So back in January I finally received the Krad Lanrete "Le Retentissement de Versailles" JSK II after months and months of waiting. It actually arrived on my birthday so that was a nice surprise!
With all the bad stuff going on here in America, it took me awhile to just enjoy little gifts of life, so I felt it time to take a moment to do something I enjoyed again. In times like these, self care and personal happiness is important or burn out is inevitable. Do what you can do resist and fight, but not at the expense of your health and mental stability. Sometimes you just need a moment.
Anyway, this was my first piece from Krad Lanrete. I've wanted other items from them in the past, but I wasn't quick enough to get them. This time, I jumped when I first saw photos of the pieces and used Clobbao Online to purchase. This is my second time ordering using their service and so far so good. Their communication is excellent and they are good about mediating delays in production and shipment (this release ended up being delayed about 2-3 months, they were very gracious in dealing with it.)
So lets review quickly:
Design - 5/5
I ended up choosing the Dark Blue colorway in the Long length and high waist version, which is my preferred cut and style in lolita fashion at the moment. I feel as though it best suits me and my frame and is the most comfortable to wear. I really liked the black as well, but I preferred the cream colored center panel over the black. You can't see the ruffle detail as well on the black colorway. The pink was also very pretty, but I am not much of a pink person!
I also fell in love with the ruffle detail on the skirt portion right away. I really am a sucker for ruffle details! The print is also beautiful and very detailed.
Quality - 3.5/5
Though the dress and print is beautifully designed, I was very disappointed with the quality of the printed fabric. It is very thin, and feels more like a lining quality than what I expect an outer layer should be. Initially when I bought it, I thought it was going to be made of a medium weight cotton sateen. It's actually made of a thin slightly textured polyester. It's probably okay for some people, but for me, I did not particularly like it. I prefer thicker fabric qualities in my lolita pieces, cotton based fabrics and textures, so I was a bit displeased to be honest.
Fit - 4.5/5
The dress fits me rather well, but since it has no shirring or adjustability, there is no freedom of movement. I prefer my pieces to have shirring for those times where I layer a little more or a little less, or eat a little more! But I know some other people had fit issues with this dress (apparently it was a bit big on some people) but for me, it fit pretty exactly. If I were to get any bigger or smaller, it might be an issue. I bought it in Size M.
Now onto the coordinate series!
Coordinate I: "Crown Princess"
The most OTT of all the coordinates I put together. It's very hime lolita. Blouse is from the taobao brand Boguta, Tights are Grimoire, Parasol is Innocent World, Crown is VooDooDolly, and Rosary necklace is Moss Marchen.
To make this look perfect I still need perhaps an Ivory or Cream colored purse and some cream, light brown or navy shoes. For hair, a curled updo with bangs in my natural hair or a side swept ponytail with my honey brown wig would be quite lovely.
Coordinate II: "Queen Mother"
Still relatively over the top, but a bit more mature. No blouse, just paired with an Innocent World bolero and OTK socks. I used the same VooDooDolly crown here, but I think if I had it, I'd pair it with a Triple Fortune styled bonnet, like this one below...
Maybe add in some of those burgundy roses to bring in more of the red. This is only a dream though, it would be very pretty but I'm not really a bonnet person so I couldn't justify buying one to fulfill one coordinate! So lets just use imagination. Perhaps serve as inspiration for someone else!
Coordinate III: "Royal Masquerade"
In my last look, I went the darker route, using this billowy sleeved blouse from Infanta, my black handmade by me rectangular headdress, Lily of the Valley Necklace, Evil Live purse, and Angelic Pretty Parasol. I forgot to put tights with this, but do imagine some black lace tights with this ensemble.
To give that real Masquerade vibe, perhaps a black and gold mask to pair?
And that's it! Which look is your favorite? Let me know in the comments!
Did you happen to purchase this dress? How will you coordinate it? If you have any pictures, please share! If you are on Instagram, tag me on @dixmacabre so I can see your coordinates, if you would like!
