First up is the Collar OP. The bodice seems fairly well fitted and the shape is cute. I am not usually a fan of this shape of sleeve, but I do think that the choice of material makes it work. As a result, the sleeves look suitably light and airy, with a good amount of puffiness to them. They are also gathered very nicely at the cuffs, and the cuffs themselves have been kept nice and simple. The bodice features a collar layered on top of a bib. I am not a fan of the bib anyway, as I don't feel it works with the overall 'feel' of the series, but I think it is a bit ridiculous to have this overlapping bib and collar. The bib is a nice shape but quite big, and it takes up a lot of room. I like the good quality lace lining the bib, but I wouldn't say it was anything special. The inside of the bib is set out neatly with some tidy looking pleats and a ruffle of lace, which sits really well on the bib. If it was me, I would not have bothered with the bib and just had the collar. The collar itself has some interesting detailing to it, so I don't think the bodice would look too plain without the bib. Maybe a few discreet lines of thin lace on the bodice could have worked with just the collar. The collar has an interesting hemline, which creates an almost cloud-like shape. I imagine this is what AP were aiming for. Personally, I think the collar could have been shaped cuter, but as it is it doesn't look too bad. However, I am not a fan of the pearls placed along the very edge of the collar hemline and also the small ribbon bow in the middle. The pearls look very poorly positioned and I just don't think it works. As for the bow, the ribbon used is super shiny and I also don't think the colour quite matches in some cases. Thankfully the ribbon bow is detachable, and I would be tempted to detach it and replace it with my own ribbon bow in a colour and ribbon choice I feel would be more suitable. The back offers no shirring, so size flexibility is very limited. I don't feel the zip is that well concealed on the back either, as you can see an obvious break in the clouds in the print and also at the collar. The stock photos show that the skirt is generous in volume and it flares outwards greatly. There is a lot of potential here to create a fantastic skirt shape. The skirt is kept simple in design, so the print is displayed perfectly. The bottom hem is then finished off with star and AP logo themed lace. I am not quite sure where stars fit in with the print or themed of this series, but at least the lace is of a good quality I guess.
Here we have the Mini Sleeve OP. The bodice looks quite lumpy, so perhaps the decision to use chiffon hasn't worked quite as well here. I am also not a fan of the sleeves. I feel the sleeves need to be more gathered and be a bit puffier. The neckline shape and the straps are lovely though. There is a large waist bow, which has a beautiful, well formed shape to it. The waist bow seems to be attached to the organza over-skirt, which I was hoping would be detachable, but it doesn't seem to be. There are 3 additional bows on the bodice. Again, these bows are a lovely shape, although with the waist bow as well I think these bodice bows need to be a bit smaller. These bodice bows sit ever so neatly on top of some lines of lace. The lace has been really well placed and gathered. Nothing looks out of place and it looks so tidy. The V shaped neckline is softened by generous amounts of lace. This gives the neckline a really frothy appearance. I imagine though, that this lace could tickle the wearer a fair bit. The back is fully shirred, so there is plenty of size flexibility, although it also means the shirring is very exposed. The stock photos show that the skirt is very full and it looks like it is quite well rounded in shape (although that may also be the over-skirt). Speaking of the over-skirt, I do not know what to make of it. You can still see the print fairly decently through the over-skirt, but I am just not that keen on it covering the entire skirt and I think it could have been shaped better. The shape of the over-skirt is just a bit uninspiring and I also think it is too long. Also, if you look at the close-ups, the over-skirt is made from shimmery material. Sadly, this material looks a bit costumey and cheap. The bottom hem is then finished off with the star lace again. Now that I think about it, AP could have quite easily used crown shaped lace instead. Seeing as some of the birds in the print are wearing crowns, I feel that would be quite apt.
This is the JSK. The bodice seems fairly well fitted. Although the bodice shape is quite simple, I think there are enough details going on to keep it looking interesting. The straps look to be a suitable and supportive width, although it is hard to tell with all the lace in the way. Like the Mini Sleeve OP, this dress has a gorgeous waist bow teamed with the full over-skirt again. The bow sits so well on the dress and it is really well formed. There is a line of lace going along the waistline, which sits neatly and I like that it hides the top of the over-skirt as well. There isn't much to say about the bodice, other than it has A LOT of lace. The entire bodice is practically covered in the stuff. Thankfully, the lace is of the quality you would expect from AP, and the lace has also been set out quite neatly. It has been gathered well, to create lots of frothy looking ruffles. I appreciate this very lacy approach is not to everybody's tastes but in all honesty, I kind of like it on this dress. There is a shiny ribbon bow on this dress as well. Sadly, this time it doesn't seem to be detachable. But among all the lace, the bow doesn't stand out as much as it does on the Collar OP. The back has a panel of shirring, which has been topped very neatly with a ribbon corset. My feelings about the over-skirt on this JSK are pretty much identical to those about the over-skirt on the Mini Sleeve OP. I would say that it perhaps looks a little bit better on the JSK though, or at least it does in the stock photos. The skirt is plump with volume and it flares outwards a lot. I like the rounded look of the skirt in the stock photos, and I feel the skirt has a lot of potential. The bottom hem is then finished off with the star lace again (boring). However, after seeing the close up of the bottom hem of this dress, there is a slight hint that the over-skirt may be detachable!
Finally, this is what the print looks like. This series comes in pink, mint, lavender and dark blue. The colours are very dreamy and I feel they suit the print really well. My only criticism is that I think the dark blue needs to be a darker shade of blue. As for the print itself, I really love the swans. I think they look so pretty, especially decorated with the flowers and crowns. Also, the baby swans (which I am pleased to see look like ducklings, as I love ducks!) are absolutely adorable. The castle in the background is well drawn and I also like that it isn't too distracting, so the focus is still on the swans. The clouds make for a lovely background, although I feel the clouds could have been a bit more spread out.
So I have to say, I really like the print. Sadly, I am a bit unsure about the dress designs! Would I buy this series? Possibly. I am a bit on the fence about it, and I would need to be sure before I considered getting it. My personal top choice is the JSK, but I am unsure about the colour. It is between the pink and lavender! I think the lavender is just about edging it for me. But this is the most I have liked an Angelic Pretty print since Chess Emblem. I am really keen to see what wonderful ideas people come up with for this series. It could be quite promising.
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