Review #3: Bodyline [also stuff about cats and sewing]

This morning started wonderfully. I woke up, snuggled the man for ages, made our morning cup of tea and we started a LOL game. And then, when James had just conveniently recalled, came a knock on the door and the postal lady delivered my Bodyline order! But I am a good little nerd and we finished the game before I pounced onto the package!

I ordered three items as this is essentially my Bodyline test order. I wanted to see how decent their items were and if I'd even fit them as I'm only a couple of centimeters off the top end of their measurements for 2L.

L137, 2L, sax

L417, 2L, brw

Shoes259, 270, ewh

And lo and behold, three items arrived! The clothes were in what I've read are the standard bags, and the shoes were wrapped in tissues paper with supports on the inside - not the most sturdy packaging, but again I've read that that is the norm and they were undamaged so I'm okay with that.

The Skirt:

I fell head over heels in love with this print when I first saw it. It's kind of tacky, but so bright and cheerful and fun! There were no flaws in the print or construction that I could see.  The fabric feels nice enough, and I actually really like the lace at the hem - it's nicer than what a lot of Bodyline reviews lead me to believe. The waist is half elasticised and there is a sturdy zipper on the left. It came with detachable waist ties and a detachable bow in pink, and it's quite a full skirt. However the elastic is rather stiff and the skirt digs into my waist a bit, even though with an 84cm waist I'm well within the 72-98cm range it theoretically fits. It's definitely still wearable though, and I know it sounds silly, but this skirt makes me happy.

The Dress:

This is hands down my new favourite dress. When we were looking on the site deciding which dress to order the choice came down to this dress or another one and I was leaning towards the other but James was leaning towards this one, and given that he knows me and my style really well I went with this and I am so glad that I listened to him! 

It is an absolutely perfect fit, and really looks good on me, if I can say so myself. There are bustle ribbons so the skirt can be ruffled or not at the front and back - personally I prefer not to but it's nice to have the option. The main fabric is actually rather thick and heavy, and the chiffon-y underskirt is really soft and nice to the touch. There's pretty rose lace on the bodice and grosgrain bows on the bodice and skirt. There is shirring with corset lacing at the back and a concealed zip on the left. It's very sturdily made, and looks and feel great! 

One other thing I love about this dress is that as well as being lovely for classic lolita, I can also wear it as a casual summer dress and could probably even formal it up for something like a nice dinner or night out. I have a very big and very soft spot in my heart for versatile clothing.

The Shoes:

Well....every single online shoe size conversion sheet I've seen lied. Size 9 theoretically equals Size 270 but not in practice! So these shoes, cute and seemingly awesome as they are, are going to go to a new home with a friend of mine at a swap meet she's hosting in early November. 

The Pros:

• Quick postage - just under two weeks from placing the order to receiving it.
• Well made and sturdy clothing. I think the garment construction and material quality actually beats things you'd pick up from lower-end department stores like Target for the same price.
• Great fabrics. Bodyline uses some materials that make me cringe, but I think the Alice print is cute and fun and the brown floral is nice and classic.

The Neutrals:

• Sizes aren't quite as generous as the website indicates - the skirt is tight and the dress fits like a glove and I don't know if it would quite stretch to the 102cm bust it supposedly can.

In other news, our household has a new cat, who's name is Syra or something like that. Panda hasn't quite made up his mind about her yet...

My man has been being absolutely wonderful over the last couple of days and is in the process of completely re-configuring our back room [which is his workspace and our storage space] to be able to be my sewing room as well! It's going to be fantastic to not have to clear the dining room table whenever I want to sew, which means I'll be sewing more. And with new dresses to make patterns from I think I'll be making lots of pretties very soon, and maybe some tutorials to go with them.

And finally, to give cyclic structure to this day of goodness, I'm off the play another game of LOL.