Sweet Poker by Metamorphose

Today I will be taking a look at a recent series from Metamorphose. It is called Sweet Poker and includes 4 dresses, 2 blouses, an apron skirt, a skirt, 4 hair accessories and 2 pairs of socks.

This is the OP. Underneath the apron the bodice is very well fitted. The shape is a bit frumpy looking though. I think the sleeves could do with being a bit shorter. The gathering on the sleeve ends help to liven them up a little though, and I do like how the lace gives a nice finish without being overpowering. The dress underneath the apron is quite simple with just criss-crossed ribbon on the front, which is spaced out well. At the neck area, we find a detachable yoke. The use of pleats, lace and pretty buttons on the yoke help to liven it up a bit and gives it a bit of depth, but the shape is quite dull. I think the problem is that the lines of the neckline are too straight which looks very harsh and too simple. I have come to the conclusion that the dress looks better with the yoke detached, but it still doesn't look quite right. As for the apron, the top part's shape is very square and basic but the use of buttons and lace helps to make it look a bit cuter. I like the gathering on the skirt part of the apron. I still think it could do with livening up a bit though. The back has no shirring and is quite plain and basic. The stock photos show the skirt can flare out nicely. Whilst the shape is fine, I think it could do with being a slightly rounder and sweeter shape. It's like the dress can't quite decide if it is classic or sweet. The apron covers most of the front of the skirt, but the border part of the print is displayed quite well. The bottom hem is then finished off with some card suit themed lace which fits the theme, but I have seen much prettier card suit lace before. Underneath the lace is a simple gathered ruffle.

This is the Shirring Pinafore JSK. As the name suggests the bodice is fully shirred. It does mean the size is more flexible but the bodice looks very lumpy and bumpy. The neckline is a bit dull too. The dress has 2 sets of straps which are a bit basic looking and a bit boring. The dress has a waist bow which is a bit big but doesn't look too out of place on this dress. The bow is a bit basic but the shape is good and it sits nicely on the dress. I am not too fond of the frill on the front centre but the card suit shaped gold buttons are cute. There are 2 bows at the bases of the straps. The shape of the bows is cute, although maybe they are a bit on the big side. As the dress is fully shirred, that includes the back and it looks pretty much the same as the front does. I am still not a fan of the way it looks. The stock photos show the skirt flares out quite well at the bottom. The top bit of the skirt could do with a bit more shape to it though. The skirt is kept simple and the print is displayed well. The bottom hem is then finished off with a simple ruffle.

This is the High Waist Apron JSK. The name is very apt as the waist is so high that the bodice is barely there. I imagine it would sit awkwardly on some, especially those with a big bust, and may not suit everybody. The straps look very wide and supportive but look a bit bulky. I do love the ruffle on the outside of the straps though, as they are very cute. Somehow, Meta have managed to fit 3 bows on the very short bodice. They actually look quite sweet with a cute shape and surprisingly don't look too crowded. The neckline is a bit simple but the shape is better than some of the other dresses, and the lace smartens it up. The back doesn't have any shirring, so the sizing is quite limited. The back also features a button up and thin bow design which I wonder how easy will be to fasten up! The dress shape is quite smock-like. It looks a bit shapeless, although on the right person, with the right amount of petticoat, I think it could potentially look quite cute. However, on most people I think it may end up looking a bit sack-like or not quite right. The tiered design is quite cute and the tier join is done well. However, the tier's gathering means the border part of the print is quite obscured and the bows on the tier line seem to blend in a fair bit. The bottom hem features the same average looking card suit lace.

This is the Front Open Pinafore JSK. The bodice looks reasonably well fitted. I am not really a fan of the low scoop neckline but I suppose it is great for showing off a fancy blouse underneath. I still think the execution is a little off though, as it doesn't quite look right to me. I think if the straps had been a bit wider and the neckline was just a little higher, I may have liked it a bit more. Thankfully the neckline is lined with more of that card suit lace, otherwise it would look even more plain. I think the waist bow is a good size for the style of dress. The shape is good and it is very perky looking, sitting pretty well on the dress.

For some reason, I don't like the back. I dislike the way the straps cross at the back and I think the use of lace on them looks a bit tacky here. The back is fully shirred, although judging by this photo it doesn't have much gathering to it and wont offer a great deal of extra room. When I compare the front view to the back view, the back just spoils it for me. Usually, I would just cover this up with a cardigan, but that would conceal any blouse that I would want to show off with the low neckline at the front. So for me personally, it doesn't appeal.

The skirt at least has the potential to get a lovely, rounded shape to it. I think that shape-wise, this dress has the best skirt in the series. I really like the full bell shape. The skirt is kept free of clutter, so the print is displayed well. The bottom hem is then finished off with more of the card suit lace.

And here we have part of the print close-up. This print is available in pink/brown, sax blue and lavender. The print has obvious Alice in Wonderland tones to it, so the sax blue is an obvious choice. The pink and lavender are a bit more unconventional, but Meta do love to throw in random colours! The sax blue is probably my personal favourite. As for the print itself, I think it is quite cute. I think the combination of the diamonds and the stripy background work together quite well. I am getting a very slight Emily Temple Cute vibe off it. The teddy bears and rabbits have been drawn very cutely. Their outfits have a nice amount of detail to them and team up nicely with the royal looking swan logo. I also like how the outer edge of the diamonds is lined in a subtle way with golden lines, as it makes the print look a lot smarter. The chains, clocks and bows fills in the space at the bottom well, without making the print look too overcrowded. The background is filled with flying cakes and teapots, which makes the background more interesting but also doesn't distract too much from the main diamond part of the print. And despite the Alice in Wonderland tone of the print, I think the Alice theme is subtle enough to keep people interested in what is otherwise quite an overused theme in lolita.

Despite liking the print, I feel the dress designs are a bit lacking. It is like they are missing that special something that makes a really great lolita dress. But at least there is still the skirt! I would pick the skirt in sax blue over any of the dress designs. If I had to pick a dress, I guess I would go for the OP. Would I buy this series? Probably not.