Angelic Pretty's Wonder Story

Today I thought I would discuss Angelic Pretty's latest series Wonder Story (I meant to post this ages ago!). The set is made up of 2 dresses, a skirt, socks and a headbow. It is a fairly small series, but here is hoping that what lacks in quantity makes up for it in quality.

This is the round JSK. I thought the bodice part looked a little dull and shapeless. This might be because there is a large shirring panel running all the way across the back. The shirring looks very untidy and exposed. The front has a few lines of semi-circle shaped lace which curve outwards to follow the natural body shape. The waist bow is a little large but has a nice shape to it. I think that overall, the bodice looks a little flat but thankfully the frilly neckline helps a lot. The lace along the neckline and continuing on the sleeves is a lovely shape and features little tea cups. The ruffles and lace layering adds a little more volume. The neckline is finished off with a simple velvet ribbon which is a nice choice and will feel soft. As you would expect with a JSK described as round, the skirt part is very full and has a good rounded shape to it. The skirt part can flare outwards a lot and will hold a lot of petticoat underneath. Despite having a lot of gathering, the print is shown off nicely and because the skirt is quite plain, there are no distracting details. The bottom hem is finished off with cute looking tea cup lace. The tea cup lace is not the same as the lace used for Wonder Cookie but it is similar.

AP are calling this is JSK with collar. Aside from the print itself, the collar probably is the thing that really stands out about this dress. The collar is shapely and up close you can see that it has tiny details such as rose shaped lace running along it. I really like it! If you dislike the collar, it is detachable. Underneath the collar, the neckline is neatly rounded with simple straps. The bodice on this dress is more shapely and also has more detail to it so it is a little more interesting. The waist bow on this dress looks more shapely than on the first dress. The front has some folds which end with lines of semi-circle lace. There are 2 more bows on the front which are small and very cute looking. These bows are also detachable and underneath there are 4 card suit themed buttons (see below). The back of this dress also has shirring but this time the shirring is hidden by some ribbon corset detailing. The top part of the skirt looks a little straighter and less rounded than the other JSK but it still flares out nice and widely. Again, the skirt part has been kept nice and simple so the print is displayed well. The bottom hem uses the same tea cup lace but this dress has a layer of pleats underneath. Although I compared the lace to that used on Wonder Cookie, Wonder Story's lace is more see-through and I think having the material underneath helps to show off the lace better.

I thought the skirt/apron deserved a quick mention. I love how AP have not made the apron part too cutesy by not making it heart shaped or too OTT. This style of apron fits the mood of the print better. Plus, the apron part is also removable so you can wear this like a normal skirt too.

Both the skirt/apron and the collar JSK have these card suit buttons which I think are really cute! It makes a change from having just heart shaped buttons or plain looking buttons. AP usually throw in lots of little details and you can tell that they put a lot of thought in to their designs.

Finally, we have the print close-up. I have to say that this is one of my favourite recent AP prints. Unlike a lot of other AP prints which are sugary sweet, this print has the potential to be worn with a more classic style. Although there are lots of details, the print is not too overcrowded. The bunnies are so cute! I also love the detailing on the books and keys. Plus, the inclusion of macarons is brilliant! Although the print does have AP featured in it, the brand name is not shoved right in our face either, which I think is a good thing.

So overall, I would say Wonder Story is a very promising series. Generally the designs are strong with possibly a few tiny little details some people may dislike. Despite the small number of pieces, I also feel the series is very versatile and could be worn many different ways. Although all 4 colours available work really well with the print, I think the wine colour works the best. So yes, I would happily buy from this series!