordeaux and navy blue. The 2 lighter colours work very well with the print and give off quite a 'heavenly' look. The navy blue offers a bolder option. I personally am not that keen on the bordeaux because I don't feel this colour works that well with the colours in the print. As for the print itself, the border part is quite pretty but nothing really amazes me about it. The paneled appearance is quite well set out and it reminds me of the style of walls you find in some stately homes. I like all the little swirls and the images inside the circles are quite bold and really stand out. I am really not a fan of the non-border part of the print with the diamond lay-out. It reminds me of tiles.
So this series is okay, but I don't feel it is anything special. There are things I would change about each dress design and I don't like the OP at all. The print is nice enough but it doesn't really stand out. There is nothing particularly original or unique about it. I think there are other similar Baby prints which are a lot nicer. So this is probably not a series I will be buying. If I were to go for this series, my top choice would be the Croce JSK in either ecru or sepia. But to be honest, I am more interested in the crown themed jewellery and accessories that are a part of this series.
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