Hello bats! I've had this review sitting in draft mode since September 2018 (oops) and I finally got around to finishing it off.
Today I'll be reviewing a dress from รcailles de Lune, my absolute favourite Chinese indie brand! I've owned nearly every one of their releases and have been consistently happy with the quality, price point, and unique designs. I've always wanted this dress, but I never managed to find it in my size secondhand, so I was thrilled to see that in addition to the original JSK and OP designs, รcailles de Lune designed a special edition OP with a collar accessory to celebrate the anniversary of the print series! I'm still sad that the black x grey 2014 colourway hasn't popped up again, but I'll get my hands on it someday...
I love her so much! She has such a regal face.
I splurged a little bit and bought the OP ($182 CDN) and matching collar ($32 CDN), both in the black colourway. I placed the order with my shopping service on October 31st, 2017. The order arrived to me in June after several delays - first the dress was slated to arrive in late March, which was pushed back to late April, and then to May. They finally shipped the dress to my SS at the beginning of June so by the time I actually received the dress on June 11th I was pretty annoyed, given that I paid on the very first day that reservations opened yet saw many people on social media received their dresses several months before I did. I don't usually reserve dresses on Taobao...is this a normal thing?
Whatever, let's talk about the dress.
The construction is tidy, and the fit of the dress is very good. The bodice fits me perfectly with no wrinkly or baggy spots. It's super comfortable to wear and has no awkward gapping in the back even when pulled to its tightest. There's a lot of room for a petticoat.
The upper part of the dress features a simple gathered bodice and ruffled lace detailing, with a crucifix sewn to the neckline. The back of the bodice is a little bit bare for my tastes - I think it would have looked nice if they'd used some of the same scalloped lace from the front to trim the back side. There's no shirring or stretchy material, but here's a generous amount of corset lacing in the back, tied with a soft satin ribbon.
The cap sleeves are formed by 2 layers of different types of raschel lace. I wish they had stuck to using the ruffled chiffon sleeves they used in the normal OP, or puff sleeves, or, given the high price point, long sheer chiffon sleeves. Or literally anything else. I love raschel lace, but I'm annoyed that it doesn't match the lace that's on the bodice.
The skirt portion consists of bustled, asymmetric layers of chiffon, rachel lace, and mesh, with a dot tulle overlay over a printed skirt. Unlike many of their previous releases, the overskirt portion is not removable, although the fabric can be pinned up via 2 buttons along the waistline. The printed skirt has a neatly serged hem, and is lined with polyester hemmed with ruffles of dot tulle. The ruffles are even with no lopsided spots unlike some of the other dresses I have purchased from this brand in the past.
The print is beautiful and crisp, and lines up perfectly along the seams. It's unfortunate that there's no way to pull away or detach some of the tulle overskirt so that the gorgeous print could be on full display, although I really love the shadowy effect created by the overskirt. I think that if the bustles could be adjusted with ties like the Atelier Pierrot corset skirts are, or if the overskirt could be removed, it would add some more interesting style options.
The one thing that annoys the hell out of me is the detachable collar. It just seems a lot fuller and darker in the stock photos. I wasn't really expecting to get 2 pieces of lace on a lace tie for $32. It's pretty, but...really?
Overall, I'm happy with the dress, but there are some weird design decisions that stop me from totally loving it. It is well-constructed and uses beautiful materials.
Update: I did end up eventually selling this piece, as I just prefer the look of the original OP and JSK after seeing them all in person. Now if I could find the 2014 black version of the JSK, I'd be one happy goth!
Shopping Experience: 1/5
3 extra months isn't a long time to wait, but the brand's communication of the delays was pretty poor, and I was one of the last people to receive my dress even though I was among the first to reserve it.
Quality: 4/5
Great construction and thoughtful design, but some details could be improved.
Hello bats! I've just returned from the airport and I'm trapped in bed with an awful cold and a stomach bug, so I figure now is as good a time as any to write up my trip report. As many of you probably already know, my friends and I flew to Finland for Eternal Twilight (Hellocon 2018), an annual lolita event held in Helsinki.
I was hoping to attend the Moitiรฉ tea party and model at Sakuracon in Seattle earlier this year, but I wasn't able to make it...so I jumped at the chance to go to Eternal Twilight when it was announced that Moitiรฉ would be their special guest. I survived the ticket bloodbath and snagged a VIP ticket that would allow me to meet Mana, and I was also chosen to model for the Moitiรฉ fashion show and for Puvithel in the indie fashion show.
This was my first time attending a large, exclusively lolita event, and it was also my first time in Europe. Actually, it was my first time taking a major trip without a family member...I've gone on trips to other provinces or to the USA by myself, but never overseas. It was a bit stressful, but everything went pretty smoothly!
Opening Ceremony Mana Q&A
Instead of getting a paper ticket or plastic card pass, we got a cute Mana pinback button as a ticket. Different ticket tiers had different Mana portraits - I wish I could have grabbed the other ones! The blue pin was for VIP ticket holders. VIPs also got a tote bag with some stickers and flyers inside.
The bat clips are mine, and the Gothic Arch clear file is from another event.
They got his resting bitch face down pat.
The programming of the day began with a Q&A with Mana and his staff. The questions were not very spicy. A lot of it was kind of stuff we've heard many times before - "what inspires you?" "Why do you like blue?" etc. The highlight of the Q&A was actually a special surprise - since Mana doesn't speak, Kamijo was invited to recite Mana's answers instead! He kept making the Japanese equivalent of dad jokes and hearing him say "Kawaii!" was precious. Sadly, I had to take off halfway through the Mana Q&A to get ready for the fashion show.
Mana Q&A session. Mana is wearing Demonia Stacks, haha! Taken from the MMM official twitter.
Moi-mรชme-Moitiรฉ Fashion Show
During the first model fitting on Friday, Mana himself showed up! He kept to himself in the corner, staying on his phone and talking to his staff quietly. He was wearing his "casual disguise" (hat and sunglasses) and was probably pretty tired and jet-lagged, like us. I was so surprised to hear his real voice! It didn't sound like I imagined it would - I always imagined it would be one of those super dramatic, resonating voices for some reason but it was actually more high-pitched and slightly nasal...so a very normal Japanese male voice, pretty much. It was very cute.
I remember one of the Wunderwelt staff telling me that normally they wouldn't put someone in a dress they already own, but they really wanted me to wear white, so I was chosen to wear the short version of the new Cross OP in white. I'm happy I got a light and comfy dress since it was very hot backstage...some of the poor girls were wearing long-sleeved blouses under OPs with wigs. Mana was present during the backstage preparations, which made us all a little bit nervous!
Unfortunately, we were not allowed to take photos/videos during the Moitiรฉ fashion show (we were allowed to take photos from backstage and post them on Instagram, so check the #eternaltwilight tag!). We were pulled aside afterwards to take individual shots of the outfit with the event photographer, Sanni Siira, so I'm sure that they will release some more official photos/videos at some point.
For styling, I was asked to do my makeup in light gold with blue accents like a "messenger from God" (how fitting for a heathen like me!) and to put my natural hair in twintails. I used ABH Modern Renaissance eyeshadows, Nyx's Pinched blush, and Sephora's Lip Creme in Marvellous Mauve.
The accessories I got to wear were pretty awesome. Rose Cross Original Lace Headdress and the matching Rose Cross Original Lace Choker, both from 2007. I've been wanting this headdress for a long time but I've never seen it in person. As you can see, it's absolutely massive, even on my big head. I also wore the Holy Cross Lace Up OTKs in white, which I desperately want and will probably never touch again. Haha~
The runway was shaped like a cross and decorated with crosses and bats.
All of the models lined up on the blue cross stage, with Mana at the centre. Taken from the MMM official Twitter.
Posing in Paasitorni's stairway after the fashion show with Mana! Taken from the MMM official Twitter.
We got a sneak peek at 3 new releases during the fashion show. Firstly, we have two new colourways of Sleeping Garden, which will be available in a long and short version. The first colourway is a pinky-orange to purple gradient, and the second colourway is green. It has been officially confirmed by WW staff but no official photos have been released yet. It was really exciting to see them in person. The green blouse with the frilled collar/jabot worn by Mana is also a new item that will be available soon.
I also hope that because Silent Moon was included in the fashion show that they're hinting at a re-release, maybe? Possibly? I'm trying to collect every cut and colourway. Right now I only have black x gold and black x blue so I would basically die of happiness if this were the case!
Update: Apparently when someone asked if they could buy one of the Silent Moon dresses from the fashion show, staff indicated that a re-release of Silent Moon is in the works. My prayers have been answered!
Overall, the fashion show was exhausting but rewarding. I hope Mana was happy and proud to see all of the models looking beautiful in full Moitiรฉ. I was so excited to see that a lot of the models were girls that I follow on Instagram, and everyone made friends quite quickly after the initial shyness wore off. ❤
Indie Designer Fashion Show
After the Moitiรฉ fashion show I had about 20 minutes before I had to rush backstage again and change into my outfit for Puvithel. There were tons of designers in the indie show so everything was very last minute. Some of the designers present included I Do Declare, Cloudberry Lady, Lady Sloth, Miss Danger, Advent, and Li Paro.
Unfortunately I don't have clear photos of the fashion show, so I hope this video gives you guys a good idea - thanks to FreakyAngel for compiling the video! Click here or go to 11:43 to skip ahead to the fashion show. You can see how I completely fucked up the timing at the end of the Puvithel walk and turn around like an idiot. This was my first time modelling so I was a little bit (read: terribly) nervous as we didn't have much chance to practice.
I really like Puvithel's designs.She is really creative and I love how she pulls off decora, menhera, and lolita so well! I modelled her Slaughterhouse JSK in white. She also made the beautiful iridescent pink heart necklace and waist chain in my outfit!
Ending Ceremony and Mana Meet and Greet
At the end of the fashion I finally had a chance to rejoin my friends and sit to watch the tail end of the programming but I was totally exhausted since I hadn't eaten all day and my allergy meds were kicking in hard. I ended up drifting in and out of sleep during most of this part, basically only waking up to sneeze...damn Finnish trees!
The host announced that there were two coordinate contests. The first contest was for whoever's coordinate photo posted in front of the Wunderwelt backdrop got the most likes on Alice Holic app. and the second contest was for the best Moitiรฉ coordinate, as chosen by Mana himself. Some random person on Alice Holic who wasn't even at the event used the #hellocon #eternaltwilight tags in her photos...? It was pretty funny, so they gave the prize to the person with the second-most likes who was an actual attendee.
They then announed that they'd be choosing the winner for the Moitiรฉ coordinate contest shortly. A few moments later one of the organizers (I think it was the Swedish Kawaii Ambassador?) grabbed me by the hand, totally waking me out of my half-asleep state, and led me onto the stage to announce that I had won!
The face of internal panic.
My face was pretty stoic but in my mind I was like "aaaaaaAAAAAAAAA" while simultaneously trying not to sneeze/faint/die from excitement. I was kinda dazed at this point so I don't remember exactly they all said about my coordinate, but apparently Mana and the WW staff liked that I had coordinated some iconic Moitiรฉ looks together such as the black x blue, lace-up socks, Iron Gate, and curly twintails, and that my coord embodied the spirit of Moitiรฉ. It made my heart felt so warm ❤ The prize I won from the coordinate contest was pretty amazing! I won the Jewel Cross necklace in black, a phone strap with Moitie's signature silver cross and crystal beads, and a signed copy of the original catalogue.
Me with my prize from the coordinate contest! I was also carrying my black bat handbag, but it's not in this photo.
Headdress: Moi-mรชme-Moitiรฉ and Antique Beast
Blouse: Moi-mรชme-Moitiรฉ
JSK: Moi-mรชme-Moitiรฉ
Corset: Sheglit
Socks: Moi-mรชme-Moitiรฉ
Brooch: Custom Bara No Seidou brooch from Dream Cathedral
Jewellery: Moi-mรชme-Moitiรฉ and offbrand
The highlight of this event was definitely getting to meet Mana in person! My friends and I all had VIP tickets so we got to go in ahead of the raffle ticket winners. We lined up outside of a small room and waited to be called in. Once it was my turn, the WW staff member gestured me inside and closed the door.
Mana was standing inside of the small room. Of course, he did not talk, but he took my hands very firmly in his and stared into my eyes very intensely. I was really anxious so I didn't have anything to say except "Thank you so much, Mana-sama!" like the awkward dork that I am. He the handed me a rose with a Moi-meme-Moitie ribbon tied around the stem (I immediately stabbed myself on the thorns because I'm dumb). His face was quite stoic the whole time, but he looked at me and gave me what I'd like to think was an approving nod, and he seemed to like my Bara No Seidou pin as well.
Everyone who had a VIP ticket or winning raffle ticket received a rose and a signed photo. You could bring other items for him to sign, so I asked for him to sign the cover of my Magnifique photo book. I had been debating between bringing a copy of GLB #1 or the book, but I was worried about the magazine getting squashed in my luggage, so Magnifique it was!
The spoils of war! My signed copy of Magnifique, signed catalogue, Jewel Cross pendant, phone strap, and rose.
I've never seen this phone strap before. Maybe it's a new item, or really old stock? They don't have a whole lot of them.
A few interesting pages from the catalogue. Pajamas, an apron, bloomers, and jewellery!
Shopping
I barely had time to browse the vendors because I was tied up with the 2 fashion shows back-to-back. Firstly, I picked up my preorder from Lady Sloth - the My Spooky Macarons OP in orange with the matching headbow. It's soft and lightweight, so not ideal for Halloween weather, but it's adorable and super comfy.
Lady Sloth My Spooky Macarons OP and matching headbow
Look at the cute ghost kitty necklace it came with!
Puvithel was kind enough to give me a goodie bag as a thank you for modelling!
Inside the zippered pouch were some cute pins, an iron-on patch, and these awesome syringe pens. I also bought the rose ring from her booth.
I also stopped by the Moitiรฉ booth and ended up grabbing the Alchemy phone case. Most of the items that they had for sale were things I already owned or didn't find too interesting, but I still wanted to get something from them.
The phone strap looks cute with the case! It juuuust barely fits my OnePlus.
Lastly, I grabbed a few small accessories: Metamorphose Fluttering Ribbon Lace OTKs, a black and gold headdress from Sweet Mildred, and a zippered pouch from Eat Me Ink Me.
I finally have a proper black x gold headdress after being in the fashion for...4 years now?
After the event wrapped up, people started heading out for the Kamijo concert and meet and greet planned for later that evening. I didn't get tickets because I'd already seen Versailles back home in Toronto pretty recently (I also ran into the band in a restaurant after the concert and got to talk to them a little bit, which was awesome!). In retrospect, I'm really glad I didn't go because I was so exhausted that I probably wouldn't have enjoyed it very much. Instead we got into comfy clothes and went to an Italian restaurant near our hotel, where we ran into Mana's entourage! He eats really slowly. It's precious.
That just about sums up my report on Day 1 of Eternal Twilight! I'll be back soon with a post about the Shakespearean Night tea party and the rest of my Finland escapades. Maybe after I recover...
Hello bats! Today I’m going to be reviewing the Me Likes Tea (MLT) Cotton
Candy petticoat. I ordered the petticoat in black voile. It was part of a
very large group order so it took several months to arrive, but I’m more than
happy with Tai’s friendly service and patience!
I’ve never seen voile used to make petticoats before, so I
was curious to try it out. Voile is a very soft, flowy, gauzy fabric similar to
mosquito netting or chiffon, and it was used to make petticoats in the early
1900s. It has very little natural stiffness unlike tulle, so the volume of the
petticoat comes from the layers of ruffles. Voile is usually cotton so it’s
easy to clean, but this petti is made from polyester voile.
In my order I specified a waist of 60cm, a bit larger than
my own waist because I can’t stop eating and there’s nothing worse than being
strangled by your petticoat at a buffet. It is accurate and does fit a little
loosely, as expected. The waist is elasticated with a drawstring, so it’s very
comfortable and adjustable. The elastic does tend to slip down a bit when
wearing a silky blouse. The petti is also 45 cm long with 5 layers of ruffled voile
and a polyester lining, as advertised. It looks exactly like the stock photo,
so I’m very pleased!
Now, the moment we’ve all been waiting for: poof pictures!
I’m going to be comparing the MLT petticoat to the pettis I already have.
Honestly, it’s not going to be much of a competition since the other contenders
are pretty shite.
First up we have my flat, deflated Bunny House Medium
petticoat, henceforth referred to as BH. This petti lasted all of 3 months
before it completely collapsed – even starching can’t stiffen it. It works fine
for lightweight chiffon dresses, or for casual outfits. Anything heavier than chiffon and it just looks like I'm not wearing a petti at all.
.
Next we have the CP A-line petti. As you may already know,
CP’s reputation is circling the drain with regards to quality control. My petti
lasted about 5 wears before the top layer of ruffles literally tore in half.
However, it’s still pretty poofy and stiff despite repeated wears.
Lastly, I’ll be comparing it against the poofy, sweaty abomination
that I’ve lovingly dubbed THE UBERPOOFER: layering the
deflated BH bell on top with the CP A-line underneath.
I’m also going to include a photo of all 3 pettis stacked
up, just because.
A CHALLENGER
APPROACHES: Petticoat Army vs. Moi-mรชme-Moitiรฉ Velveteen Scalloped Lace JSK
Click to enlarge!
This dress is an A-line cut, but I just wanted to see if the
pettis were able to stand up to the weight of my heaviest dress. As you can see, the poof of MLT petti is
pretty much equal to THE UBERPOOFER which is quite
impressive. It maintains a nice bell shape even under heavy velveteen. Under
lightweight dresses, it creates a very exaggerated bell shape which would look
wonderful in sweet coordinates.
It also works well for layering if for some reason you want to wear multiple petticoats. I like the triple stack...it looks like I ate a sweet lolita and absorbed her powers.
Overall, I am extremely pleased with this
petticoat. The quality of materials, construction, and performance are top
notch for the price paid (130 Brazilian reals) and I would definitely recommend MLT to anyone
looking for a new petti – just keep in mind that Tai is very backed up with
orders so you might have to wait.
Today I’ll be reviewing รcailles de Lune’s latest offering:
the Shadow Garden JSK, a lovely cage dress that could be styled in either
gothic or classic. I purchased the black version, since the ivory sadly wasn't available for overseas customers...although I haven't actually seen any Chinese lolitas with the ivory version, so maybe they never released it at all. I paid 699 RMB/$144 CDN total.
Timeline:
November: Placed reservation through TaobaoFocus
January 23: Dress shipped out by TaobaoFocus
January 28: Dress arrived in Canada (!)
Don’t quote me on this, but I believe that Dark Box,
รcailles de Lune, and Krad Lanrete are all sister brands. Given Krad Lanrete’s
reputation for less-than-stellar customer service these days, I was a little
bit concerned. Thankfully, everything went according to schedule and the
turnaround time was very reasonable. So, onto the fun part of the review!
The dress comes in three separate pieces: JSK, underskirt,
and cage. The JSK is made of lightweight polyester chiffon with a glittery
ivory polyester lining and an asymmetric hemline. I was a little surprised at
how delicate and sheer the dress is – actually, it’s a bit too sheer for my
liking. The fabric has a slightly crinkled texture with a dark webbed pattern.
It doesn’t photograph well, but I tried to show how the
glitter in the lining sparkles through the sheer chiffon and allows the webbed
pattern to show. It’s lovely and subtle in person. I can’t get over how
gorgeous the fabric is. I love how it looks like shadowy tree limbs or veins. In my opinion, one of the most important aspects of
gothic lolita is the use of texture, since everything is usually black.
The cage attaches to the JSK with two buttons and ties in
the back, and the actual cage portion only wraps around the front. It’s made of
the same textured fabric, just without the glittery lining obviously. I wish
the cage went all the way around, but the half-cage still looks pretty. There
are decorative silver crosses and grosgrain ribbon bows on the cage.The underskirt has the same lining as the JSK, with tiered
ruffles around the front and sides. The elastic waist is very comfortable.
Everything is sewn properly with straight seams, no loose
threads, and no bobbin vomit. I didn’t take many photos of the inside of the
dress because I didn’t find anything worth mentioning except for one slightly messy
part inside the bodice – granted, you won’t ever see this part unless you’re
separating the bodice from its lining, so it doesn’t matter.
I’d also like to mention that the sizing is pretty accurate
to the measurement given, and the JSK has no give to it – the only elastic part
is in the underskirt.
Overall, I am extremely impressed with the quality of
materials, solid construction, and attention to detail, given the low price
point. My only gripe is that the material is a little bit
on the sheer side for my tastes, but I think that was a conscious aesthetic
choice. I would definitely recommend that you pick this dress up if you see it
for sale!
Here is what the dress looks like in a full coordinate. The
detachable pieces make it really versatile – you can take it from simple to OTT
just by adding pieces. I’m wearing it with my Classical Puppets A-line
petticoat, although it wold look nice with a slightly bell-shaped petticoat as
well.
JSK: รcailles de
Lune
Blouse:
Atelier-Pierrot
Socks:
Moi-mรชme-Moitiรฉ
Bonnet: Elpress L
Boots: Bodyline
Bag:
Moi-mรชme-Moitiรฉ
Thank you for reading, bats! If you think I left anything out of my review, please let me know and I'll add it in.
