Bodyline Maid Costume

On December 7th I placed an order with Cosmates for this Bodyline maid costume. I ordered through Cosmates simply because it's cheaper. On Bodyline, the costume costs $40 plus $10 for shipping, coming to a total of $50 or 36.57€. The price means that customs charges will be added, too, so it ends up being even more expensive. Cosmates, on the other hand, lists the costume for $38. With shipping, the total was about $43.75 or 32€. Cosmates also has the added benefit that they mark the package as a low-priced gift (this one was marked 7€) meaning no customs charges. The availability of the product is the same as it is on Bodyline.

So, what do I think of this costume? Well, I am a plus-sized girl. My measurements, last time I checked, are as follows:

• Bust: 110cm / 43 inches
• Waist: 90cm / 35 inches
• Hips 111cm / 44 inches

Naturally, I ordered the largest size, 4L. I thought it would be a bit of a squeeze, since Bodyline and Cosmates both list its bust measurement to be 108cm. However, the dress is very comfortable and easy to move around in. My fist thought when I put it on was that I could wear it without the apron, petticoat, and headband, just as a little black dress because of how comfy it is. The arm holes are also very accommodating. One of my biggest annoyances with some so-called large-sized clothing and costumes is that while the bust/waist/hips are large, the damn arms are still medium-to-small-sized. Not so with this dress.

The apron is also very comfortable. Its shoulder straps are adjustable and would be easy to customize to fit any height as they are attached to the waist strip with buttons. (I haven't got a picture of my back, but you can see what it looks like in the stock photo above.) The headband that completes the outfit is also nice; not too tight/too small and fairly flexible. I also like the length of the dress (84cm/33.1 inches for 4L). It's long enough to fit over my petticoat, which I found on eBay (similar to this one), long enough that I'm not constantly worrying about showing off my panties, but still short and flirty and cute. (This is less review than personal thoughts; short skirts are still a new thing for me.)

All in all, I am extremely happy with this order. The cost was low, the package arrived in 10 business days - much faster than Bodyline in my experience - and the fit is fantastic. If you're looking for a maid costume, I'd definitely recommend this one. However, keep in mind that it does not come with a petticoat and the skirt is not lined, so you would have to already have one or buy one separately. 

Here is a photo of me wearing the whole ensemble plus my petticoat:

A close-up of the top of the apron - a cute heart shape with a bow:

 And a bonus picture of me, because this is my blog and my review:

Thank you for reading! （　´∀｀）☆

Nami and Alpacas!

My beautiful, wonderful, adorable, flawless little Nami figure arrived. I am literally three episodes and four volumes into One Piece and I am already in love and felt compelled to purchase this figure, and it was quite inexpensive, so no harm done. Seriously, Nami is the greatest. I took a bunch more pictures, but here are a couple showing her and the tiny little box she came in. She stands only 12 cm or about 5 inches tall.

I have also received all three of the Alpacassos I ordered this month, each from a different seller. The pink 16 cm Fresh Soda Alpacasso came from Pixie, who I haven't ordered from before, but will definitely be ordering from again. She came with a couple of mini candy canes. :)

I also ordered two 16 cm Powa Powan Alpacassos. The pink one came from Alpacasso & Fandom Sales while the blue one came from a fairly new store, Alpacasso SG. Both of them, along with Pixie, are excellent sellers who can be trusted to supply you with authentic Amuse Alpacassos. They both also sent small gifts along with the alpacas, which is always a nice surprise. :)

 

I am currently waiting on a pair of violet circle lenses, a second Nami figure, an L Nendoroid (Death Note), my Bodyline Meido outfit, a Monkey D Luffy Nendoroid, and a Kyoko Sakura figure. As soon as they arrive, I'll be posting about them. Until then!

December is here already?!

December totally snuck up on me this year. Usually I'm well-prepared, since I love Christmas and start thinking about it before Halloween, but I guess my head's not screwed on quite right at the moment. Anyway, today we had our first proper snow, so I pulled out the Santa hat. Today (technically yesterday since it is 2:30 in the morning) was also Finnish Independence Day, so I wore my blonde wig and a blue top.

I've been unintentionally ignoring this blog because I haven't had money with which to order stuff, so I've had very little to blog about. I also haven't been inspired to write about my opinion on anything. Mostly my energy has been dedicated to the 40 or so Christmas cards I'm making to send to friends and family all over the world. At this point, I doubt they'll get there in time, but better late than never, right?

On the fifth I received my sick-leave money and therefore am able to buy things again. (It sounds horrible when I put it so bluntly; but I know I'm fortunate to have someone take care of me in terms of housing and food, so it's not that horrible, right?) I've ordered some Alpacas, a couple of figures, and most importantly... a meido outfit! I've ordered the black version of this:

Although it's a Bodyline product, I ordered it through Cosmates because it's cheaper, plus I won't have to pay any customs expenses. I can't wait until it arrives! I will, of course, be posting about it once it does, and all the other things I've ordered, too! Until then, I'm back to working on cards.

Have a picture of my kitten Remu as a bye-for-now gift:

Early Christmas Present to Myself & Missing Order Stuff.

My newest Arpakassos arrived, ordered from Rosy's Garden on Storenvy, one of the select few Arpakasso sellers that can definitely 100% for sure be trusted to supply one with authentic Amuse Arpakassos, and often with a small gift and a lovely personalized touch to boot! For instance, the cute Merry Christmas tag displayed here.

I've been coveting these two badboys for months now. As soon as I saw the brown Sweets boy, I knew he had to be mine. The Animal Hat fella grew on me over time, and unfortunately it was too long ... I couldn't snag a 16 cm version of him. But the 12 cm is just as cute!

These cuties were a topper to a pretty good week. Not only did an adorable kitten named Remu join our family, but StyleGirl on Storenvy refunded an order that I placed which went missing almost half a year ago. I was also able to contact Tokimo, who assured me my circle lenses would be resent. Unfortunately I have pretty much confirmed that Spooktacular was a scam, so I can kiss the $32 I paid for that ribcage sweater goodbye. Either way, it's good to "have closure" so to speak ... meaning no more fretting about where are my things!

In addition to this, I won a used pair of studded heels for about €22, and a Sayaka Miki figure for a bit less. Not bad at all, I'd say. :)

Sighing over SheInside.

I've been excitedly waiting for my Sheinside order of two sweaters, because I just have not been able to find many cute sweaters here in Finland, and the one I ordered from Spooktacular on Storenvy is probably never coming. Anyway, the package arrived and the first of the sweaters that I ordered, the pink "LAME" sweater, was great!

It fits well and is made of very soft material. I absolutely love it. However, the second sweater I ordered, the black cross sweater (below) did not arrive.

Instead I received a totally random cat face sweater:

I've contacted Sheinside twice by email since receiving the package, and have yet to get a response, despite their claim that they get back to messages within 24 hours. I'm very disappointed. If I don't get a response soon, I'm going to put it up for sale in my store on Storenvy. :I

Cosmates Order Has Arrived!

I placed an order on Cosmates.com on October 7th, and it arrived today. My items were sent in a bag, with each of them wrapped in its own plastic package inside. All were in great condition - no damage, no bad smells, etc. Though the total price of my purchase was 69€ or almost $93 US, it was marked as only 16€ and therefore passed through customs quickly.

Prices:

• Dress - $56
• Pannier - $19
• Socks - $9

The dress is by Fanplusfriend. It's made of light and airy fabric, which is a welcome change. The elastic around the bust and waist is very stretchy, making the dress (which comes in one size only) one-size-fits-most. It's very comfortable, except for the sleeves being a bit tight. There are three colour options; as you can see, I chose black. The dress came with a removable burgundy chiffon sash as pictured below. I was afraid that the neckline would be too open - it certainly looked quite large on the mannequin in the stock photo - but it's not too open at all.

The pannier is by Bodyline. It's available in eight different colours and two different sizes. I chose the ivory/off-white colour option (though it looks plain white in the photos). I have mixed feelings about this pannier. On one hand, it's softer, more comfortable, and less noisy than my previous one (which I found on eBay), but on the other hand, it's not very poufy at all. I think it would be better suited to be used as a skirt in a fairy kei outfit than under a dress. (On that note, I might have to buy a couple more in different colours....)

The socks are also Bodyline. I bought them as a just-in-case-I-don't-want-to-wear-tights item, and because I might try to cosplay Celestia Ludenberg one day. But when I tried them on, I fell in love. Socks are hard to buy online, particularly knee-high and thigh-high socks/stockings. I was afraid that these wouldn't fit, since my legs aren't super thin. I'm happy to say that they do fit, and are comfortable and look nice. They're good quality, and I would definitely recommend them.

All in all, I am pleased with my purchase. The prices were reasonable, the shipping was fast, and the items are quality. I'd definitely buy from Cosmates again.

Here are a couple of bad photos of me wearing the ensemble. As I said, the pannier doesn't provide enough pouf, leaving the dress with a sort of babydoll look/feel. Back to searching for a proper petticoat it is...

Yay, Me!!

I did it! I threw together my first meager co-ord and walked around in it all day yesterday! I was surprised to get so many compliments. Lots of people at the outpatient clinic wanted to know more about Lolita, as well. It was nice to be able to tell people about it, and of course, the compliments had me feeling great. :)

I made a post about it on my tumblr, so I'm not gonna say any more here.

I'm still scared that I will end up on Behind the Bows. I know people go looking for people to make fun of on tumblr. And almost every time I've seen a beginner Lolita proudly displaying their co-ord on tumblr, it has ended up on BTB with cruel comments and rudeness! >:( Gonna try to stay away from that blog like I've been doing for the past few weeks. Wish me luck!