Angelic Pretty Holy Lantern replica vs authentic.

Hi guys!

Today I'm showing the differences between an authentic Holy Lantern by Angelic Pretty and a replica version by Oojia.

I bought the authentic Holy Lantern in the zipper-jsk style in black, and the replica zipper-jsk in red~
The Holy Lantern print features chandeliers, stars, moons, crosses and of course, lanterns. The print is 'flocked' or in other words, slightly fuzzy.

Real Holy Lantern~

I bought the authentic version for £210 from a reseller, New With Tags. It also came with a piece of sample fabric? I don't really understand why, but oh well.

Replica Holy Lantern~

The replica cost me $97 (£67) which was second hand, but only tried on. Luckily the seller marked down the package so I didn't get hit with customs.

Images for comparison~

Sorry not all the images are super clear! The picture were taken on my phone.

Comparison~

1. The authentic dress overall has a more structured shape, it has a small built-in petticoat which helps hold out the skirt a little and show the waist. This doesn't make a huge difference when either dress is worn with a proper petticoat but is a nice addition to make the dress a little fluffier.

2. The zipper crosses. The authentic version features thinner hollow crosses as a pull where as the replica uses solid, chunkier crosses. Whilst the hollow crosses are perhaps a little more elegant, the replica crosses aren't terribly tacky or anything and are perfectly acceptable.

3. The neckline ruffle. The fabrics used are different; on the authentic, the fabric is more sheer and has more structure to it so that it stands itself up a little whereas the replica uses material that feels similar to the dress and is therefore a little more 'floppy'.

4. The actual print. It seems that on the replica, the entire print is smaller than it is on the authentic. There are also some very minor differences with some of the designs in the print, in that it just looks like someone hasn't quite copied the design with precision but it's not something you would recognise unless comparing the dresses directly

5. The straps. The replica actually has nicer star buttons use to attach the straps where as the authentic version just uses a regular clear button. The authentic versions has another hole on the strap to allow change in the length where as the replica only has one hole. (that said, I feel like i'm constantly pulling the straps back onto my shoulder with both dresses, is it just my shoulders being awkward??)

6. Ribbon lacing. Only a minor difference here, but the ribbon in the front lacing on the authentic version is somewhat velvety/flocked. personally I don't like it much and will probably change it out for another ribbon, but we'll see. The replica uses regular satin ribbon. Both ribbons are quite long even when tied, the authentic reaching to around half way down the skirt portion and the replica being even longer. 

7. Waist ties. The main difference here is the length, and width. The authentic version has slim waist ties where as the replica has these BIG ASS chunky ones that are super long. Honestly, that's probably one of the things that bothered me the most about the replica when comparing them. What is the need for the waist ties to be so big?? T-T To be honest though, when tied up it doesn't look too hugely out of proportion with the dress. The smaller difference is just the button that attaches the tie to the dress. Th authentic dress has buttons that are pointed and the replica uses the same star buttons as the ones on the straps.

8. The lacing. The lace on the bottom of the authentic as the AP logo with chandeliers in between where as the replica has the AP logo with stars instead of the chandeliers. This is probably so that the lace can be used on other replica dresses rather than one specific design to save costs.  It's not something you'd really notice unless looking at it specifically and again, doesn't look bad or out of place.

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I think I've covered the differences between the replica and authentic, but I may have missed some!
I'm in no way saying that the replica is bad quality at all, in fact I think it's still one of the nicer dresses I have, and if I did not have the authentic version to compare it with I wouldn't have seen many differences. I think it's a very well-made replica and a lovely alternative if you just can't afford to pay brand prices, or if the sizing doesn't fit you.

~Thanks for reading, and I hope this post is informative~

Tokyo Otaku Mode review!

Hi guys!

Today i'm doing a review for the online shop Tokyo Otaku Mode (TOM). 

TOM is a Japan-based shop that sells kawaii goods and j-fashion pieces.

I ordered 3 Milklim shirts, a pair of panda tights and some stationary goods~

Item~ Milklim Shuwa Shuwa Magic long-sleeved shirt

I got this item in the Light Pink x Mint colourway! The print features cute animal characters with a milkshake glass and fluffy clouds. It cost $31.99. The material is thinner than i had thought it would be for the price and brand, however the design is still super cute and it's wearable anyway!

Rating: ♡♡♡♡♡/5

Item~ Milklim Suya Suya Tonight long-sleeved shirt

This item is in the Light Pink x Lavender colourway! The print features a super adorable sleepy bunny with a moon and fluffy clouds. This shirt was also $31.99. The same goes with this shirt, I would have expected it to be a little thicker. Also the writing isn't very well transferred on the end of 'Milklim' which is a little disappointing. :( One other small issue with this is that it smelt slightly of cigarette smoke (??) There's no damage or anything, it just kinda smells so I've washed and aired it out now. ;-;

Rating: ♡♡♡♡/5

Item~ Milklim Cotton Candy long-sleeved shirt

The ever so popular cotton candy shirt~ I got this item in the White x Light Pink colourway! The print features 3 candyfloss cones with bows on them. It cost $25.99. Again, super thin material! uwu As it's white, it's a tiny bit see-through so it's probably best to wear a vest underneath. This shirt also smelt lightly of cigarette smoke which sucked, but it went away after washing it so i guess it's okay.

Rating: ♡♡♡♡/5

Item~ Panda mock-knee high tights

I only have the stock picture for this one as I haven't taken a close up of the tights but I'm pleased with the quality of this item! They're fairly thick and the print is clear. Also, the face doesn't get all stretched out weird on people with chubbier legs. ^-^ I'm 5'2 and the faces come up the middle of my thighs. The only slight issue i can mention about this product is that the skin tone part is a little too dark for my skin, but other than that i'm super happy with them.

Rating:♡♡♡♡♡/5

Item~ Stationary

I got 2 sets of Rilakkuma stickers, which you can find here and here. 

I also got a small plastic file + post card set and a Ojipan notepad.

All these items were super cute and good quality so i'm happy~

TOM included a free A4 plastic file, an artwork poster and a sticker with my purchase and i'm kinda in love with the poster. >w<

Customs~

Customs was kinda a bummer because although i knew it would get hit, it turned out to be a lot more than i expected! The customs itself was only £14.72 but Parcel Force added £13.50 on top as a handling fee! D: So crazy. I'm not sure if TOM always ship via Parcel Force but if you have the choice (I got free shipping so i didn't) see if you can avoid PF. ;-; When I've got packages from overseas before it's been delivered via Royal Mail and their handling fee is only £7 or so.

~Thank you for reading this review!~

I'll be uploading this review on Tumblr as well. 

You can follow my Tumblr here.

Fairy kei sailor collar tutorial!

Hi guys!
I'm starting off this blog with a tutorial for a pastel sailor collar that you can wear over a t-shirt, vest top or dress to make it cuter!

Unfortunately I didn't take pictures of the first few steps, as I kind of did them by eye (oops) but i'll write them here instead, or you can find a template online, i'm sure!

• Fold your fabric over once so that you have two layers of fabric.

• Then, take a t-shirt that fits you well, and draw the outline of the neck and shoulders. This will be the outline for your collar. 

• Measure how far down you want the collar to fall on your back and draw a line on the fabric to this length. Then, draw a dot to where you would like the front ties to fall. Draw a smooth curve to this dot from the edges of shoulder and neck. You can choose to either square or point the ends.

• Add a 2cm seam allowance around the template you've drawn.

I hope you enjoyed this short tutorial! ^-^

You can follow my Tumblr here.