First up is the Puff Sleeve Dress. I think the shape of the bodice looks a bit frumpy and not that well fitted, probably due to the sheer volume of shirring. The sleeves look a peculiar shape. Maybe they need to be a little shorter in length. I also feel the way the sleeves have been gathered contributes to their odd shape. At least the lace on the sleeves and neckline has been kept quite thin, I guess. There is a waist bow, which I think is quite a good size. The bow has a cute and very defined shape, with no signs of drooping. This bow is detachable, but I think I would leave it on. The bodice details are a bit weird on this dress. The front has a panel of shirring (as if the fully shirred back wasn't enough already) which has lines of lace on either side. Then this shirring has been topped by a random ruffled panel, which seems to be held on with a line of buttons. And this random panel has also been topped with several small bows. It just looks messy and I am not really sure what is going on with this design. This ruffled panel is thankfully detachable, although there is then the exposed shirring on the front of the dress. I welcome a bit of shirring on the back, as it gives a wider range of sizing, but as a detail on the front? I don't think shirring is particularly pretty to look at, so it is not something I would choose as a design feature. I also don't think the print looks good along the shirring panel. As mentioned above, the back is fully shirred, so this dress has more than enough stretch. The stock photos show that the skirt has lots of volume and it flares outwards well. Despite the skirt being tiered, the tiers have been joined quite smoothly, in a way that doesn't create a bumpy silhouette. The skirt details are kept quite small and tidy, so the all-over print is displayed really well. The tier line is topped with gold lace and some small bows, which adds a bit of interest without being too distracting. The bottom hem is then finished off with the Metamorphose logo themed lace, which Meta seem very fond of using at the moment.
Here we have the Lace-up Dress. The bodice seems well fitted, but there is something about the bodice shape which doesn't quite look right to me. I can't put my finger on what it is though. Maybe it is because there is the looser gathered top part and then a more fitted bottom part to the bodice, and the way this has been spaced out? The straps look a nice, supportive width, but I dislike the way they are pointing outwards. At least the straps have been lined with lace and have an additional bit of gold lace to make them look a bit more interesting. The waist line is lined with lace, which I think only adds to the clunky, unfortunate shape of the dress. The swan lace used is very pretty though. Then we arrive at the ribbon corset. The edges of the ribbon have been well concealed and the gold lace keeps the edges looking tidy. I also like that the ribbon used has a matte look to it. The ribbon does look very bunched together though. I also feel the split between the 2 halves of the bodice is quite harsh and the design doesn't 'flow' if that makes sense. The gathering of the top half of the bodice is okay, but it could have been better. This gathered section is topped with a large bow, and there are 2 further bows beneath it. I think these bows make the bodice look too cluttered. The shape of the large bow is also a bit simple and I think it is too big. This larger bow is detachable, which I think I would do. The back has a panel of shirring, which has been neatly topped with a ribbon corset. The stock photos show that the skirt is generous in volume and it flares outwards a lot. I think the waistline lace is distracting me from how nice the skirt shape is though. The skirt should hold more than enough petticoat. This skirt also has a tiered design and again, the tiers have been joined together very smoothly. This time the tier join is concealed with a line of ribbon and small bows. The ribbon is a good choice, as it only has a slight sheen to it, and the bows look very cute too. However, I do feel the print isn't displayed as nicely on this dress compared to the other 2 dresses. The bottom hem is then finished off neatly with the Meta themed lace.
This is the Ribbon Shirred Dress. The bodice looks really bumpy, due to the fact the entire bodice is shirred. I also don't like the neckline shape. This dress has a double set of straps, which I don't get the point of, a they are so close together that you can't even tell it is 2 sets of straps. Having one set of straps would have probably been more supportive as well. At the bases of the straps, there are 2 bows, which have a really cute shape and very firmly hold their shape. They are maybe a tiny bit too big though. There is also a waist bow, which is an okay size. The shape of the bow is quite simple, but it holds its shape really well with no signs of any sagging. This waist bow is detachable, and I would detach it. The bodice design is quite similar to the Puff Sleeve Dress, as it also has that ruffly panel going down the middle of the bodice. Unlike the other dress though, this time it seems this panel is not detachable. I think with this dress the details are a bit better thought out though. This one has heart shaped buttons and the bows seem better spaced out. I still think it is a shame that this bodice is fully shirred though, as the candy bottles in the print look so bunched up. The stock photos show that the skirt has a generous amount of volume and it flares outwards well. There is plenty of petticoat room. The skirt is kept simple in design and the print is displayed beautifully. It is at this point that I really wish Meta had released a simple skirt with this series, as I think the skirt on this dress demonstrates how good the print can look. The bottom hem is then finished off neatly with the same good quality lace and some ribbon bows, which look really cute.
Finally, this is what the print looks like. This series comes in off white, green and red. I quite like the colour choices, although I sort of wish Meta had done a nice, muted pink version. I think that could have looked good. As for the print itself, it has a very otome, Emily Temple Cute vibe to it. The candy bottles look really cute. The bottles are a nice size and spaced out perfectly. I like that each bottle has a different candy in it to stop the print being too simple or repetitive.
So overall this series has left me feeling a bit frustrated. I think the print is really cute, but the dress designs ruin it for me. I think Meta would have been better doing simpler dress designs and really playing up the otome vibe. The use of shirring throughout this series really spoils the dresses in my opinion. I so wish Meta had released a simple skirt design instead of just dresses. I would have definitely brought this series if there had been a skirt! As it is, I will not be going for this series. My top choice would be the Ribbon Shirred Dress in red, and even then I would be covering up that bodice with a bolero. This print had so much potential and I am really sad that I don't like any of the dresses.
I share your frustration on this series... it's so close! But not quite there. For me it's colouring as much as the dress designs though; none of them seem quite right. I feel a light spring green or a dusty pink as you suggested would have been perfect.
ReplyDeleteI think if there had been a dusty pink colour it would have made the bad dress designs even more devastating! Or maybe the colour would have looked so good that I would have maybe looked past the dress designs and just covered up with a bolero! I also think a blue colour could have been interesting, but not like a navy blue or sax blue. Something in-between.
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