Milky Pony Carnival by Angelic Pretty

Today I am looking at Milky Pony Carnival by Angelic Pretty. This series includes 2 dresses, socks and a head bow.

First is the OP. The bodice seems well fitted. I personally feel the bodice shape is a bit dated, but perhaps that will make it more appealing to those who like the 2009 era of sweet. The sleeves are a cute length and suitably puffy. They are finished off neatly with some good quality lace. There is a waist bow, which is a bit big, but I think AP just about gets away with its size. It has a well formed shape and sits nicely on the dress. It looks as though this bow is not detachable though, which would have been a great option to have. The bodice features a dropped scoop neckline with a solid coloured modesty panel going across the chest. This panel is loosely gathered, but otherwise the only real detail to it is the 2 bows (one on the scooped neckline and the other on the chest panel) and the lace lining the neckline. Maybe I have just gotten so used to AP's more modern designs, but something about this bodice design feels a bit plain. I think it is the boring looking panel which is putting me off. At least the lace sits well on the dress. I can take or leave the bows. They at least break up the 'emptiness' of the bodice, but they are very basic in design and the ribbon used is shiny. The back offers a panel of shirring, which is topped neatly with a ribbon corset. The stock photos show that the skirt has a fair bit of volume to it and it flares outwards plenty. It should hold plenty of petticoat underneath. The skirt is kept simple in design, so the print is displayed wonderfully. The bottom hem is then finished off neatly with a line of pony themed lace.

Here we have the JSK. The bodice is quite well fitted and the shape is certainly interesting. I know from experience of owning one of these halter neck style dresses from AP that they can get a bit uncomfortable around the neck sometimes, but the straps at least look a decent width and very supportive. There is also a regular set of straps supporting the dress, which are mostly hidden by the halter straps, so if you wanted to tie the halter straps a bit looser then that is a possibility. The halter straps are decorated with neat pleats and a bow in the middle. I am not overly fond of the bow and think it could be a bit smaller. Also, I think this bow could have been shaped better, as it looks a bit flat and lifeless. There is also a waist bow, which is done in the same sort of style as the halter strap bow. I personally feel it looks a bit strange having both bows almost the same size. As mentioned, I think the halter neck bow should be smaller, which could compliment the waist bow more. The bodice features a solid line connecting both bows, which is topped with gold heart shaped buttons. I think the buttons are adorable. They fit in with the card suit theme in the print as well. There are then several lines of lace running up the bodice which are well distributed and sit decently on the dress. The back offers a panel of shirring, which is again topped neatly with a ribbon corset. The stock photos show that the skirt can flares outwards wide and has plenty of volume. There is the potential to create a fantastic sweet shape. The skirt is again kept simple, so the print is displayed beautifully. The bottom hem is then finished off with the pony lace again.

Finally, this is the print. This series comes in pink, mint, lavender and black. These are essentially the Sugary Carnival colours, but cooler and with sax blue being replaced with mint. I always thought Sugary Carnival would look fantastic in a mint version, so I guess this lookalike print sort of fulfills that dream! As for the print, it is essentially a less sugary, slightly more mature looking Sugary Carnival. There are still some stripy marshmallow-like poles and the layout is pretty similar. The big difference here is the inclusion of the lines of card suits breaking up the stripes. I personally think it would have worked better if the card suits were smaller and a bit less prominent. This print just looks far too busy and crowded. I am also a bit peeved that AP included babyish letter blocks in one of the card suits (why!?). This had the potential to be a mature Sugary Carnival. Instead we got a weird SC and Wonder Queen hybrid with added childish elements.

So I think it is safe to say that I will be sticking with Sugary Carnival! It is a shame, as I feel as though this series could have had a lot of potential. Instead it just looks like a re-hashed print which feels a bit try-hard. I wont be buying this series. If it had been more appealing to me, my top choice would be the JSK in mint. Instead I am just mourning what could have been.