Little Squirrel by Metamorphose

Today I shall be taking a look at Little Squirrel by Metamorphose. This series includes 3 dresses, an apron skirt, another skirt, a petticoat, a squirrel shaped bag, 3 hair accessories, socks and tights.

First up is the Shirt Dress. The bodice seems well fitted. I think the bodice shape and the sleeves are a little bit simple but actually, this simpler shape works very well. The sleeves seem to be a reasonable length and I like how the cuffs have been gathered. It gives the cuffs a cute shape. They are finished off so neatly with lace as well, and the bows topping the cuffs are a suitable size. I am a little put off by the bows being stripy though and I dislike the lines of lace running down the sleeves. I am also not a fan of the line of buttons running all the way down on this dress, as I feel the line of buttons spoils the print. The buttons are also very basic in design, there are too many of them, and I find my eyes are drawn too much to them. I would have much preferred to have had a zip on the back of the bodice instead of this way to get in to the dress. The bodice features 4 large bows, 2 printed fabric bows and 2 stripy. The listing would suggest that the stripy bows on the bodice are in fact brooches and the waist bow is detachable as well. The bows are all decently shaped, but I think when all 4 bows are on the dress it looks overloaded. I would definitely detach the stripy bows, as I think it would look a lot less crowded with those detached. I also feel the stripes are a theme too far, as there is a lot going on with the dress already. The shape of the collar is very cute and I think it is a good size. It is lined very neatly with lace as well. I really appreciate how the collar has a square sailor style shape on the back. There is also a brooch featuring a bow and some fake fruit. I think this brooch matches the print perfectly. I really like the brooch, although I would place it a bit differently to how Meta have in the stock photos. The back has a large panel of shirring, which has not been topped with anything and is not that attractive to look at. The sailor collar does help to conceal it slightly though. The stock photos show the skirt is very full and it flares outwards generously. There is the potential to hold a lot of petticoat and create a great shape. Aside from the line of buttons interrupting the print, the rest of the skirt is kept simple in design, with just a line of lace running above the print, so the print is displayed brilliantly. The bottom hem is then finished off very neatly with a thin line of lace, which matches the lace used throughout the dress. 

Here we have the Button Down Pinafore JSK. The bodice looks quite well fitted and the shape is cute. The straight neckline is a little bit dull, but the details around it distract from this. I think the straps look quite a supportive and suitable width. They don't look too bulky and they have been lined very neatly with thin lace. The waist bow is a cute shape, but I think it could have been a little bit smaller. The bow looks quite perky and it sits well on the dress. This dress also has a button down style, which means another line of buttons going down the front of the dress. I am still not keen on this button line, but at least this time Meta have used cuter heart shaped buttons. The button strip is lined with a large ruffle on the bodice. The ruffle is very generous and has a lot of volume to it. I personally like that it makes the bodice look a bit less flat and it gives the bodice lots of extra texture and movement. What I am not as keen on is the 4 stripy bows (again) and the lace in between the ruffles and on the skirt. I would definitely prefer solid coloured bows. I think the strap bases need the bows there but I would be tempted to remove the ones on the skirt. I feel the lace used is too wide and I am not so keen on the type of lace used either. What bugs me about the lace on the skirt is the way that it stops where the button line is, so it draws attention to it. The back of the dress is fully shirred, so it will stretch loads but it isn't too attractive looking. The skirt again has loads of volume and it flares outwards loads. I do feel the shape is a little bit too triangular though and needs to be more rounded. I find the lace at the top of the skirt a bit of a distraction but the rest of the skirt is lovely and the print is displayed excellently. The bottom hem is then finished off very neatly with a line of lace and a ruffle. The lace sits perfectly on top of the ruffle. 

This is the Fur Collared JSK. The bodice seems well fitted and the shape is lovely. I feel the shape works well with and without the collar. The straps underneath the collar looks a suitable width with enough support. The outsides of the straps and the neckline are lined neatly with lace as well, which is great because I think it is important that the dress looks good without the collar too. There is a waist bow, which seems to be a good size and shape. It keeps its shape well and sits well on the dress. There is a line of buttons and stripy bows as well. These bows seem to be detachable, and I would probably detach them to make the bodice look less crowded. The buttons have a cute design to them and are well spaced. I really love the fur collar, but I feel it could have been executed a bit better. Meta have gone for a long fur and whilst the longer fur adds a rustic feel, I personally feel it looks a bit messy. It also means that the pearls topping the collar are a bit lost in the longer fur. But despite this, I still quite like the fur and I would probably leave it attached. This dress has the same corsage brooch that the other JSK has, which is good. After detaching the stripy bows, I would probably move the brooch to the centre of the fur collar. The back has a panel of shirring, which has been topped neatly with a ribbon corset. I do wish the back was a bit fuller and ended higher up, nearer the neck, because the shape with the collar attached looks a bit odd. The stock photos show the skirt has loads of volume and there is more than enough room for petticoat underneath. The skirt flares out loads and there is the potential to create a great shape. I can take or leave the thin line of lace running along the top of the skirt. I don't think it really adds anything to the design. The skirt is otherwise kept simple, so the print is displayed quite well. The back of the skirt has a bustle made from crepe de chine fabric. The bustle has a good shape and the tiers are neatly spaced out. The tiers sit well on top of each other and hopefully the soft material choice means that it wont add too much volume at the back. The bottom hem is then finished off with a thin line of lace and a ruffle, which looks very neat.

And finally, here we have part of the print close up. This series comes in antique white, brown and green. All 3 colours are good choices for the print theme and they all work very well. As for the print itself, it is a bit different from what we are used to seeing from Meta but it works. The squirrels look very cute and are well drawn. I like the mushrooms and baskets with fruits. Everything in the print works together and nothing looks out of place. It is not the most original of prints, but the important thing is it looks good.

So the forest theme may be seen a lot in lolita, but I think this series is interesting enough and it doesn't surprise me that it sold so well when on reserve. I personally am a bit iffy about some of the choices used for the dress designs but I was able to find things I like and most of the stuff I dislike is detachable anyway. Would I buy this series? No, but only because forest prints are not my usual style. My top choice would be the Fur Collared JSK in antique white. I think this dress looks really cute! The squirrel bag from this series is adorable too, although perhaps not that practical. I am sure we will be seeing some very interesting outfits with this series in the near future.

What Is This Meta!?

I really love Metamorphose. I have been so happy to see that lately, Meta seems to have found their groove and their new releases have been really good. Metamorphose may not be at AP bloodbath level, but there has been a real rush to get some of their stuff lately. But then they go and release something like this-

This half bow clip has really gotten me confused. I saw it go up on the site a few weeks ago and I remember thinking it was the most bizarre thing ever! Since then, I haven't really been able to stop thinking about it. Why did Meta think it was a good idea? How exactly are you supposed to wear it?

Despite being listed as a hair accessory, I noticed that the Meta site did not show any photographs of this clip worn on the head. Instead, they seem more keen to push the idea of it being a brooch. I suppose when worn like this, it doesn't look too bad but it still feels as though the clip is "incomplete". You find yourself wondering where the other half of the bow is.

I even went to the trouble of trying to picture how it could look as a hair accessory. I think that as a hair accessory, the Meta clip would have worked a whole lot better if it didn't have the raven charm and line of pearls on it. For this picture I layered 4 of the clips on top of twin tails (please excuse the anime picture!). It sort of gives the illusion that the bow is actually whole and sort of sprouting out both sides of the wearer's head?

The other idea I had was a sort of side up-do (preferably with a lot of volume and maybe sat higher up on the head than in the picture) and then layering 2 of the clips, but placed better than I have done here after 5 minutes of photoshop. Again though, this requires multiple clips.

The issue with both of my hair style ideas (aside from my poor photoshop skills) is that they require multiple clips and at this point, the price begins to add up. Besides, if you were to go for multiple clips and then layer them, wouldn't it have been better to have a clip which has a full bow in the first place? So even after giving it a bit of thought, I still feel that a half bow hair clip is pretty useless and I would be really curious to know if anybody has actually brought the Meta clip. I genuinely want to see what people are planning to do with them.

Metamorphose have always been known for their strange ideas but perhaps this idea is a bit too strange, even for them.

Halloween Print Double

Today I have not one, but two Halloween prints to discuss. So scroll down further to see my views on Tricky Nightmare Factory by Alice and the Pirates.

First up today though, is Witch in the Forest By Metamorphose. This series includes 3 dresses, 4 skirts, socks, 3 hair accessories, wrist cuff gloves and a cape.

First up is the Magical Girl JSK. It's hard to tell how well fitted the bodice is, as there is a organdie overlay sitting on top of the main bodice material. I feel this organdie layer is a bit too baggy and too much material is used, resulting in it looking a little bit messy on the close-up photos. However, it does match the style of the bottom of the dress. The straps look a very supportive width and I like that they have been lined neatly with gold braid and lace. The gold braid is used throughout the design, so there is a nice amount of continuity and the lace on the straps has a pretty design too. The bases of the straps are topped with dull satin bows, which are a cute shape and size and add a bit of interest to what is otherwise a very plain chest area. I really dislike the waist belt (cummerbund? waist cincher?) on this dress. I feel the belt is too wide and it sits a bit awkwardly on the dress. But what I really dislike about it is the way is is topped with 3 huge bows. The bows may be a cute shape, but they add far too much bulk to the waist area and it just makes the belt look too bulky and fussy looking. The pictures would suggest that at the very least, the larger printed bow is detachable, and I would definitely detach it and move it to the neckline (which looks a bit plain). Hopefully, the other 2 bows are detachable too, as they are definitely far too big. The back of the dress has a panel of shirring, which is topped neatly with a ribbon corset. The ribbon chosen for this is quite bold in colour though, so it doesn't really help much to blend in to the background. The stock photos show that the skirt is very full with more than enough volume. I felt the skirt looked a bit short in length, but perhaps that is just because of how much petticoat Meta have used on the stock photos. If nothing else, the stock photos do prove that the skirt can flare outwards loads. The main printed part of the skirt is kept simple, so the print is displayed fairly well. The amount of gathering of the skirt material does obscure the print a little bit though. The bottom hem is then finished off with a line of gold braid and 2 ruffles of organdie. There is just something about the way the organdie has been layered and attached to the dress which looks a bit awkward to me. It seems to stick out at a funny angle. The bows sat along the gold braid are cute though, and are a nice shape and size.

Next today is the Corset JSK. The bodice looks very well fitted but the shape of the bodice is a bit too simple. The scoop neckline sits very low, although this would be a good excuse to pair this dress with a blouse which has a very decorative chest area. The straps look too thin and from experience of wearing a similar style dress from Meta, I can guarantee those straps will be slipping off shoulders. The straps and neckline of this dress have also been left very bare, and it looks too basic. I get the impression Meta were intending wearers to team this dress with more dressy items. The bodice is topped with 3 straps and gold buckles. These details have been laid out neatly and are nicely spaced. The gold buckles at least add a little bit of interest. The back features a panel of shirring, which has been topped neatly with a ribbon corset. I don't like the way the straps have been crossed at the back, but maybe that will help to hold the straps in place a bit better. The stock photos show the skirt has lots of volume and it flares outwards beautifully. The shape is quite pretty. The skirt design is kept very simple, so the print is displayed beautifully. The bottom hem is then finished off with some good quality lace, which is about as exciting as this dress is going to get. 

Here we have the Princess Sleeve OP. The bodice seems well fitted and the shape is quite cute. The sleeve length is interesting and I like the way the bell part of the sleeve flares out. The gold braid and thin ruffle of organdie finish the sleeves off nicely. However, I feel the additional wide ruffles of organdie sprouting out of the middle of the sleeves is a step too far to me. It makes the sleeves look too bulky and OTT. The waist area is topped with an organdie over-skirt. The over-skirt has a pretty shape to it and it sits nicely on top of the skirt. The shorter front means it doesn't conceal the print too. The bodice is split in to panels, which have been lined neatly with gold braid. I like the fancy little loops of the braid as well, as it adds a further little bit of detail. The centre panel has some gathered material to mimic a bow. It has been done well, but I think it makes the bodice look too cluttered. The neckline is finished with a large bow. If it wasn't for the "bow" details below it, I think the size of the bow would work quite well. The bow is well shaped and sits well on the dress. However, the over-skirt and bows are in my opinion spoiled by the mini tassels, which are definitely a step too far. The tassels sit weirdly and they are too many of them, so they are very clustered together. The back has a panel of shirring, but it isn't topped by anything so it feels quite exposed and doesn't look too attractive. The stock photos show the skirt flares outwards loads and there is more than enough room for petticoat underneath. But I do feel the skirt could have been a little bit longer in length. The skirt is kept quite simple, so the print is displayed very well. The bottom hem is then finished off neatly with some gold braid and an organdie ruffle, which helps to balance out the use of organdie on the rest of the dress. The choker is a good match for the dress and I really love the moon charm dangling from it.

And this is part of the print close up. This series comes in navy blue, violet and grey. The colours are pretty standard for a Halloween print and they all work very well. As for the print itself, I think it shows quite an interesting scene. I like the mixture of the crystal balls on the foreground and the dark, castle in shadow background. There is a good mixture of brighter and darker elements. It feels like there is a lot going on in the border part of the print, but everything works well together and nothing really sticks out as being our of place. Whilst I think the diamond pattern in the non-border part of the print, I would have preferred to just have the stripes, because I think a simpler background would have worked better with all the dress details.

So overall this is an interesting series and I am not surprised that it sold so well. I am not 100% sold on the dress designs, but there are plenty of skirts to choose from and I like that the dresses have varying amount of detail to them. Would I buy this series? Possibly, but I feel a lot of the series is too OTT for me. Despite me finding it a bit too simple, I would actually go for the Corset JSK and I would then liven it up with a fancy blouse. As for the colour, I would go for the navy but the violet is pretty too. My top picks however, are the bat shaped cape and the socks.

Next up today is Tricky Nightmare Factory by Alice and the Pirates. This series includes 2 dresses, a skirt, 2 hair accessories and several bits of jewellery and hair pins.

First up is JSK I. The bodice looks well fitted. I think the bodice shape is a bit simple though. The straps seem to be a good width, but it is a bit difficult to tell with that massive neckline ruffle! The ruffle is well constructed and each layer sits well. The lace used in the ruffle is of a good quality too. However, I feel that this generous ruffle makes the dress look a bit top-heavy. I feel it especially looks out of proportion when the apron is attached. It just looks a bit awkward. The apron is very cute and I love the shape. It also goes very well with the theme of the print, so I feel it is the neck ruffle that needs to go. I like the buttons used to attach the apron as well.

Here we can see what the dress looks like without the apron. I think the neck ruffle looks a little bit better when you detach the apron, but it still looks a tiny bit top-heavy. It is not the best design if you feel self-conscious about wide shoulders. The back of the dress has a panel of shirring, which has been topped very neatly with a ribbon corset. The stock photos show the skirt has a reasonable amount of volume and it flares out quite well. I feel a bit more volume in the skirt would have balanced out the neck ruffle a bit better though. The skirt is kept basic in design and even when the apron it attached the print is displayed excellently. The bottom hem is then finished off neatly with a line of lace.

This is JSK II. The bodice looks well fitted, although the shape is a bit simple. The straps are a little bit thin but I think the thinner straps suit the style of the bodice. They are however, a bit too plain, and could do with just a little bit of thin lace to liven them up a bit. The waist area and most of the bodice is kept very plain, but this does mean the attention is focused more on the print. The neckline is lined very neatly with lace, but I feel a cuter style of lace could have been used. There is also the 2 bows at the bases of the straps. The bows are well formed and they sit well on the dress. I think that given the lack of detail elsewhere, the bows are a good size and I like the AatP charm on the slightly larger bow. The ribbon used for the bows is a tiny bit shiny, but nothing too drastic. The back of the dress is fully shirred, which means plenty of size flexibility, but the shirring is quite exposed and not too attractive to look at. The back is quite short though, so perhaps AatP didn't see the point in putting a ribbon corset on top of it. The stock photos show the skirt has lots of volume and it flares outwards beautifully. Judging by the model photos, the skirt seems to have a fair amount of length to it as well. There is loads of room for petticoat. The skirt, like the bodice, is also kept very plain. This does mean the print is displayed beautifully though. The bottom hem is then finished off very neatly with a line of cute looking lace. 

And finally, here is one part of the print close up...

... and another part. This series comes in mint, red, purple, brown and black. Yes, that is 5 different colours! I like how the colours reflect different aspects of the print as well. The mint and brown versions play up to the cute sweets in the print. The other colours embrace the more Halloween elements of the print. As for the print itself, I think it has a really quirky balance of cute and creepy. I wouldn't have thought that a factory machine line would make that interesting a print, but there are so many fun and playful bits to the print. The sweets coming out of the machine are cute. I especially love the pumpkin themed doughnut and the plump ghost cake. I adore the ghosts helping to make the sweets as well! There are lots of other little details in the print which give it more depth. I didn't spot the legs coming out of the bottom of the machine at first! 

So this is a very cute offering for Halloween which may be a little too sweet for some, but I feel it could still appeal to a wide audience. I am really torn between the sweeter and darker elements of this series. Would I buy this series? Possibly, if I were more in to holiday themed prints. I am definitely keener on JSK II out of the 2 dresses, but I also like the cat ear shaped waist band featured on the skirt. As for the colour, I am torn between the mint and the purple. I suppose it depends how spooky you want to go!

Regalia Purchases Reviewed- Picture Heavy

I thought today I would go in to detail about what I purchased at Regalia. I could have quite easily brought a lot more but I was very fortunate to have some very wise friends with me who talked me out of buying a few things that I wasn't sure about! It is a good job that I didn't buy too much as 2 days later, my dream bolero popped up on auction! But here are the items that did make the cut.

First up this strawberry themed brooch from Mossmarchen. Strawberries are starting to become a bigger theme in my wardrobe again and I really like the more classic look of this brooch. The embroidery has been done so neatly. The strawberries have crisp, sharp details to them and I thought it was quite clever using the ribbon to make the leaves. The brooch has an interesting texture to it as well, which is something you wouldn't normally see on a brooch.

Here is a little side view. It looks pretty tidy from this angle as well.

The backing for the brooch is very heavy and has an interesting design to it. I found the fastening a little bit stiff at first but I find it is getting easier to un-do the more I open it. 

Next up is another macaron ring from Sweet and Tiny! I have brought many times from Mo's store so I know what sort of quality to expect. I loved the shopping bags and packaging that Mo used this time. It really suits the theme of her products. This macaron looks good enough to eat! It looks quite realistic.

The ring is of a generous size. I like that the strawberries have a glazed finish to them. All the bits of the ring feel secure and it doesn't feel likely that they would break off.

The backing for the ring has a lovely design to it as well and it is sturdy enough to support the weight of the ring. I like that the ring base is adjustable too.

Next up is my only Bring and Buy purchase. It is a Metamorphose cardigan which came with the tag still attached, so I am guessing it hasn't really been worn. It is quite a recent release as well. The material has a nice thickness to it that would suit Autumn and early Winter. I don't think it would hold up too well when it gets very cold though! The material also feels very soft and it feels very comforting when worn. It is also quite stretchy and I feel it would be a suitable size for most standard sized wearers.

The ruffles stop the cardigan from looking too plain. They have been done very neatly too. The buttons are a little bit simple in design though. I also feel that the embroidered logo on the front could have been clearer, as you can't really make out what the swirly writing says.

The arms were the perfect length for me. The only issue I could see with the cardigan is that it is full length, so it may not be suitable for wearing over a typical lolita silhouette.

This headdress is from Summer Tales Boutique. I have to give a special mention to the store holder who was very helpful and showed me all the different headdresses. She was super friendly too! I really like this headdress, although I think the top and the veil parts are a little unbalanced. The round top of the headdress is quite big and I feel the veil part needs to be a little longer in length. 

I can't fault the choice of materials. The feathers seem to be of a good quality. I like that the ribbon used for the bow is matte and the chiffon is really soft. I purposely went for the veil without the giant cross charm and at first I was a little unsure about the beads, but I do feel that the beads help to disguise the ends of the feathers. The bow is a little bit uneven in this photo, but that is easy to reshape.

The ends of the veil were generally quite neat with the only messy bit being a few loose threads that appeared on one of the corners. After carefully snipping the thread away it looked a lot better. I liked the choice of lace too.

I am pleased that there are 2 clips instead of the usual one clip you usually see on these kinds of veils. Considering the size, this headdress definitely needs both of them! I might even add more pins when I wear it, as I wasn't keen on the way it sat on my head. My main criticism is that the clips are not sewn down to one place and they tend to slide along the little line of ribbon. So overall, I do have a few issues with this headdress but nothing bad enough to put me off buying from this shop again.

Next up is the Innocent World blouse I managed to get after IW reduced everything by 50% (score!!!). The slightly sheer chiffon blouse is so soft to the touch. It feels really silky and luxurious. 

The details on the blouse are so pretty. The ruffles have a lot of texture and movement to them. The pleats are neat and everything about the blouse is neatly laid out. There were just one or two small loose threads, but nothing too drastic. The only thing I would change is to maybe have a loop of thread on the back of the neck to help hold the velvet neck tie in place. The neck tie is decent length to tie a small bow and I love the star charms.

When I got to the stall they only had a size L blouse left. I could have maybe gotten away with a M size blouse but the L size fits me quite well. And I like that there is a tie near the bottom of the blouse to help pull it inwards if I need to.

I thought I would include a close up of the neck area without the neck tie. If I was being picky, I would say the button design is a bit plain. I love the use of ruffles around the collar though. They sit so neatly and look pretty when worn.

And once again, the sleeves are a generous length. In fact, they may have even been a bit long on me, but with the style of cuffs this is not too noticeable. I would definitely consider getting an Innocent World blouse again, especially if I get another chance to get one so well priced!

And my final purchase was these OTK socks, also from Innocent World. I had been eyeing them up on the IW site for a while, so I decided to buy them whilst I had the chance to get them in person. The strange thing about these socks is that they are actually made of tights material. So I would base your decision to buy these socks on how well you fit brand tights, as I found the sock sizing very similar to full tights I own from Juliette et Justine and Metamorphose. 

As you can see from the photo, the pattern and colours on the socks are quite bold until we reach my knee area. It is a little bit better around the knees when my legs are not bent like they are in the photo. Most lolita pieces reach the knees anyway, so I guess it is up to the wearer to decide if this bothers them or not. I am about 5'4'' and the socks reach a little bit over my knees. My only concern is how well the socks are going to hold up, as I don't feel the elastic at the top of the socks is strong enough to hold them up for long periods. I guess I will have a better idea of how they stay up once I have worn them to a meet. So far, I really like these socks but I am not 100% convinced by them just yet. I need to see how well they wear first.

I don't feel that any of my purchases have caused me any serious feelings of regret and I am really looking forward to trying these items out in my outfits. It definitely helps to have friends around you to be the "voice of reason" when you go to these events. There were some very interesting stalls at Regalia and it will be interesting to see who returns next year.

Wonder Gallery by Angelic Pretty

I would like to say a quick thank you for valentines 10 and 36! http://loli-valentines.livejournal.com/207575.html

Today I shall be taking a look at Wonder Gallery by Angelic Pretty. This series includes 3 dresses, an apron skirt, 2 hair accessories, a bag and tights.

First up is the Dress OP. The bodice seems well fitted and the shape is pretty. It could have looked a bit frumpy, but I think this dress just about gets away with it. I like the length of the sleeves and the bell part of the sleeve has a good amount of flare to it, without pushing it too far. The lace used for the bell sleeves is pretty and of a good quality. It has been layered really well. I also like that all the colour ways (except the black) use ivory lace instead of stark white. There is a large waist bow. The bow has a great shape to it and it is lined perfectly with gold lace. It is well formed and sits well on the dress. However, with all the other details on the dress I am a little unsure the waist bow is really needed. The bodice features a ribbon corset. The ribbon is well spaced out and only has a slight sheen to it. I like that the edges of the ribbon are lined with lace, as it keeps it looking neat. However, I don't like that the ribbon is held in place by the lace, as this kind of detail can be a bit fragile and get damaged if proper care isn't taken. The bodice also features lines of gold braid and lace, which helps to break up the remaining empty space. I like the gold braid, but I think the lace is a bit too wide and sticks out at an odd angle. The top of the bodice is a lace yoke. The lace looks to be of a reasonable quality and all the lines of lace surrounding the yoke are done neatly. I do wonder if the lace collar is maybe going to feel a bit itchy, but I love how it has been gathered. I am a bit unsure of the band of printed fabric on the collar. I think the bow topping this line of fabric is far too shiny and the shape looks too cutesy. But even though this bow is detachable, I don't really like how this strip of colour looks without the bow attached! The back offers no shirring, so size flexibility is a bit limited. The zip line is very well concealed though, and the print lines up against the zip line easily. The lines of gold braid and lace that appear on the front of the bodice are repeated on the back of the bodice too, which is good continuity. The stock photos show that the skirt has loads of volume. You could put a load of petticoat underneath this dress and create a really OTT shape if you desired. It flares outwards generously as well. The skirt design is kept quite clutter free, so the print is displayed excellently. The only detail here is the line of lace and ribbon bows, but it sits well at the top of the print and is not too distracting. The bottom hem is then finished off with a line of really cute tea cup shaped lace, with a ruffle of chiffon neatly layered underneath. I like how the chiffon underneath really makes the lace stand out.

Next today is the OP. The bodice seems quite well fitted and the shape is lovely. I especially love the neckline, and the layers of lace along the neckline compliment it so well. The sleeves are a cute length and I feel they have just the right amount of volume and puff to them for this length. The sleeves are finished off very neatly with some very pretty lace. I feel the lace really livens the sleeves up. The sleeves are then topped off with some shiny bows, but they don't really stand out that much and I feel this is a very minor complaint. There is a waist bow, which I feel is a bit too large. The shape is beautiful though, and it is well formed. It sits well on the dress. I like the gold lace lining the edges of the bow, but the gold braid decorating the bow is a bit too much. I also think it could have been nice if the waist bow was detachable, so there was at least the option to detach it. The bodice is broken up by some thin lines of gold lace, which gives the bodice a lovely paneled appearance. What I really love about the bodice though, is the swirls of gold braid and the small gold beads. This detail has been so neatly and it gives the bodice a really luxurious look. It adds a touch of class without looking overdone. The lace on the neckline is topped with a thin ribbon bow. I like that the ribbon has been kept thin and doesn't look too bulky. However, the ribbon is once again a bit shiny. The charm dangling from the bow is cute though. The back has no shirring, so again the sizing is a bit limited. The zip line is well concealed  and the thin lines of gold lace makes the back look a bit less plain. The stock photos show that the skirt has lots of volume and it flares outwards well. I love the rounded shape. The skirt is simple in design and so the print is displayed beautifully. The bottom hem is then finished off in the same neat way as the other OP.

Here we have the JSK. The bodice looks quite well fitted and the shape is very interesting. The neckline is especially pretty with an unusual shape. The straps are a suitable width and look quite supportive. I was a little unsure I liked the way the straps attached to the dress at first, but the design has grown on me. The straps are lined with lace on the outsides which has been gathered really well and creates a very fluffy shape. I feel the choice of lace used here looks a bit dull though. In my opinion the waist bow looks too big and bulky. The shape is lovely, but it stands out too much. I also feel the gold braid on the waist bow is too OTT. Judging by the dress listing, it doesn't seem like this waist bow is detachable, which is a shame. The bodice details are very similar to the details on the OP. The swirls of gold braid are done very neatly and I think it looks quite striking teamed with the shape of the neckline. The neckline is then finished off with a thin ruffle, which softens the neckline but not so much that you lose the shape of the neckline. The back of the dress has a panel of shirring, which has been topped neatly with a ribbon corset. The stock photos show the skirt seems to have plenty of volume and will hold lots of petticoat. The shape of the skirt compliments the bodice as well. The skirt is once again kept free of clutter and the print is displayed clearly. The bottom hem is then finished off with a very thin line of lace and a chiffon ruffle underneath. The lace keeps things tidy and the ruffle gives it a soft finish.

And finally, here we can see little bits of the print close ups. This series comes in pink, sax blue, wine and black. The pink and sax blue are lovely and are perfect choices for an Alice themed print. I want to like the wine version, but the beige tones on the wine version look a bit too dull and they need to be a bit more vibrant. I feel a bit indifferent towards the black version. It looks okay, but it wouldn't be my top choice. As for the print itself, I like the different bits of the print, but I feel that when they are put together it is a bit overwhelming. The lampshades are drawn well and I like how each shade has a different pattern on it, but I really dislike them paired with the frames. I feel that the lampshades need to be a lot smaller in size. The frames however, are well drawn and I like the detail with all the swirls on the frames. The crowns on top of some of the frames and the decorations floating around the frames are pretty too. I like the pictures inside the frames and I feel they represent the common themes associated with Alice in Wonderland without overdoing it. The background has a very busy pattern to it, but the muted colours stop it being too dominating. I can't quite decide if I like the stripes at the bottom of the print or not.

So overall, I think this series is interesting but I am not amazed by it. I feel there is too much going on in the print. The dress designs are quite interesting though and I like that there are dressier and simpler options. Would I buy this series? Probably not. I think I would pick the JSK in sax blue if I had to pick something. I am more interested by the perfume bottle shaped bag released with this series to be honest!

Regalia!

Last Saturday I attended the latest Tea Party Club anniversary event- Regalia! It is amazing how quickly these anniversary events creep up on you. This year, the main guest was Innocent World.

To celebrate Innocent World coming I wore Grazia Crown, seeing as it is the only IW dress I own and it matches my favourite bag! I knew a lot of people were going to be wearing royal themed outfits but most people were wearing either Union Jack or Gobelin Crest. Grazia Crown has always been my favourite Innocent World series though, so I am glad I went with it. Later on, I added my handmade gold sash and I ditched the bolero and gloves (see further down). 

The venue was on Pall Mall and whilst it was beautiful inside, I have to admit that a lot of us got harassed by the tourists going by when we were outside. Thankfully, some of the tourists were also very polite and did ask nicely for photos. The location was also convenient for popping to the Japan Centre for lunch! We all got melonpans! 

When we got inside there were several vendors rooms. We didn't really spot the room with Innocent World in right away, as it was hidden away at the back, so we probably missed out on some of the stuff they were selling. I heard that some of the popular stuff was selling for above retail price anyway. The bring and buy room was pretty much constantly packed. I had a bit more success with my purchases this time than I did at Revelry, but I decided to save my purchases for another blog post. There was definitely an interesting variety of sellers and stores there but I don't feel the space was used to its full potential. One of the rooms was practically empty and I do feel that the other stores that were also in the bring and buy room could have been moved to the quieter room. The texting system for the bring and buy was a good idea, although I don't think all of the sellers got their text notifications through. I do hope this idea is brought back next time though.

As I had a silver ticket, it meant I had access to the VIP room. Here is a blurry shot of the free macaron I swiped! It was the last box, so I got there just in time. There was plenty of free drinks and cake on offer and I was so grateful this free stuff was available. The room was very small though, so there were hardly any seats.

The fashion show was interesting but I was a bit disappointed that Innocent World didn't show off any new releases. There was nothing shown that hadn't already been released, like Metamorphose did last year. But it was still great to see so many of my friends modelling for Innocent World! I was so happy to see Blair get picked! I also felt that the brand names needed to be announced because a lot of the time I had no idea who these dresses were by. Apparently some of the models didn't know what they were wearing until the actual day! That kind of made me feel glad that I did not apply to model this time. I like to be prepared for these things. I think all the models did well, given the circumstances. 

Earlier in the day there had been a Q&A session with Fujiwara-san of Innocent World. I didn't stay right until the end, so I missed the last little bit and also the trading cards that were given out. What I did find out though, is that Fujiwara-san is not keen on re-releasing a lot of IW stuff because she has lots of ideas for new stuff. We also learnt about how much Fujiwara-san loves Europe (answer- a lot!) and got told about her visit to see the crown jewels in London. She is also visiting Belgium so who knows, maybe we will see a Belgium themed print next!

And this is what my outfit looked like with the sash! I had been dithering about whether to wear it or not but whilst we were queuing I got some opinions from my friends and they agreed I should put it on. I was kind of glad- I had spent a long time making it!

And here is the silver ticket goody bag! It was filled with a lot of the usual stuff like postcards and stores offering discounts. There were mirrors and badges again. We also got given bath bombs but I had to give mine to Sammi because I had my bath ripped out a few years ago and I only have a shower! It is a shame because I really miss having a bath! 

I felt that we got a lot more in our goody bags than we have previous years. For starters, the silver tickets got a proper gift from Innocent World! I was so happy to receive this navy blue bow with moon charm because I had been thinking about buying it. It is a good thing I checked the goody bag before visiting the Innocent World table.

There was also the usual raffle and group photo at the end. Maybe it is because the numbers were read out quicker, but it felt like there were less prizes this year. I still won this make up bag though! It is such a generous size and it has a pocket inside as well. Apart from Sammi, I think I was the only one of our little group to actually win anything. I was really happy with my prize. Because my bath bombs had crumbled inside my bag, I came very close to asking if I could have another bag. I am glad I didn't because if I had changed bags I probably wouldn't have won anything!

So after saying our goodbyes, we headed to Chinatown for dinner and then headed home. I was so tired that I almost passed out on the train. When I was walking home this little girl genuinely believed I was the actual queen! I thought that was really cute. I am really looking forward to next year's event and finding out who the guests are going to be but for now, I am enjoying having a bit of a rest and recovering!