Hello everyone! It's been quiet around these parts for a bit, but hopefully I can get back into the swing of things on this blog again. Today I bring a mini haul and review of some recent Taobao purchases I made! For those of you who don;t know what Taobao is, it's a shopping site sort of like Amazon where you can buy a multitude of items from sellers all over China. Things however can tend to be hit or miss, so it's important to buy with caution and look out for scammers, knock-offs, and bad quality items. Just as you would be cautious on sites like eBay and the like, the same applies here.
To shop on Taobao, if you are from the West, you would need to use a shopping service. My service of choice is spreenow.com. Their site is very streamlined and easy to use, and their customer service is impeccable! I highly recommend using their service. They charge a 10% service fee for every purchase as well as paypal fees. In the long run, it's very cheap and even cheaper when you buy as a group, just keep in mind that the cost of shipping to you will increase the heavier the items are, so shoes and bags really drive up the costs by the end.
Anyway, I will assume most of you reading this are familiar with Taobao at least remotely, and are familiar with the many Lolita Fashion brands that are over there. Some of my favorites to list a few are Infanta, Krad Lanrete, Little Dipper, Boguta, Surface Spell, and Pumpkin Cat. If you are interested, here is a link to a comprehensive list of fairly trusted lolita brands on Taobao. Just keep in mind that some shops no longer update or can take very long to ship items (sometimes up to six months or more!) So again, be weary. Your taobao agent should be able to help you contact the shops to find out how long items will take.
Ok onto the items!
Infanta - Burgundy Striped Blouse
with Pointed Collar and Gold Trims
Quality - 3.5/5
No link because they blouse is currently not available.
This is quite a lovely blouse I must say. Sadly, at the time of purchase, they no longer had Size M in stock, so I had to buy a Size L. I tried it on, and it is rather big in the bust. Eventually I plan to take it in myself so it fits me a bit better.
I had to rank this down in quality because the bow brooch broke in two places. One of the crosses came off as it was attached with really cheap nickel plated rings. I was able to re-attach, but I can see them falling off again. I will need to use pliers to really close the loop more securely. Then when I tried attaching the brooch, the pin back completely broke off. I will have to replace that too. So basically, the hardware on this blouse sucked. But overall, it's nice for what I paid (about $40 USD give or take.)
Infanta - Mutton-style Sleeve Chiffon Blouse
Quality - 4.5/5
I actually bought this blouse in a previous Group Order. I got the Ivory, and then I loved it so much that I ended up getting the black one this time too! It was hard to resist buying every color, as they have many to choose from! I really recommend this blouse! It fits amazingly! The sleeves are so fluffy! It;s very versatile and perfect for both Gothic and Classic looks! These blouses pretty much go with everything in my wardrobe, and I love them. They each cost me about $40 USD.
Ranked down only because I had to sew the top button back on because it fell off, and because the elastic on the sleeves are quite tight, so be very mindful of that. It's like that for a lot of Taobao blouses. I guess they want the elastics to stretch out over time and wear, or they think everyone has pencil wrists, haha.
Little Angel - Black Striped Blouse
with Gold Lurex and Detachable Bow
with Gold Lurex and Detachable Bow
Quality - 4.5/5
This one is my favorite blouse of the three! Sadly its not available on their site anymore, but they do have the same blouse in other colors available here! This brand is a branch off from Little Dipper.
I just love this. The fabric is soft and has a bit of spandex for a nice comfy fit! I love the detachable bow. It has a very quirky and circusy feel to it, and I'm sure I will be getting a lot of wear out of this. I kind of want more colors now! I bought their Size M and as I said, the fit is perfect with only one flaw - the sleeves are a bit short. I have fairly long arms, so be weary of that. It's not drastic, but it's noticeable when I bend my arms. I don't mind it too much though.
Fox's Feathers - Death Angel JSK II
Quality - 4.5/5
I ultimately decided on the long length JSK in Black, which I don't regret! This goes right past my knee and looks great on.
I was completely floored at the quality of this piece. The fabric has a nice texture to it and doesn't feel cheap and it isn't shiny at all. This dress is also no longer available as far as I know, as there was a bit of controversy about copyrighted art regarding this dress. The link I bought it from is no longer available for some odd reason. Apparently the issue was rectified, but I still wonder, haha!
Anyway, there are really rich and great quality laces and trims on this piece. The only thing I don't like is the lacing at the front is a little awkward, but I don't mind it. I also wish the waist tie was attached. It's a loose sash instead. However, it does give you varied options to tie it. The dress zips at the back, which is hard to get off and on, I would have preferred a side zip. I also wish the back was fully shirred, it would have been even more comfy that way, the bodice is a just fit for me. I like my shirring dammit!
Ultimatum? I think this was a good ass mini haul!
Coordinate One
Elder Witch
Here is a mature Gothic look. I used the JSK and the Blouse I received, that match perfectly. I paired it with a Gunmetal wig (from Lockshop), a circular veiled headdress I made, and a Moss Marchen gold rosary. I threw in my good ol' trusty Evil Live school bag like always (I only have two lolita purses currently, and this is my main one. I'm not one to collect purses. I just like having my staples that I can use over and over in many outfits.)
I would pair this with some black lace tights and witchy boots!
Coordinate Two
Spoopy Time
If you know me well enough, you will realize that I wear spoopy Halloweeny shit all year round, so I cracked up this number.
I recently also got the Metamorphose Secret Laboratory Long JSK in Emerald, and then I put it next to this blouse, and they are a match made in heaven! At first I didn't like this dress because I thought it was a textured cotton when I was on the website, but when it came in, it was Chiffon, and I was a little disappointed (I didn't read, I just clicked BUY.) But I think it's growing on me now! The blouse is like a soft woven cotton, so the mixing of textures is nice!
I added a bunch of other spoopy touches, like the Moss Badger Ouija necklace, Skeleton clips, and my new Aetherlund Batwing cuffs. I threw in the harlequin tights for a little circus feel. Also if you know me well enough, I like mixing crazy unexpected nonsense together! I topped this off with a sparkly veiled headbow and some clip in roses. I need more gold hair accessories!
I would have done more coords, but it got late and I got very tired, but if you check out my Instagram, I post random coords when I'm feeling inspired, so do look for them over there! Lately I've been loving the regalia and gothic stuff, so there has been a lot of that.
Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed!
- Aria Macabre
