Alice Bruges by BABY

I am getting very behind on all of these posts again... Well today I am looking at Alice Bruges by Baby the Stars Shine Bright. This series includes 2 dresses, a skirt, a blouse, various hair accessories, wrist cuffs and socks.

This is the OP. The bodice has a good shape, but it is very basic. There is a lot of gathering in the bodice, which stops the material looking too flat or dull. Without that gathering, I think this bodice would look way too plain. The sleeves have a nice, slightly puffy appearance and it suits the overall shape quite well. The neck ties are cute.

I like the idea of using lace-looking ribbon to make a belt as it helps to nip the waist in. But are 2 of these really necessary? I think it looks a bit awkward. I would have just used the bottom lace belt and not bothered at all with the top one. The lace ribbon is also used to make a bow on the neckline. The ribbon lace used is nice enough, but all the details appear to blend together. I just think it is all very dull.

The back is very plain with no shirring. This means the sizing is not that flexible, which is a bit disappointing. The skirt has a nice bell shape to it and it looks as though it will hold a decent amount of petti. I really hate the horizontal line of lace which runs a little bit below the lace. It doesn't really add anything to the design. The print is displayed well. The bottom hem is finished off with cute lace. I like the little bows on the lace.

And this is the JSK. The main part of the bodice is an okay shape, although possibly a bit plain. I really dislike the straps on this dress. The very thin spaghetti strap style makes the dress look very casual. When you remove the skirt, the bodice shape just looks too basic.

 Thankfully, the detailing on the bodice is a bit better than that used on the OP. It has just one line of lace ribbon around the waist, and this looks quite smart. It gives the waist a nice finish. Thankfully, the neckline is also a bit more interesting on the JSK. The material is soft and frilly. It looks a bit more dressy.

The shirring runs the whole way across the back. It does give more size flexibility, but the shirring is very exposed and open. I think this could have been done a bit neater without sacrificing the size flexibility too much. The skirt has a really pretty bell shape to it. The shape is very rounded and plump, but without looking too OTT. It will also probably hold a decent amount of petticoat. The skirt is kept clutter free and the print is displayed beautifully. The bottom hem is finished off well with a line of soft material (chiffon?) and gives the bottom a softer edge.

Here is a part of the print close-up. The print comes in pink, sax blue and navy. The reason I have chosen to show the navy version for this is because I think the other 2 colours look way too pale. The colours look so washed out and in the stock photos, you can't really see the print that well. I feel this print needs a bit more boldness to it to really show off the print details. I just hope it will look better in person. As for the print itself, it is your typical fairy tale fare. The swans are pretty. It took me a while to work out there was a girl sat on the left swan! The girl and the house are drawn well. But overall, I find it all a bit dull. There is nothing that really stands out about that part of the print. My favourite part of the print is the lace parts floating on top and the lace border before it gets to the main part of the print. The lace is so well drawn with lots of detail to it. I also like the use of swans right at the very bottom. The lace part could have had a lot of potential, so it is a shame it has been used with such an average looking fairy tale print.

Something which I am yet to try is see-through socks. The see-through socks in this series are probably my favourite item. They are generic enough to wear with a variety of other prints, especially other Baby prints. I think it would be fun to experiment with layering over solid coloured tights. They also have a more dainty and soft look, which is quite appealing.

To be honest, I find this whole series a bit underwhelming. I even felt a bit bored when I was doing this post because I was struggling to get excited about it. It is just so plain. I think when you look at brand, you have a certain level of expectation, and this series disappoints me. My personal issue with it is that everything- the ribbon, the print, etc- is all really soft and as a result, the details all blur together. The series is cute enough, I just don't see it as a must-have purchase.