This is the OP. The bodice looks like it is fairly well fitted, although the overall bodice shape is a bit boring. The sleeves are very cute. They are the right kind of length and they have a suitable amount of puffiness to them. The sleeves are finished with very cute looking heart lace and topped with a simple bow. The lace doesn't look too bulky and it finishes off the sleeves nicely.
I am not really sure how I feel about the tuxedo style on the bodice. I get that it ties in nicely with the theme of the print but I am unsure I like the overall look. I like the pleats as it gives added texture and stops the area looking so flat and plain. The stripy buttons are also quite cute. Although the bows are nicely shaped and kept fairly small, I don't think I really like them. I think the bows look too much when they are paired with the buttons as well. Given the choice, I would remove the bows and keep the buttons. I would maybe keep the very top bow as it tops the folded over " tuxedo collar" well. I also wish that AP hadn't used ric-rac trim on the collar part because that stuff rarely seems to look nice. I also think that the tuxedo styling gives the waist a very straight appearance and I think it looks a bit odd and harsh looking.
The back is fully shirred the whole way across, which isn't the most attractive thing to look at but at least offers size flexibility for larger wearers. The skirt has a pretty full shape to it. It flares outwards beautifully. The skirt is divided in to 2 tiers, but the tiers are joined together well and don't give the skirt an awkward shape. However, the tiers are topped with more of that awful ric-rac trim. The print on the bottom tier is maybe not displayed as well as it could have been but the right sort of petticoat should help greatly here. The bottom hem is then finished off with very cute candy themed lace.
The bodice on the JSK also has some tuxedo style styling to it, but the area is kept smaller, taking up much less bodice space. I think this looks much better and the OP should have been done in a similar style. But maybe the JSK would look better if it had some pleats on the tuxedo part like the OP does. As it is, it looks a bit bare. I am not a huge fan of the use of ribbon around the edge either. But the buttons are spaced out well. The ribbon bow is a bit big, but I think it finishes the bodice off fairly well. I am not a fan of the lace used along the neckline as it looks too soft and floaty when teamed with the sharper details.
The back has a wide panel of shirring running the whole way across the bodice. Again, it looks a bit untidy. The skirt has a beautiful shape to it. I think it is pretty how it flares outwards. The skirt has a line of ladder style lace with ribbon threaded through it. It ties in with the bodice ribbon quite well. It adds a bit of detail to the skirt but without looking too bulky and the print is still displayed well. The skirt is divided in to two tiers lower down. The tiers are layered nicely. Sadly, there is more of that dreaded ric-rac trim on the edge of the top tier though. Thankfully, it blends in quite a bit on most of the colour ways except the ivory version.
And here is the print. The print is available in the 4 colours shown in the picture. It is an interesting selection of colours. I am surprised AP didn't do it in pink and went with mint instead. However it is a pleasant surprise, as I think the mint version may be my favourite! Something about the ivory version looks a bit off to me and I don't think it works as well as the other 3 colours. For some reason, the print reminds me of something Metamorphose would put out, just with AP using brighter colours. I like the idea of the balloon cart and the candy shape balloons are adorable. The candy bouquets are cute too. But overall, I am not hugely impressed by the print. I don't like the way the items are randomly scattered about. It's not my kind of thing.
Oh AP... what are you doing? This series is hardly understated, but I really feel this candy shaped headdress is pushing things too far. It looks a bit silly in the stock photos and I can't imagine how it will look in real life. It will probably sit quite awkwardly on the head. Also, how on earth do you style your hair to go with it? With such an OTT print you would probably want to do something big and interesting with your hair and I don't think that pairs up well with this headdress. And don't get me started on the ric-rac trim... As I think it is crystal clear to see, I am really not a fan of this item!
So overall, I am not a fan of this series. I think I find it a bit too cartoonish for my tastes. I also can't stand the use of ric-rac throughout the series. If I absolutely had to pick an item I would go for the JSK in mint. But there is no way you would ever get me to wear that candy headdress! I can't say I am that impressed by any of this series. Here's hoping that my next AP print discussion is a bit more positive!
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