This is the OP. The bodice looks well fitted and the shape is interesting. The organdie sleeves give a soft, floaty feel. I think the sleeves look cute but I personally would have liked the sleeves to have been a bit puffier. The waist bow is quite big and I feel they could have gotten away with a much smaller bow or maybe no bow at all. Or perhaps even an organdie bow? The waist bow also has quite a basic shape to it, although it looks quite perky and sits well on the dress. The bodice has a row of buttons going up the front centre with the buttons alternating with some cute, small bows. The bows and buttons are spaced out well, although the buttons used are a bit boring. Either side of the buttons, there is a organdie ruffle, which compliments the sleeves and works quite well. At first I thought the collar on this dress was a bit too big, but after seeing it worn by a model on Meta's website I don't think it looks too bulky. I like how the collar is finished with an organdie ruffle around the edge to soften it. I wouldn't have bothered with the small bows on the collar though, as they don't really add much to the design and just add unnecessary bulk. The back hasn't got shirring, so is quite plain. The collar looks nice from the back as well. The waist ties are quite wide though, and look very bulky. The photos show the skirt has a subtle, slightly rounded shape to it. It is quite roomy with lots of room for a decent amount of petticoat. The skirt is relatively clutter free, so the print is displayed reasonably well. Just underneath the print there is an organdie ruffle which gives the bottom a lovely, frothy feel. It is very suitable, given the print theme. The bottom hem is then finished off with a simple ruffle.
This is the A-line pinafore JSK. The bodice looks fairly well fitted, although I am not sure what is going on with the neckline. If it is meant to be a heart shaped neckline then it could have been shaped a lot nicer. The straps are a good width for the style of dress but are a bit basic looking. I am really hating the heart cut-out on the bodice. Something about it just doesn't feel quite right and you would also have to pick the top you wear underneath quite carefully. There is also a random flower shape button underneath the cut-out which looks very out of place. The thin organdie ruffles running down the dress are quite figure flattering though. The back is fully shirred, which gives good size flexibility but doesn't look that attractive. The skirt has got the typical shape you would expect from an A-line dress, although in some photos the silhouette looked a bit bumpy. I was very interested to see that Meta have ventured in to doing pockets (something which I love about Angelic Pretty dresses!). However, I am a little disappointed by the scalloped flaps covering the 2 pockets on this dress. I don't think they match the rest of the dress and hidden pockets would have been nicer instead of having random flaps sticking out. The top of the border part of the print has a small organdie ruffle which blends in quite nicely. I like the bows on top of the organdie ruffle but think they could do with being a bit smaller. The print is displayed reasonably well. The bottom hem is then finished off with some very cute bow themed lace.
This is the Pinafore JSK. The bodice material looked just a teeny bit loose in some of the photos and the square shape is quite plain and boxy looking. The shoulder straps are a decent width for the dress but again, they are kept plain and look a bit dull. However, my main frustration with this dress is that folded over neckline which doubles up as a second pair of off-the shoulder straps. It just looks very awkward! The Meta website listing also has photos of the dress worn by a model, and it doesn't look any better. It looks too complicated and wouldn't suit everybody. I also worry it would make the wearer's arms feel restricted. The great news is that this part of the dress is detachable! The waist has a wide organdie belt which doesn't look too appealing in the photo I have used (it looks a lot better in the other photos). When tied neatly it nips in the waist fairly well, but when it isn't tied well it can add too much bulk to the waist area. After seeing the pictures, I think it looks best tied to one side rather than in the centre. The bodice has a line of pretty lace in a semi circle shape, sort of mimicking a yoke. In the middle there are 3 well-spaced buttons, and again I find the buttons to be a bit boring. However, they do help liven up what would otherwise be a very plain bodice. The back has a panel of shirring which is concealed tidily by a ribbon corset. The photos show the potential to create a very rounded shape with the skirt. It doesn't look too OTT though. The skirt also has a decent amount of fullness to it and will hold a lot of petticoat. The skirt is kept clutter free and the print is displayed well. The bottom hem is finished off with a simple ruffle.
This is the Shirring Pinafore JSK. As you would expect from the name, the bodice is fully shirred and doesn't look as attractive. However, Meta have decided to put an organdie top over the dress (which is obviously detachable) which actually helps to conceal the shirring reasonably well! The organdie top part is quite OTT with 2 large bows on the front and lots of small ribbon bows dotted all over the top. Whilst for some people this may be OTT, I personally have grown to quite like it and think it is a massive improvement to the fully shirred bodice. The straps are a good width for the style of dress and have an organdie ruffle going along them, which softens them and makes them look a lot more interesting. It also fits in better with the style of the rest of the dress. If you remove the organdie top, underneath the front centre has a random flat part which is topped with 3 small bows and has an organdie ruffle on either side. The bows are quite cute and spaced neatly. The organdie ruffles match up with the straps really well. As the dress is fully shirred that means the back is shirred too. The skirt has a subtle, slightly rounded shape to it. The stock photos show that there is the potential for the skirt to flare outwards quite far and the skirt has a decent length for a high-waisted dress too. Despite the organdie top reaching the border print, the print is still displayed quite well. The bottom hem is then finished off with a simple ruffle.
And here we can see the print. This print is available in cream, sax blue and lavender. All 3 colours work well with the print (the cream seems yellow to me) but my favourite is the lavender. As for the print, parts of it look kind of familiar... It is like they have taken bits and pieces of their March of the Duck series but have updated it to suit more current trends. There is the tiled background and the ducks (although this time around they are not the main focus of the print) but this time around there are pastel colours and the addition of cats. The cats are drawn very well and look pretty cute. As a duck fan, I wish there were more ducks in the print though! The cats appear to be having a lot of fun, frolicking in the bathroom scenery. All the bottles and soaps add extra detail. The bubbles help to fill in any empty spaces quite well. Overall, it is a very cute print. In my eyes it isn't as good as March of the Duck though!
Meta have finally caught on to the sheer detail trend we have been seeing from other Japanese brands. They give an outfit a soft, delicate feel. I think this blouse Meta have released is a good match for the Bubble Bath series. It maybe looks a bit basic compared to similar blouse designs from other brands, but I think it is a step in the right direction. I would be very interested to see how it looks worn before considering buying it though.
So overall, I think this is a very cute series. I don't think it is going to be a best seller, but it is still a decent effort. Although some dress designs are stronger than others, there is hopefully something here to suit a wide range of tastes. Would I buy this series? Possibly, but it wont be going on my wishlist. Surprisingly, my favourite dress is the Shirred Pinafore one and I can't stand the look of full shirring! Sadly this series doesn't seem to be selling that well so far, but at least there is a chance that in the future Meta may sell it at a reduced price. I would certainly be tempted.
No comments:
Post a Comment