Review: MeLikesTea "Cotton Candy" Petticoat (PT06V)

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.

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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-même-Moitié 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.

Shopping Experience: 5/5
Quality: 5/5
Overall Score: 5/5

Lolita Blog Carnival: Create a Coordinate Based on Your Favourite Flower

Hello bats! Long time no post.

My favourite flowers are sunflowers, but obviously that doesn't mesh well with gothic unless Mana decides that he's going to start wearing yellow. Roses are a close second, so naturally I had to pull up my favourite Moitie rose-print florals for this challenge! I find it very difficult to work with florals in gothic coords, so this was tricky but fun.

The challenge only calls for making a single coordinate, but I decided to make two. This is because digging through Lolibrary is infinitely more pleasant than revising for my infectious disease control final.

†  Antique China Roses †

Dress: Moi-meme-Moitie Rose Printed Gathered Sundress (White x Navy)

Blouse: Moi-meme-Moitie Holy Cross Collar Blouse (White)

Headdress: Moi-meme-Moitie Blue Bouquet Headdress (White x Navy)

Socks: Moi-meme-Moitie Blue Rose OTKs (White x Navy)

Shoes: Metamorphose Heel Strap Platform Shoes (White)

Necklace: Moi-meme-Moitie Metal Rose and Cross Necklace

This coordinate reminds me of old-fashioned blue and white china, hence the name. Also, I love the Meta stripper shoes more than life itself.

† Grey-veyard Roses †

Dress: Moi-meme-Moitie Monochrome Rose Sundress

Headdress: Moi-meme-Moitie Holy Cross Headdress (Black x Silver)

Blouse: Moi-meme-Moitie Holy Cross Blouse (Black x Silver)

Socks: Moi-meme-Moitie Holy Cross Lace-Up OTKs (Black)

Shoes: Metamorphose Heel Strap Platform Shoes (Black)

Necklace: Moi-meme-Moitie Cross Rose Pendant

Haha, get it?! Grey-ve? Grave? Because it's grey, like a gravestone?...I'll see myself out.

Anyway, I really adore the Holy Cross line that MMM put out a few years ago. The metallic silver trim on the lace is quite bright and lovely in person. I thought it'd look very striking against the greys in the Monochrome Rose JSK.

 

Please visit the other lovely bloggers who have written on this topic! 

Queen & Commander

Some Winter Coordinates and Snaps!

How many times can I shoehorn this bonnet into a coordinate? Let's find out!

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JSK: Écailles de Lune

Blouse: Atelier-Pierrot

Socks: Moi-même-Moitié 

Bag: Moi-même-Moitié 

Boots: Bodyline

Headpiece: Elpress L

Jewellery: Offbrand

 Just felt like dressing up for no reason at all! This was my first coordinate with Shadow Garden. It's definitely one of my favourite pieces now.

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JSK: Moi-même-Moitié

Blouse: Offbrand

Socks: Moi-même-Moitié 

Boots: Antaina

Headpiece: Elpress L

I'm a doofus and I didn't even realize my pretty silver gate necklace was tucked into my OP the entire time. Welp. Anyway, I wore this to go stuff my face with fried chicken. So elegant rori desu ~

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My first and last time wearing this dress. It's beautiful, comfortable, and the quality is quite solid for an inexpensive Taobao dress, but the cut is all wrong for me. High-waisted long JSKs just aren't made for shorties like me. I feel like I could have incorporated some more red into the coord, maybe with a red and gold brooch on the bonnet instead of the black brooch I used.

JSK: Foxs Feathers

Blouse: Moi-même-Moitié

Bonnet: Elpress L

Socks: Metamorphose

Shoes: Bodyline
Bag: MuFish 
Jewellery: Offbrand

† † †

JSK: Sheglit

Blouse: Ista Mori
Jabot: Marble
Jacket: Atelier Boz

Hat: Offbrand

Socks: Alice and the Pirates

Boots: Bodyline
Jewellery: Offbrand

Simple, comfy coord I wore to go sing karaoke with my friends. I really like wearing all black and then adding a few coloured touches with socks and accessories. I want to add a few more simple black pieces to my wardrobe for more casual outings.

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Skirt: Moi-même-Moitié

 Blouse: Ista Mori

 Headdress: Bodyline

Socks: Moi-même-Moitié

Shoes: Bodyline

Bag: Moi-même-Moitié

Jewellery: Alchemy Gothic, offbrand

This day was beyond windy - I was trying to stop my skirt from blowing up by squishing my purse on top of it. I had also been crammed into the backseat of a Fiat with 3 other people for 2 hours, so my clothes rumpled up pretty badly as you can see!

I wore this to my friend's Mr. Yan-themed oldschool lolita party. I was trying to go for that old-school street snap look, kind of casual/unpolished and simple but still cute. Don't think it quite worked, but I guess hot mess is still a valid aesthetic.

Review: Écailles de Lune "Shadow Garden" JSK

Today I’ll be reviewing Écailles 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, Écailles 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: Écailles de Lune

Blouse: Atelier-Pierrot

Socks: Moi-même-Moitié

Bonnet: Elpress L

Boots: Bodyline

Bag: Moi-même-Moitié 

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.

Last Coords of 2015

Just wanted to share a few of my old coordinates from last year! It feels so weird to refer to 2015 as "last year". These are in no particular order...I just happened to be going through my phone and came upon all these pictures I forgot to post. It runs the gamut from casual to OTT.

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Dress: Atelier-Pierrot

Blouse: Atelier-Pierrot

Socks: Metamorphose

Bag: Moi-même-Moitié

Shoes: Antaina

Headdress: Antique Beast, offbrand
Jewellery: Alchemy Gothic, Offbrand
Wristcuffs: Offbrand

My friend Stacy was kind enough to take some really nice photos of my coordinate! Right now my camera is my S3, which is my most of my coord photos look like they were shot with a potato. 

This was an absolutely wild day! We were pretty tired after a lovely tea party at the Royal York. They gave us SO much food...had to loosen the back of my corset a bit. Anyway, we were hanging around a park downtown, relaxing and taking photos. A big baseball game was going on, so it was really busy and many of the passerby were totally wasted even though it was pretty early. It was pretty much a constant barrage of harassment /creepshots/annoying people until we just gave up and hit the bar.

 † † †

 

 

JSK: Moi-même-Moitié 

Jacket: Atelier Boz 

Blouse: Ista Mori

Socks: Metamorphose

Bag: Moi-même-Moitié

Shoes: Bodyline

Headdress: Antique Beast

Jewellery: Alchemy Gothic, Offbrand

It was absolutely freezing that day, but I wore Underarmour and frilly bloomers underneath my outfit. The Boz jackets look a lot warmer/thicker than they really are...on the subject of this jacket, I find a lot of people really dislike it when you wear a Roland with a print underneath since it blocks the print. I really like how it looks, though. I love all the metallic gold in this coordinate! Next time around, I want to pair it with a gold and black purse, and a big bonnet.

† † †

 

Dress: Atelier-Pierrot

Blouse: Atelier-Pierrot

Tights: Abilletage

Bag: Moi-même-Moitié

Shoes: Demonia

Collar: Antique Beast

Hat: Offbrand 

Wristcuffs: Offbrand

Jewellery: Restyle, handmade, offbrand

Halloween party coordinate! I basically recycled the outfit from the Royal York tea party and added a hat. I thought my poofy black and blue hair would be appropriately witchy, so I didn't bother with a wig.

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Jacket: Atelier Boz

Blouse: Ista Mori

Jabot: Marble 

Brooch: Offbrand

Boots: Bodyline

Pants: Offbrand

My first shot at masculine aristocrat, I guess? I would love to purchase some better-fitting pants and a proper hat. I felt very elegant in this coord! I honestly think men's styles suit me better than lolita - I have a muscular figure, broad shoulders, and no boobs whatsoever.

† † †

 

OP: Moi-même-Moitié

Blouse: Moi-même-Moitié

Socks: Moi-même-Moitié 

Shoes: Antaina

Headbow: Handmade

Jewellery: Alchemy Gothic

 I tried to find the loosest, comfiest pieces in my wardrobe because this meetup was for the sole purpose of eating pancakes and ice cream. Maybe not my best coord, but it was nice to be able to eat without worrying about popping a seam. I did manage to totally crumple my petti, though.

† † †

 

JSK: Sheglit

Blouse: Offbrand

Jabot: Marble

Socks: Moi-même-Moitié 

Boots: Demonia

Beret: Offbrand

Jewellery: Restyle

Just a comfy, simple coord I wore to school. 

† † †

JSK: Moi-même-Moitié

Blouse: Moi-même-Moitié

Socks: Moi-même-Moitié 

Boots: Bodyline

Headpiece: Offbrand

Another simple and comfortable coord for school!

† † †

That's it for 2015. Hopefully 2016 is filled with even more coordinates and opportunities to wear lolita!

My Lolita Resolutions for 2016

 

(Whoops…I thought I queued this to post but I guess I didn’t. Welp.)

Hello bats, long time no post! I wanted to share a few of my new year’s resolutions for 2016. I have a few item reviews in the works right now, so hopefully this blog won’t be so empty in the coming year.Anyway - on to the resolutions. They aren't very original or exciting, but they're mine!


1. Experiment more with coordinates, especially with accessories and hair.
I feel like in recent years most lolitas have strayed away from experimenting and plain having fun with the fashion. While lolita does have strict rules, it’s still an alternative fashion with plenty of room for experimentation.

I feel like people get too riled up over people who are just playing with the boundaries of the style. At this point I’d rather be called ita or be made fun of than stop myself from having fun with the fashion, so…here’s to that! I’m 100% open to constructive criticism and advice, but I feel like the nitpicking is getting absolutely ridiculous.

Most of my coordinates are pretty samey, especially since I only wear black. Lately I’ve been experimenting more by using my natural hair in different styles, and incorporating some more aristocrat and western gothic elements to my coords. I’m going to keep experimenting and having fun with new looks!


2. Post more in my blog and on LJ.
I first got interested in lolita around 2005ish, when the LJ community was really taking off and blogs were starting to pop up everywhere. Fast forward to 2016 and that aspect of the scene is 99% dead thanks to Instagram and Youtube.

I’m really happy about how new social media has allowed lolitas to connect in more ways than ever before, but the level of connection is…more shallow, I guess? A lot of it is almost purely image-based with very little discussion or authentic interaction. They also don’t have the staying power of blogs. Blogs are usually just abandoned rather than purged.

Blogs are a wonderful time capsule, especially when it comes to fashion. You get to see what real people actually wore in their daily lives. Even if I eventually stop posting, I hope that it can be a little snapshot of what gothic lolitas were like at the time. I also recently got an amazing camera, so I really have no excuse.

Sometimes on a quiet afternoon I like to go way back in the EGL entries and read the old posts – some of them make me feel all warm and fuzzy and nostalgic, and some are straight up hilariously outdated.


3. Wear lolita more often.
I usually wear lolita once a week, maybe less. I can’t wear it to work since it isn’t allowed, and it’s not practical to wear it to uni either. I want to find a comfortable style that I can wear more often so all this stuff in my closet doesn’t go to waste.  I guess this is one way to make good use of a sad, deflated petti – casual coords.

That's about it for me - I like to keep things simple, otherwise I can't stick to them. What are your resolutions for the new year?