Review: Lolita Ball-Jointed Doll Clothing & Accessories
I recently purchased some Lolita pieces from Taobao, but not for myself. What's the catch? I ordered the items for my doll Hitomi! Since Hitomi is a Lolita herself, I am always on the lookout for new apparel items and accessories for her to wear!
All ordered items from Taobao outside of China require a shopping service. Each shopping service has different fees for this service. I did some research and, for my first direct Taobao order, I used the shopping service known as TaobaoRing. I read a lot of reviews that said the shopping fee was reasonable at 8% and the communication and shipping were favorable.
I purchased the following items for this order:
Winter Coat
Long-sleeved Blouse
Heart Purses
March
31st, 2017
April
15th, 2017
TaobaoRing made shopping on the Chinese marketplace known as Taobao extremely easy! There are many items and shops on the Taobao that offer wonderful clothing and accessories for bjd and similar aesthetic dolls. I simply followed TaobaoRing's process to buy the items that I desired.
Hitomi's Lolita Winter Coat
This Lolita coat by MIYA is too sweet for words! I have seen this piece on Taobao re-sellers. I was ecstatic to have finally found the shop of origin! On the third-party websites, this lolita coat was $65, while the Taobao shop offered the same piece for $22-25 depending on size. Miya offered the coat in white, pink, red, ivory and gray. The coat is available for 1/4, 1/3 and SD16 sized dolls.
The winter coat and capelet were wrapped carefully in clear plastic. Even from inside the plastic you are able to see the wonderful and to scale details of the coat. The overall design is absolutely perfect for a Sweet Lolita! The piece reminds me of a design by Angelic Pretty or Baby, the Stars Shine Bright.
This coat is stunning! Not only is the entire piece impressive to look at, but the piece has been constructed of quality materials and expert seamstress skills. Also to the aspects of the coat being beyond adorable, each detail is a perfect fit for the 1/4 scale, which is always a bonus!
Most of the winter coat is made of warm wool that is sturdy but is also pleasant in texture. The faux white fur trim is soft to the touch and has been attached well. On close inspection of the lace, it is expertly attached and of great quality. The inside of the coat and capelet are professionally lined with silk fabric. The capelet features the same pink wool, faux white fur, and lace to match the coat. The capelet is removable so you can have some style diversity when it comes to your doll's overall look!
Featured on the front of the coat are three silver sculpted rose buttons. The buttons hide snaps that allow you to dress your doll with ease! The pink ribbons and pearl accents are extra pieces that make this coat beyond impressive! The 1/4 size is perfect. For Hitomi, a 50 cm Obitsu, the sleeves are a tiny bit too short for her. This can be ignored with some long sleeve gloves or wristcuffs as pictured.
As you can see, the capelet is adorable and a great way to add an extra bit of sweetness to your doll's coordinate. The capelet has a simple sheer white ribbon which allows you to add it easily.
Rating:
10/10
The design of the coat is completely wonderful, charming and it is perfect for the Sweet Lolita style. The material used is wonderful, and the skill used is superb. I cannot believe this winter coat had an asking price of only $25 USD. This doll lolita coat deserves nothing short of a perfect score!
Hitomi's Long-Sleeve Blouse
This lolita style blouse by Tong is a steal at only $10!! The blouse is perfect for lolita fashion due to the style design and the intricate details the blouse possesses. The cotton material is soft to the touch and the level of construction is beyond stellar! I cannot get over how small the stitches and ruffles are! This item is a perfect 1/4 scale from the tiny stitches to the charming flower buttons.
The blouse has expert pleats. This allows the blouse to hang well on your doll. This blouse is a sailor style, and the collar has an extra adorable row of intricate ruffles to add additional sweetness.
The blouse looks charming with the jumperskirt style dresses in Hitomi's wardrobe. This blouse can be paired with a lolita skirt as a complimentary companion piece, particularly with the larger row of ruffles at the bottom of the blouse. The blouse is intricate enough to be a piece of interest when coupled with a skirt or a great layered article underneath a lolita jumperskirt. The versatility is great!
There is enough room in the blouse that the medium bust option for the 50 cm Obitsu frame can still be used underneath. The sleeve-length would be perfect for an MSD-sized doll. The only flaw that I could find would be that the fabric of the blouse is slightly sheer. You can see the skirt underneath.
Rating:
9 / 10
This blouse is precious. Each aspect of this item is intricate with sweetness and frills. The piece is a great classic staple to any doll's Lolita style wardrobe. The material used is of a great quality, and the precision of the stitching is fantastic. With an asking price of just $10, I would highly recommend it.
Hitomi's Heart Purses
These darling heart shaped purses were too cute not to add! I was more than pleased that I was able to find purses that would match Hitomi's Sweet Lolita wardrobe. The heart shape reminds me of one of the classic Lolita purse designs created by Baby, the Stars Shine Bright.
The store carries the bags in five colors and multiple sizes. I purchased the 1/3 size. Each purchase includes two purses of the same color for about $14. These bags are the right proportion for Hitomi.
Each purse is constructed of a quality synthetic leather. A few of the aspects of the bag are cemented together by a yellow glue. I was able to clean the residue with a damp cloth and warm water.
The purses feature an attachable clasp with adjustable straps. You can have your doll hold the bag with the middle strap or make it a shoulder bag with the attachable strap. Both styles are lovely. The attachable strap can be removed and place inside of the structurally sound purse if desired.
The stitching is completely even and impressive for such a small piece. The bag is padded underneath to offer some softness to the bag. On top of the bag is a charming bow. A zipper at the side of the purse allows you to easily open the bag. You can place whatever you'd like to keep handy.
The strap was easy to manipulate. Since Hitomi is about 10 cm shorter than a traditional SD sized doll, the ability to be able to shorten the strap is amazing. I cannot believe how adorable Hitomi looks with this lovely heart shaped purse! I am thankful that I purchased the bags in various colors.
Rating:
8 / 10
All three of these heart-shaped bags are so sweet! I cannot get over how charming the three of them are. The material that the purses have made of of is of great quality. The purse has been reinforced very well to maintain its shape and the strap is made to allow for ease of fit or removal. Much of the construction for the bags are very well done. My only complaint would be the sloppiness of the glue that was used. The excess glue is easy to remove. At $8 apiece, I do do not have any complaints!
So, how do I feel about TaobaoRing?
Overall Rating:
Ease of Service
10 / 10
While at first, the ordering process appears to be a daunting one, the website is easy to order from! The service fee at 8% was very reasonable! I saved over $100 by ordering via Taobao. I like that I can order my items direct, instead of using a third party seller, such as Legend Doll or Alice Collections.
Communication
10 / 10
The TaobaoRing staff was easy to communicate with. They were with me at every step and let me know if any problems arose. I will use TaobaoRing for future purchases, even the orders that need custom made lolita pieces! I am confident my items would be ordered to my specifications.
Shipping and Handling
9 / 10
My package was secure, and my items arrived in fantastic condition! I purchased EMS shipping, my order arrived much faster than if I had selected another shipping speed. I did find it odd that EMS took so long before it arrived in my country, which was a matter of a week and a half. Outside of that, I can report that my item arrives safe and sound! I appreciate that the staff confirmed with me by photo before my order was sent out to make sure the items that arrived were correct! I would recommend TaobaoRing for your Taobao marketplace needs!