Review #26: Meta Summer Lucky Packs

The day was Monday, June 16th. I was sick and a bit mopey. While bumming on the internet I remembered I wanted to see when the Meta summer LPs were coming out based on previous years, since I'd been planning on getting one, or maybe two if they had blouses instead of last years t-shirts. I opened the LP page from last year and what did my wondering eyes see but the banner announcing this years summer LPs and the Princess Wardrobe special set were coming out that evening. Needless to say, I felt a lot less mopey after that ^__^

Since these packs had blouses, two it was! Ordering the packs was quite simple, just add to cart and pay. I had already made an account on the site so my address etc. was already filled in. I got a confirmation email from Meta, which said the order wasn't confirmed until I received notice from PayPal that my payment had gone through but that email came instantly so no problemo. And on the 19th I got an email saying my order was shipped, complete with tracking number. Yay! Excitement mounting! And I received a box containing both packs Monday 23rd.

Inside the box! 

As I said to James, I rather like Meta's stuff. So between two packs I was fairly sure I'd like at least half. The skirts will definitely fit me, and I should fit any shirred blouse they put out. Before the packs arrived mostly I was just hoping not to get anything too pastel and sweet. I love sweet lolita but feel very uncomfortable in adorable pastels. From the sample pack images it looked like the packs all came with the same blouse in three colour options, and I was hoping for beige and black if the was the case.

Well, despite my optimism I was actually terribly unlucky with my "lucky" packs. Everything was lovely, but not...

I got the same blouse in each pack, the white version.

The blouse is lovely, made of an organza type material. It fit me wonderfully at a bust/waist of 93cm/77cm but the shoulders were a bit too narrow and the collar is not something I like on me. According to Lolibrary it is their 2014 Tuck Blouse, and it has shirring and waist ties. I'm really bummed about the shoulder and the collar, because the bibbed front is glorious, it's the perfect amount of sheer, the sleeves are a great length and it's a fantastic fit. But some thing are apparently no meant to be.

This is the other contents of one pack. The skirt is the pink colourway of their Flower Bottle print and it is gorgeous! But the colour is really unflattering on me, which is sad because I love the print and the style of the skirt. The socks are cute as well, the Scalloped Stripe OTKs in lavender and pink, but I'd never wear them. Accessory wise I got a giant raschel lace hair chip, and a pair of fluffy candy shaped hair ties.

The other pack came with the same socks, though a different colourway, and lace hairclip. However, the skirt is made from the cream colour of the Bubble Bath series minus the border print. It's really cute and the colour is lovely, but it doesn't suit me at all and even if it did it's not my style. I do want to point out that the fabric is lovely, it has a subtle pattern as part of the fabric which adds another layer of detail to the print. The other accessory in this pack is an unusual two-way clip shaped like fluffy angel wings.

I'm keeping one of the giant hairclips and contemplated keeping the black and white socks, but my legs are a bit too thick for them to look nice. So I am only keeping one thing... but my loss is anyone else's gain and I'll be listing all these pieces up for sale soon.

Was it worth it? Kind of. I really enjoyed daydreaming about what I might get but since what I did get was disappointing that was less enjoyable. Also, it was a good way to get my hands on some brand for cheap, even though I'm going to part with it again promptly, and it was nice to check out the fabrics and construction... I can definitely see why people say brand is so much better!

Would I do it again? Yeah ^__^

Review #25: The Floral Notebook

Recently I discovered the new indie brand The Floral Notebook, run by a girl who makes the loveliest blouses. I hadn't seen a single negative review of her products, so since I had sold of a few older pieces I thought I could get one of her gorgeous blouses guilt free ^__^

On the 6th of April I commented on her page asking about available colours, and she linked me to an image of the available fabrics within a day. I mulled it over for a while and eventually contacted her for the order from on May 9th. Then I was lazy and didn't complete the form until the 23rd, and on the 25th I got a PayPal invoice which I paid promptly. I was told it would take about seven days to make and she'd let me know when it was done. On June 3rd I got a message saying it was done and she's post it that week, and it would take about ten days to get to me in Australia. So I was estimating it would get to me between the 18th and the 20th and lo and behold! It was here on the 18th ^__^

All in all communication was excellent; I always got prompt and helpful replies. However, I never was sent my tracking number but I'm pretty sure if I had cared to ask I would have been given it quickly so I don't really consider that much of a deal. Everything happened in the time frame I was told it would and all in all, customer service wise I'm a very happy camper. Though that's kind of misleading, because quality and fit wise I am also a very happy camper! The fit is perfect, the fabric is quite nice and only a little sheer and the construction is very good. There are a couple of loose threads but it's no big deal. I am really over the moon about this blouse, it's totally perfect for me. For $49US including shipping [which was about $55AU at the time] it's fantastic value.

But. Yes, there are two buts. The first one was obvious the moment I opened the bag - the colour is different to the stock image. It's a lovely, warm wine red, like the sleeve that's in shadow in the stock photo rather than the rest of the blouse. However, it's an absolutely wonderful colour and it actually works better for me than the brighter red I was expecting would have. And I also suppose that given that it's obvious that the stock photo was taken in strong sunlight that the colours may not be accurate. It's a difficult colour to catch on camera, my phone entirely refused to get it right, so I got into photoshop to try and make a colour swatch, which is still not 100% accurate, but is close.

Secondly, there are two slight deviations from the stock image. The buttons are small, round and black unlike the red ones in the stock photo: like with the colour, I don't mind at all but it is different. The other difference was that the neckline ruffled came over the buttons, and in fact had a button hole sewn through it, presumably to keep it in place. I thought this was a bit odd [the buttonhole bit, not the ruffle placement] and have taken a close-up photo to show how it looks. It's not bad, and not even noticeable unless you're really looking at that area, but it's another deviation from the stock image.

All in all I love my blouse. It's gorgeous and it fits me perfectly. However, if I was really expecting exactly what was in the stock image, I would have been disappointed. So if colour and small details like buttons are very important to you [which I imagine they are for most people] please talk to the owner before ordering. From my experience she was lovely and helpful, and so you really shouldn't have any issues ordering exactly what you want from her.

I would heartily recommend The Floral Notebook's blouses and though I'm set for blouses at the moment I fully intend on buying from her again when I need a blouse in a less common colour.

Review #24: ReStyle Gothic Windows Skirt

Lately I've been writing a few blog posts for the Australian retailer Tragic Beautiful [which you can read here] in return for store credit. And recently I used said credit to finally get my hands on ReStyle's Gothic Windows Midi Skirt, which is something I've had my eye on for quite a while.

Tragic Beautiful has a nice, easy-to-use site and for those of us within Australia, really quick shipping. They're always quick to get your items in the post. In my case, I ordered Sunday 15th and it was in the post Monday afternoon. I used regular post [which for Australians is free on orders over $99] and it got to me Wednesday morning. I had to get in in a Large, despite my waist being a better fit for the Medium, as it was the last one in stock. And, wouldn't you know, it turned out to be a perfect fit, so if you're hovering between sizes definitely go one up and if, like me, the only size available is bigger than you think you need go for it anyway.

 Blogger hates me. Sorry for the rotated pictures.

The skirt is really nice. The fabric is thick cotton, and the print is well done and lines up nicely on the seams. There is no elastic in the waist and it does up with a zipper and three hooks-and-eyes. It is about 63cm long, which on me bring it to the bottom of my knees sans petticoat, so it's perfect for taller lolitas or those who like slightly longer skirts. Honestly there's not too much more to say. It's not mindbogglingly amazing but it's a very nice skirt that's sturdily made and that I'm really looking forward to wearing.

Sideways print close up.

Long story short, this skirt is lovely and particularly if you're Australian I can't recommend Tragic Beautiful enough!

Review #23: Infanta, Secret Shop and ClobbaOnline

In the beginning of March I set myself aside a little spending money for lolita. Part of that went to this Bodyline order, and the remainder on acquiring an Infanta blouse that I really love the look of! I was originally going to trial ChinaBuy.com.au as it's a new taobao shopping service based in Australia, but they didn't reply to my order email, though I did see from someone else's review that around the time I sent that they were having trouble with their site, so it was probably lost in the email abyss. So I thought I'd try Clobba, since I only really wanted one thing. But, once on their site, I got distracted by socks, so my order became a tiny bit larger ^__^

Ordering from Clobba was so simple. Following instructions on their website, I sent in an email over the weekend, more specifically the 15th of March, and got a reply on Monday including an apology that email replies are slow over the weekend. I had a couple of questions so we exchanged a few emails, but there was never a full day between sending an email and receiving a friendly, helpful and polite reply. So after starting the conversation on Saturday and filling out the order form I got and paid the PayPal invoice on Wednesday. On the 7th of April I got an email saying it had been sent to the collection centre the previous Friday. I received my package on the 6th of May. This was a bit longer than it normally takes packages from to get to me, but still a reasonable turnaround.

So overall I think Clobba is a fantastic place to buy certain taobao goods from because my order took approximately two weeks from order to postage, and two weeks to get to me from then. Of course, their range is more limited than if you used a conventional shopping service to order from all over taobao, and the prices are a little more expensive but the convenience and fantastic customer service makes it a great place to pick up an item or two.

Anyway, onto the clothing reviews!

I fell in love with this blouse when it was used in the photos for Infanta's new steampunk skirt. To me it's a perfect lolita blouse: elegant, but not too fussy, still a bit cute, and wearable with a huge range of pieces. This blouse in an XL is listed as fitting a 96cm bust and 80cm waist and it fits me perfectly even though I'm slightly bigger in the bust and smaller in the waist. I'd say it could probably go 2-3cm either way on those measurements due to the shirring at the back. I really am happy with the fit and the quality of materials. It's a really nice blouse for the price.

But. Yes, there is a but. Both the buttons and and the lace were different from what is in the stock photo. The buttons are pearl and gold coloured hearts, which are slightly too large for the buttonholes and are really difficult to get in. The lace is a very dark brown, more a bitter chocolate colour than the warm, reddy brown of the blouse itself. I don't mind the changes too much, except the buttons may need replacing due to the size issues. But it is definitely something to be aware of and possible discuss with Martin if you are ordering via Clobba and definitely want your item to perfectly match the stock photo.

Here are a few photos. I badly photoshopped the first one to try and get the colours right. The stock photo is still probably the most accurate for the main fabric colour, but this is closer. I didn't both adjusting the close-ups as they are jut to show the type of trims used.

 Left socks in brown, right socks in black.

I've been finding recently, as I've started wearing lolita to uni every day, that I don't actually have too much by way of socks and tights that I can comfortably wear around and that actually match most of my clothes. So I decided to rectify that, both in my Bodyline order and here.

There isn't too much to say except that both pairs of socks are very nice. They fit my calves nicely and comfortably, and the pattern doesn't distort much at all.

That's all from me! If you have any questions, feel free to ask ^__^

Review #22: Bodyline

Again with the Bodyline reviews, I know, I know. This one will be short and sweet. I decided to take advantage of their recent sale and free air shipping campaign to try their new chiffon blouse I had been lusting after ever since it popped up on their Rakuten site. In the end I got that blouse in two colours, another blouse for some old-school looks and shoots I'm planning, some new socks and we also got some cheap accessories from the sale for the model wardrobe.

L517 in 2L

Fits bust/waist 94/82cm

This is the blouse that incited the lust - I have honestly been waiting for Bodyline to do something in chiffon since the trend started picking up and they finally have! Since white was sold out in 2L and I don't wear yellow, I got this in pink and black. Again, it's one of those awkward Bodyline moments where the bust is to small and the waist is too large, but normally things like that average out for me. However, it ended up fitting perfectly across the bust and the corset lacing in the back means it will fits my waist even when I loose more weight. And I really, really, REALLY love them.

Overall this blouse is quite nice, all the ruffles have rolled hems so there are no raw edges, the sleeves have a decent amount of elastic and, most importantly, despite the fabric being polyester it's not a noticeably "sweaty" fabric. Obviously, it is sheer but a camisole underneath takes care of that. I took a few shots of the pink one to show some of the details. The first photo is most accurate to colour, it's a warm toned pink, but I had to use flash to show some of the details. As for the black version, it's identical but black ^__^

Bow on the sleeve.

Heart-shaped buttons!

L3176 in 2L

Fits bust/waist 98/86cm

This blouse has been something I've looked at every time when placing an order, but I think it may have gone down in price or something, because this time it was added to the cart instead of being ignored. I had the oddest problem with this blouse though - it was really difficult, even after unbuttoning the front, to fit my head though! Also, the sleeves are a bit short but since I'm 169cm tall that's not really surprising. I'm smaller than the listed measurements, so it's big on me but I think it would fit up to what's listed no problems, though the neckline may be an issue if you have a thicker neck. As far as construction goes it is sturdy, and the fabric is their typical polyester and "others" which may get a bit sweaty in warm weather but is nice enough to look at and to the touch. I'm quite happy with it and have lots of coord ideas!

I only have one photo of it showing the laces on the bib as I know people like to know the quality of Bodyline's laces. Blogger kept rotating my other pictures so they were upside-down. Again, excuse the flash.

As for the socks, I don't even remember which ones they were, as Bodyline tends to have several very similar pairs of socks on the site at the same time. In any case, these are quite nice. The lace isn't spectacular, but they are cute and comfortable. However, though both pairs seemed to be under the knee socks on the site the white ones are shorter than the black pair so if you're on the taller side like I am perhaps look into their OTKs instead, because they may well end up as under the knees anyway!

As far as speed of order goes, I placed my order on the 10th and received it on the 20th, which I consider a very good turn around time. Of course, since Bodyline posts out on Tuesday's, ordering on a Monday helped with that sensation of speediness ^__^

Review #21: Lyris Design

On November 15, 2013 [does this sound like the opening to a vintage murder mystery, or what?] I won a $150 voucher for Lyris Design. So I commissioned a steampunk vest and wanted to review the process and the product for my readers. I shall do so in timeline form, because I feel like it and because otherwise this could potentially get very confusing...

15-16 November. Giveaway winner [haha me!] was announced on the Lyris Design facebook page and the owner, Carly, sent me a nice message explaining that the voucher was valid for one year, and to let her know what kind of thing I would like to have custom made. I messaged back with two different ideas - a skirt and a vest. Since the vest is what I ended up getting, that's what we'll focus on. It's a variation of this 1898 jacket from what is apparently a tennis outfit, basically nixing the sleeves in favour of tiny cap sleeves.

17 November. Carly got back to me with a few more questions so she could give me a quote, I replied, and she quoted me $280 for the vest, which meant with the voucher I would be paying $130.

I should mention here that normally I wouldn't commission something like this. I think the price is really reasonable, especially considering all the trimming and the fact that the price included posting me not one, not two, but three calico mock ups to test the fit, but I normally veer away from spending this much on a single item of clothing. As such, this is actually the first thing that's ever been tailor made for me [other than stuff I've made myself or that my mum has done!] so, though my experience with Lyris Design was super positive, it's still experience one of one with custom made items. Not that it really affects my opinion or changes my awesome experience, but I am just putting it out there.

18-20 November. I confirmed that I would like to get the vest and asked for payment information and what measurements I'd need to give. Carly sent back a document with what measurements she needed. On the 20th I sent back my measurements and mentioned that I'd be offline until the 27th.

27 November. Right on the day I was meant to get internet back Carly sent me links to a bunch of different trim and button options to choose from.

1-3 December. When I finally got back online and checked everything out I told Carly which trim and buttons I preferred. She confirmed my choices and checked my address to send out the mock-up and gave me a list of things to check when I received it.

9-10 December. I got the mock up on the 9th, complete with a handwritten note on some lovely paper and fabric samples for the vest and it's lining. James took some photos for me on the 10th to show Carly the fit and I messaged back with those and a description. It was a bit tight across the bust, I couldn't raise my arms in the sleeves [and also wanted to make them smaller for aesthetic reasons] and it was a bit large around the hips, but the length, waist and neckline were perfect.

11 December. Carly sent back some follow up questions and said she would do a second mock-up ASAP to ensure we got the fit right.

18 December. Shhhh... so it took me ages to reply! I have a bad habit of ignoring messages when things get a bit hectic, so it took me a while to give Carly the information she needed. I also apologised and said I totally understood if she wanted to leave it until after Christmas because of my delay.

2 January. Just when, after all the Christmas and New Years kerfuffle died down, I was thinking that I should send a follow up message sometime soon Carly messages saying she's sent off the second mock-up.

8 January. I got the new mock-up and it's a much better fit all around except there's a bit of extra fabric around the armhole. I also wanted the sleeves to be a bit shorter again, but Carly had definitely tweaked the pattern to fit me a lot better.

12-14 January. It was a really busy week so I hadn't replied back with photos when on the 12th I get a nice message from Carly just checking I'd gotten the mock-up okay. It was perfect timing, since I was planning on messaging her anyway so I quickly replied with more pictures and a description. We discussed what needed adjusting and Carly said she'd get to work on a third mock-up.

18 January. Carly messaged to let me know she had finished the newest calico and would send it on Monday [this was a Saturday] and apologised for not sending it yesterday. Any fellow Aussies reading this will remember the horrible heatwave we were having then so I didn't mind at all.

23-25 January. Got the third mock-up on the 23rd and it was pretty damn perfect. We exchanged a few messages with a final confirmation, Carly mentioned that she may not get to my vest until the end of the week as she is finishing up pieces for a fashion show and I said it's not a problem. Angeline Bubsy was walking for Lyris in the fashion show, so I was keen to see it go off well!

6 February. Carly sent me a picture of the fabric with the buttons and trim laid out on it [and I should mention that this photo is probably the most accurate to colour in this post] to confirm it's all fine before starting the trim. She managed to get a pretty good colour match with the braid and buttons! I got details for paying the balance and Carly said it should be finished by the end of the weekend.

8 February. I pay, send a message saying I've paid and Carly tells me she's finished one side of the cording. This is where I start getting rather excited!

10 February. I log onto facebook and what is at the top of my newsfeed but a picture of my awesome vest that Carly posted on her page! She also sent me a message with the picture and tells me it has been posted and to let her know if there are any issues. I sent back a really enthusiastic message because she did a really, really fantastic job and I couldn't wait to have it in my hot little hand!

13 February. It arrives! I was still dozing the the morning when James comes into our room going "package!" so I managed to wake up for it. Unwrapping pictures follow, and a first thing in the morning worn photo featuring my "I just did up 13 buttons, and I've only been awake ten minutes, I am proud of my dexterity" face.

This cute little parcel came to me inside a regular padded post satchel. The note was personalised and contained care instructions, and was printed on a nice paper.

 

So I may have let out inarticulate noises of joy when I unwrapped it. My pictures don't show how lovely this is. The workmanship is fantastic and the fabrics Carly chose are great. This is probably the best made piece of clothing I own, and I own a lot of clothing! If I were to nitpick there are a couple of places where the trimming isn't completely symmetrical, and there's one loose thread in one buttonhole that catches a bit, but like I said, that's being nitpicky. It fits wonderfully, is exactly what I asked for and is extremely well made.

So, long story short, Carly was wonderful to work with and very attentive to detail, making sure that the fit was perfect and checking that I was happy with everything before proceeding. From start to finish this commission took three months but given that I caused some delays by slow responses and there was all the joys of Christmas in the time period as well I think that that is quite a reasonable turnaround time. As far as pricing goes I think it was super reasonable, especially since she didn't charge postage on top and she sent me four packages overall! The amount of fiddly work that would go into the trim and even all the buttons of this is, well, a lot and even though I'm sure she's a very experienced pattern maker there was a lot of time spent getting the pattern right for me.

Super long story short: Lyris Design is awesome, if you want something custom made go to her!

2014 Wardrobe Post

If you click on the image you'll be redirected to my second EGL wardrobe post...I've been in lolita for a year and a half now, and I love it!