New Bodyline Coats

This time last year, I was madly searching for a nice coat to keep me warm whilst I was wearing lolita. In the end, I picked a Bodyline coat which thankfully, was warm enough for a typical English Winter. I am very happy with my coat selection and I am not looking to buy another this Winter, but I thought I would have a look at this year's coats anyway. I think quite a lot of lolitas struggle with purchasing a coat because they can be quite expensive, so I was relieved that my Bodyline coat was better than I was expecting.

To be honest... this year's coats are not as well designed as last year's designs. Last year there was a very pretty sailor coat, which was surprisingly versatile (and still available on the website in black only). However, I am not going to write off the new coats just yet, because they are still very cute.

Cat ears have not exactly got a good reputation in the lolita community, but I know they have their fans too. If you are in to cats, then this coat could be for you! With its ears, fake fur and bells, there is no doubt that this coat is aimed at the sweet loving crowd. I am impressed with the shape of this coat, which reminds me of the shape brands use sometimes. I also like the bow on the back, which just furthers the sweet theme. I would have preferred heart shape pockets on the front because the cat ears on the pockets are a bit OTT. I would have also left the bells off. Also, with the black coat, maybe black fake fur would have been nicer. My overall impression of this coat is cute, but I probably wouldn't wear it myself. Despite the haters, many lolitas still wear animal ears.

Bodyline are also bringing in some capes. I felt design-wise, this cape was the nicest because some of the colours on the other capes were a bit... 'interesting'. I think this cape may also have limited appeal. The picture does not show how easy it is to move your arms underneath. There is no point spending out on a coat if it is not that practical! Whilst I do like the use of check (especially the gathering on the bottom bit) and also the bows, I think the lace on this coat looks bad. It looks a bit cheap. The collar is a good shape and the pom pom ties fit well with the design. I wish there had been more colour options with the check parts, which is black on every colourway.

As far as longer coats go, this is the lastest design. The coat reminds me of similar styles from FanplusFriend. Hopefully, the fake fur parts will be detachable, because that would give the wearer more options about what to team this coat with. It would have been good if there were more options with the fake fur colour, but if the red coat had white fur there would be a real risk of it looking like a Father Christmas outfit! I dislike the shape of this coat. I think it could be a bit longer in length and the scalloped edge is average. However, the cape sits nicely over the coat and I think it would look cute worn alone on warmer days. This coat has rose buttons and some lace too, which blends in with the design. It will be interesting to see what sort of lolitas decide to go for this coat. Will non-sweet lolitas be put off by the fake fur, or will they see the potential of the coat minus the fur?

Given the choice between this year's coat designs and last year's coats, I think I would try to get a coat from last year's selection. Some of the coat prices have fluctuated throughout the year, but I feel those designs are more wearable. However, don't underestimate the new coats. I know people who will love these newer coats and if people have a few minor issues with the design, then maybe customisation could be an option. Even though I dislike the bells, I would not let that put me off the cat coat because they should be easy to remove. My only advice would be that if you live in a country that has VERY bad Winters, you may need a good cardigan underneath. My Bodyline coat is perfect for England, but it may be a different story in a colder country!

Finally, I would just like to quickly apologise if my blog posts are a little erratic over the next few weeks. I have not been feeling very well lately, but I am going to try my best to keep things going as normal as possible. I am also going to try and work on improving the content of my posts so do keep reading!