Harlequinade by Angelic Pretty

Today I shall be having a look at Harlequinade by Angelic Pretty. This series includes 3 dresses, a skirt, 2 hair accessories and socks.

First up is the OP. The shape of the bodice is cute, although I think it could have been a bit better fitted. I love the contrast between the main dress fabric and the tulle, with the tulle part looking like a really convincing blouse. The sleeves could have been puffier, but the length is nice. The lace on the sleeves and the collar is of a good quality with a lovely design. It sits well on the tulle and has been layered well. The seam between the main dress and the tulle is a sweet heart shape, which looks really pretty. There is then a line of gold trump shaped buttons leading up to the collar, which has a great design, and the buttons are well spaced out. There is then a small metallic bow on the chest area and a larger bow on the collar. I am not overwhelmed by the metallic bow, as I think it could have been shaped in a more interesting way. It sort of looks like a bow you would see on a cheap chocolate box. As for the bow on the collar, it is a bit large in size, but it has a lovely shape to it. I really like how the edges of this bow have been lined with thin gold lace. Sadly though, I feel the collar bow makes the dress look a bit too bow-heavy. This bow is detachable, and I think I would detach it if it was me. The bodice has 2 ribbon corsets going down either side. I feel the ribbon corsets could have been better positioned (maybe a little further apart and more to the sides?) but they are otherwise well done. The ribbon is well spaced out and it only has a slight sheen to it. The edges of the ribbon corsets are also lined with lace, which keeps things looking very tidy. At the waist there are 2 solid coloured bows and an over-skirt. The over-skirt is a fantastic shape, which ends well before the border print and sits nicely on the dress as well. I am a little unsure about the bows though. They are a cute shape, but a little bit big in size. They also look as though they sit quite awkwardly on the dress as well. The back of the dress offers no shirring, so size flexibility is limited. The zip itself is fairly well concealed, although the print could have lined up a bit better along the zip line. The stock photos show that the skirt is very full and it flares outwards generously. There is the potential to create a really plump, full sweet shape. Aside from the over-skirt and the bows, the skirt is relatively simple, so the print is displayed reasonably well. The way the skirt material is gathered means the print is not displayed as well as it could have been though. The bottom hem is then finished off neatly with a line of crown and trump themed lace. I really love this lace design and it is the perfect choice for the print.

Here we have the Switching JSK. The bodice seems well fitted, but the bodice shape is a bit simple. However, I feel the details on the bodice really make up for the bodice shape and make it quite eye-catching. The straps seem a fair width and quite supportive. I really love the way the lace tops the straps and then continues down in a V shape to the waist and the waist bow. The lace has been layered well and it creates a very frilly and interesting texture. The lace used is really pretty in design as well. I think the waist bow is near perfect as well. The bow has an adorable shape to it, it is a suitable size and it sits really well on the dress. The only thing I might possibly change about it is to make the tails going down the skirt a little bit shorter. The insides of the lace are lined with gold braid, and then the material is solid coloured. I like that the solid coloured material here helps to break up the print. Gold braid is then carefully looped inside the triangle, which creates interesting swirls and movement. The gold braid then goes along the neckline, and there is a subtle line of thin lace lining the neckline as well. This makes the neckline look a lot less plain. There is a small bow on the neckline, which is a good shape and size. It could have maybe been a bit smaller. The back is fully shirred, which means lots of size flexibility, but the unattractive looking shirring is left very exposed. The stock photos show that the skirt has more than enough volume and it flares outwards loads. There is more than enough room for petticoat. The skirt is kept simple in design, so the print is displayed beautifully. The bottom hem is then finished off with a line of the same crown and trump themed lace, layered neatly over a ruffle of tulle. This use of detail is a good match for the lacy details on the bodice.

This is the Standard JSK. The bodice seems well fitted and overall I think the bodice shape is quite pretty. The straps are perhaps a bit on the thin side, but wider straps probably wouldn't have suited the bodice that well. However, I think the lace lining the outsides of the straps has a gorgeous design to it and is quite nicely shaped. My main concern with this dress is the organza belt. I have the Daydream Carnival JSK with a similar belt to this one, and from experience I find the belt rarely sits right and wrinkles up badly. I don't expect it to look as perfect worn as it does in the stock photos. The bodice features several lines of lace, some of which are lines of thin gold lace. The lace has been set out quite neatly and the wider lace in the middle sits quite well on the dress. There is also a line of gold trump shaped buttons running up the middle. Whilst the buttons are cute, the button at the bottom is quite badly positioned just above the belt. In the close up photos, it also looks as though little effort has been made to make sure the buttons sit correctly. There is a metallic bow on the neckline, which I feel looks really cheap. It also looks a bit stiff, as it seems to be sticking out at an odd angle and looks a bit strange. A softer choice of ribbon would have perhaps looked a bit more natural. The neckline is then lined with gold braid, which keeps it looking smart. Personally, I would have liked a thin line of lace along the neckline, just to soften it a bit. The back has a panel of shirring, which has been topped neatly with a ribbon corset. The stock photos show that the skirt is very full and it flares outwards loads. I like the full, rounded shape in the stock photos and think the skirt has a lot of potential. The skirt is kept simple in design, so the print is displayed perfectly. The bottom hem is then finished off neatly with the same crown and trump themed lace.

Finally, this is what the print looks like. This series comes in pink, sax blue, navy blue and black. All 4 colours seem to work okay with the print. None of the colours seem out of place, although I do wish a more vibrant gold had been chosen for the print on the black version. As for the print itself, the individual components are pretty and well drawn, but as a whole it is too much. When you look at the print on the dresses, it all feels a bit overwhelming. I really like the border part of the print, but I think it needs to be simplified a bit. It is really difficult to make out the trump shapes with all the random swirls of gold going on. The horses are beautiful and I am a fan of the rabbits too. I feel the non-border part of the print needs to be simplified as well. I find it a bit too distracting.

So whilst in some cases the dress designs seem okay, I have to say I don't like these dress designs with this particular print. It feels too OTT. I am having a hard time working out if it is the dresses or the print which is the problem. I usually would like this sort of print, but looking at this print, I am really not a fan. So I think it is safe to say that I would not go for this series. My top choice would be the Switching JSK in navy. If it wasn't for the print, I would probably really like the Switching JSK, as I think it has an interesting design. I have a feeling I might be in the minority liking this design the most though!