Vintage Cameo by Metamorphose

Today I shall be taking a look at Vintage Cameo by Metamorphose. This series includes 3 dresses, a blouse, wrist cuffs, tights, socks and 4 hair accessories.

This is the Princess Pinafore Dress. The bodice is an interesting shape, although the bodice looks a bit baggy. The main set of straps are a good width. They are covered neatly with a ruffle of tulle and gold braid, which continues along the neckline as well. The tulle is gathered well and sits nicely on the straps and neckline. The gold braid is a really nice touch too. However, the actual tulle material itself looks a bit cheap and not of a good quality. This dress also has a second set of tulle off-the-shoulder straps. It is an interesting idea, but I worry it looks a bit awkward and will make the shoulder/arm area look a lot wider. It also looks like it could be a bit restrictive and I think if I was wearing this dress the arm straps would get in the way. Thankfully, these off-the-shoulder straps are detachable and that is definitely what I would do if I had this dress. The straps are finished off with 2 big bows at the bases of the main straps. I do feel they could do with being a bit smaller but the shape is very cute. There are 2 lines of pearls dangling between the 2 bows. The pearl chains are a bit long, but they do fill in the plain space on the bodice quite nicely. I'm not sure I like how Meta have placed the bows and pearls in the stock photos, but because they are detachable it is simply a case of adjusting them to the wearer's personal taste. I would definitely leave the bows attached though, as the dress looks a bit plain without them. The bodice has 2 ruffles of tulle running vertically down which helps to make this area look a bit more interesting. I don't know what to make of the waist area of this dress. The detachable waist bow is an okay size and the shape is simple, but nice looking enough. The tulle on the waist bow matches up nicely with the rest of the dress, although it is starting to feel like this dress is overloaded with tulle. But there is something about the waist bow which looks a bit awkward to me and I can't put my finger on what it is. However, when it is detached, I dislike how the tulle ruffle around the waist looks. The tulle creates this awkward panelled look and I feel it looks better with the waist bow attached. It is really good that Meta have made so much of this dress detachable but maybe sometimes there is such a thing as too much choice.

The back is fully shirred, which means the shirring isn't topped with a ribbon corset. With the dark colours used though, you don't really notice the shirring too much. The thing that bugs me about this dress is that random tulle butt flap. I call it a butt flap for lack of a better way to describe it! It is not an apron and it barely counts as a bustle. It just looks really weird! Luckily this is yet another part of the dress which is detachable. Meta, please don't make a habit of making strange butt flaps!

The stock photos show the skirt has a reasonable amount of volume and length to it. The shape is quite pretty considering it is made of 3 tiers. The tiers are layered quite neatly, although it bugs me how the middle tier is over-stitched instead of under-stitched to the top tier. The tiers are nicely proportioned and spaced out well. On the front of the skirt there is a solid coloured bustle. The fabric used looks really lovely. I am assuming this is the Japanese "koshibo chirimen" fabric that Metamorphose mention on the dress listing on the site. The bustle tiers line up very neatly with the tiers of the main part of the skirt, so the spacing looks quite good. The sides of the bustle are lined with yet more tulle, although it does line up very neatly with the tulle on the bodice. The sides of the bodice are also topped with 4 large bows. I find the bows are a bit too OTT here and are not necessary. The bottom hem is then finished off with (you guessed it!) yet more tulle. I honestly can't decide if I love or hate this very heavily detailed OTT dress.

This is the Collared Pinafore JSK. The bodice seems well fitted, although there are a few random little creases in the fabric. The bodice shape is quite pretty and gives off a bit more of a mature vibe. The straps are wide but suit the style of dress. The solid coloured collar has been done neatly and the lace used to line it looks pretty. I feel the collar could do with being just a tiny bit bigger in size though. The front of the bodice has a neat line of 3 pearl buttons. The buttons are quite small and fairly simple in design but they have been spaced out nicely. There is a tidy little ruffle going around the buttons. The ruffle has been gathered well and the fabric used looks of a good quality. I am not personally a fan of the ruffle around the buttons. Thankfully it is detachable. The waist area has a solid coloured belt which nips in the waist area brilliantly. There is also a waist bow, which is a suitable size for the dress. The bow shape is quite simple but looks quite pretty and the bow also sits quite nicely on the dress. The collar on this dress is detachable but I feel the neckline looks too plain with it detached. However, at the same time, I dislike how the collar looks on the back of the dress. I think with collared dresses like this it is nicer to have a full back that goes right up to the collar. But the back of this dress ends halfway down the back and it just looks really strange having this large gap between the back of the dress and the collar. The back of this dress is fully shirred again which means it isn't concealed by anything. The stock photos show there is the potential to create a very pretty shape with the skirt. It has loads of volume and flares outwards beautifully. I love the plump, rounded shape in the stock photos. I think the fuller shape works really nicely teamed with the nipped in waist area. The skirt design is kept quite simple and so the print is displayed very well. The bottom hem is then finished off with a simple solid coloured ruffle, using the same fabric as elsewhere on the dress.

And here we have the High Waist Pinafore JSK. The bodice shape is simple, but quite pretty. The straps are a good width and suit the dress. You wouldn't want them to be any wider with this style of dress. The straps feature a ruffle of tulle on the outside. The tulle here has been shaped brilliantly and it sits really nicely. The subtle hint of gold on the edge of the tulle finishes the tulle off beautifully. The waist area has a wide belt which helps nip in the waist area quite well. I do wish the belt was slightly narrower though. The waist area is finished off with a double layered waist bow. The bow is quite big in size but I suppose it does suit the dress. The bow shapes have been kept simple, but anything too complicated would have looked strange with this double layered design. At first I was really unsure about the waist bow but after seeing the pictures of this dress on the model I have grown to like it. The bodice is completely gathered which gives it a bit of added texture and depth. It stops it looking too plain as well. If the bodice material had been done completely flat with no gathering, I don't think it would have looked so good. The neckline has a line of gold braid and is finished off with a simple ruffle. It helps to make the neckline look a bit softer and the braid helps to keep things looking neat. The back has a panel of shirring but once again, there is no ribbon corset there to help conceal it and give that extra bit of size flexibility for smaller wearers. But the bodice is quite short, so perhaps a ribbon corset wouldn't have achieved that much in this case. The high waisted skirt has a very good amount of length to it. It flares outwards beautifully and has a lovely A-line shape to it. It has plenty of volume too. The main part of the skirt is kept very simple and the print is displayed beautifully. The bottom hem is then finished off with a thin line of ribbon and 2 wide tiers of tulle. The ribbon used is shiny, but because the ribbon is quite thin it isn't that noticeable unless you are purposely looking. The ribbon line is also topped off with some small ribbon bows which add a nice little touch of detail without being too distracting. As for the tulle, I feel Meta could have made more of a feature of the double layer of tulle by making the top layer a bit shorter. You can't immediately spot the second layer of tulle underneath. But I actually do like the bottom hem of this dress. It reminds me slightly of the dramatic tulle bottom hems that Baby like to do. I don't think this bottom hem design is perfect, but it is a good start.

Finally, here we have the print close up. This series is available in black, blue and purple. The black and navy blue look absolutely beautiful. The purple offers a slightly different alternative, but I think I would have preferred something like a nice shade of green instead. As for the print itself, I think it is a really beautiful design for an all-over print. The cameos in the print are very pretty. I love all the little details in the cameo frames such as the pearls and bows. The pictures inside the cameos have been chosen well too. My favourite is of course the Metamorphose swan logo cameo! I love how they have managed to fit that logo in without it being too obvious. The crown and angel cameos are also really nice. The subtle background is a good way to fill in the empty space between the cameos. Nothing really stands out as being "out of place" in the print and everything seems to compliment each other. I do feel the cameos could do with being a bit bigger though, as it feels like there is a lot of background and not enough cameos.

Despite the odd little thing I would change here and there, I think this is quite a good series. The dress designs are varied and interesting, so there is something there for every classic lolita fan. The print itself is very pretty, even though I don't feel there are enough of the cameos. Would I buy this series? Yes, although it wont be going on my wishlist. I would choose the High Waist Pinafore JSK in black. I really like the design of this particular JSK. The Princess dress is a bit too OTT for me!

Revelry Purchases Reviewed

Now that Revelry is well and truly over, I have had time to sit down and have a proper look at the items I purchased during the event. So today I will be doing a review of the items I got.

First up is this birdcage headdress that I got from Shinku Rose. I have to admit, this was a bit of an impulse buy and I wasn't too fond of the price tag. I was a bit concerned about how I was going to transport it home though! It was wrapped up in one of those cardboard cupcake boxes and it didn't fit in my suitcase. Somehow, I managed to get it home without damaging any of the fragile parts. The birdcage part itself feels very firm. Despite being made out of some sturdy wood, it still feels very light when worn. It feels good to know that it has this solid frame, although I think the wood could have been lined up a bit neater. I'm also not a fan of the random pink beads used to attach the veil, as they stick out quite a bit with the ivory and cream colour scheme.

The veil itself is made from standard netting. It is no better or worse than what you find on a lot of vintage hats. The veil is nicely shaped. I really like the lace used to fill in the birdcage gaps. It has got a pretty design to it. The lace also seems to be of a good quality. The fake roses remind me of the ones you can get quite cheaply in Hobbycraft. But aside from the roses feeling a bit cheap to the touch, they look quite pretty. I like how the bottom of the cage has been filled with rose petals so the base doesn't look too plain or boring. There is a random brown petal in there. Whilst it does match the colour scheme, it does sort of stand out a bit. Luckily, the sole brown petal is hidden a bit.

Inside the cage there is a bird perched on a swing. The swing actually moves. On the one hand, I like that it moves because I personally think it looks more interesting. On the other hand, it could prove a bit annoying when worn as it may randomly get caught on the lace or rose petals.

My main issue with the headdress is the clip that is used to attach it to the head. To be fair, the clip has been neatly concealed with ribbon. However, the actual metal clip is smooth with no rough grips. It means there isn't very much to "grip on" to the hair and hold it in place. I found the birdcage moves around quite a lot and slips downwards. I am definitely going to have to replace the clips as I found it near impossible to keep the headdress on my head when I tried it out (hence why there are no worn photos. It would not stay in place long enough for me to take one).

If I am being honest I do regret buying this headdress. It is a bit expensive for what you get and there are some things that do need improving. I am still going to use it once I have replaced the clips. I have heard some very mixed reviews about Shinku Rose's quality and I can understand why some people may be a bit put off by their designs. I don't feel this headdress is a complete disaster but I don't think I will be buying from Shinku Rose again unless some improvements were made.

Next up is Sweet and Tiny!

Sweet and Tiny is a store run by Mini Mo, who many of you in the UK Lolita Community may be familiar with. She used to make stuff a while ago but then went a bit quiet for a bit. But she is now back and I am so glad she has returned! I seriously could have brought everything at her stall. In the end, I limited myself to a ring and a necklace. I got this macaron ring which is quite big in size, but I like it! I love how crisp the Sweet and Tiny logo is. It is a very classy looking logo as well and it definitely reminds me of a French Patisserie. The whipped cream has been piped so neatly and everything has been placed so well.

The filling inside has also been piped with care. I love the little pearl details inside the filling too! Mo makes some of the nicest looking sweet jewellery I have ever seen. It also looks quite realistic and even as I am typing this post I am getting hungry looking at these photos!

I like how Mo has also chosen a slightly fancier looking ring base as well. The gold design is a bit fancier than your standard cheap ring bases. Also, with a wider ring base it really helps to balance the heavy design on top.

I also got a matching necklace. I love the little Eiffel Tower charm! You can maybe see that the filling is spilling out slightly but overall, I am very impressed.

Last up is the butterfly tights that I purchased from Himitsu by Syrup. I was very excited about these tights and the £17 price tag was a nice surprise too. These printed brand tights can go for a lot more than that.

So here is a worn photo. The material is a nice thickness and feels lovely when worn. I think the size is quite standard for Japanese "one-size" tights. I am about 5'4'' and even with my bottom-heavy thighs I found I was able to wear these tights quite comfortably. I think these are just a slight bit more comfortable to wear than my Juliette et Justine tights. I wouldn't want to stretch them much further though, so if you are tall then these maybe are not the tights for you.

I was worried that when I put the tights on it would stretch the print and make the pattern look strange. However, as you can see the print is still very crisp when worn and the colour is still bold. This definitely makes these tights better than my JetJ ones. They do start to look a bit faded when they reach my thigh area but not enough that it is that noticeable. And I will be wearing these tights with knee-length stuff anyway! 

They even have a cute bow design on the ankle. Apologies for the dodgy photo angle!

And finally, it just wouldn't be brand tights without some random stuff going on at the crotch area! This lovely little slogan is displayed on my bottom when I wear these. And now that you know the slogan is there, you wont ever be able to forget about it whenever you see anybody wearing them!

So overall I am quite pleased with my small haul. I strongly recommend Sweet and Tiny and Syrup. I really regret not buying more from these stalls when I had the chance. The Shinku Rose birdcage was a bit disappointing though. I really hope that Syrup come over for another Tea Party Club event in the future. Next time I am determined to save up even more money so I can truly splurge on their stuff! It is definitely worth it.

Queen of Snow "Forever" by Baby the Stars Shine Bright

Today I shall be taking a look at a new series from Baby the Stars Shine Bright. It is called Queen of Snow and reminds me of a similar Snow Queen series that Baby put out last year. This series contains 3 dresses, a skirt, a blouse, 3 hair accessories, socks, a necklace and wrist cuffs.

First up is JSK I. The bodice is a nice shape, although the material looks a bit baggy in some of the stock photos. The straps are a bit thin, although the delicate, detailed straps do fit in well with the rest of the dress. The straps are topped with beautiful snowflake themed lace, which sits nicely on the straps and compliments the neckline. The waist is nipped in well by what looks like a line of ribbon but on closer inspection seems to be a line of cleverly placed lace (it is really hard to tell from the photos what is actually there). The waist line also has a ribbon bow. The striped, sheer ribbon is such a pretty choice and I wish Baby had released lace socks which matched this style of ribbon as part of this series. The waist bow is a good size but I would have maybe made the ribbon tails shorter, as I am not keen on how it looks teamed with the ribbon tails from the neckline bow dangling down. The bow does sit well on the dress though. The neckline is topped with wider snowflake lace. The lace is so beautiful and gives the neckline a really soft, fluffy look. The end result is to pretty. The neckline is finished off with 3 ribbon bows, which uses the same ribbon as the waist bow. There are 2 bows at the bases of the straps and one in the centre. The bows blend in well with the lace and are not too distracting. The bows are well placed and a good size. The middle bow has the addition of a gold Baby logo charm, which is a really pretty way to finish things off. The back of the dress is fully shirred, so there is nothing there to conceal it and it doesn't look too appealing. It also means that wearers can only adjust the dress size using the waist ties. The stock photos show the skirt has a good amount of volume and flares out well. It will hold plenty of petticoat. The bell shape is very pretty. The skirt design is kept simple and the print is displayed beautifully. The bottom hem is then finished off with 2 ruffles of tulle, which are over-stitched and topped with gold braid. I generally like the fluffy appearance of the bottom hem, I just wish the tulle had been under-stitched. I also feel that the snowflake themed lace could have been used somewhere on the bottom hem.

This is JSK II. The bodice shape is simple, but pretty. It seems well fitted, although the material does look a bit loose and baggy in some of the stock photos. The straps are a bit thin and I think they could do with being a bit thicker. The straps are lined with lace on the outside and whilst the lace is pretty, I don't think the straps have been executed as well as they were on JSK I. The waist area has a massive bow which I feel is far too big. The waist bow is also lined with lace, which only emphasises how large it is. I also don't feel the waist bow shape is that attractive and the bow appears droopy. Overall, the bow just appears messy and I would expect a lot better. I am so glad the waist bow is detachable because the dress looks really pretty without it attached. The neckline is topped with 2 layers of lace. The lace is pretty and a good width. However, I am not too keen on how the lace sits on the dress. It seems to puff outwards. I much prefer the softer neckline on JSK I. The neckline is finished off with a pretty ribbon bow, which uses the same stripy sheer ribbon as JSK I. The bow is a good size and shape, and sits really nicely on the neckline. 

Here we can see what the back of JSK II looks like and the bustle. The back of the bodice has a panel of shirring which is topped neatly by a ribbon corset. As for the bustle, I feel it could do with being a bit wider and spreading across more of the back of the skirt. But apart from that, I think the tiers are well spaced out and layered neatly. The material is very soft looking and doesn't look too bulky.

The stock photos show the skirt is very full and has lots of volume. It flares outwards quite a bit. I do feel the overall skirt shape needs to be a little bit more rounded though. On the front of the skirt the design is kept very simple, so the print is displayed well. The bottom hem is then finished off with cute snowflake themed lace.

This is the OP. The bodice seems well fitted, although I'm not so keen on the sleeve shape. The printed fabric part of the sleeves is a bit too long in length and although I can see a little bit of puff, I don't think the shape is that good. I also feel the elastic on the sleeves is very obvious. The detachable chiffon part of the sleeves is very pretty in design, but I dislike the way they attach to the shorter sleeves. I feel the elasticated part contributes to the strange shape too. Overall, I feel the sleeves look very strange. The dress looks a little better with the chiffon parts detached, but I am really not impressed. 

The dress has a very square neckline but the wide lace lining it really helps to soften it. The wide lace has a pretty design and sits very delicately on the dress. I like the use of ribbon bows on the bodice. The bows are a bit big and OTT but I think they help to liven up the bodice. The ribbon used for the bows is very pretty. The bows are also spaced out reasonably well. What I am not so keen on is the chiffon panel the bows are placed on top of. From a distance it doesn't look too bad but I am not so fond of is how it looks like up close. It just looks very wrinkly and I dislike the line of thin gold braid running right down the centre as well. However, I do feel the lace lining the panel is pretty and the overall shape of the panel is nice. I just feel the panel between the lace could have been so much prettier.

The back of the dress offers no shirring and so the dress is lacking for size flexibility. The stock photos show the skirt is very full and it flares outwards beautifully. There is the potential to create a very dramatic, rounded shape. The front of the skirt features a bustle, but it is very narrow and I feel it could do with being a bit wider and spreading across more of the front of the skirt. That aside, the tiers are spaced out well. I think the tiers are layered on top of each other well but also look a bit flat. Maybe they need a bit more material so they could be gathered a bit more. The edges of the bustle are lined with gold braid, which gives it a neat finish. Apart from the bustle, the skirt is kept simple elsewhere, and the print is displayed well here. The bottom hem is then finished off with a tulle ruffle topped with snowflake lace. This bottom hem is very pretty and matches up well with the bustle. I think the OP has my favourite bottom hem.

And finally, here we have a part of the print close up. This series is available in pink, sax blue, lavender and navy. I think all 4 colours work well with the print, although the sugary pink is a bit sickly sweet. I imagine both the blue colour options are going to be popular. As for the print itself, I think it is beautifully drawn. I love the detail that has gone in to the snowflakes. They look so crisp and pretty. The snow globes are also beautiful and are arranged well. There are plenty of different features to each snow globe to keep the entire print looking interesting and not too repetitive. I especially love the snow globe with the castle in the globe and topped with a crown. The scenes inside the globes are cute and fit in well with the rest of the print. I also like the frozen roses at the bottom of the print and love how Baby even managed to put the Northern Lights in the print. The only part of the print I am not fond of is the dolls and bunny toys. I think they stick out a bit and are not really needed.

Overall, I am quite impressed with this series. The print is beautiful, as are some of the dress designs. However, I do feel the Snow Queen series that Baby put out last year may be slightly better than this one. I guess it is also a bit predictable to release another print that is so similar. But if you ignore last year's print, this series is also a pretty good offering. Would I buy this series? Possibly. I do like the print and JSK I is a very pretty dress. I don't think I like it enough for it to go on my wishlist though. I am also very torn between the sax blue and navy blue colours, as they are both very pretty in their own special ways. The sax blue offers that ice-cold look that fits the snow theme, but the print really pops against the background on the navy blue. I personally would prefer to buy the Snow Queen series from 2013 though.

Revelry!

I have finally recovered from my massive weekend in London! So on Saturday the 20th it was the Tea Party Club's 7th Anniversary event called Revelry! Shalisa, Sammi and I went for just the Saturday event. We decided to make a little mini holiday out of it, so we went down to London on the Friday and stayed until the Saturday. We wondered around some vintage shops on the Friday, although I don't think any of us were that impressed by what was on offer. Sunday was a pretty fun day as well. We went around Chinatown and I ended up buying this cute little doughnut plushie in Artbox. But anyway, back to the Revelry event!

I arrived at Gray's Inn nice and early because I went for the model rehearsals. After helping Kyra unpack boxes full of lots of lovely items, we got down to business and practised our walks. Later on we got sent back out again to queue and stuff.

My outfit for the day was in honour of the main guest, Ms Taira from the brand Metamorphose. Fairy Tale is a print which has very special meaning to me so it made sense for me to wear this skirt. Fairy Tale is a Meta series which never really got that much attention but I love it. I teamed it with navy blue and white. Some day I will wear something other than navy blue to these big events! I just happen to really love lavender and navy blue combinations. I wanted the outfit to have a princess feel to it, so I wore my princess sleeve blouse from Baby the Stars Shine Bright and made myself a navy over-skirt based on the ones by Lady Sariel. The over-skirt took me a week to make as I had to do it by hand (chiffon is a real pain to work with!) and unlike the Lady Sariel ones, I stitched a hem the whole way around the edge to make it look neater. The butterflies on the bonnet were also handmade, although I am not sure I like how they turned out in the end. They also got a bit bashed in my suitcase on the way home so I doubt I will be using them again. My new obsession is wearing gloves with lolita. In recent months I have purchased several pairs with varying quality. I wore a crochet pair this time and covered the lacy wrists with Bodyline wrist cuffs because the lace on the gloves was a bit cheap looking. Overall I have mixed feelings about this outfit. I like it, but I loved the outfits I wore to Frock On and Enchanted a lot more. I am going to have to work extra hard next time!

We got inside pretty quickly and whilst everybody else seemed to head upstairs, we decided to go right to the Bring and Buy room. Straight away, Sammi found a cute blouse for a really decent price. I wasn't quite so lucky though. I have been super picky with my wardrobe lately, so I didn't buy anything unless I was absolutely sure I wanted it. I did come very close to buying a lavender Glass Doll skirt by AP and also an Emily Temple Cute macaron print dress but in the end, I held out. It just means I have more money for Sweetie Violet, which I am currently trying to hunt down. 

During the Q&A all the guests introduced themselves. Ai (in the green) later held a presentation about what it was like to be a lolita in Japan. I missed most of that talk as I was recovering from modelling! I haven't heard any more about the talk, so I have no idea how good it was.

Ms Taira from Metamorphose! I can't thank her enough for letting me model for my favourite brand. Some very interesting questions were put forward about how each of the designers come up with ideas for their pieces and whether they ever have any creative blocks. It turns out that all the designers were very confident in coming up with new ideas. It will be interesting to see if any of them got any inspiration from their visit to England and from meeting the international lolita community. The editor of the Gothic Lolita Bible also got asked about an English edition (I don't think the question asker realised this had already been attempted) and whether an online version could be made. Shalisa and I also had our photo taken for the GLB. Neither of us are confident that our photo will actually get picked, but who knows!

Then it was the fashion show (photo credit- Meshya Nightingale). There were 2 models for Grimoire and 6 for Metamorphose. I think it is a shame that the Grimoire models didn't get more of a chance to pose and be on stage because I know a lot of people were interested in the London special early release dresses that the models wore. The 6 Metamorphose models had to stand on stage whilst Ms Taira went in to detail about the dresses we were modelling. I was the first Meta model on stage and I was wearing a brand new print which had never been shown before. I forget what the official print name is. I think it might be something like Night Carnival? As I was standing on stage it felt like there was this really massive pause before Ms Taira started talking (I heard afterwards that the pause before my outfit was longer than it was for the other models!) but I suppose it is a good thing that everybody had enough time to take photos of the Meta models. Dani and I modelled the first new print. We both got given tights and I was pleased to discover that I do fit Meta tights! I think the tights were my favourite bit of my outfit. There was also another new print (I think it is called Moonlight Astrology but don't quote me on that because I was backstage at the time) which Michaela and Manda modelled. Their dresses had all these beautiful details up close and it is definitely going on my wishlist, especially if it comes in navy blue. I don't care who I have to fight to get hold of it- it will be mine!

My friends were hiding up on the balcony and managed to get a few shots of the whole modelling group. 

Shalisa, Sammi and I took full advantage of the photo booth on offer. We had about 4 VIP vouchers and I think we did about 3 goes. This was by far the best of the photos we took. I am so glad we managed to get Old Spice Guy in the photo!

The goody bags had the usual fliers and discount codes inside. We also got given lace badges, mirrors from Syrup and meta, some Meta badges, hair flowers and a poster. Both the poster and the tote bag were designed by Madeleine, who is a part of the Oxfordshire Lolitas. I really love her swan design! It was very appropriate for Metamorphose.

A little close-up of some of the goody bag stuff.

After Ai's presentation we waited around for the raffle. The way the raffle was held was a lot more efficient this time around and we even got some say in what prizes we got. I got 2 prizes because James' ticket won as well (my poor husband was on photographing duty). I picked a white bow with dangling star from Cherie Cerise and because my second ticket was the last of the small prizes, I got given a pack of stickers as well. I really wanted the macaron charm that Shalisa picked but she got picked before me. It turned out that Sammi had made it! Now I just need to persuade Sammi to make me one too! (Sammi, if you see this, I will totally pay for you to make me one!)

And here is a photo of my haul from the day. I have decided to do a full review of the items I got in another post, as this post is already getting a bit long. So look out for a post on these items soon (probably next week).

So overall, I feel this was a very fun day. I still think Frock On has been the best TPC event but I did enjoy Revelry as well. I have made some new friends and got to see a lot of old friends as well. I can't believe another event is over! I am going to have to start creating some meets myself to get over my post-Revelry comedown!

Musical Cat by Metamorphose

If I have counted my posts right, this should be my first post since the Tea Party Club event Revelry. So this is just a quick note to say my Revelry post(s) will be on here from Thursday. I am having to write this in advance, as I have no idea how exhausted I am going to be after the Revelry weekend. So do keep an eye out on Thursday to see what went on at Revelry! I am so excited about Metamorphose coming to the UK!

And now back to today's post, which is quite appropriately, a Meta print discussion! Today's series is Musical Cat. This series includes 3 dresses, a skirt, an apron, 4 hair accessories, a blouse and socks.

This is the OP. The overall bodice shape is a bit plain looking. I think it may be because the sleeves lack any real puff. I also feel the sleeves could do with being a bit shorter in length as well. I do like the rose lace used to line the sleeves but that alone isn't enough to make the sleeves look fancy and I'm unsure if a rose theme fits the rest of the dress. The sleeves also feature a button up design, although the buttons are also simple in design. I think gold cat head shaped buttons could have looked really cute here. The main bodice is fully shirred on the front, giving it a slightly lumpy appearance. However, due to the style of print, the shirring does blend in a bit. I am curious to know why Meta chose the front to be fully shirred but not the back. Perhaps it was to give the front a bit of extra depth and make it more interesting. The collar on this dress is quite big, although I do feel it suits the dress. The collar has this little bit of pleated detail to it, which has been executed quite neatly. The collar is lined neatly with the same rose lace. The collar is then topped off with 2 small bows, which I think are a nice cute touch. The bows are a simple, but cute shape and a good size. Judging by the stock photos, they are detachable if you don't like them. The waist area features a ribbon belt. The belt looks a bit simple in design and the ribbon is a little shiny. Overall, the belt looks very simple and a bit cheap. However, it does help to emphasise the waist area quite nicely. As mentioned, the back doesn't have any shirring and just has a zip running up the middle. The zip is very well concealed and the collar looks okay from the back as well. The stock photos show the skirt is very full with the potential to flare outwards well. The length looks generous as well. I think it could do with having a slightly more rounded shape, although I do feel the overall skirt shape does suit the bodice style. The skirt is tiered. The tier join has been done reasonably neatly and is topped with lace, although I am not keen on the way the tiers have been spaced out. In fact, it probably doesn't really need to be tiered at all as it doesn't really contribute much to the design. Aside from the tiers and gathering, the print is displayed fairly well. The bottom hem is then finished off with a ruffle of the stripy fabric which is a bit simple, does at least it matches up.

This is the Bustle Pinafore JSK. The bodice looks very well fitted and the shape is quite interesting. The straps underneath the collar are a good width and look very supportive. There is a waist bow, which is a bit big. I would have preferred a slightly smaller bow here. However, the bow shape is cute and lined neatly with lace. It sits really well on the dress and looks quite perky. It is detachable as well, and in the stock photos Meta have even suggested using it pinned to a blouse as a neck bow. The bodice features 4 lines of vertical lace; 2 on either side and 2 rows close together in the centre. I am not too keen on the choice of lace, but overall I think it has been placed well. Inside the 2 middle lines of lace, there is alternating buttons and bows. The ribbon used for the bows is quite shiny, but apart from that I think they are a good size and shape. Meta have chosen golden rose shaped buttons and again, I am unsure how a rose theme fits with the series, but I do think the buttons are very pretty. The bows and buttons have been spaced out well and don't look too overcrowded. Then we get to the collar, which has a bit of a peculiar shape to it. It has sort of been shaped to look a bit like a bow on one of the sides. I can see what Meta were aiming for, but it doesn't quite work. The end result looks like somebody has taken a random chunk out of the collar. It would have probably been better to have just had a normal shaped collar. Apart from that little strange part, the collar is actually quite a nice shape and size, and the ruffle is a good way to finish off the edge. Thankfully, the collar is detachable and although the neckline underneath is a bit simple, I would definitely detach the collar if I owned this dress.

Here we can see what the back of the dress and the bustle look like. The back has a panel of shirring which is concealed by a ribbon corset. I really dislike the way the collar looks from the back. I just feel it is a little odd teaming this sort of collar with a dress that sits quite low down the back. It makes me appreciate the fact that the collar is detachable a lot more. As for the bustle, the material used looks nice, although it looks quite full and voluminous, so maybe not a great choice if you are conscious about the size of your backside. Apart from that, I think the bustle has been done fairly well. The tiers are spread out evenly and the layers sit okay on top of each other.

The stock photos show the skirt is super full and it flares outwards beautifully. I love the very rounded shape. There is the potential to create a really pretty OTT shape with this dress. The skirt features the same line of lace that the OP has and again, I'm not too fussed about it being there. Apart from that, the skirt is kept quite simple on the front and the print is displayed beautifully. The bottom hem is finished off with a tulle ruffle, which works well teamed with the bustle at the back.

And this is the pinafore Cummerbund JSK. The bodice seems well fitted but the overall shape is a bit plain with harsh straight lines. It just feels a bit too basic. The straps underneath the collar are a suitable width for the dress but are very plain with no detail to them at all. The detachable collar itself is a very odd shape. I don't feel the square shape really works or is very flattering. The collar is very full of detail though, with pleats, a ribbon running around the edge, lace and buttons. The lace is very pretty, as do the musical themed shaped buttons (I am a little confused why the other dresses don't have buttons which match the print theme). The pleats add a bit of added texture and despite the ribbon being shiny, I think it looks quite smart. If it wasn't for the collar shape, it would be quite pretty. The cummerbund is an interesting idea. It certainly nips the waist area in well. However, I feel it would have looked nicer with solid coloured material instead of the stripy material. Also, whilst the lace along the edges of the cummerbund gives the cummerbund a softer appearance, I think more subtle, narrower lace could have looked better. The bodice has 2 lines of lace running up it, but overall the bodice is kept quite plain, probably to make more of a feature of the collar. Which is great, if you like the collar, but if you choose to detach it then the dress looks very plain. The back has a panel of shirring which is concealed neatly by a ribbon corset. Like the other JSK there is a gap between the back of the dress and the collar and I still dislike the way it looks. The stock photos show the skirt has a very pretty rounded shape to it. It has plenty of volume and flares out beautifully. The skirt design is kept simple and so the print is displayed brilliantly. The bottom hem is then finished off with a line of ribbon and a stripy ruffle.

And finally, here is part of the print close up. This series is available in black, pink and green. The colour choices are very interesting and offer a maturer take on sweet lolita. I think the non-pastel colour choices work well with the print. As for the print itself, it is a very cute offering. I think the cats are adorable! The instruments are well drawn. The placement of the items in the print is good too and well spaced out. The musical note themed ribbon is a good way to break up the border print and the stripy part. The stripy part is quite bold and actually works quite nicely with the border part of the print. I love that there are trails of cat prints and music notes floating amongst the stripes.

So overall I think this is a very cute print, although at times the dress designs let it down a bit. I do wonder if Meta have deliberately kept the dress designs simple because they are trying to encourage people to team them with the matching apron from this series. I have to admit that the apron does work very well with the dresses. It works especially well with the OP and gives it a very cute look. Would I buy this series? Possibly. I think that with the collar detached, the Pinafore Bustle JSK is a very pretty dress. I would probably go for the green or black colour. It is not a perfect series, but I think with the right styling it has a lot of potential.

Take a Theme- Royalty

With all the excitement about the Tea Party Club event Revelry, I have recently been thinking about fancier outfits for these bigger events. You generally tend to see people putting a lot of effort in to their TPC event outfits and going a bit OTT. So I figured that a Take a Theme post based around a fancy theme was in order. So today I am taking a look at some of my favourite Royal themed items.

Potential sub themes- crowns, emblems, jewels, pearls, golden details, sceptres, hime or princess themes, castles

Brand prints of note- Felicia Crown, Grazia Crown (Innocent World), Wonder Queen (Angelic Pretty), pretty much every OTT princess dress Baby the Stars Shine Bright have ever released, Brilliant Princess (Metamorphose).

1. Teja Jamilla Crown Tights 2. Chocomint Double Pearl Choker 3. Paris Kids Crown Necklace 4. Pizzicato Kei Echarpe 5. Tatty Devine Crown Necklace 6. Chocomint Cameo Bracelet 7. pizzaicato kei rosette 8. MykawaiiBox pearl nails 

Chocomint and Paris Kids are frequently releasing crown themed stuff. Baby the Stars Shine Bright are also known for making quite a bit of jewellery that would work perfectly with a princess theme. Pearls and bold colours seem to feature quite a bit. Although the Pizzicato Kei echarpe pictured is out of stock, it is well worth remembering them if you ever want a very regal looking sash. Their echarpes are very popular and frequently sell out quickly. So do keep an eye out for new products! If you wanted to go a bit more OTT, Baby Piggy on Taobao has lots of mini crowns and Rococo Soul are known to put out sceptres from time to time. There are also more expensive options out there with more ornate and fancier designs. It is well worth taking the time to google mini crowns and seeing what turns up.

Bright Starry Night by Baby the Stars Shine Bright

Today's print discussion will be Bright Starry Night by Baby the Star's Shine bright. This series includes 2 dresses, 2 hair accessories, 2 blouses, socks, wrist cuffs, a barrette and 3 pieces of jewellery.

Here we have JSK I which comes with a matching sash. The sash itself is very pretty and it is nice to have an added extra which you don't have to buy separately. The tulle at the ends of the sash matches up well with the tulle on the actual dress. My main complaint with the sash is some of the gold text gets cut off at the edges. So perhaps the text could have been placed a bit better.

In this photo we can see the bodice without the sash obscuring it. There is a little bit of baggy material visible but overall I think the bodice shape is quite pretty. The straps are a bit thin, but they suit the style of dress. I love how the straps have been lined with tulle. The tulle looks soft and it has been layered brilliantly. The end result is pretty and sits nicely on the shoulders. The front features a ribbon corset design. The soft ribbon used is beautiful and matches perfectly with the tulle. However, the ribbon does look slightly bunched together and a bit messy. It would have also been nice if the ribbon tails were a bit shorter so they didn't dangle so far down the skirt, as it looks a little untidy. But that can easily be fixed by double looping the bow. The bodice has a tulle panel at the top which has been gathered well and looks very neat. It creates a nice ruffle along the neckline too. This tulle panel is topped with 2 lines of star shaped lace, which is very cute and matches with the theme of the print. There is also a detachable pearl chain which I think hangs quite nicely. Although it does look a bit uneven having that random extra line of surplus pearls on one side. The back has a panel of shirring which is concealed neatly with a ribbon corset. The stock photos show the skirt has plenty of volume and flares outwards well. It will hold plenty of petticoat. The overall skirt shape is nice, although I do wish it was just a slight bit rounder. The skirt design is kept quite simple and the print is displayed very well. The bottom hem is then finished off with a line of tulle topped with star lace. I wish they had under-stitched it instead of over-stitching it, but I don't think it looks too bad. 

This is JSK II. The bodice is reasonably well fitted. The overall bodice shape is interesting, although I feel the scoop neckline goes a little too low. Scoop necklines don't suit everybody and I also think in this instance it looks a bit weirdly executed. The straps are a suitable width. I love how they are topped with this really beautiful lace and then a line of tulle. It has been gathered a fair bit, giving the straps a very frothy, puffed appearance. Although there is a part of me that feels it is a shame to obscure that lace with the tulle! The waist has a large waist bow. The bow is a simple shape and almost looks a bit too plain. I also feel the bow could have sat on the dress a bit better. But with the large bow on the neckline as well, I don't think the waist bow is really needed. The front has a ribbon corset and a panel of shirring. I prefer my shirring to be hidden away at the back, so I am really not keen on this being on the front. The ribbon is spaced out well and the edges of the panel are lined neatly with thin gold braid though. When I first saw the bow on the neckline I felt it was too big, but now I realise it is necessary to hide the shirred neckline. I do feel the bow shape is a little unbalanced though, as the tails look big in comparison to the main part of the bow. The bow edges are lined neatly with lace, but I think the lace could have done with being a bit narrower. The back has no shirring (I see no reason at all why the shirring needs to be on the front) and is quite plain in design, with just 2 thin lines of gold braid running down the back. The stock photos show the skirt is very full with loads of volume. it flares outwards beautifully and I love the dramatic, rounded shape. The front of the skirt features a tulle bustle. The tulle material gives the bustle layers a soft, floaty appearance, which doesn't add too much bulk. The tiers are layered nicely and well spaced out. They sit nicely on top of each other as well. The edges of the bustle are discretely lined with thin gold braid which gives it a nice finish. The one thing I would change about the bustle is I would make it a bit wider width-wise. Despite the bustle, you can still see the print displayed fairly well. The bottom hem is then finished off with a simple tulle ruffle which I think is a lovely finish.

Here we can see one close up of the print...

... and here is another. This series is available in ivory, lavender, wine and navy. I think the combination of the gold print works well with the available colour choices. Although given the theme of the print, the wine colour is maybe a slightly strange choice. I am really torn between the other 3 colours but I think I am leaning slightly more towards the navy colour as the gold print really pops on the darker background. Some of the detail is a bit lost on the ivory. As for the print itself, I like the constellation theme. Although it is a bit strange to use random items that don't actually have a constellation. Well, at least I don't believe there is an official teapot constellation! It does make the print seem rather random, although I do feel the print has been drawn well. The bunny with the cutlery is cute. I also love the teapot pouring stars in to a teacup. It may not make sense to me, but I like it! All the pictures are framed by ribbon frames and gold swirls. It gives the print a more organised appearance. The stars help to fill in all the empty gaps as well. I love the use of an all gold colour print, as it produces a beautiful end result.

I found myself feeling a bit disappointed with the jewellery that is a part of the Bright Starry Night series. I have come to the conclusion that it is because I personally feel the jewellery from Baby's Twinkle Constellation series looks better. In the picture, the Twinkle Constellation necklace is on the left and the Bright Starry Night necklace is on the right. The designs are quite similar. However, I feel the Twinkle Constellation necklace looks better with the slightly puffier star shapes, the arrangement of stars and the use of just one colour of pearl. Also, I think the Bright Starry Night necklace would look better without the Baby brand name printed all over the stars. I think another factor is that if you look at the Bright Starry Night dresses, the necklace looks too cutesy in comparison and also features colours which don't appear on the dresses at all. Could you imagine wearing the Bright Starry Night necklace with the wine coloured dresses? It just wouldn't work. I think if Baby wanted to make star themed jewellery for Bright Starry Night, they should have gone for golden coloured stars and used just cream coloured pearls.

So overall I think this is a very pretty series and I can imagine it selling quite well. Although I find the print a bit bizarre (if there is a story behind the print then do let me know!) I still think that looks-wise the end product is lovely. I don't think this series will be going on my wishlist, but I do like it. I think that JSK I is the stronger of the 2 dress designs and that is what I would go for if I were to buy this series. I would have a hard time picking a colour though! I think the accessories are a bit of a let-down though, which is a shame. But I am sure there are loads of accessories that will match this series perfectly. I am really looking forward to seeing some outfits with this series!