DOL / Qutie Land Review

After realising that not having a 'proper' job for six months had left me with the bare minimum of funds (I have a job now XD) I decided to order some replicas of Lolita prints that caught my eye. I think replicas are a good way to try out a style/print to see if you like it or it suits you before you commit to paying hundreds of pounds for the real thing. There are loads of sites and commissioners out there who can make pretty realistic replicas of a high quality.

I decided to try and order from Qutie Land and chose two dresses made by Dream Of Lolita (DOL) who have had mixed reviews but seem quite a resourceful company overall. The website itself is easy to navigate and your can convert the currency into Hong Kong Dollars, US Dollars or Great British Pounds amongst others. Most of the dresses are reasonably priced and seem to stick as true to the original as possible.

I'm stepping into more Gothic Lolita territory and chose the red version JSK of "Vampire Requiem", originally from 'Alice And The Pirates' who are fast becoming my favourite brand along with 'Moi Meme Moitie'. It doesn't come with the cross like on the original but still is an impressive piece.
The next dress I chose was a OP in "Wonder Cookie" print (Dark Blue) originally by 'Angellic Pretty'. I like the Alice In Wonderland feel it has and loved the colourful buttons and all of the cakes and biscuits on the dress. The pink teapots also sweeten the deal ;)

I thought that I may as well get some accessories to go with them, and as I desperately needed a Lolita suitable handbag (the only one I have is the 'Baby, The Stars Shine Bright' one I won at Kawaii Star) I settled on the Bunny Bear Bag and some socks and a headband that would go well with what I ordered.

Note: do not order from them if you need these items in a hurry. I paid mid February and they were dispatched at the end of April. They make them custom order but the wait was a bit annoying. Mercifully, the shipping was quick and arrived in a matter of days and I enjoyed tracking the parcels progress across the globe.

It was packaged nicely - each item in its own bag etc, but all was squashed into one tiny parcel (to save money I suppose...). I am delighted with the items.

First up, Vampire Requiem Replica. Good fabric and very similar to the original (which I saw at Hyper Japan). The only problem I have is... I think they sent me the OP instead of the JSK XD Oh dear. I love it anyway and may just keep it if this is the case. The lace is thick and the print is lovely. I can't find any blurs although in some places it's less distinct, but nothing to write home about. It fits perfectly and there's loads of room for a petticoat too! I'm already creating a co-ordination with my LIZ LISA pearl cross and the great headpiece that I bought with it.

It came in two parts - a velvet headband and a lovely cluster or roses, lace, gems and a cross that you can pin onto the correct height. A great piece of headgear that compliments the outfit nicely.

I also love the Wonder Cookie Replica. The buttons are fairly sturdy but could use some extra thread to fix them in place. The print is fantastic - crystal clear, bright and fun and was great value for money in my opinion. Again, great fit and loads of petti room and came with a bow of the same fabric to either make a headbow with or attach to the dress. I'm thinking of rabbit ears or an Alice Bow instead... hmmmmm....

The Bunny bag is size Medium and could comfortably fit a purse, phone and small hairbrush/makeup bag etc (at a push). It's fairly large already, covering most of my back and I think it looks pretty cute although the red bead eyes could be seem as a bit unnerving. It has a hood that when removed, turns the rabbit into a bear so it's a pretty good bag if you want a different look or like new things. The straps are detachable and adjustable too. There's a slight stain/ black mark on its right leg, but it's very faint and small, and I sort of expected something like this. I'll try and remove it. I think it's a great bag for Sweet Lolita in general and matches the whole Alice In Wonderland theme I seem to have going.

The socks go well with the OP too. White with a criss crossed blue ballet shoe on them, a bit of sophistication is added with the delicate roses on the back. They are pretty comfy but I wouldn't recommend them for tall people; I'm about 5"5 and they just come to my knee and probably wont stay there.

And there we have it.
I hope you found this remotely helpful :D

Also on other news:

I was the "Friday Fashionista" on Scarlett's Blog! Exciting stuff!
http://hjkawaiistar.tumblr.com/

I was interviewed for a talk on K-ON! and J-pop on J-pop Go!
http://www.jpopgo.co.uk/jpg/?p=1894
Also, an exciting opportunity has arisen so watch this space ;)