Scent of Rapunzel by Alice and the Pirates

Today I will be looking at the latest from Alice and the Pirates. This series is called Scent of Rapunzel. The set includes 2 JSKs, 1 one piece, 1 skirt, 1 bonnet, 1 headbow, 1 pair of socks and a few jewellery pieces.

First up is this JSK. The bodice looks very fitted and it will probably sit very nicely on the person wearing it. When I was reviewing Alice and the Pirates and their Kuroneko No Dance series I was disappointed by the baggy shapeless looking bodice on one of the dresses. So I feel this dress is a huge improvement. The bodice on this dress has a simple bow. It is not too detailed and blends in with the rest of the dress. I was put off a little by the line of wide lace running just below the bow. I thought the lace used looked a little messy in the photographs. Whilst I personally think it looks messy I guess it is needed to hide the top of the interesting choice of side corseting. Let's have a closer look!

When I first saw this dress I noticed the tulle straight away. I didn't realise it was being used to lace up a corset at first. I thought it was just sat there looking floaty and highly flammable. I find the tulle disappointing. It is the sort of thing you would expect to see on a child's fairy costume or at a wedding. For me, this detail is too much. I seriously hope this is detachable. The ribbon used on the back corset is a lot neater when compared to the tulle.

The straps on this dress are fairly slim with a line of semi-circle lace running along them. They are very simple. With the tulle detail attracting so much attention it is probably best that the rest of the dress is relatively simple. The skirt has a nice amount of puff to it. I think the length here is a little shorter and whilst I like the puffiness of this skirt, I prefer the styles used on the other 2 dresses. The bottom hem is finished with some neat looking rose lace. I think that with this first dress the designers were trying too hard. I don't think the bold choices work very well.

Next up is the one piece. I think this dress looks a lot better than the JSK above. At first I was a little unsure if I liked the fake bolero but it seems to work well with this dress. It gives off a more layered look. The fake bolero is finished off neatly and looks good from the back view too. None of the pictures on the website show the dress without the sleeves but I am assuming they are detachable. The sleeves have a very princessy feel. They flare out at the bottom and are finished off with more lace. I think it is safe to assume this dress is not for those who dislike fairy tales! The front of the bodice has some corset detail which I thought looked too wide. The waist is finished off with a bow which I think is detachable. The bow is on the generous side. It would possibly make a nice head bow if you did not wish to purchase the head bow from this series. The shape of the skirt seems to suit the rest of the dress. The shape is not as rounded but it looks like it is very spacious. The bottom hem is finished off with rose lace which looks very tidy. In the black colourway this lace blended in very well with the dress.

And then there is this JSK. Unfortunately not a lot of photos of this dress are available yet so I can only review what I can see. Again, the bodice looks a decent shape. I thought this one looked a little flatter than the bodice on the first dress. This will probably suit girls with a smaller bust. The straps have a decent width. I think the width of the straps is about right for this dress. I dislike the small panel of gathered lace on the bodice. I find it untidy. I think the dress would look better without it. I do like the simple bow underneath the lace. Looking at the other dresses I think this ribbon is probably of a high quality. The waist bow on this dress is again on the large side but because this dress is simpler I would probably keep the bow on the waist. The shape of the skirt looks flatter on this dress but there is a lot of gathering so it will probably puff up very nicely as long as you don't use a very large petticoat.

And this is a close-up of the print. There is a lot going on in this print. very busy! It is probably a bit too much for some people. I actually really like it. I love the castle turret, the key and the pair of scissors. I dislike the birds. The way they are positioned sort of makes them look as though they have just flown in to a window and gone splat! I also like the hair plait and the roses running along the bottom.

I don't usually feature the jewellery but I had to include a picture of this scissor brooch. It is really pretty! It is a lovely classic piece which I would happily love to have in my jewellery box. There are a few other scissor pieces in this series so they are worth checking out on the Baby the Stars Shine Bright website.

Overall this is a very stunning series but for some it will be too princessy or too over the top. I think the one piece is the best dress in this series. I don't think some of the design points work very well but I think it is a strong series that will sell well. This time, I think the print works best in black but the red looks stunning as well. The cream/off-white version does not appeal to me. I am seriously considering getting the skirt (money situation pending of course!).