Monday 17 July 2017

Cream Cookie Parade by Angelic Pretty

Today I am looking at Cream Cookie Parade by Angelic Pretty. This series includes 2 dresses, a skirt, a head bow, socks, a blouse and a bag.




First is the OP. The bodice seems a bit loose and baggy in some of the close ups. It could just be the material it is made from I suppose. But the overall bodice shape is quite nice and smart looking. I like the arm length, which is very mature. They have a suitable amount of puffiness to them and the cuffs are kept neat and simple. There is a belt, but it doesn't seem to add much to the design. It is a bit concealed by the other bodice details. I am not fond of the material used for this belt. It is so thin that if you look closely you can see the print through it. There is then a solid coloured panel in the middle of the bodice. The square shape is a bit dull and I don't like how it looks paired with that collar shape. To add insult to injury, this panel is lined with ric rac trim, which looks awful. I think it is really cheap looking and it saddens me how many recent AP releases have used it. This panel is also kept quite flat. Maybe some pleats could have livened things up? There is a line of buttons, and I really like the choice of buttons. They are shaped liked chocolates, which look really cute. Sadly, I think the positioning of these buttons is a bit off. They could have been spread out a whole lot better than this. The collar shape is okay, but a bit boring. The lace along the edges of the collar help to make it a bit softer, but overall the collar shape is a bit harsh. This collar also uses the dreaded ric rac. There is then a small ribbon bow, which is detachable. I think this bow is actually really cute and I like the stripy ribbon chosen for it. If it was me, I would leave it attached. The back offers no shirring, so size flexibility is very limited. The stock photos show that the skirt seems to have ample volume and can flare outwards a lot. There is a lot of space to create a full shape. The skirt is kept simple in design, so the print is displayed beautifully. The bottom hem is then finished off with a line of ric rac (argh!) and some cutlery themed lace. At least the lace is really pretty.




Next we have the JSK. The bodice seems quite well fitted and the overall bodice shape is... interesting. Whilst I think it looks cute, I also feel it exaggerates the width of the shoulder area, so if you are broad shouldered then this cut may not be the most flattering. It is a shame, because I think the gathered ruffles on the straps are really cute! They are nicely shaped and the layering of lace over the top looks lovely. The straps themselves also look a very supportive width. These straps have a line of lace and ric rac running on the insides, which continues down the bodice to the waistline. I am a fan of the lace and think it would have looked really great if the ric rac hadn't been there. There is a belt, which uses the nice stripy ribbon again. It helps to define the waistline quite well, which could have gotten lost with all those ruffly details going on. The belt seems to be a good length and I like that the ribbon is matte as well. The main bodice is mostly kept plain, although the lines of lace are more than enough detail. There is a further line of lace going along the neckline, which has ribbon threaded through it. There is also a ruffle going along the neckline, which has been gathered neatly. This is all finished off with a stripy ribbon bow. This bow is a decent size and compliments the belt. The back is fully shirred, which means loads of size flexibility but also that the shirring is left exposed. However, due to the style of print I don't think the shirring really stands out that much, especially on the darker colours. The skirt appears to have a good amount of volume and it flares out well. I think there is a lot of potential to create a very sweet looking shape. The skirt is mostly kept simple, so the print is displayed brilliantly. The bottom is then finished off with another line of ric rac and then 2 wide ruffles lined with lace. I think the ruffles look well gathered and have a lot of 'movement' to them. For some reason, this dress is giving me a bit of a 'Metamorphose' vibe. It just has that sort of look to it, I guess.




Finally, we have the print. This series comes in pink, blue and wine. It is a bit disappointing there are only 3 colour options. Maybe AP are planning to release some special sets in the future or something. The colour choices are quite bold and vibrant. I like how, apart from the pink, the colour choices are a bit more unusual for a chocolate print. As for the print itself, it is pretty cute and well set out. It is giving me a slightly 'older' AP vibe. There are lots of interesting chocolate themed desserts in the print. As the print name suggests, there are cookies in the print, but I wouldn't say they are the most dominant part of the print! I like all the little details that have gone in to decorating the cakes. I even spy some familiar looking biscuits in there *cough*Oreos*cough*. The crockery and cutlery in the print at least make the choice of cutlery themed lace on the dresses a bit more appropriate. I think my favourite bit is the cookies spelling out the brand name. It reminds me a lot of their Assorted Cookie print, but a chocolaty version.

So I think this is a print which has a lot of potential, but the dress designs are a bit 'meh'. There are things I would change about both dress designs. The biggest change would have to be the removal of that ric rac. I am not 100% against ric rac, but the majority of the time it looks awful. Sadly that is enough to not make me want this series. My top choice would have been the JSK in red, although I prefer the skirt over both dress cuts. But at least this release has seen some old jewelry get re-released, so that is worth picking up if you want another chance to get the French Biscuit accessories. The series hasn't been an instant sell-out, but it appears to have sold fairly well at least. It is just a shame that one risky trim choice can make or break a series so easily.

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