Monday 19 May 2014

Tea Time by Metamorphose

Today I am looking at a recent release from Metamorphose. This series is called Tea Time and includes 3 dresses, 3 hair accessories, wrist cuffs and socks.


This is the Organdie Frill Pinafore JSK. The bodice seems to be well fitted but the shape leaves a lot to be desired. It is very square looking and it doesn't help that the neckline appears wonky in several of the stock photos. The actual straps are a good width but all the organdie ruffles on top makes them appear far too bulky. It would maybe have worked better if they had just left out the outer ruffle just to reduce the bulk a bit. As it is, it looks far too fussy and will draw more attention to wide shouldered wearers. One of the ruffles from the straps continues along the neckline and it just looks really messy. I also dislike how the ruffles have been topped with satin ribbon as well. The organdie bib is just overkill and the satin ribbon bow that tops it just looks too OTT. The ribbon used is also incredibly shiny and cheap looking. Overall, the bodice has far too much organdie details going on and it really needs to be toned down. It probably wouldn't look so bad if just some of the details were removed. The bottom of the bodice features 2 thin lines of lace and a pair of buttons, which seem to just blend in with the dress and don't really add much to the design. The organdie parts are far too distracting anyway. The back has a panel of shirring which is concealed by a ribbon corset. I don't know if it's just the way the organdie overlay is sitting on the skirt, but the skirt shape looks far too exaggerated to me. It sort of reminds me of one of those old-fashioned toilet roll covers! However, on a more positive note it does emphasise the smallness of the waist area. I am still not a fan though! I also feel the skirt length could do with being a bit longer. The skirt features an organdie overlay, which I am a bit disappointed with. I don't feel that it is the right sort of shape, size and I dislike how it has been finished with that white lace. There is just something about the use of lace which doesn't feel right to me. I would have made the bow clip that tops the overlay the same organdie material too. The skirt also has a tier design, which feels a bit too cluttered and fussy. The way the tiers are layered looks fine, but I don't like the size and spacing of the tiers. I am also not a fan of the lace used to finish them off. Overall, I find this dress far too cluttered and the dress could look a lot better if some of the details were toned down a bit.


This is the High Waist Pinafore JSK. The short bodice seems to be well fitted. The shape is okay, but I think the heart shaped neckline could have been a bit softer, because it looks quite pointed and sharp. I am not too fond of the strap placement either. The straps are a good width though and although the design is kept plain, I think the simpler straps really suit this dress. The bottom of the bodice is lined neatly with thin lace, which isn't too distracting. The bodice is then finished off with 2 bows which use the printed fabric. The bows are a bit on the big side, but don't look too OTT on the dress. The shape is kept simple, but looks cute. However, the 2 bows do blend in with the dress a little bit. The neckline is lined with thin lace, but it doesn't do much to soften the harsh neckline shape. The back has a panel of shirring which is concealed neatly by a ribbon corset. The skirt is a cute shape and has plenty of volume. There is plenty of room for petticoats. Overall though, I wonder how flattering the skirt shape is going to be on wearers. The model wearing the dress on the Meta website is quite petite, but the dress even makes her look bigger than she actually is. The all-over print is displayed quite well, despite the large number of tiers at the bottom. The bottom of the skirt has many ruffled tiers. The tiers are layered nicely and the end result is quite fluffy looking, which is quite cute. The only thing I dislike is the join between the main dress and the start of the ruffles. This join is topped with a line of shiny ribbon and a few small bows. I think the join line looks too harsh and needs to be a bit softer, maybe without the ribbon there at all. 


And this is the Circular Pinafore JSK. The bodice seems to be well fitted and the shape is cute. The straps underneath the collar are a decent width too. The waist is brilliantly nipped in by the belt. I do think the belt is a little bulky though, so I would have made it a bit narrower. The heart shaped buckle is adorable. I have mixed feelings about the collar. I like it paired with the belt for a cute retro look, but something about the collar shape seems a bit off to me. I can't quite put my finger on it, but something about the shape just doesn't look right to me. I wondered if maybe it was simply too big? But something seems a bit odd about the shape of the collar too. Thankfully though, it is detachable. Yes, the dress does look a bit plain with the collar detached, but that is probably how I would prefer to wear it. The bodice is also topped with 2 bow brooches. I think the bows are nicely shaped and a good size, but perhaps having both bows looks a bit too crowded. Thankfully, both bows are detachable, so you can play around with them and find a style you like. I definitely think that if you detach the collar, the bow brooches are needed to make sure the dress doesn't look too plain. The back has a panel of shirring which is concealed well by a ribbon corset. The stock photos show the skirt has plenty of volume. The shape is subtly rounded and I think in some photos the skirt looks a bit triangular and could do with being a bit more rounded. However, a lot of this would be down to the petticoat choice of the wearer, and I think a very cute shape could be created with this dress. The skirt is mainly kept simple and so the print is displayed brilliantly. The bottom hem is finished off with an organdie ruffle and then another ruffle of the main fabric is layered underneath. I personally really like the organdie part. It makes the design a bit different and it is executed well. It makes the bottom very soft and floaty looking.


And here we can see what the print looks like. This series comes in pink, sugar blue and black. All 3 colours seem to work well with the print but I feel the 2 pastel colours are more appealing than the black. As for the print itself, it looks very cute although I don't feel it is anything spectacular. All the different tea packets are drawn well with lots of cute detailing to them. It is also a nice way to subtly include their various logos and mascots without it being too obvious. Even the milky Metamorphose writing works well with the print. I think my favourite part of the print though, is the bunny head spoons. If Meta released them as a novelty item, I would definitely get one! The one thing I would remove would be the rabbit's speech bubble. The speech bubbles on Meta's apple print worked out really nicely, but I don't think it works as well here.

So overall, I do feel as though this series is a bit hit and miss. Some dress designs are stronger than others and although the print is very cute, I wouldn't go out of my way to get my hands on it. The Circular Pinafore JSK design has really grown on me though, so if I were to buy this series I would choose that dress in pink. Tea Time is nice enough, but I don't really have any strong views on it.

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