Today I have another print discussion double post, in order to keep up. So scroll further down to see what I think of the latest Alice and the Pirates series. First up, I will be looking at a new Baby the Stars Shine Bright series.
So first up is Strawberry Days by BABY. This series includes 2 dresses, a skirt, 2 blouses, 2 hair accessories, a necklace, shoes, a bolero, socks and tights.
This is JSK I. The bodice looks a little loose and baggy in places. I also can't stand the bodice shape. I think it looks a little strange. Maybe the neckline could have been heart shaped to look a little cuter. The straps are a good width for the dress. I don't think wider straps would suit the style of dress. The outer edge of the straps is lined with lace, however I really hate how some of the colour ways have black lace. For some reason, I think it looks a bit cheap and tacky. I also hate the use of lace on the waist bow too. The bow itself is a good size, but the shape is a bit droopy. It appears to sag on the dress. The neckline has really wide lace. The lace is of a good quality, but I think it is a bit wide. Although sometimes contrasting patterns can work, I don't think the stripy ribbon on the neckline works when teamed with the polka dots in the print. The stripy ribbon also appears to be randomly gathered. The neckline is finished off with a thin line of pleats. Overall, I think the details don't work together. The back has a panel of shirring which is covered by a ribbon corset. The stock photos show the skirt is reasonably full, with plenty of volume. The bell shape is very pretty. The skirt is kept quite simple, so the print is displayed really well. The bottom hem is then finished off with some good quality lace.
This is JSK II. The bodice is a bit of an odd shape again. I think the neckline could do with being just the slightest bit lower. I also don't understand why the neckline is scalloped. Scalloping doesn't feature anywhere else on the dress and I don't think it really fits any themes on the dress. The scallops have been done well, but I find it a little random. The neckline is also decorated with cute heart lace. The straps are a good width and the outer edge is lined with subtle thin lace, which stops them looking too plain. The bases of the straps are topped with bows. The bows are a cute shape and look very perky, although I think they could do with being a bit smaller. The waist bow is an okay size but the shape is a bit strange. I think the tail parts of the bow are a bit big. Although I am still not a fan of the lace colour used, I think it looks better on this dress because the lace is thinner. The waist bow is nicely decorated with this thin lace. Again, I find the use of stripy ribbon looks a bit out of place. I also think the placement of the stripy ribbon is a little odd. The back has a panel of shirring which is concealed by a ribbon corset. The skirt flares out really well and it is very full. The skirt on this dress is also kept simple so the print is again displayed well. The bottom hem is then finished off with 2 layers of tulle, which gives the bottom a very fluffy, soft finish.
And here we have part of the print close up. This series is available in ivory, pink (white dots), pink (black dots), mint and brown. I am really not feeling the use of black and I don't think I like the use of brown much better. So for me, that just leaves the pink with white dots as the only option out of 5 possible colours. As for the print itself, the strawberries and cherries are drawn fairly well, but there is nothing that makes this print really stand out. It is yet another strawberry print to me. I suppose the idea of combining cherries with the strawberries is a good idea. I think the candies in the print are cute, but they don't really add much to the design. I can't stand the polka dot pattern. I am not anti-polka dots, I just don't feel they work here. Whilst the ribbon is drawn well, I can't help but feel the vertical ribbon parts of the print look oddly placed when you see them on the dresses.
So in summary, I can't say I am particularly amazed by this series. You sort of have to accept that the big brands are going to put out a few strawberry prints each year, but I don't think this particular series is a great one. Neither the dress designs nor the print appeal to me. I wouldn't buy this series, personally. If I absolutely had to go for something, I would go for JSK II in pink with white dots. But I am really not impressed.
And next up I am looking at Flim-Flam Musical Band's Holiday by Alice and the Pirates. This series includes 2 dresses, a skirt, a blouse, a vest, shorts, 2 hair accessories and 2 pairs of socks.
This is the OP. The bodice looks well fitted and is an interesting shape. The shoulder area looks a bit wide but that may be the collar making it appear wider. The sleeves are quite straight, but puffy sleeves wouldn't really suit this dress anyway. The solid coloured cuffs match up perfectly with the bodice details and suit the military theme of the dress. I like how the cuffs have braid and buttons because they stop the cuffs looking too plain. The ruffle on the cuffs makes them a bit more dressy too. The front of the bodice has a matching solid coloured panel. The panel is decorated with gold buttons and chains. The buttons are positioned very well and the design doesn't look too bulky. The buttons also have a pretty design on them, so they don't look too simple. I do like the collar design, but think maybe it could be positioned a bit better, possibly inwards a bit. The collar design matches up perfectly with the cuffs. I really like the use of braid and the ruffle along the edge. The neckline also has a bow. The bow is a bit big, but I think it works with the dress design. I like the way the bow sits on the dress, and the way the gold trim falls downwards. It is quite cleverly positioned. The musical not charm in the middle is cute, but I wouldn't have bothered with the small chain hiding behind the bow. The back doesn't have any shirring, so the back is quite plain aside from the back of the collar. The stock photos show the skirt has a reasonable amount of volume. However, the photos give the illusion that the skirt is a bit short in length. Maybe that is because of the way the waist area has been done, giving the impression it is shorter. The skirt has a nice subtle bell shape to it. The skirt is kept quite simple, so the print is displayed beautifully. The bottom hem is then finished off with a line of braid and a simple ruffle.
This is the JSK. The bodice looks quite well fitted. The bodice shape is a bit simple though. The straps are on the thin side and look a bit flimsy, but wider straps would not suit this dress. I do wish they had been lined with some thin lace though, to stop them looking so plain. The waist ribbon is a good size for the dress. The shape is relatively simple and it sits well on the dress. However, the ribbon used for the bow is very shiny. The neckline has a line of the same ribbon with a simple ruffle underneath. The base of the straps have bows with a chain attached between the 2 bows. Again, the bow material is a bit too shiny and I don't really like the way they are placed on the dress. I like the idea of using a chain, but I dislike the way the end dangles down on one side. I would definitely want to alter that if I had this dress because it looks unintentionally uneven. The back has a panel of shirring which is concealed very well by a ribbon corset. The stock photos show the skirt has a decent amount of volume and can flare out very well. It looks a decent length and has a pretty bell shape to it. The skirt is kept simple again, so the print is displayed well. The bottom features a line of that shiny ribbon and then a simple ruffle.
And here we have part of the print close up. This print is available in red, green, brown and black. The colour choices are perfect for an AatP print and I think all 4 colours work very well. I think my favourite colour is the green though. It is a little bit different. As for the print, it is certainly a bit different and I find it interesting. All the characters playing the instruments have been drawn with a lot of attention to detail. I keep finding new things I hadn't noticed before. The edge of the border part of the print are done well with roses, swirls and tassels. I also really like the bold diamond background topped with musical scores, flags and other items. This is a print which is very rich in detail.
So I think this is an interesting series. I do really like the design, although I am a bit undecided on whether it is really my style or not. It has a very bold look. Would I buy it? Probably not, but that doesn't mean I dislike it. If I did go for this series, I would choose the JSK in green. I love the OP design but it is not really something I would wear. I don't think it is going to be a massive hit, but it is nice enough.
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