Brilliant Princess by Meta

Today I will be looking at Brilliant Princess by Meta. I didn't get the chance to save all of the series pictures, so if there is something missing I am sorry!

This is the pinafore JSK. The bodice looks a good shape and is very well fitted. The waist has 2 small bows on either side. The bows are very shapely and sturdy. I also think the waist bows are not over-powering and blends in well with the design. Around the neckline there is another small bow. Without it, the dress would probably be too plain. The bow here is also nicely shaped. The folds give it extra depth, texture, and makes it more interesting. I absolutely hate the way the straps have been done on this dress. 2 sets of straps are not uncommon but... 3 pairs? Is that really necessary? And they are all very thin straps as well, so they are not really adding anything to the design. The neckline also has some very subtle thin lace along it, which stops the neckline edge looking too harsh and flat. The back has a panel of shirring which is concealed by a ribbon corset. It has been done very tidily, apart from a trail of ribbon dangling down at the bottom. The back is still better looking than most Meta dresses. It is a shame this dress doesn't have more generous measurements. The skirt has that very rounded shape. Meta usually make their skirts too straight, so I am impressed by the skirt shape. It looks like it will also flare outwards a lot, but not as much as your standard Meta piece. However, some might see that as a good thing. The skirt is very plain with just some more thin lace on the bottom hem. Some will say this dress is too plain, but actually, I think this is the best dress in the series.

This is the frill pinafore JSK. The bodice is very well fitted and has a good shape. The waist has 2 small bows, exactly the same as the previous dress. The bodice has 4 thin lines of vertical lace running down the front. Vertical lines are meant to be slimming but the contrasting colour lace means you will emphasise your figure. This dress has very small measurements and that is probably a good thing, because this style will suit a smaller waist and flatter stomach. The front also has a ribbon corset. The ribbon is very shiny and I think the dress would look better without it. There is also a chiffon panel, which fits in with the bottom of the skirt. The chiffon looks soft and has been used well, but if you don't like it, it is removable. The straps are a good width and cross over at the back, which looks good. The back has a panel of shirring but it is so ridiculously small that it really doesn't need to be there. The ribbon corset concealing the shirring looks very crowded too. The skirt has that typical Meta shape- wide and flares out a lot and slightly triangular in shape. Meta also appears to be copying Angelic Pretty and making the skirt length shorter. The skirt will hold a lot of petticoat underneath, but if you put too much underneath, it will end up even higher on your leg. It is about striking that perfect balance without looking too OTT. Despite the shape, I do like the skirt design. The bottom hem has 2 layers of soft and floaty looking material; definitely suitable for a princess. The top of the chiffon is topped with 2 small bows. They are small enough that they don't ruin the design, but maybe they could have been moved apart a bit more because they line up with the wast bows. So you have a very bunched together cluster of bows which appear in a square shape.

This is the OP. You can sum up this design in 3 words- lots of lace. The bodice doesn't look as well fitted as the JSKs but it still has a good shape. There is a large waist bow, with a line of small pearls dangling from it. It has a pretty shape, but looks a tiny bit droopy. The front has vertical lace and chiffon running up it, only to be met by even more lace, because there is a massive panel near the neck. Sadly, this time the panel doesn't appear to be detachable. There is also a choker, which is not shown in these pictures.

This is a close-up of the sleeve detail. I don't think all of the lace is needed. I also thought the sleeves were too wide, but I guess it is good for your typical hime lolita style.

The back has a shirring panel but I also think the shirring is too narrow. Because of this, the ribbon corset concealing it looks too bunched together and messy. It also means that all 3 dresses wont be that good for plus-sized lolitas which is usually something Meta is good at providing. The skirt shape looks very triangular and flares out loads. It is good for stuffing lots of petticoat under, but is very OTT. Judging by the model pictures, the skirt length is short on the OP too. The lace and chiffon from the bodice continues down on to the skirt, and spreads outwards, giving a very princessy shape. This line is also topped with bows made from shiny ribbon. I really dislike the use of wide lace at the bottom because I think it cheapens the design. I guess the whole point of the OP is to look like an OTT princess, but I really dislike it.

And here is what the print looks like. Is it just me, or does something with the print look a bit off? I don't know whether it is the colours used, or the actual print itself. All I know is that as soon as I looked at it, I thought it looked strange. There are parts of the print that I like. The 2 swans, swimming on water inside of a heart shape is pretty. All your essential princess items are there. There is the castle, the royal emblems and use of gold. But as a whole, I don't think the print works well.

I quite like this hair accessory from the series. I like the versatility of the design. You could probably wear this with both sweet and classic lolita. The colours might be a bit too sweet for classic, but I see no harm in trying it! The print is not that dominant here, meaning you wouldn't have to wear it with Brilliant Princess.

These are the socks that come with the series. There is nothing particularly "new" about the design and there are similar designs out there. However, they are quite pretty. They would be a good purchase because you could match them to other series with a fairy tale sort of theme.

So overall, I am not impressed by Brilliant Princess. Just recently, I have not been as enthusiastic about new Meta releases. If they keep releasing prints like this, I am really going to fall out of love with Meta. The first JSK helps redeem the series a bit, but there is just so much here that made me shake my head. I can't see Brilliant Princess or Cotton Candy (which I reviewed recently) selling well. If I had to pick something, I would go for the first JSK in navy. But I probably wouldn't waste my money on it. Ouch!