First up is the OP. The bodice looks very well fitted and the shape is quite cute. I like that the arms have a good amount of puff to them, but I am not 100% sold on the length and the details. They feature this opening, with a panel of tulle underneath. This is further topped with a bow halfway down, and a further bow and double line of lace at the cuffs. I am just really not feeling this open sleeved design and I don't think it looks that great. Also, the lace looks a bit flat and could go with a bit more lace, gathered a little more. There is a waist bow, which is a decent size and it has a good shape to it as well. I like how it sits on the dress, although I wish a less shiny fabric had been used. The bodice features 2 ruffles, layered on top of each other. I like how the bottom ruffle sits very flat and neatly on the dress. I feel the use of tulle for this ruffle was a good choice. The ruffle on top is much more gathered, creating an interesting frothy look and texture. These 2 ruffles are topped with a line of alternating pearls and velvet bows, finishing with a slightly larger velvet bow on the collar. The bows and pearls are well spaced out, but I think the velvet bows could have done with being just that slight bit smaller. Also, it is interesting how AP have gone with shimmery fabric choices and velvet. It offers quite a contrast. Some will love it and others may hate it. I am a bit undecided about it. There are also some subtle thin lines of gold lace running up the sides of the bodice which help to break up the empty space nicely. As for the collar, I think it is a cute shape but it is maybe a bit too big. In the pictures I feel the collar looks a bit bulky. Whilst I appreciate the pearls are in the print, I think they look a bit too much on the collar. They make the collar look too fussy. I also feel that one ruffle around the edge of the collar would have been enough instead of the double ruffle they have gone with. The back offers no shirring, so size flexibility is very limited. There is a bustle on the back of the skirt, which I absolutely despise. The overall shape of the bustle looks very clunky and I think it needs to be more narrow at the top. I think the tiers are spaced out well, but they don't sit that well on top of each other. Also, the decision to overlay netting on the bustle material makes it look too fussy. The stock photos show that the skirt is generous in volume, with a lovely full bell shape to it. It flares outwards really well. The skirt is kept simple in design, so the print is displayed brilliantly. The bottom hem is then finished off with some really pretty bow themed lace.
Here we have the Tiered JSK. The bodice seems well fitted and the overall bodice shape is simple, but cute. I really love the very slight heart shape of the neckline. The straps look a decent width and pretty supportive. They have been lined neatly with lace on the outsides, which makes them look a bit less plain. This dress has a velvet belt and waist bow, which nips in the waist beautifully. As there is no switching between shiny and velvety bows, I feel the velvet works a lot better on this dress than it does on the OP. The bodice features 3 velvet bows with some wide lace set around them. There is also 2 lines of the same lace going along the neckline. At first I felt that the bodice was too crowded and I wished that some of the velvet bows were detachable. However, the more I look at the bodice, the more I like it. The velvet bows could do with being a bit smaller, but they have a really cute shape and they sit nicely on the dress. The wide lace on the neckline could have done with tapering off gently at the sides, instead of carrying on underneath the armpits, but it is otherwise reasonably well used. I like the polka dot design on the lace too. The back has a panel of shirring, which is topped very neatly with a ribbon corset. The stock photos show that the skirt is very full and it flares outwards plenty. It looks very full and rounded. The skirt is kept relatively simple in design, although as the name suggests this skirt is tiered. I am not so keen on the tier join being over-stitched and I don't think the line of gold lace topping the join looks that good. The print is still displayed fairly well though. The bottom hem is then finished off with the bow themed lace again, but this time it is layered over some tulle ruffles. I think this is a good match for the very lacy and frilly looking neckline.
This is the Peplum JSK. The bodice looks like it is okay fitting and the bodice shape looks alright, but nothing really special. The straps look a decent supportive width without looking too wide for the style of bodice. They are lined very neatly with gold lace, which looks smart. They are also overlaid with tulle, which could have looked nice had it not then carried on down the bodice on one side. There is a band of this tulle overlay along the chest area and also going down the bodice, which is all lined with the gold lace. It is hard to put it in to words, but it just looks wrong. I have a rough idea what sort of look AP were aiming for, but they don't quite pull it off. There is a double bow with a pearl chain between. Both of the bows are a bit too big, but they have a nice, well defined shape to them. However, I think the way the pearl chain hangs between the 2 bows doesn't quite look right. These bows are detachable but given what is underneath, I would definitely be leaving them attached if it was me. The back is fully shirred, so there is plenty of size flexibility, but it also means the shirring is left exposed. Ignoring the over-skirt, the actual skirt itself looks fairly full and it flares outwards enough. It should hold more than enough petticoat underneath. The print is displayed beautifully as well. As for the over-skirt, I think the tulle used for it with the net pattern is a good choice. It has this sort of retro look to it. The bottom of the over-skirt is also finished off neatly, although it needs to be a bit shorter. As for whether I would leave the over-skirt attached or not, I am not really sure. If you are opting for this dress choice, then chances are it is probably because of the over-skirt. The dress looks okay with it removed, but I would probably leave the over-skirt on. At least you can still see the print quite well through it. The bottom hem is then finished off neatly with the bow lace.
Finally, here we get an idea of what the print looks like. As you can see, this series comes in lavender, pink, wine and teal green. I am not surprised to see that the teal is sold out for each dress design. It is a really lovely shade of green. I think all 4 colours work really well with the print. Some people have said that the pink looks horrible, but I think that is a bit harsh. It just maybe isn't as pretty as some of the other colours. As for the print itself, I think it is pretty but the furniture could have been spread out a bit more. I also feel there are too many chandeliers in the print. But the furniture itself is well drawn. There are some interesting swirls of gold in the furniture designs. I especially like how one chair has a crown in the design. The cats are suitably fluffy and look very regal in their crowns and top hats. I also like how actual Angelic Pretty design shoes and a bag appear on the sofa as well! The line of bows is a cute way to finish off the bottom of the print. As for the non-border part of the print, it looks pretty but it is maybe a bit too cluttered. I would have been happy to have had just the odd chandelier and the pearls for the background.
Considering Angelic Pretty have upped their stock, it seems that this series is selling quite well, with some things selling out quite fast. I am not that surprised, as this series has a bit of a retro feel to it, which worked well for AP with Cinema Doll and Fantastic Dolly. The colour options are also well thought out and the print is pretty. Let's be honest- cats usually tend to be a big hit anyway. Would I buy this series? No, but only because it is not really my style. Truth be told, I would rather have Cinema Doll. But this series still has a lot of charm to it. My top choice would be the Tiered JSK in lavender, as I still can't make up my mind about the Peplum JSK. Although I wont be getting this print, I am very pleased to see some lovely retro themed accessories from Angelic Pretty at the moment. I think those are worth checking out.
It's interesting that you mention Cinema Doll – I liked Princess Cat at first, and wanted to buy the teal OP, but I realised that I wanted it to replace CD, and overall PC is too busy and not as neat as CD. The boy cat in the centre and the cat glasses seem jarring too, but the other cats and the furniture is cute. I would definitely prefer the dress design to be simpler in terms of print and cut. It seems that AP just threw every idea together when designing this!
ReplyDeleteCan you imagine if they did a teal Cinema Doll? I am not sure how it would turn out, but it could have been interesting! Cinema Doll just feels a lot sleeker and better thought out in my opinion. Sadly, AP does seem to be chucking a lot of random ideas together recently. I have a feeling this might be why they have done so many special sets lately, as those tend to be simpler in design. I think even if it wasn't for the much cheaper price, the special sets would still sell well. Hopefully AP will get the hint!
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