Bodyline Order April 2013 Review

It feels like forever since I last reviewed some Bodyline! I wont take you through the whole ordering process, as I have discussed that all before. The only difference this time is I used the trick of converting the prices to yen, which saved me about £15. There was no way I was paying over £100 when I could get it for 80 something pounds instead!

I placed my order on the 1st of April and it arrived exactly 2 weeks later. I used EMS, as I know people have been having issues with the AIR shipping and I really did not want to risk things. The speed of delivery seemed a bit sluggish compared to usual and it didn't help that customs were being slow as well. 

My items were packaged in a plastic shipping bag. There were a few small tears in the plastic, which meant that water could have gotten in if it was exposed to rain. I also think it could have been taped up a bit better just to make it a bit more secure.

My regular readers will know that I have placed many shoe orders with Bodyline in the past and never got one of their elusive shoe boxes...

Well, I finally got one! They do exist! I was really pleased to see my shoes packaged properly and not just carelessly chucked inside the bag with only tissue paper for protection.

Inside the box, the shoes were wrapped in tissue paper and the toes were stuffed too. There was even a bit of card inserted so the shoes moved around less in the box. I was very happy with this.

First up, I ordered shoes 274 in navy. I was a bit nervous about ordering these because I wasn't sure if Bodyline would get the colour right. But they are indeed navy blue. They do have a bit of a greenish tinge in certain lights though. I ordered my usual size and the fit is good. I wore them around the house for a bit and they were fairly easy to walk in. They didn't feel uncomfortable. The soles are quite firm and hopefully will last for a decent amount of time. The shoe design is quite simple, but the bows are very cute. I think they would suit a more classic outfit.

I then got bolero L062 in off-white. I already own this bolero in pink and black, so I knew exactly what to expect. I am comfortable in it and it fits neatly over my dresses. The way it is done up means that the size is a bit adjustable as well. I love the ruffled edges, giving it a prettier finish. The material is soft and feels nice. I have never been that keen on the lace though, but on the off-white version it blends in a bit anyway, so I am not too worried about removing it.

However, after getting some stained socks for Christmas from Bodyline, I was a bit anxious about whether there were be stains on these items too. I did find a mark on the off-white bolero (circled in the picture). Although this mark was tiny, it was very stubborn to get out. In the end, I ended up making a very tiny hole in the bolero where I tried desperately to get it out and was scrubbing so hard. Nothing would budge it. So I am a bit annoyed about it as although it is advisable to wash items before wearing them anyway, I don't expect to find stains like this on my new items. The other bolero I ordered below also had some faint black stains on one arm but thankfully, those came out straight away.

I also ordered bolero L237 in sax blue. The fit of the bolero is good and I think the measurements given are reasonable. The colour is very vibrant and the stock photos are very accurate. The bolero has neck ties and 4 bows on the arms. The material used here is very shiny, but the neck ties are detachable anyway, so I may not use them. 

The quality is exactly what I was expecting. The material and lace feels soft and there are no loose threads anywhere. The ruffles are neat too. This bolero is quite heavily detailed, but I like the design and think it has been executed well. The only thing I would criticise is the arm is a bit small on the line where the 2 bows are near the top. It may not be a good option if you have larger top arms.

I brought wrist cuffs ACC1031 on a whim in off-white. The quality is good for the price they are and definitely match up to similarly priced cuffs. They are a bit on the big side though and I think one line of the lace would have been enough. They do flare out quite widely. The pearls are a cute finishing touch. I would consider getting more cuffs from Bodyline if they extend their colour range in the future, as they are cheap.

So overall, whilst I think this is a positive experience, I think there are a few little wobbles. The packaging could have been done more securely and I think it is dreadful that my off-white bolero had that nasty stain on it. Also, Bodyline's prices are not as competitive as they used to be and popular Taobao stores may be a better option. But overall, the items I ordered were what I was expecting quality-wise. I will still be ordering from Bodyline but maybe not as frequently as I have previously.