Closet Child Jan 2011 order- neutral feedback

Due to some very hard saving, I was able to buy a second hand brand dress as well as my lucky pack. So I went on Closet Child because I had a good experience with them when I ordered my Meta Old Emblem skirt from them. Whilst my experience this time was relatively positive, there was a slight drawback which is why the title says neutral feedback.

So I ordered my dress but at the same time I decided I really wanted this hair clip.

Some of you will already know how popular these star hair clips have been. They have been everywhere. I was shocked to find this Chocomint version was in stock on Closet Child. I quickly snapped up one in both colours alongside my dress. The dress was instantly removed from the website but the clips stayed put. This is what initially made me feel suspicious.

So after a few days I had not heard back from Closet Child. I am convinced the English speaking staff only work part-time. A few days after the order I got a message saying the star clips had sold out! It is so frustrating! I was watching the site a few days after the order and the clips were removed 2 days afterwards. I was fuming! I thought I had finally gotten hold of this clip which I have been searching desperately for, and then they go and tell me that actually, they hadn't put them aside and somebody else purchased them!

I decided to continue the order with just the dress but I am still searching for the star clip. And this is the dress I went for-

Wonder Cookie by Angelic Pretty. This is my first AP dress! As usual, Closet Child marked down the value so I didn't get hit with customs. The package also arrived quicker than expected. I was watching the tracking which said it was still in Tokyo and the following day I got a nice surprise when my order was delivered on the same day as my lucky pack. Very fast! The dress was well packaged too in a sturdy box. Closet Child had a lot of Wonder Cookie stuff on their site over the last few weeks. I decided to go for the white colourway and the condition was rated as 3/5. And just like my last order, I think 3/5 was quite a low rating for what I got. The dress was like new. I will need to get the iron out, but you expect wrinkles and creases after posting.

I got the halterneck style which has these little cookies on the front. I think they are really cute!

I didn't realise that the waist ties have a crease so the end looks like a heart shape. I wish the print was on both sides of the ties. You can also see the tea cups on the lace. There was no obvious yellowing or age anywhere. I was impressed.

The back ribbon and the shirring can be seen here. The ribbon is shiny but not as shiny as it appears in this photo.

I was also pleased to see that the fabric swatch and spare button were included. Apart from the removed tags, the dress really is like new.

Wonder Cookie was never right up at the top of my dream dress wish list, but I have always liked this print and so I had to get it. It was a close call- I almost got Strawberry Ribbon instead but I think I have purchased too many strawberry items recently!

So I am 100% ecstatic with my dress but this time Closet Child loses points for the star clip issues. And I would like to finish by saying that I really want to buy the matching white Wonder Cookie head bow. I have seen it online for 50 euros which I think is a little steep. If anybody knows where I can find a better price or if you have the bow and are looking to sell it- I REALLY WANT IT!!!!!!! So please bear me in mind if you spot it. I also would like the star clips if you can find them. I don't mind if it is the Chocomint or 6% Doki Doki version and I am happy with any colour. I will probably post a WTB post on EGL Sales sometime. Any information will be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Closet Child shopping review

Those of you who have been following my blog will know that I recently purchased my very first bit of brand wear. Well, it has arrived! *cue excited dancing from Luna*

As I am currently unable to afford brand at full price (and also I love a good bargain) I decided to go down the second hand route. One of the websites I had heard other lolitas talking about was Closet Child. I know a few lolitas have had negative experiences with this site but my experience was very positive.

Shop browsing

With the help of Google Translate I was able to browse the website very easily. There are also options to list the items starting with the lowest price to highest which is good if you are on a budget. I would recommend entering your budget amount into a currency converter like xe.com to see how much yen you can afford. You must allow for shipping on top. The details about the clothes were clear. Closet Child gives the individual items a rating out of 5 because with second hand clothes you may get a bit of wear and tear. Thankfully the skirt I ordered was exactly as described.

The Ordering Process

The actual ordering process is probably the one area which could have been improved (although I don't think this should put other lolitas off). English shopping instructions are available. I say English, but in some places it is very broken English so it does not actually make very much sense. When you place the item in your cart, you have to wait for 2 e-mails. On the second one (which should include a shipping total on it) you need to send a reply saying you want to go ahead with your order. This was a little confusing but I eventually got the hang of it. Once Closet Child know you are going ahead with the order they will eventually send you an invoice. You pay the invoice and then they will send you the tracking for your parcel. Closet Child can be a little slow to respond. This is mainly due to there being only a small number of English speaking staff. So you may need to wait for them to be available.

The Shipping

I think I was charged about 2000 yen to ship one skirt from Japan to England. I was kind of expecting it to be this much anyway. You can't really complain when you are getting brand skirts starting from £40 compared to their original retail price. Here is the really cool bit though- Closet Child mark the parcel as second hand so in theory, you wont end up with a customs charge! Closet Child did this for me without even asking. I was very pleased. Also, the skirt arrived before the estimated arrival period which took me by surprise. I think Closet Child were quite fast. I was impressed. The skirt was packaged in a sturdy box. It was wrapped so well I spent about 5 minutes just trying to get into it.

And now on to the skirt itself!

Ta-da! It is Old Emblem by Metamorphose! A very classic print compared to my other sweet items. The skirt was clean and the sizing given by Closet Child was accurate. Sorry for not showing a picture of it worn. I don't have my full co-ordinate for this skirt yet. I am currently hunting down a headpiece from the same set and a deep red cardigan.

And here is a close-up of some of the print. I love it! I am hoping I will have finished my co-ordinate in time to wear it to Hyper Japan at the start of October. I can't wait!