Review: Souffle Song Crystal Palace OP in Light Blue

Originally posted on my previous blog website. Mildly edited to fix the formatting and a typo.

Stock photo by Souffle Song/Neverland Lolita.

The light blue OP from Souffle Song's Crystal Palace series had been a dream of mine even before I considered joining the lolita community. Therefore, after more than a year-and-a-half of scouring the internet for this piece, I was thrilled to find it on Lace Market for a very reasonable price!

Now that I have received the piece in the mail, I have decided to review it in this post. Enjoy!

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Ordering Process

I purchased this piece on Lace Market (egl.circlly.com). Since Lace Market is a selling platform for second-hand lolita items, it is similar to eBay. You have to create a verified account to list items as well as place bids. To verify your account, first create it. Due to the pandemic, the way verification works has been changed: you now have to contact the moderators of Lace Market via their email or Facebook page to do so.If you find an item you like, most either have the option to "place a bid" or "buy it now". It is pretty self-explanatory. If you bid, please be aware you may be outbidded or someone may be willing to pay the "buy it now" price, nulling your bid and you end up losing the item. In this case, even though I was the only bidder, I wanted the piece so much that I decided to "buy it now".After I won the auction, I waited for the seller to contact me via the website's messaging system. Once we agreed on the final price, she sent me an invoice via PayPal which I paid the same day. The dress was shipped a day later.

Cost

This OP was listed for $70 USD bidding, $80 USD buy it now. Since I purchased it via "buy it now", the total cost for the dress and shipment was $90 USD (app. €78, £70, or ¥9,653 as of 7/21/20): $80 for the dress and $10 for priority shipping. The shipping cost was low because both the seller and I live in the United States. In comparison to another website where the dress was brand new, I saved approximately $30 USD plus shipping. That's pretty good if you ask me!

Design

The Crystal Palace OP is a sweet style piece features an empire waist, long sleeves, doll collar, lace hemline, and detachable waist ribbon. There is no tag that states the material, but the seller stated that the sleeves and collar are chiffon and the rest of the dress feels like the same material, so I would conclude it is chiffon. It is also lined.

Faux pearls are attached on the front bodice to give the illusion of buttons framed by lace. Heart lace detailing additionally runs vertical up the bodice, curving just under the top pearl and running towards the sleeves. On the right side of the dress lies an invisible zipper and pearlescent shank button that holds a detachable ribbon. There is a matching button on the left side. On the back of the bodice, there are loop holes for a ribbon to thread through, but the dress did not come with the original ribbons.

The design and color are some of the most beautiful I have ever seen. I would describe it as a warm-toned seafoam blue. It doesn't match the common colorways of mint or sax despite the similar color range; it is a tone all its own. The print includes drawings of stringed pearls, jellyfish, conch shells, waves, and coral. If you look closely, delicately designed bubbles are abundant as well.

The collar and sleeves of the piece are translucent, the former being framed by lace. The sleeves have elastic bands in the wrist and flow out in a cascade of ruffles. When the top layer of the dress is viewed without the lining, it also gives a translucent view.

Overall, I would describe the dress as flowing, crisp, and delicate design combined into a single piece that perfectly mimics a calm ocean breeze in the early morning.

Quality

From my observations, I would say the quality of this dress is above average.The fabric is delicate, but it doesn't seem like it would tear or rip easily, the lace is none too thin nor thick, and the print is clearly visible. There also doesn't seem to be any misprints, loose threads, pulls, or other mistakes. Hence, no complaints here!

The only concern I have is about the attachment style of the button and pearls, but I will go more into detail about that below.

Fit

Size chart via Devil Inspired.
I purchased this piece in size XL. However, the lister on Lace Market warned that despite the product measurements, she believed that the dress would not be comfortable to wear if you have a bust ≥98 cm (38.58 in). I am unsure if this is due to a manufacturing error or a washing error (perhaps is was washed in hot water and shrunk). I have a bust of 96 cm, so I figured it would be okay. Luckily, it proved to fit like a glove.However, I feel it would be a tad more comfortable is it wasn't an empire waist dress. I have a Western body type, so my waist aligns with all lolita dresses deemed "low waist". The Crystal Palace's waist, however, doesn't even reach the bottom of my chest due to its waist style. However, I love it so much that I can overlook this.

Criticism

I don't have a lot of criticism about this piece, but a few things did bother me other than the empire waist. When I tried the dress on for the third time (just to model in it because it was so pretty), I head a horrendous POP...then a small tinkling noise as something hit the floor.It turned out to be a button on the side that holds the ribbon on the back of the dress. I wasn't overly concerned because it wasn't a button that held the dress together, but disappointed that on the third try-on, it broke. There was only a single thread attaching it to the dress. So, I resew the button and I think I did a pretty good job for someone who has never sewn in their life. (Thank you YouTube!)

This might also have to do with me being the third owner of the dress (i.e. wear and tear), but the individual I purchased it from claimed that out of herself and the previous owner, the dress was only worn twice. I'm not exactly sure what caused it, but I'm happy it's fixed.

Another small little quirk is the right side of the collar: it doesn't seem to stay flat. However, in the original stock photo, it looks like that side of the collar isn't flat either, so I consider it a unique quality of the dress. Other than that, I don't have much to say.

Conclusion

This OP is beautiful and I am very pleased with it. I am especially impressed with the design. If you would like it for yourself, keep your eyes open, because this piece is worth every penny and a perfect addition to any sweet wardrobe!

With love,

Poppy
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Journal Entry One: Oversteeped Tea and One Year Anniversary

Originally posted on my previous blog website. Unedited.

Image Credit: Loverna Journey on Unsplash

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As the sun rises and falls into the month of July, I am compelled to take a moment to muse upon both my lolita fashion journey and the current state of the world. While the latter may not be a topic a majority of us want to discuss, I feel it is necessary to reflect upon it to organize my mindset as well as grow from this experience.
On March 21st, 2020, everything changed when my state declared a stay-at-home lockdown order due to the infamous coronavirus. I was shocked; two weeks ago I had been at college. In my last in-person class meeting, my professor had discussed how the class could possibly proceed if such a lockdown would occur, but I largely dismissed the fact. There was no possible way that the college would close down, right?

Well, as we all know, the answer turned out to be yes. Yes, it could have and would have happened. Never in my life had I ever imagined that I would have to experience a pandemic.

As March ended and April ran with a passing glance, I realized in May that it has been one year since I first began my lolita journey. In May 2019, I purchased my first dress with the money I earned from my job that summer. I have come so far since then with my style, realizing the reasons why I developed a love for lolita fashion, and developing the confidence to wear coords without worrying about what others think.

Like many other lolitas, I wear lolita fashion because it makes me happy. I feel beautiful in it. And if you feel beautiful, that's all that matters.

Currently, I feel similar to a cup of oversteeped tea. I have passed the point where I taste the best, and I am a tad more bitter and harsh than usual. It had not been easy coping with the constant cleaning, not knowing which news articles to trust, and the frustrated uprisings of others. It has also been difficult not being able to express myself in lolita fashion. However, I have to remind myself to focus upon my blessings instead of my curses: I am healthy, my family is healthy, we have enough to pay for bills, food, and other essentials, and I have a roof over my head. These factors may seem very simple, but they are often overlooked.

As far as lolita fashion, I have been finding solace in browsing my favorite shops in hopes of purchasing a new dress or accessory to lift my spirits. Most of you know that I have recently created highlights on my Instagram account concerning my wishlist and dream dresses. Yet, if you are feeling the same way as I, I would suggest using this time to focus on your mental health: keep yourself busy doing the things you love. Organize your wardrobe. Sew a blouse. Craft a new accessory. Plan coords. Hold a virtual tea party. Treat yourself to a tea gift set and sample them in full lolita regalia. The possibilities are endless, but please remember to support each other. Remember that we are all in this together. Even if you may seem so alone and isolated during this time, there are always friends, family, or even strangers that will be there for you.

Flowers do not grow without rain. Please remember that no matter how far away the sunlight seems, it will always shine through. I wish you all a calm, peaceful, and healthy summer.

With love,

Poppy
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