As I'm finally settling into my style, it was time to clear out my closet of a bunch of super sweet items I acquired in the past that I wore only once, or never actually wore. Sometimes I have a really hard time letting things go, but they were just wasting space in my wardrobe - as well as being a money sink. From the sales of 3 blouses, multiple pairs of socks/tights, a pair of shoes, and a bag I netted enough money for the two blouses you see above and three pairs of those socks (I like to have extras of tights/lace socks since they're so delicate)! My sales also funded the shopping service fees and EMS shipping from China. I can't tell you how nice it is to get new things without technically spending money.
Now, onto the reviews! The two blouses I picked up were from Infanta. This was actually my first time ordering from them and I am very happy with what I received, but they are not perfect. I'll be focusing on overall quality, and fit. I'll also do a brief review of the socks, which are from my favorite Taobao shop for socks, Mu-fish.
Blouse Quality
Overall the quality of these blouses are really nice at a price point that's comparable to Bodyline. They were 228 yuan - which works out to about 37 USD, so not a bad price at all for what you receive. The chiffon fabric is beautiful, but there are some differences between the fabric in each blouse. The ivory blouse's fabric is thinner and does not feel as high quality as the brown, but it is a really lovely color. It wrinkles much easier than the brown blouse, and the collar does not lay as flat. But the lace is just perfect:
As for the brown blouse, it's better overall but the lace is a bit strange in that it does interesting things depending on the lighting. Initially, I was very worried when my shopping service (TaobaoSpree) sent me pictures of the blouse, because the lace looked so purple/grey in their photograph - nothing like Infanta's stock photo! As it turns out the lace, which is surely custom dyed, seems to be a little bit reflective. Perhaps because it's a dark color? In no way it is shiny like some of Bodyline's lace can be - but here two photos that give you a bit of an idea of the color range of the lace, and how it can differ depending on how it's photographed and what it is near at the time. I took them with my phone and didn't edit them, but it's worth noting that the lace may not photograph or wear exactly the way you'd like - especially in natural light.
Aside from this though, I really like the blouse. However, it would seem that brown blouses really are probably better purchased from one of the Japanese brands since you can count on their lace matching and behaving the way you see them in stock photos.
Blouse Fit
Not only did I purchase these blouses because I think they're beautiful, I also purchased them because according to the listed measurements they should fit my bust. The measurements listed on the page are 110 cm for that measurement. Now, I knew when I got them I wouldn't be getting the cute gathered effect as shown on Infanta's page, but I'm safely under the measurements, so I went ahead and gave them a go. They do fit well, but not as nicely as I had hoped. The waist elastic stretches easily over my bust, and should stretch to go up to the 110 cm listed bust measurement, as that is what is gathering the fabric. However, like most things in the fashion, it is not made for large cup sizes. As I wear a 32G, I have the same issue with these blouses that I do with some dresses - their just not made for large cup sizes, and it makes the waist of the blouse hit me right under my bust. Seeing as I intended to wear these blouses under jumper skirts, this isn't a problem for me, but it may be something to keep in mind if you have a large cup size and were hoping to wear it with a skirt.
The neckline of these blouses are also a little snug when pulling over the head, something to keep in mind if you have a large head. Additionally, there is some size discrepancy between the two blouses, the ivory one seems a bit smaller but still fits. As this blouse comes in only one size, it's something to consider if you're really close to the maximum measurements. Personally, I wouldn't recommend this blouse if you're much over a 100 cm bust.
Sock Quality and Fit
I apologize for not taking my own full photos of the socks (you can see a detail image of them in one of the above photos), but I assure you they are exactly the same as in the stock photo provided by Mu-fish. They are in fact replicas of a pair of socks by Baby the Stars Shine Bright, but, and I may have mentioned it before, I don't feel comfortable spending more than 20 USD on tights. At 30 yuan (less than 5 USD) a pair, I picked up 3 pairs in white, in case of snags and tears.
The quality is great, they seem nice and sturdy, especially considering the price. Obviously you don't want to wear any sharp rings when putting them on, but they seem like they should hold up well, especially since you don't have to pull them up and down like you do a pair of lace tights, which of course wears them out much quicker than a pair of OTKs.
As far as fit goes, they pretty much fit exactly as pictured on me, hitting me right above the knee, as I only measure 5'2" on a good day. So if you're any taller than I am, they're not going to be over the knee socks at all. There isn't much stretch either vertical or horizontal to them, so if you have larger calves despite being on the shorter side, they might not work out so great. They do seem like the kind of sock that might benefit from sock glue to help keep them up, even if you are shorter.
Another thing to keep in mind is that these socks are actually white. When I tried them on in a coord with an ivory blouse it didn't seem to be very noticeable to me, but if you're the type of person that nitpicks those kind of things and doesn't wear white you might want to look elsewhere.
If you have anything else you'd like to know that I didn't cover in this review, feel free to ask in the comments!
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