First of all, I ordered on September 20th, shortly after Fanplusfriend announced their fall sale. This was my second time ordering from them during a seasonal sale, so I knew there would be a long wait.
I received shipping notice on October 20th, which was faster than I expected. For the first day or so, my DHL tracking number did not work. Then egads! While the tracking sites said the package was still in China, it arrived three days from the time F+F gave me shipping notice.
This was what the package looked like-- amazing how many things they managed to compress in there.
Here are all the smaller packages.
As you can see, I enjoy the colours red and black. :-D
To begin, here are the red stockings and gloves.
I can't find the gloves on the Fanplusfriend website anymore, however they were called something amusing like "Elegant fake leather and fur gloves".
The gloves were somewhat less red in person than I expected (as you can see in comparison to the stockings)-- and I am concerned that the fur might be real. That said, they fit and were less than $10.
The stockings are also evading me on the website. They were listed as something like "Basic solid color leggings Thick Tights *Dark Red" and considering that I paid less than $4.00 for them, I have no complaints. They fit okay (though at 5'3", I'm glad I'm not any taller) and feel soft.
Again, I can't find the link for this particular wig, but it was the "Fine Dull Wig Lolita Curl Hime Cut Medium Length" style, probably in black. This one in Brown Light looks similar in length and curls.
Now, finally, I can review something that is currently find-able on the website.
This is the "Scented Corsage" blouse in dark red. I didn't use custom sizing because they have a standard size that is already a good fit for me. One thing that slightly surprised me, was that this blouse is cut quite high. I wouldn't say the Fanplusfriend pictures are deceiving, but I thought the blouse would be longer than just barely past my waist. Now, with that said: I love this blouse! It's so dramatic and versitile at the same time.
Here is the JSK.
This is the "Classical Gothic Lolita Corduroy Backless Dress".
I sort of fell in love with this JSK from the first time I saw it on the Fanplusfriend site. It has a very wearable design and reminds me a bit of dresses from the 1950s. In person, the JSK was very close to my hopes: the corduroy is light enough that a petticoat can still puff up the skirt, and overall, I think the JSK is perfect for a more casual (even 'almost normal person') coord.
Only two things that surprised me about this dress. First, the skirt is a bit longer than I expected. Since Fanplusfriend does not include any pictures of the JSK on a model, I did not think the skirt would come past my knees-- but it does. So, the skirt has a more mature/classic silhouette for sure.
The second thing about the JSK that I was less agreeably surprised by, was the lace on the collar (this is why I posted a detail of it). I'm not sure if this lace is the same in Fanplusfriend website pictures or not, but it is Much larger than I thought it would be. The quality is fine, I have no problem with that, just that the width is an inch long, whereas from the Fanplusfriend pictures, I thought it would be more like a 1/4 of an inch wide. This makes the collar look very frilly.
Still, I don't fault Fanplusfriend for this. They do mention on the website that they may change fabrics and notions depending on what supplies are available-- and as I said, I wouldn't say there was anything wrong with the quality of the lace, or even the sewing of the lace to the collar.
And now, my favourite piece of clothing!
O, this coat! This is the most beautiful coat that I will probably ever wear!
It is the Classical Lolita Thick Wool Double Breasted Fur Lapel & Cuff Coat. I have no complaints about this item. Having worn it twice, I believe this coat will be sufficient for Vancouver's mild winters. The pockets are real, it fits even better than I expected, and I feel like I'm borrowing some magical Victorian lady's clothes whenever I wear it. Last week, I went for a walk just to have the perfect enjoyment of being in this coat.
To conclude: my experience ordering from Fanplusfriend was excellent. There were a few minor things I did not expect, but I would absolutely order from them again.
Thank-you as always for reading, and I hope this review will be helpful for someone interested in ordering from Fanplusfriend Garden. :0)
