Posting a day early, because James is off work tomorrow and I find it hard to concentrate when he is playing on the PS3 in the background!
Today I will be taking a look at Teufel von Hameln by AatP. This series has 2 dresses, a skirt, a vest, shorts, a blouse, socks, a barrette, a beret, socks, 2 pouches and various accessories.
This is the JSK I. The bodice is a really pretty shape and looks really well fitted. It looks like it would be very figure-hugging. The straight neckline is maybe a bit dull, but looks decent enough. The straps are a good width. The waist bow is a really good shape. I think the size suits the dress quite well. Also, it has a good shape to it and it doesn't look floppy. The ribbon used has a slight shine to it, but I don't think it is that noticeable. The front has criss-crossed ribbon. I think the spacing of the ribbon has been done well and the ribbon is the right width. The ribbon doesn't look too clumped together. The back has a panel of shirring, which is covered by a ribbon corset. This helps to neaten the area and also helps to control how well the dress fits. I really like the shape of the skirt. It is really rounded and has a pretty, plump bell shape to it. I especially like how the waist area looks small but the bottom part of the skirt really plumps outwards. It shows that with the right petticoat, you can get a really lovely figure with this dress. The skirt is clutter free, so the print is displayed beautifully. The bottom hem is finished off with polka dot lace. This probably wouldn't have been my first choice as it looks quite sweet in comparison to the print and I don't think it is the prettiest looking lace either. Perhaps something which fits the musical theme of the print would have looked better.
This is JSK II. The bodice is again very well fitted and a pretty shape. It really nips the actual waist area in. However, I am not impressed by the 2 lines of horizontal lines of braid around the waist. I feel that the way the 2 line have been placed elongates the bodice. Also, I think it makes the skirt part look shorter than it actually is. I really don't think it suits the dress. I also don't think there needs to be 2 lines and one would have been enough. I am not saying that the braid was a bad idea, I just feel the placement of the braid could have been executed a lot better. The bodice is very plain, but the collar does help to liven things up a bit. I wonder if I am the only one who thinks some military style gold buttons would have looked good on the bodice? The collar is a pretty shape and makes the neckline a lot more interesting. The ribbon ruffle around the edge is absolutely gorgeous. The gathering has been done so neatly and it really makes the collar stand out. It gives the area more depth. However, I felt that from certain angles the collar looked big, so if you have wide shoulders then maybe proceed with caution.
It is nice to see that the collar looks neat even when viewed from the back. It looks so tidy and free of messy clutter. The back has a panel of shirring which is topped with a ribbon corset. The area looks very neat and tidy. However, I am not too keen on the bustle. I think maybe it is because it blends in a lot and gives the illusion of a bigger backside? If you glance quickly, you don't automatically see it is a bustle. I suppose it does add a bit of interest and it is spaced out nicely. It is a bit dull though.
The skirt shape on this dress looks a lot less attractive than the other JSK in my opinion. It doesn't flow as nicely, if that makes sense. The braid at the waist makes it look very awkward too. On the plus side, it looks like it would still hold a good amount of petticoat. If it was me, I would probably want to puff this dress out as far as it would go, just to hopefully get a better shape. I do however, like the bottom hem, which has gathered ribbon. It matches the collar and pulls the dress design together. It is also good to see something a bit different like this, as it keeps things interesting. I love the collar and the bottom hem, so it is a shame I don't like much of the rest of the dress.
This is part of the print close up...
... and another part, as I felt the first one didn't show enough of the print. The print is available in blue, green, bordeaux and black. The colours combinations are very interesting, especially the colours used for the stripes in the print (Which are a bit different to how they appear in the print close-ups. The stripes on the blue are more of a bright yellow). It is a bit quirky and different. As for the print itself, there seems to be a lot of random items thrown together. Maybe there is some story behind the print that I am unaware of! I really like the stamps. I think stamps need to be used more in lolita. They can be very pretty and decorative, as we can see here. The postal marks on top of the stamps are a nice touch too. I also really like the gold AatP emblem (visible in the first print picture) as it is so ornate and filled with detail. It has all been drawn beautifully. And yet, I am not too fussed by it. It looks okay, but I don't feel that excited by it.
The jewellery for this series uses very simple musical notes. It suits the series well, but maybe it is a bit too plain? Whilst I like it, I don't feel I could justify paying brand prices for a piece of jewellery this simple, especially when music note themed jewellery can be very easy to find. It just doesn't stand out as being a must-have accessory.
On a little side note, I would really be interested to see somebody pair this series with these Jane Marple stamp tights! I am sure somebody out there could make this idea work. Link- http://www.janemarple-stmm.co.jp/shop/jmr/0337.html
I am very underwhelmed by this series. It is pretty enough, but it doesn't appeal to me. I wouldn't buy this series. If I did though, I would go for JSK I in black or bordeaux. I love the collar on the JSK II but I don't like the rest of the dress. However, I do appreciate the use of different colours in this series and the print is nice enough, if you like that kind of thing.
No comments:
Post a Comment