Monday 15 June 2015

Mixed Brand Print Double

Don't forget my sweet or classic colours giveaway- http://luna-rain.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/300-followers-giveaway-sweet-or-classic.html

Today I shall be taking a look at 2 recent brand prints. Scoll down further to see my views on Bambi de la Foret Secret by Baby.


First up today is Rose's Prisoner in Pirates Ship by Alice and the Pirates. This series includes 3 dresses, a skirt, a blouse, a head bow, a tricorn, cuffs and socks.



First up is JSK I. The bodice looks well fitted and the shape is quite interesting. The straps are very thick and look quite thick and supportive. They are perhaps a bit too bulky but a thinner strap maybe wouldn't have worked as well with the design. The straps are lined with lace on the inside and carries on in a line to the underneath of the arms. The lace used is of a good quality but a bit boring in design. The lace sits well on the dress but I am not that keen on the way it breaks up the bodice and also how it looks teamed with the very straight neckline. The lower half of the bodice features a corset. The ribbon for the corset is neatly spaced out, but a little bit shiny. I like how the ribbon has been attached with the eyelets, as holds the ribbon is place securely and doesn't look too delicate. The neckline is topped with a large ribbon bow. I think the bow shape is quite interesting looking and it sits well on the dress. However, again the ribbon is a bit shiny. There is also a pair of antique gold buttons with a double chain on the straps which runs across the bodice. Whilst this detail is pretty, it doesn't really work when paired with the neckline bow. These 2 details clash with each other and as a result the chain has to hide beneath the bow. Perhaps a much smaller bow would have been a better idea. The back of the dress has a very small panel of shirring which is topped with a ribbon corset. The smaller shirring panel may mean there is less shirring on display, but in this case I think AatP could have gotten away with that panel being a little bit bigger. The stock photos show the skirt has lots of volume and it flares outwards beautifully. There is more than enough room for petticoat underneath. The skirt features a side bustle with many chiffon layers. The chiffon layers sit well on top of each other and look very soft. However, I feel the spacing of the chiffon layers is a bit off. At first glance it looks well spaced out but after looking at the side view picture, I can see there is a small bit of a chiffon ruffle sticking out underneath the very top ruffle and I think it looks a bit untidy. The print doesn't really get much of a chance to shine on this dress, but I suppose with this dress it is the dress design that is going to catch the most attention anyway. 




Here we have JSK II. The bodice is well fitted but I really despise the bodice shape. I really don't like the neckline shape at all. The straps are also quite thin, but thicker straps may not have been a good match for the bodice. The straps are also very plain in design and look far too basic. The bodice features 2 large ribbon corsets. These corsets are far too bulky and are placed too close to each other. They definitely need to be a lot narrower. The corsets are also at an odd angle and go nearer the centre as they do go down the bodice. I feel this is a very peculiar idea. Inside the 2 ribbon corsets there are 2 large ribbon bows. The bows are a cute shape but they are too big. I also don't feel the bows work well teamed with the double ribbon corset design. Something about it just doesn't look right. Maybe using bows was not the best choice here. The neckline is topped with lace, which only seems to emphasise that horrible neckline shape. The lace also looks messy and I don't feel the lace was the best choice. The back has a panel of shirring which is topped very neatly by a ribbon corset. The stock photos show the skirt has a reasonable amount of volume. The skirt has a decent amount of flare to it. The skirt design is kept simple so at least the print is displayed beautifully. The bottom hem is then finished off with some tassel trim. I don't really see how the tassel trim fits in with the rest of the dress design and it is also not the prettiest of trims I have seen.




This is the OP. The bodice looks fairly well fitted but I really hate the shape. I feel it is a bit top-heavy and dis-proportioned. The neckline is very close to the neck area and it makes the shoulders look huge. My least favourite bit of the entire dress has to be the sleeves. They are a very peculiar shape, starting off very puffy and then gather a bit, only to flare outwards again. Despite being puffy at the top, the heaviness of the bottom half of the sleeve drags it downwards and makes it look very saggy.



The other thing I find disappointing about the sleeves is the detailing on the bottom half. They are far too OTT and I think the details look very cheap. The lines of lace are really not needed. Also, the chiffon ruffles are a strange shape, especially when teamed with the very straight lines of the sleeves. It looks incredibly tacky.

The bottom half of the bodice is topped with a corset. The ribbon for the corset is well spaced out and done neatly. Again, the ribbon is held very securely in place and doesn't look flimsy at all. I am not fond of the way the corset has been lined with lace though. Something about it just looks cheap. Thankfully the corset is detachable and I feel this makes the dress look less cluttered. The chest area has a panel which is lined with wide lace on both sides. The lace used for this looks terrible. The wider lace of the 2 lace lines especially looks cheap. This little panel is topped with a ribbon brooch with an emblem topping it. The emblem is pretty but the brooch feels wasted on this dress design. The back has no shirring so there is limited size flexibility. The stock photos show the skirt has loads of volume and it flares out well. However, I really hate how the skirt design has been laid out. The front solid coloured chiffon panel is an awkward shape and I also hate how this panel is kept flat. It looks strange it being flat and some subtle layered chiffon would at least stop it looking so plain. This weirdly shaped panel also gives the printed fabric on top a weird shape. Despite the horrible panel in the front centre, the print is still very well displayed. The bottom is then finished off with some layered chiffon ruffles. The ruffles here at least look decent, are well spaced out and sit well on top of each other.



And finally here is the print close up. This series comes in gold, silver, bordeaux and blue. After seeing on the print on the dresses, I am leaning more towards the 2 darker colours. It does mean the print doesn't stand out as much, but the dress details I dislike look more obvious on the 2 lighter colours. As for the print itself, this is the sort of print that Alice and the Pirates excel at. So it is a shame I hate the dresses so much. I especially like the bows and draped fabric. It has been drawn so well. The print is mature and the pirate boats are pretty. The ropes and chains are a perfect way to fill in the empty spaces and the brand logo is not too showy.

So whilst I like the print, I feel the dress designs let it down. The OP is probably the one I find the most offensive. At least there is the skirt, which has a pretty good design to it. It is a shame, as I like pirate lolita and this is a nice print, which isn't too flashy but still looks pretty in an understated way. Would I buy this series? No, I would not. If I did, I would be opting for the skirt in bordeaux. I don't like any of the dresses enough to pick between them. On a more positive note, this pirate themed release does mean we get to see AatP release another tricorn hat.

Next up today is Bambide le Foret Secrete by Baby the Stars Shine Bright. This series includes 4 dresses (one non-print), a skirt, 6 hair accessories, socks, 2 blouses and a cape.




First up is JSK I. The bodice looks very well fitted and the shape is quite interesting. I like that the straps have a decent amount of width to them and look very supportive. They could have perhaps been a tiny bit narrower, but I don't think the straps look too bulky here. The straps are lined very neatly with thin lines of lace on both the insides and outsides, which stops the edges from looking too plain, but also doesn't look too OTT. There is a waist bow, which I think is a very suitable size and the edges of the bow have been lined very neatly with thin lace. Although the general bow shape looks cute, the bow looks a bit poorly formed in some of the stock photos, but here is hoping it wont be like that for the actual release. The waist bow is detachable and I feel I may actually prefer the dress with it detached. The bodice features a ribbon corset which is partially topped by a scalloped panel on either side. The ribbon is well spaced out and looks very neat. I like that the ribbon used isn't shiny at all. However, I am not that keen on the scalloped part. The scallops are well shaped and everything, I just don't like how it looks, as I have never been the biggest fan of scallop details anyway. The edges of the ribbon corset and the neckline have been lined beautifully with lace. I really love the lace Baby have chosen and it sits nicely on the dress too. The bases of the straps are then topped with some matte ribbon bows. The bows are a cute shape and size. I am a little unsure I like the bows there though, so it is a shame they are not detachable. The back has a panel of shirring which is topped very neatly with a ribbon corset. The stock photos show the skirt has lots of volume and it flares outwards well. There is the potential to create a lovely shape. The skirt design is kept simple, so the print is displayed well too. The bottom hem is then finished off very neatly with a line of ribbon and some good quality lace. I like how the ribbon line adds one final little pop of colour to the bottom.




This is JSK II. The bodice looks well fitted and the shape is once again quite interesting. The straps are a suitable width and suits the style of dress. They are lined neatly with lace on both the insides and outsides which makes them look a bit more interesting. The waist area features a "belt" design on the front area. It does nip the waist area in quite nicely. For this "belt" Baby have used part of the printed fabric and I am undecided whether I like it or would prefer a solid coloured belt. I also don't feel the lace lining the belt is really needed, as I feel it makes the belt look a bit fussy. There is also a waist bow, which I feel is a bit big. The lace lining this bow emphasises the large size of the bow as well, and I feel thinner lace would have been better. The shape of the bow is otherwise quite cute though. Luckily, this waist bow is detachable, and I would definitely be detaching it if I had this dress. The main part of the bodice is kept plain, but the neckline has a fair bit of detail anyway. Maybe 2 very thin lines of lace running up the bodice would break up the empty space a little bit without being too distracting. The neckline features a raised panel with a bold scalloped design. The scallops are nicely shaped but I think it maybe would have looked better if just the bottom of this panel was scalloped. I am not that keen on how the scallops look along the neckline. The scallops at the bottom of this panel are nice and subtle though. The scalloped panel is topped with a solid coloured ribbon bow. The bow is a very cute shape and I think with the waist bow detached, the panel bow would be a good size. The panel bow is big enough that it can work on its own without the waist bow there. The back of the dress is fully shirred, which means plenty of size flexibility, but it isn't that appealing to look at. The stock photos show the skirt flares out well and there is plenty of room for petticoat underneath. I love the bell shape of the skirt. The skirt is again kept simple, so the print is displayed beautifully. The bottom hem is then finished off with lace with ribbon threaded through it. The lace has a lovely design and the ribbon threaded through it looks very pretty.




Here we have the OP. The bodice is a lovely shape and it looks reasonably well fitted. I think the top part of the sleeves could have been a bit shorter, but they have a nice amount of puff to them. I can't quite make up my mind if I like the detachable long part of the sleeves though. I don't think I like the look of how the detachable parts attach to the sleeves and the shape of the sleeves could have been prettier. I have never really been sure about this style of OP sleeve though, as it looks as though a blouse has been awkwardly shoved underneath the OP. So if it was me, I would probably detach the lower part of the sleeves. I do like the shape of the cuffs on the long sleeves though and the bows add a nice touch of colour. There is a big waist bow, which is a cute shape, although a bit floppy looking. The bow is lined neatly with lace. After looking at the photos, I feel the waist bow blends in to the background a bit too much. This waist bow is detachable, and I probably would detach it. The bodice features a yoke and a large collar. The yoke is very cute and a nice shape and size. I love the lace that has been used to line the yoke as it has a pretty design to it. The collar is also very pretty, although it is a bit big. The collar is topped with lace, which adds a subtle bit of detail to it. However, I am a little unsure if I like the yoke and collar together. There is something about it that looks a bit too bulky. I do like the old school feel to it though. The yoke is topped with 2 ribbon bows, which are a nice shape, but could do with being a little bit smaller. The back offers no shirring, so size flexibility is a bit limited. I also dislike the way the collar shape has been finished on the back. The stock photos show the skirt has a good amount of volume to it. The skirt flares out well and it has a pretty bell shape to it. The skirt is again kept simple, so the print is displayed excellently. The bottom of the skirt is finished off with a scallop shaped hem with lace layered underneath. I like this more subtle approach to scallops, as the lace underneath really soften the scallops and makes them look a lot less harsh.  




And finally, here is one part of the print close up...




... and another part. This series is available in ivory, blue, red and brown. The colour choices are good matches for the print. I was really surprised by how much I love the blue colour way. It is a bit deeper than the typical sax blue we are used to seeing, and it works really well with the colours in the print. The brown version is cute too. As for the print itself, I think it is really pretty. The burst of flowers and apples is beautiful. The apples adds a bright pop of colour which works very well. The animals in the print are well drawn and look very cute. I love the way the animals are frolicking and playing together. It is so sweet! This print reminds me of a sweeter take on Innocent World's Lotta, but this print is a lot bolder, with more detail. In fact, I do wonder if the flowers are a little bit too dominant, as they overshadow the deers a little bit. Overall though, I am quite impressed by the print and I like the flowers.

So overall I think this is a lovely series. There is the odd thing I would change about each of the dress designs but overall they are quite strong designs. The dress designs are a good match for the print too and I like the slight old-school feel. Would I buy this series? Maybe, but this is not the sort of series I would usually go for. If I were going for this series I think I would go for JSK I in the blue colour. That blue colour is gorgeous! I hope Baby use this combination of colours again in another series.





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