Queen Chocolate by Angelic Pretty

Today I am looking at Queen Chocolate by Angelic Pretty. This series includes 2 dresses, 2 hair accessories, a blouse, tights and a rosette.

First is the OP. The bodice looks well fitted and the shape is very cute. I really like how the dress has been made to look like a JSK with a blouse underneath. The arms are nice and puffy, with gathered cuffs. It is a lovely contrast to the more fitted bodice. The cuffs feature the chocolate part of the print as well, which is a nice touch. It is a nice bit of continuity but also looks very smart. I like the small ruffle on the cuffs too. There is a waist bow, which I feel is a bit big. But its large size does sort of suit the dress and I am impressed that a big bow like this is able to hold its shape this well. It sits well on the dress and looks very perky. The bodice features some emblem themed gold buttons. Whilst this is a nice idea, it feels a bit too bunched together and cramped. Maybe if the waist bow sat a bit lower and the 'neckline' was a bit higher up the buttons would have a bit more room to properly spread out. The fake halter-neck 'neckline' is well shaped and lined very neatly with a thin line of lace. I like its size too. There is another bow here, but given how large the waist bow is, I think this bow could do with being smaller. The 'blouse' part features several lines of lace, which sit neatly. This lace is of good quality and I love the added texture it gives to the chest area. The collar doesn't look too stiff or uncomfortable. There is also a line of gold buttons and this time they are well spaced out. These buttons are a very simple round design though, which seems in contrast to the emblem buttons lower down. There is also a detachable stripy bow. Although the bow is a cute size and shape, I don't think the use of stripy ribbon works here. There is not enough usage of stripes on the dress to warrant it being there. A solid coloured bow would have made more sense in my opinion. So I think I would definitely detach this bow. The back offers no shirring, so size flexibility is very limited. I am impressed with how neatly AP have lined up the print along the zip line in the stock photos though. The stock photos show that the skirt is plump with volume and it flares outwards brilliantly. I really love the full, rounded shape created here. The skirt is kept quite simple, so the print is displayed wonderfully. There are a couple of stripy bows at the bottom, which I still feel look very out of place. Bows aside, I love the cake themed lace lining the bottom hem.

Here we have the JSK. The bodice again looks very well fitted and I think the bodice shape looks quite smart. It is very mature looking with a slight military feel. The straps looks a suitable width and very supportive. I like how the straps feature a 'lapel', which continues down the bodice, giving the bodice a look of a tuxedo jacket. These 'lapels' are lined very neatly with lace, although I think a less 'frilly' lace choice or maybe even braid could have worked better. I am also not convinced I like the positioning of the buttons on the 'lapels'. I do wonder if they could have gone on the middle part of the bodice instead, as they make the 'lapels' look a bit fussy. There is a waist bow, which I think is the perfect size for the dress. It sits well and there are no signs of sagging. There is also a small solid coloured peplum at the waistline. I was initially a bit unsure about this peplum, but I think it makes a nice break in the OTT print. It does help to define the waist a little bit and I also feel it balances out the 'lapels' on the bodice. This peplum is decorated with some lovely lace, although I think the buttons overload the peplum slightly. The back has a panel of shirring, which is topped neatly with a ribbon corset. The stock photos show that once again the skirt is very full and has lots of flare. It will hold a lot of petticoat. The skirt is kept simple, so the print is displayed beautifully. Once again we have some stripy bows on the bottom hem. I think the stripes make even less sense on the JSK, because at least the OP has the other bow to help balance it out. The bottom hem is then finished off neatly with the cake themed lace.

Finally, we have the print. This series comes in ivory, pink, mint and red. Although the other 3 colours are quite typical for a chocolate print, I think the red colour is the real star of this series. It offers something a bit more unusual, but it also looks quite bold and mature. For some reason, the print feels a bit less busy on the red colour as well. As for the print itself, it is like Chess Chocolate and Wonder Queen had a lovechild. There is nothing particularly new or exciting about this print. The diamonds are set out neatly and the hearts are lovely. I like the piping around the edge of the hearts. The royal themes inside the hearts are well drawn too. But when you look at the print on the dresses, it just feels far too OTT. I think for me, the part of the print I dislike is the wide vertical bars of chocolate. I personally think this print would be nicer if it just had the diamond part of the print and didn't bother with the hearts or wide stripes of chocolate at all. It would look a lot less cluttered with just the diamond part, but still very bold and striking.

It is well known that Angelic Pretty chocolate prints are usually very popular. Therefore, it is very telling that all of the dresses for this series are still available a week after being released. I think it is because the print looks too cluttered and overall, the designs are very OTT and overwhelming. I also feel that AP have gotten a bit too repetitive with their chocolate prints lately. So it is safe to say that I would not buy this series. My top choice would be the JSK in either red or possibly the ivory. Sadly, I think this series is a bit too try-hard. If it had been simpler, I think this series would have sold out quickly.